Tao Te Ching Ch 20

The Door of all Wonders:

 The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam 

Chapter 20

Between respectful response and scornful response, 

how much is the difference? *

Between beauty and ugliness, how much is the difference?

What people fear, one cannot be unafraid.

So desolate! How limitless is the Truth!

The multitudes are joyous, as if enjoying a great feast,

as if going up to a terrace in spring.

I alone am quiet and reveal no signs,

as innocent as an infant not yet smiling,

so idle, as if without motives.

The multitudes all have more than enough, while I alone seem lacking.

My heart is that of a fool!

 Ordinary people are bright.

I alone am drowsy.

Ordinary people are alert.

I alone am muddled.

My heart is calm like the sea, like high wind never ceases.

The multitudes all have goals with confidence.

 I alone am foolish and uncouth.

 I alone am different from others, and value being fed by the mother.

 

Review

 

In this Chapter, Lao Tzu tells us the difference between a spiritual person and a worldly person. The spiritual person seeks the Truth internally, and abides in the Truth, while the worldly person seeks the world externally, fond of enjoyments and achievements. In this Chapter, Lao Tzu begins with asking two questions:

 

“Between respectful response and scornful response, how much is the difference?

Between beauty and ugliness, how much is the difference?”

 

Most people like respectful response and dislike scornful response. They like the beauty and dislike the ugliness. It is very understandable. Who likes to be disrespected? Who likes the ugliness instead of the beauty? However, for people who strive hard to abide in the Truth, their life is the embodiment of the Truth and the Virtues. Their mind is always in tranquility. They will not show love and hatred to the outside world for long and deep. Silently, gently and mildly they will slip off their attention to the outside world which is full of the pairs of opposites happening around us like respectful and scornful, beauty and ugliness, happiness and sorrow, honors and dishonors, so on and so on.

 

People who abide in the Truth always remain the same with tranquility and balance when facing whatever situations. Our outside world can never be perfect. Sometimes you will be honored. Sometimes you will be humiliated even though you are perfectly alright and have done nothing wrong. This is always happening. It is why Lao Tzu tells us not to care for both good and bad in the outside world. They are always changing without any stability. The nature of this world is full of delusion because people’s mind is full of delusion without seeing the Truth. The sages who are fond of the Truth should not be moved and swayed by the outside situations whether they are favourable or not.

    In the Holy Scripture of Sikhi, “Siri Guru Granth Sahib”, Sikh Gurus also give the same teaching:

 “Honor and dishonor are the same to me; 

I have placed my forehead upon the Guru’s Feet.” 

(Gauree Maalaa, 5^th Mehl, 214) 

 

As their attention is on the Truth, they withdraw themselves from pampering or attacking people. They should not be elated when being respected and praised. At the same time, they also should not be gloomed and collapsed by any scornful response from the delusive mind of the people who do not know the Truth. It is the same for them. They will not be elated by the outside beauty of people and environment. They also should not be toppled down when facing ugly people and situations. They should remain calm and do the right things without being disturbed or motivated to act wrongly.

 Lao Tzu tells us not to care about respectful and scornful responses from people, not to care about the outward appearance of the beauty and the ugliness. Treat beautiful and ugly people fairly with good reasons. Beautiful people can also do harm to other as the same as the ugly people. Finally, we will find they have no difference apart from the outward decoration. The main difference lies on whether they live with the Truth or not.

 

What the sages should do is to behave properly, never offend the external rules and regulations set up by the society. They are not emotionally jumping up and down with the outward situations whether favourable or unfavourable to them. This balance with tranquility enables them to be more careful not to offend other people and not to violate the social norms. They are peaceful and harmonious when getting along with others, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“What people fear, one cannot be unafraid.”

 

This is the rule Lao Tzu advises us when dealing with people. Never show off any goodness to people. Never make trouble or induce challenge and attack from the outside world. Beware of the people and the environment. Act carefully. Behave properly.

 

How can people attain the balance with tranquility facing the respectful and scornful situations as the same? What is the great marvel of the Truth which can transcend people higher than the dualities of good and bad? How can the sages do so? It is because they have lost interest in this outside world. They do not care much for the external world. They see the invisible spiritual world where the Truth is prevailing. Hence, their manners are very different from ordinary people. How do they behave? It is astonishing that Lao Tzu tells us the following:

 

“So desolate! How limitless is the Truth!

The multitudes are joyous, as if enjoying a great feast,

as if going up to a terrace in spring.

I alone am quiet and reveal no signs, as innocent as an infant not yet smiling,

so idle, as if without motives.”

 

All the verses are depicting the outward differences between the ordinary ideal people and the sages who abide in the Truth. The sages become desolate from the popularity. Many people like to be joyous, with laughter and fun. They enjoy social gatherings with big feasts and leisure. They enjoy their pleasure so much. They are so smart and attractive. This is the outward sharpness that Lao Tzu throughout the whole Tao Te Ching always warns us not to take care too much. People who strive hard to abide in the Truth are not interested in the outward sharpness and leisure. They spend time being alone to contemplate on the Truth, which is the spiritual disciplinary life leading us to have the tranquility everlasting. What they are interested is totally different from the worldly people. They are just opposite. One goes to the south. The other goes to the north.

