By not searching for more power, they are able to use the strength that the universe has given them effectively. Conversely, the average person often engages with more shallow levels of faith, often using shows of faith to bolster their own biased view of the world.Ī master is powerful because they don’t seek power.

By focusing solely on the objective truths of the universe, they avoid falling victim to their own prejudices. The Master of Taoist Practices Versus the Average PersonĪ master of Taoist practices only concerns themselves with the Tao. The more that you try to understand the workings of the Tao, the less you’ll be able to engage with it. The Tao has no biases, being unconditionally available to all beings who want to live according to its teachings.īecause it's beyond the comprehension of human beings, the workings of the Tao can’t be described or understood, only experienced. It was never born or created, and, therefore, it can never die or be destroyed. Also known as the “Great Mother,” it paradoxically creates nothing while offering infinite energy to all beings, nurturing and caring for them.Īs an omnipresent entity, the Tao is eternal and infinite. It’s the guiding energy that lives within us and connects us to everything around us. Older than any deity, the Tao is the natural order of the universe. This summary is structured thematically, with each section pulling information from various sections of the text to best explain the ideas introduced in the work. The piece is written as poetry and, as such, even Taoist scholars have different perspectives on what the language represents. While we have done our best to research the text and offer an accurate representation of the Tao Te Ching, areas of this summary are based upon interpretation.

This summary is based on the Stephen Mitchell translation, which modernizes much of the text. The Tao Te Ching is one of the foundational texts of Taoism, written between the 4th and 6th centuries. 1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Tao Te Ching

Tao te ching mitchell translation