Tao Te Ching, Ch 46

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam

 Chapter 46

When the Truth prevails in the world,

fleet-footed horses are relegated to plough the fields.

When the Truth does not prevail in the world,

war-horses breed on the border.

There is no disaster greater than being insatiable.

There is no fault greater than desiring.

Hence in being contented, one will always have enough.

Review

   

As stated in the ancient Indian scriptures, the whole creation of our world is divided into four periods (see Chapter 39), we are now in the last period of the creation, i.e., the Age of Darkness, Kali Yuga, when there are three-fourth of the darkness and only one-fourth of the light in the whole creation. Kali, in Sanskrit, means darkness, while yuga, means period. In this age of darkness, people tend to do immoral act. Wars and conflicts are frequent. People can hardly live in peace and harmony together. What Lao Tzu says about the Truth, Tao, is the light that shines through the whole world. However, when the light is dim, people mostly cannot see the Truth and their pure nature. People behave in darkness, with cruelty and aggression, harming lives without righteousness.

 

Here in this Chapter, Lao Tzu tells us the difference between the times when the Truth is prevalent and the time when the Truth is not prevalent:

 

 

“When the Truth prevails in the world,

fleet-footed horses are relegated to plough the fields.

When the Truth does not prevail in the world,

war-horses breed on the border.”

 

When the Truth is prevalent, people can live in peace and harmony. There is no conflict and war. So, the fleet-footed horses do not need to fight in the wars. They return to the field for farming. People engage in farming instead of warfare. This is the ideal stage for our world. Lao Tzu never denies the proper use of warfare to uphold the righteousness; however, the best is peace and harmony. When the peace and harmony is going to be threatened, warfare is necessary. The use of warfare with the Truth is the principal people should uphold. When the Truth is not prevalent, people can harm each other, or the strong people harm the weak people, like the animal world without morality and kindness to each other. People are easily in conflicts, so warfare becomes frequent. People have experienced this turmoil of wars since the past several hundred years globally. 

 

Warfare is needed to uphold righteousness, but it is inauspicious in any ways told by Lao Tzu that we must stop it as soon as possible. Warfare is harmful to all as told in Chapter 30. Here in this Chapter Lao Tzu gives us a picture when all the horses are engaged in wars. The mares will breed new-born horses on the border where warfare is going on. The border is the place of invasion during war time. We can imagine when people cannot engage in farming but warfare which aims at destruction of lives all around. How can people survive well if their foodstuff cannot be produced and preserved?

 

Lao Tzu further tells us the origin of all the evil is discontentment. People are not contented with what they have. People want to get more by taking away other people’s belongings. People cannot help each other to attain goodness for all. As failure to see we all are the One in the Truth, people tend to make conflicts and wars instead of finding ways to benefit each other. Our desires can be unlimited if we are not satisfied by our simple living. How much luxurious life people want is ever insatiable, however, a truthful life is a simple life only. This is the ideal of Lao Tzu, to have simple life with ample basic needs for everyone. If everyone is contented with simple life, how can we start wars to gain more and more from other? Thus, Lao Tzu says:

 

“There is no disaster greater than being insatiable.

There is no fault greater than desiring.

Hence in being contented, one will always have enough.”

 

If everyone has enough, no one needs to start war to invade anyone. Contentment is the virtue and blessing for people who have their purity in their soul. They will never be aggressive to anyone, but only live in harmony with people because peace, harmony and contentment are their own pure nature. Spirituality is aiming for these. Contentment is a must for people who strive hard for the Truth told in all scriptures. Like here in the Tao Te Ching, the Yoga Sutra tells a yogi who seeks liberation from birth and death, what he must do (Niyama) and what he must not do (Yama). Yama, in Sanskrit, means restriction or forbidden. Niyama, in Sanskrit, means the required behaviour.

 

In the Yoga Sutra, there are five rules for the yogi not to do as the path of Yama:

 

(1)  Do not have violence (harmful deeds).

(2)  Do not tell lies.

(3)  Do not steal and rob.

(4)  Do not commit adultery.

(5)  Do not have covetous deeds.

 

There are also five rules for the yogi must do called the path of Niyama:

 

(1)   To be silent in peace.

(2)   To have contentment all the time.

(3)   To have austerity, i.e., simple way of life without indulging in comforting the body excessively.

(4)   To study the ancient spiritual scriptures.

(5)   To worship the Lord, the Oneness.

 

The Yoga Sutra tells people how to become a yogi to be one with the Truth. This knowledge is also what Lao Tzu wants to tell us in the Tao Te Ching. What they teach is the same but in different cultures only. Contentment is the way for the Truth.