 

Sages are only interested in being Oneness with the Truth, like a new-born baby resting peacefully and silently. This new-born baby does not even smile to please anyone. This new-born babe does not know. This is the mentality of the people fully saturated with the Truth. They are sleepy when facing the worldly people with mundane affairs but fully awake when contemplating on the Truth. It is totally opposite to most people. Most people are sleeping when facing the Truth but fully awake when dealing with worldly affairs and enjoyments. They try hard to get a successful life with worldly recognitions and achievements, while the sages in the eyes of Lao Tzu do not care anymore, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“The multitudes all have more than enough, while I alone seem lacking.

My heart is that of a fool!

Ordinary people are bright.

I alone am drowsy.

Ordinary people are alert.

I alone am muddled.”

Sages by the depictions of Lao Tzu do not like to be smart and sharp. However, are their hearts really “that of a fool”? They seem to be so by the understanding of the worldly people who have no idea of the Truth.  Inside their heart, it is marvelous, but people cannot know. How marvelous it is as Lao Tzu says further:

 

“My heart is calm like the sea, like high wind never ceases.”

 

This is their spiritual world inside them which no one can take it away. It is like the sea with tranquility and high wind blowing. These two verses response to the former verses:

 

“So desolate! How limitless is the Truth!”

 

Sages with the Truth attain the spiritual world higher than the ordinary people. As their goal is not in the world, they also do not need to have confidence backed up by the worldly achievements and recognitions; hence outwardly they look “foolish and uncouth”. They have no goal in life. They are “drowsy and muddled”. They are “lacking” while the smart people are full of success in life. How are they so different from ordinary people? Lao Tzu in the whole Tao Te Ching comments that they are very rare, so people do not know them. People do not know how fruitful their life inside them. They are “fed by the Truth”.

 

The Truth is the greatest, the most nourishing and only beneficial to all beings. How can they be lacking? They are so full, the fullest of the fullest. How can they need any confidence in this mundane life? They do not need any confidence which the worldly people need so much in order to ensure their identity in this world full of competitions and vanity. People who are lacking the Truth do not know their fruitful spiritual life. The sages are fed by the “mother” which means the Truth as the mother to nourish her offspring, therefore, Lao Tzu says in the end:

 

“The multitudes all have goals with confidence.

I alone am foolish and uncouth.

 I alone am different from others, and value being fed by the mother.”

 

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching Ch 19

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam

 Chapter 19

Exterminate the intelligent, discard the clever,

people will benefit a hundredfold.

Exterminate benevolence, discard rectitude,

people will again be filial and compassionate.

Exterminate wits, discard profit,

there will be no more thieves and bandits.

These three, being mere adornments, are not enough.

People must have something they should follow:

Show plainness, embrace simplicity;

Have little thought of themselves and as few desires as possible;

Exterminate learning, there will be no worries.

 

 

 

Review

 

In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu describes saints are as pure as a baby. They return to their pure nature resembling the Truth (Tao). They do not need to learn many in the outside world in order to retain their purity. On the contrary, the more they acquire from the outside world, the more they will go far away from their original place of purity. Then they will be covered by a lot of stuff unrelated to their pure nature. They cannot see their pure nature just like the sun being covered by lots of clouds. What people need to do is very simple. Just return. Do not go further.

 

Return to simplicity leading to a simple life, to live simply is a must for spiritual seeking. If people want lots of entertainments, lots of decorations, lots of luxuries, lots of delicacies, lots of achievements and recognitions from people, then there will be no end of craving for the outside world. The more people like the world, the harder they will tend to look at themselves inwardly without the disturbance of the outside world. Therefore, Lao Tzu tells people to discard as much as we can everything belonging to the world, even people value so much, like intelligence, cleverness, benevolence, rectitude, wits and profit.

 

In the Holy Scripture of Sikhism, “Siri Guru Granth Sahib”, the Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak also teaches the same:

“Nanak has taken to the Sanctuary of the Lord’s Holy Saints.

He has given up power, wisdom, cleverness and egotism.”

(Gauree, 5^th Mehl, 211)

         

Being intelligent and clever is necessary for people to deal with other people in their life. Inside our heart, the ultimate is the purity of Tao only, where no one we need to deal with. Then what is the use of being intelligent and clever, attaining the PhD in any knowledge field? What is the use of any qualifications and achievements if we want to go inside ourselves to seek the Truth, not to the outside world? To return to our pure nature, we will live simply and naturally. We will naturally be kind to people as the Truth is beneficial to all creatures, without harm. Then what is the use of teaching people rectitude to be filial and compassionate? They can naturally do so without being told. On the contrary, if people lose their pure nature, all the teaching of morality will be only outward enforcement which cannot be endured with effort and would likely turn into hypocrisy for people’s recognition, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“Exterminate the intelligent, discard the clever,

people will benefit a hundredfold.

Exterminate benevolence, discard rectitude,

people will again be filial and compassionate.”

 

All we need is to go inwardly to seek ourselves, while our teaching in most ways induces people to look at the outside world, to look at other people, and do not look at themselves and finally lose themselves. They do not know how pure or impure they are, but they only know very well all the happenings and knowledge of the outside world. To lose oneself inwardly by gaining everything outwardly, what is the use? People with purity attaining their pure nature will not have greed for too many belongings and material needs. They are contented by their simple life with the Truth. How will they need to have wits to impress people to be successful? They do not want all these burdens turning them away from their purity. What is the need to be a thief and a bandit to steal and rob to harm others? It is totally against their pure nature. They do not want to gain and take away anything from others. This is the marvel of of Truth, only beneficial and harmless, thus Lao Tzu further says:

 

 “Exterminate wits, discard profit,

there will be no more thieves and bandits.”

