Summer Reading

The Chinese spiritual philosophy of Taoism is remarkably pragmatic. Rooted in simplicity and harmony with nature, its principles were practiced by early mystics and truth-seekers who developed and practiced various forms of Qigong in order to live long, healthy lives. In essence, these mountain philosophers became their own doctors and therapists.

The 81 verse Tao Te Ching, the “bible” of Taoism, is an endless source of insight into this age-old and ever-young practice. This morning I leafed through Red Pine’s translation of the Tao Te Ching and landed on the very last two lines of the very last verse:

“the Way of the Sage

Is to act without struggling.”

Wang Chen, a military pacifist general from the T’ang dynasty (9th Century) who admired and studied the Tao Te Ching wrote: “The last line summarizes the entire 5,000 words of the previous eighty verses. It doesn’t focus on action or inaction, but simply on action that doesn’t involve struggle.”

Act without struggle? A tall ask for us in the present time!  What would it mean to apply this to the way we spend our days, how we work, eat, exercise, relate to others? The implications are endlessly intriguing.

The summer solstice is tomorrow, and with summer comes the pleasure of summer reading. Why not grab a copy of the Tao Te Ching? Stephen Mitchell’s translation is a good place to start, but part of the fun is comparing several different translations of this wise, terse, poetic text. You may find a line or two that brings you exactly the inspiration or practical advice you were seeking. I’d love to hear about your discoveries!