Do not teach people to be greedy, cunning and selfish with a lot of intelligence, wits and cleverness, which will be a disaster in our society. Teach people to hold fast to their purity, the Oneness of the Truth. To retain people’s purity is what we only need to do. How can we retain our purity by not being polluted with greed, anger, jealousy, hatred and delusion? Here Lao Tzu tells us that by only exterminating and discarding the intelligence, cleverness, benevolence, rectitude, wits and the profits are not enough. What we need to do is to build up a simple life with less and less desire. Do not learn too much which will attract us to turn too much outwardly and forget the inward Oneness, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“These three, being mere adornments, are not enough.

People must have something they should follow:

Show plainness, embrace simplicity;

Have little thought of themselves and as few desires as possible;

Exterminate learning, there will be no worries.”

 

Here Lao Tzu tells us three ways to retain our purity:

 

“Show plainness, embrace simplicity;”

 

(1) First, saints should show plainness to people in order to let people follow the good conduct of plainness, without hypocrisy, cunningness, cleverness and wits. They are gentle, honest and straightforward to people. People must have a simple living.

 

“Have little thought of themselves and as few desires as possible.”

 

(2) Second, people must have little thought of themselves, apart from the Truth. Always remember the Truth. Do not care for their body too much as how to make their body more comfortable. To be healthy and strong does not mean that our body should be always in comfort. The desire to make us more and more comfortable must be curbed. We must have as few desires as possible. About 2500 years ago, Sri Gautama Buddha in India told people that desire was the cause of suffering for people which must be exterminated. Although Lao Tzu never says desire is the cause of all sufferings in our life in the Tao Te Ching, he is the same as Sri Buddha telling people to have few desires as possible in order to live a good and truthful life. Lao Tzu is also the same as Sri Buddha. He never encourages people to have many desires.

 

“Exterminate learning, there will be no worries.”

 

(3) This is the last way Lao Tzu tells us in this Chapter. In the Chinese original texts, Lao Tzu tells us to “exterminate learning” without referring specially to moral codes. Moral codes are only one of the learning we should discard. Whatever knowledge which is overdone turning our attention to the outside world far away from the original purity, we should not indulge in it. Otherwise, we will get lost in the outward appearance of the world without knowing our pure nature. Very often people with a lot of knowledge are very argumentative and do not know the Truth indeed. By knowing a lot without the purity of mind and heart, people will have more darkness than the simple-minded with purity, which is the cause of trouble or suffering as Lao Tzu proclaims. If we can follow what Lao Tzu says about the three ways, we can attain what he ends with the verse:

 

“There will be no worries.”

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching Ch 18

 The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam

Chapter 18

When the Great Truth (Tao) falls into disuse,

there are benevolence and rectitude.

When cleverness emerges,

there is great hypocrisy.

When the six relations* are discordant,

there are filial piety and kind affection.

When the country is in chaos,

there are loyal ministers.

*Six relations: father, son, elder brother, younger brother, husband, wife.

Review

    In this Chapter, Lao Tzu tells us that the merits of benevolence, rectitude, cleverness, filial piety and kind affection come forth after the decline of the Great Truth (Tao) among us. People who do not have the Truth abiding in them need badly to be told to have benevolence and rectitude to other people. They need to be taught to be clever dealing with different people and matters. They need to be taught to have filial piety to their parents and kind affection to their family, relatives, friends and neighbours. Otherwise, our society will be in chaos, all people will suffer badly.

   The  Truth nourishes every creature, bestowing beneficence to everything. If the Truth is prevailing among us, we are all living in harmony without any need for stipulating strict and detailed rules and instructions. We are naturally kind to each other, naturally honest to each other. We do not need to harm other or to defend for ourselves not to be harmed. There is no way for cunningness or cleverness. People are all simple and good. They are not crocked in their personality. The Truth is harmlessness, i.e. Ahimsa in Sanskrit. This is the highest virtue in the religion of the ancient sages living in the forests of the country nowadays we call it “India”. They have been the minority sadly the fact from the ancient times up to now.

    Ahimsa means no harm to anyone in speech, thought and act. Furthermore, this idea of harmlessness means to spread love to the whole universe continuously.  Only through harmlessness, i.e., Ahimsa, our world, our universe can be maintained well without chaos. Ahimsa is one of the attributes of the Truth in the Tao Te Ching. Being blind to the Truth, people lose their pure nature which is nothing but only the Truth. People do not know the Truth. They are impure with bad qualities of egoistic tendency. They can only see themselves as a great egoistic being turning blind to any light of the Truth. This sense of self-love is greater than the love of the Truth. Then people begin harming each other to attack other for their benefits or emotional enjoyment. Sins or evils come out in this way.

    Our whole world is full of harming nature, as we can see plants, insects, animals and humans trying to harm others by their own means developed through long history of evolution. Only in this sense we need goodness to fight against evil. Our world is full of good and evil mixed together because the Truth is only partly functioning in this imperfect world. It is why we need the Tao Te Ching to tell us the Truth, as people need to be taught to have virtues to be good to others. This is our situation, exactly what Lao Tzu says in this Chapter:

“When the Great Truth (Tao) falls into disuse,

there are benevolence and rectitude.”

    Mostly the Truth falls into disuse. People, either do not know the Truth as being ignorant, or intentionally do not like to accept the Truth in their life even being told. Then we need the qualities of compassion and righteousness as a strict rule for all people to observe. Otherwise, they will be punished by some notified means. The warning comes forth because people cannot act with their purity, i.e. the Truth inherent in them purely from the very beginning even before birth. However, all these remedies of teaching are only up to the superficial level, which cannot penetrate into our heart in the deeper sense. People can pretend to be virtuous in order to cheat others more severely. They can steal and rob others at the same time they are honored and highly praised as a successful meritorious people. In darkness, they were dealing with crimes and evil while people cannot know. It is because they are very clever to hide their evil and show off their merits by telling lies. This is actually, very sadly speaking, deemed as normal in our society. People think that telling lies is very acceptable and people should tell lies whenever they like. The more skillfully they tell lies, the more successful they will be, therefore,  Lao Tzu further says:

“When cleverness emerges,

there is great hypocrisy.”

    Hypocrisy is a form of telling lies to people. Hence, a real saint is described as honest and straightforward in character. I wonder so much that I can only know the merit of not telling lies as a strict rule by studying ancient scriptures in different cultures not by the teaching of people at school or in the society. To be hypocritical, the same as to tell lies, is opposite to the Truth, the root of our pure nature, the root of our spiritual life. Hypocrisy and telling lies will corrupt our root making our spiritual attainment never successful. I did hear from some very so-called spiritual master teaching her followers to tell lies cunningly and cleverly in order to benefit people. It would be a great disaster for me if I never studied ancient scriptures by myself including the Tao Te Ching. Most people do not know what the Truth is. They were born to follow the society full of falsehood and hypocrisy. They can be easily modeled to regard cunning and smart as “good” and "successful" in their corrupted mind. This is exactly the situation we are facing in human history. We need models to tell us how to be good to our family and our country, therefore,  Lao Tzu further says:

“When the six relations are discordant,

there are filial piety and kind affection;

When the country is in chaos,

there are loyal ministers.”

    People cannot get back their pure nature. They do not know what the Truth is. There are problems, abuses and chaos among family members and further to their neighbours and  their society. Up to the government level, there are corruptions and crimes for private interests. In this way, people need to know what filial piety and kind affection should be in the family, as well as what loyal ministers should be when serving for a country. However, if we are all saints having the Truth inside us, we do not need to be taught to behave well to other.

    Since people to the large extent, lose the Truth, they need to know how a saintly person should behave in order to follow in their daily life. This is our situation. Therefore, the ultimate spiritual attainment is to get back the Truth, the pure nature. Then, we do not need to learn from the outside models. Inside of us, we have had the light already that is the ideal Lao Tzu is trying to tell us.

Tao Te Ching Ch 17

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam 

Chapter 17

The highest rulers, people do not know their presence.

The next, people love them and praise them.

The next, people fear them.

The next, people disdain them.

If the rulers are lacking integrity, people will not trust them.

Leisurely, the highest rulers value their words.

When their task accomplished, people all say, “We did it naturally.”

Review

“The highest rulers, people do not know their presence.”

 

This Chapter tells us the rulers of different levels. For the rulers of the highest level, people do not realize their presence. They rule their people like the nature subsisting all creatures with good seasons. The sun shines brightly every day giving light and heat. The wind blows gently cooling the earth and fertilizing the soil with seeds.  The cloud covers strong light giving shades on the earth. The rain falls mildly nourishing all creatures. They provide good environments for all creatures while all creatures are not aware that they are being controlled with orders or commands. They have their freedom to live on the earth. This is the way the law of nature acts upon us.

 

The highest rulers depicted by Lao Tzu act the same as the law of nature does. They act “leisurely”. They never do anything unnecessarily to make nuisance to their people. They provide good environment for people to live without unnecessarily controlling them with too many rules and regulations. People have the freedom to develop their life without harming themselves and other people. They do not need to be ordered and commanded. By natural law, people will do goodness for themselves and others. The best and the highest rulers are the one who can help people maintain their pure nature to live in the good environment, while people think that they are naturally living in their way, so does Lao Tzu say about the highest rulers in the end:

 

                                  “Leisurely, the highest rulers value their words.

When their task accomplished, people all say, “We did it naturally.”

 

 What the highest rulers need to do is to value their words. They never babble vain talks and give promises unfulfilled. They talk little. They act little. But they can let people have freedom to develop to fulfill what they want to be under the guidance that they should not harm other people. This is the minimum governance that is the best. Then Lao Tzu tells us the next level of ruling is:

 

“The next, people love them and praise them.”

 

The rulers of this level next to the highest are the ideal for most people in history that they love their people and people also love them and praise them. They do goodness to people obviously and being recognized by people. All the ideal aim of any political system is to enable the maintenance of the best ruling class for people. The good ruling class should always show their concern for their people to improve their livelihood. They show their kindness to people with friendly images to all walks of living. This is what most people think the best ruler should be. But Lao Tzu says it is only the second not the best. The best rulers do goodness to people, but people do not know their presence.

 

“The next, people fear them.”

 

The next level is the ruler who rules the country with harshness and sternness. It is the third level lower than the second one. They stipulate many rules and regulations and severe punishment for people who violate the laws. It is why people fear them. This is the efficient government under the totalitarianism of stern ruling. People do not love the rulers but fear them. As people can live properly without infringement of the laws, they will bear the rulers and are kept controlled.

 

“The next, people disdain them.”

 

What is worse than the third one is the fourth level in which the rulers fail to govern people properly with or without any rules and regulations. They cannot govern their countries in good order but turn them into chaotic situations. In this way, people do not respect their rulers but disdain them. Even they are not afraid of them. People would boldly infringe the laws to satisfy their wants without fear. This is the end of any governance as the situation is going to downgrade into anarchy with chaos. Without any good and efficient leadership, people will destroy each other in the worst sense. This is what we see in most poor countries with severe corruptions and crimes.

 

“If the rulers are lacking integrity, people will not trust them.”

 

Lao Tzu here tells us about the key advice for leadership. A good ruler must have integrity. He should act in accordance with his words and promises. He should not babble vain speech without proper actions to fulfill his plan to people. To let people trust the ruler is the key for the success of any leadership. To be a good trustee is the ideal for any governance. Therefore, Lao Tzu further says how the highest ruler acts with integrity:

 

“Leisurely, the highest rulers value their words.”

 

Nowadays most people do not value their words. They can speak many but seldom fulfill what they have made the promises. This is immoral but there are too many immoral people in our world. Even the ruling class is one of them. Therefore, there is no trust among people. To make any promise unfulfilled is opposite to the Truth which will make people lack integrity. Without integrity, hypocrisy and corruption will come forth bit by bit. This is the main difference between the highest ruler and the lowest ruler which lies on the word, “integrity”.

 

In our human history, the rulers whom people love and praise, are few. More and more are the rulers whom people fear or even disdain. However, how can a ruler rule a country without being known by anyone? Is there any ruler that can be the same as what Lao Tzu says, “the highest ruler”? This Lordship is the Tao, the Truth, Lao Tzu intends to tell. This Lordship is the Law of Nature which can be understood by people. This Lordship is Allah in Islam. The Quran tells us that Allah is the Lord of all the worlds, the sovereign of all creatures, not only limited to human beings. However, people mostly do not know Allah, the God, our Lord. We only know the kings and the governors in our world. Allah is exactly the Highest Ruler people do not know His presence.

 

 Allah is also called Al-Rahman and Al-Rahim in the Arabic Quran. “Rahman” refers to “Generally Merciful” which means the compassion of Allah generally given to all creatures without discrimination or any demand for the return of all creatures. The grace is given to all no matter the creatures are good or bad. “Rahim” in Arabic refers to “Especially Merciful” which means the compassion of Allah is given to those who deserve to have especially because of their good deeds including their speech, thought and action. Although people having the grace bestowed by Allah enjoy a good life with healthy body and mind, they may not be aware of the Highest Lord whom they have got all the blessing from.

 

This is exactly what Lao Tzu says about the highest rulers that people do not know their presence. To realize God is a very hard-earned experience mentioned in ancient scriptures like the Upanishads. People need to strive very hard to attain God-realization to realize the presence of our Lord every moment of their life. The attainment of God-realization is the highest stage of spirituality the same as Lao Tzu tells us to attain in the Tao Te Ching, i.e., to be Oneness with the Truth. This is the deeper meaning of the highest ruler which is not only telling us how to become the best ruler. We all have the highest ruler but only we do not know. Many people deny Allah, the Hidden Lordship; however, all the saints and ancient scriptures have tried hard to disclose to us this treasure of spirituality.

 

In the Quran, Allah, our Lord tells the whole mankind:

 

“Truly, your Lord is God who created the heavens and the earth in six days (periods); then He ascended the Throne, disposing the whole affair. No one may intercede with Him save with His permission. Such is God, your Lord, so worship Him alone. Will you not take heed? To Him you shall all return. God’s promise is true; He originates creation, then He restores it, so that He may reward with justice those who believe and do good works. Those who have denied the Truth shall have boiling water to drink, and a painful punishment, because of their denial.” (Quran 10:3-4)

 

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching Ch 16

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam

 Chapter 16

Attain the ultimate emptiness.

Hold firmly to tranquility.

All creatures rise together.

I can watch their return.

The teeming creatures, each returns to its root.

Returning to its root is called tranquility.

This means returning to one’s nature.

Returning to one’s nature is called constancy.

Knowing constancy is called clarity.

Not knowing constancy, act recklessly will cause disasters.

Knowing constancy can have tolerance.

By having tolerance, one can have impartiality.

By having impartiality, one can be all-around.

To be all-around is the Universal Law.

The Universal Law is the Truth.

The Truth is eternal.

One will have no danger in his whole life by abiding in the Truth.

Review

“Attain the ultimate emptiness.

Hold firmly to tranquility.”

    This Chapter tells us to “attain the ultimate emptiness.” This emptiness is the Oneness in Chapter 10:

“In holding the soul and embracing Oneness,

can you be steadfast without straying?”

(Chapter 10)

    Here in this Chapter Lao Tzu tells us how to “embrace Oneness" to be "steadfast without straying”. That is to “hold firmly to tranquility.” This is the key, to be silent with tranquility. Being silent and calm, we become a silent witness to our inner mind. It is meditation which is a must for all spiritual practices in order to upgrade our consciousness to higher level. The highest level we should attain is to be one with the Supreme, i.e. Tao, the Truth, in the Tao Te Ching.

    Lao Tzu tells us the way of meditation. It is to be quiet in our mind watching ourselves as one of all creatures returning to their real nature. Slowly, silently we observe our inner mind, how all the creatures nourishing and growing, and finally each returning to its root. Meditation is to watch inside ourselves. The root is our origin, i.e. the Truth. Lao Tzu tells us to return to our real nature which is our Supreme Person inside us as the One with the Truth. All creatures originally have the same real nature but they go far away from that and forget their real nature. Therefore, to  keep silent in contemplation inwardly is the way to return to our simple and pure nature. Without silence, we cannot return to our root. All the hustle and bustle of the outside world is only to distract us to be more complicated and artificial in personality which is not our pure nature. They are all man-made, not the roots, but the stems and leaves only. Our root is the Ultimate Reality, pure and constant, which is changeless. To be constant means not to be changeable. Here Lao Tzu says:

“All creatures rise together.

I can watch their return.

The teeming creatures, each returns to its root.

Returning to its root is called tranquility.

This means returning to one’s nature.

Returning to one’s nature is called constancy.”

    Our world is highly unstable. Everything tends to change at any time. Our body and our environment all keep changing slowly. After all, they cannot be the same for long and forever. Only our pure nature, i.e. our root, cannot change. To return to our pure nature is to attain our constancy. To be constant means we are eternal being stable with the Truth. We will not be moved and disturbed inside us. We are always keeping our silence and peace inside us. This is our root. This is the constancy, never change or lose.

“Knowing constancy is called clarity.”

    This is the spiritual attainment we need to strive hard for. To attain this constancy, our mind will be absolutely clear. We are alert with our sense organs, not being disturbed and distracted from the root. We are no longer an ignorant living in darkness. This clarity is the light, i.e. we are enlightened. Our root is the source of light, which is the wisdom of our highest consciousness. Without the light, living in darkness, people become ignorant and may easily act “recklessly” to harm themselves and other people, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Not knowing constancy, act recklessly will cause disasters.”

    Our inner light, i.e. our root, the pure nature, the wisdom, the clarity, can help us control ourselves to face the outward uncertainty and misfortune with calmness and peace. We will have tolerance and patience to cope with any difficulties. Lao Tzu always warns us not to make decisions or act too fast without full and clear understanding. This tolerance can prevent us from committing mistakes or harmful deeds which we may not know from the very beginning. To be tolerant and act slowly is far wiser than to act recklessly without considering the possible consequence. Only when we return to our root, we can have the patience, the tolerance with strength to cope with all possible situations, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Knowing constancy can have tolerance.”

    Tolerance is a virtue, i.e. the outward embodiment of Truth. “Tao” is the Truth. “Te” is the Virtue. People having their virtues act outwardly by first having the Truth inwardly. Having tolerance, Lao Tzu says we can develop our virtues further to be impartial to people that is what Lao Tzu further says:

“By having tolerance, one can have impartiality.

By having impartiality, one can be all-around.

To be all-around is the Universal Law.”

    To be impartial, we can deal with people righteously. We will not discriminate people into different classes and backgrounds. We are impartial to all these outward differences among people and act with the rightful way to let all people treat in their proper ways. Truth is impartial to all creatures as everything get nourished or destroyed by the Universal Law only. Truth will not have any special favour to anyone. This is called “all-around”. Truth sees all people together, never neglect some and care some only. Truth enforces itself in every being by the Universal Law only. Good deeds will be rewarded with beneficence while bad deeds will be rewarded with punishment. This is the Law of Karma. Karma is a Sanskrit term means our deeds in speech, thought and action. The Law of Karma is also called the law of cause and effect. It is one of the manifestations of the Universal Law. This Universal Law is all-around, with impartiality, seeing all people, all creatures with the same eyes. Lao Tzu further says:

“The Universal Law is the Truth.

The Truth is eternal.

One will have no danger in his whole life by abiding in the Truth.”

    Our root is the constancy which is eternal. This is our pure nature, the Truth inherent in everyone before getting polluted with outward ignorance. This Truth is also the Universal Law enforcing all beings outwardly and inwardly. If we hold fast to this eternal law, our whole life will not be in danger. To know the Truth is the most important. Then our whole life will be safe.

    This is what in the Quran, the Surah Heifer tells us. Adam and Eve were in the Paradise. There was a tree Allah warned them not to come close to it. This Tree symbolized the world full of darkness, ignorance, delusion and lies. They finally embraced the worldly Tree which was prohibited and told by Allah. They believed a stranger, a snake which symbolized the quality of cunningness, cleverness and dishonesty, telling them to come close to the tree and did not trust their Lord, their benefactor, Allah, the God. So Allah told them to leave the Paradise and lived on the earth. They needed the guidance for them to get back the Truth as Allah said to them:

    “We said, “Go down, all of you, from here: then when guidance comes to you from Me, anyone who follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve.” (Quran 2:38)

    This guidance leads us to the Truth which has been preserved in ancient scriptures. The Tao Te Ching is one of them.

“By abiding in the Truth, one will have no danger in his whole life.”

What Lao Tzu says is the same in the Quran here: 

“Anyone who follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve.” (Quran 2:38)

Tao Te Ching Ch 15

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam

Chapter 15

The Masters of the Truth in ancient times were minutely subtle,

mysteriously comprehending, too profound to be known.

As they could not be known, they can be only given a makeshift description:

They are careful as if fording a river in winter.

They are alert as if in fear of the attack from four neighbours.

They are solemn like a guest.

They are relaxed like thawing ice.

They are plain like a raw rock.

They are humble like a valley being hollow.

They are murky like muddy water.

They are silent like an ocean. *

They are elegant like breezing endlessly. *

Who can settle the muddy with silence and slowly turn it limpid?

Who can be at rest and slowly turn to life?

Those who hold fast to the Truth,

desire not to be proud.

As they are not proud, 

they can be worn and made anew.

 

*These two verses in italics are in Chapter 20 which scholars commented that they should be placed in this Chapter as the meaning is more coherent here in Chapter 15 than in Chapter 20. Our review will follow the revised version with more verses.

 

 

Review

 

In this Chapter, Lao Tzu tells us what appearance and manners a person abiding in the truth could have. They are the Masters of the Truth in ancient times when the Truth was prevalent unlike in our contemporary world where the Truth becomes almost unknown. Therefore, Lao Tzu tells us how to recognize saintly persons by knowing how they behave. They are very subtle, not easy to be understood if people only know the material world without spiritual knowledge and experience, so does Lao Tzu say,

 

“The Masters of the Truth in ancient times were minutely subtle,

mysteriously comprehending, too profound to be known.

As they could not be known, they can be only given a makeshift description:”

Lao Tzu can only give a “makeshift description” to us:

 

“They are careful as if fording a river in winter.

They are alert as if in fear of the attack from four neighbours.”

 

They are careful and alert. They are always ready to pay heed to what will happen around them, just like fording a river in winter. Each step should be careful to avoid stepping on the cracking ice and fall in the icy water. The situation is so dangerous. It is also like “in fear of the attack from four neighbours”. For people having the Truth know very clearly that this world is a very dangerous place like a dense forest with a lot of ferocious animals, pests and poisons in it. The enemies of the evil desires and intentions are always ready to attack people with heedlessness.

 

Beware of this world. This is the warning and teaching of all saints and religions. Our world is full of defects and dangers that we should protect our body and mind with the Truth abiding in us.

 

“They are solemn like a guest.”

 

This world is a foreign place for people who love the Truth, rather than the darkness of this world. So, they seek the light and the guidance of the Truth. In Islam, Allah tells us that this world is not our permanent abode. Our permanent abode is the Eternal Heaven after the Last Judgment Day of this world. So far from the ancient up to now, this world has been a temporary, testing ground for every one of us to strive hard for the Truth to live a rightful way of life. This world is never a home for all saints as they all have the same idea about this world.

 

They are only guests in this world, so they must behave as a good guest to people. They are polite and always in good manners. They would never enjoy this world eating greedily, lavishly, dancing and laughing like a beast or a fool. They are also abstaining from any malicious gossip and frivolous activities. They never enjoy evil thoughts, words and deeds. To be self-controlled is one of the good signs of a saintly person, thus Lao Tzu says they are “solemn like a guest.”

 

“They are relaxed like thawing ice.”

 

Although they are solemn and well-behaved, they are not stressed under hard pressure. They are calm and relax with discipline. This is the greatness in their personality. People around them will also feel relaxed without tension like thawing ice. This is their holiness to release people with self-discipline. People feel the Truth enacting like the water flowing from the ice. They can be warm and kind to people with self-discipline.

 

“They are plain like a raw rock.”

They are humble like a valley being hollow.

They are murky like muddy water.”

 

People abiding in the Truth are honest and simple without crookedness in their character. They are not complicated but with simplicity like a raw rock not yet carved into any definite shape or form. They are straightforward, never try to tell lies or cheat people with cleverness.

 

They are also humble like a valley being hollow, so that it can contain much water in it. The water symbolizes the Truth. Only a humble person can abide by the Truth in him. People must first be humble before the Truth, then they can be humble to people, knowing that only the Truth prevails, nothing else.

 

Only the Truth prevails, and the Truth never harms. It is like water to nourish creatures to keep them alive. However, most people are polluted by the pollutants of the world, like the mud and dirtiness in the riverbed. They are not like crystal-clear water, while saints are like crystal-clear water. However, the saints would like to deal with people with friendliness. They would never show off their superiority to people. They are willing to be murky like muddy water so that they can get along with ordinary people with harmony. This is their greatness in character. Inwardly they are pure but outwardly they just behave like very ordinary people. They never intentionally isolate themselves with other ordinary good people.

 

“They are silent like an ocean.

They are elegant like breezing endlessly.”

 

Although they become “murky like muddy water”, they also maintain their silence and peace inside them. Their silence is not ordinary. It is as great as an ocean. Inside their heart, there is the silent and peaceful ocean. When behaving friendliness to people, their behavior is elegant, never in foul and vulgar manners. This silence and peace when emitting outwardly is just like breezing continuously without end. This is the harmony of the Truth showing in a person when getting along with people. This breeze is the living energy they are emitting to people, like the sun shining brightly to give light to people. Then Lao Tzu asks two questions which are the answers also:

 

“Who can settle the muddy with silence and slowly turn it limpid?

Who can be at rest and slowly turn to life?”

 

How can the saints purify people from muddy water into clear water? How can the saints give people living energy to revive themselves from being damaged and lethargy? This is their mysterious character. Slowly and silently, they can achieve goodness to people without forceful words and violence. They act so slowly and so naturally that closely resemble the nature when the Truth is prevailing. With silence, they settle the muddy substances down to the earth at the bottom and let the river turn into limpid again. This silence can also activate people to return to life. This is the functioning of the Truth. Who can hold fast to the Truth? Lao Tzu tells us:

 

“Those who hold fast to the Truth,

desire not to be proud.

As they are not proud, 

they can be worn and made anew.”

 

Humility is a must for people to hold fast to the Truth. It is the humility to the Truth, not to the evil force as the latter is cowardice, not humility. That humility is to eliminate the pride and ego of a person. Never feel any pride of any merit, honor or achievement. Allah is the greatest. The Truth is the greatest, not any high-ranking people can be. Therefore, in Islam, Muslims give all the praises to Allah only, not themselves. They should have total submission to Allah without any self-pride.

 

This is the same to the Truth told by Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu tells us the reason why they should not be proud of themselves in order to hold fast to the Truth because “they can be worn and made anew.” It means they can improve themselves every moment by tearing off the defects out of them and renew themselves with even better merits and good deeds. This is the flowing of Tao.

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching Ch 14

 The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna Chor Kok Lam

Chapter 14

 

What cannot be seen is called colourless.

What cannot be heard is called soundless.

What cannot be grasped is called formless.

About these three cannot be asked questions.

They are combined as the One.

Its upper part is not bright.

Its lower part is not dim.

Boundlessly, endlessly, it cannot be named.

Ever changing, it returns into nothing.

Thus, it is called the form of the formless, the image of the imageless.

It is called vague and indistinct.

Going ahead, you cannot see its head.

Following behind, you cannot see its back.

Hold fast to the Truth of antiquity, 

for keeping in control of everything today.

Know the beginning of antiquity as the Law of the Truth.

 

Review

 

In the previous Chapters, Lao Tzu depicts the Truth (Tao) as the emptiness (Chapter 4), as a bellow to generate wind (Chapter 5), and as a hollow valley for flowing water (Chapter 6). Here in this Chapter, Lao Tzu depicts the appearance of the Truth. The Truth is the appearance of nothing. How can people describe it? So, we can only describe it by negation, i.e., not this, not that. This is the way the ancient sages in India taught about the Truth in the Upanishads. The Buddhist literatures used the same way also. Here Lao Tzu begins:

 

“What cannot be seen is called colourless.

What cannot be heard is called soundless.

What cannot be grasped is called formless.

About these three cannot be asked questions.

They are combined as the One.”

 

For Lao Tzu, the appearance of the Truth is colourless, soundless and formless. We cannot see it with our eyes. We cannot hear it with our ears. We cannot touch it with our hands. Even we cannot ask why about this nothingness because no answer will be given. It is beyond the material level and our human understanding. Imagine a material thing with the One only. It is hard for people to describe it in words.

 

Truth is the One, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Tao Te Ching. There are the verses in the previous Chapter:

 

“In holding the soul and embracing Oneness,

can you be steadfast without straying?”

(Chapter 10)

 

Here in this Chapter again as told:

 

“They are combined as the One.”

 

Lao Tzu further describes that the appearance of the Truth is neither bright nor dim. It is without end, without boundary, ever changing and finally return to nothing. You cannot see its head whenever you go forward. You also cannot see its back whenever you go backward. There is no head, and no back. This means Truth is without beginning and without end. It is eternal. This emptiness of the Truth is not imagination by anyone. It is the Reality, really exists, only we can faintly and seemingly feel its existence, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“Its upper part is not bright.

Its lower part is not dim.

Boundlessly, endlessly, it cannot be named.

Ever changing, it returns into nothing.

Thus, it is called the form of the formless, the image of the imageless.

It is called vague and indistinct.

Going ahead, you cannot see its head.

Following behind, you cannot see its back.”

 

Though the Truth is formless and imageless, it really exists as the Oneness, i.e., Allah, the One God in Islam. Allah is the Lord of all creatures. He is not any of His creatures. Nothing can resemble Allah in form as Allah is beyond all the images and forms. He is omnipresent, all-wise and all-knowing, creating and nourishing all creatures, i.e., the Truth in the Tao Te Ching. It is the Ultimate Reality of God every religion has tried to express to people in their own culture and understanding.

 People can only use their purified mind to understand the Truth. How can we purify our mind? We should renounce all our desires aiming to understand Allah, the Truth only, nothing else. To know Allah for Allah’s sake, not for this benefit, that benefit, completely giving up all unnecessary material desires. Do not hanker for sensual enjoyment, even fame and honor for the good deeds. It is very hard for most people, but it is really the way for all saints to attain the Truth in different times and cultures. They abandoned everything unworthy in order to attain the best, i.e., the Truth, the most precious of all. It is the “Truth of antiquity” which the ancient sages hold fast. The Truth can help us understand everything and keep things in control because the Truth is the Lord of all.

 

To know God and becomes His bosom friend is the most valuable reward much better than all the wealth, honor and goodness in the world. To be Oneness with God is God realization, i.e., Tao, the Truth in the Tao Te Ching. To have attained this Oneness, spiritually we can master the whole world because this material world cannot control our soul to go astray from the Truth. The knower himself is enlightened. He acts with the Truth. He can see the Truth functioning in this world from the very beginning up to now as the Eternal Law, the Law of the Truth, thus Lao Tzu says in the end:

 

“Hold fast to the Truth of antiquity, 

for keeping in control of everything today.

Know the beginning of antiquity as the Law of the Truth.”