When the Inner Truth of the Tao is Lost
A passage in Tao Teh Ching that sheds light on our inner, familial and political life
When the inner truth of the Tao is lost,
The outer code of morality comes into being.
When cleverness reigns in the world,
Hypocrisy becomes rampant;
When discord arises in the family,
Filiality is emphasized;
When chaos befalls the nation,
Respect is accorded to loyal subjects alone.
This morning, I came across this passage from The Book of Balance, Lao Tzu's Tao Teh Ching, translated by Yasuhiko Genku Kimura, and I have a burning desire to share it with you, my dear Ponders. To my new subscribers, welcome to my blog!
Although I’m Chinese and have a pretty good handle on the language, the original version of the quintessentially Chinese spiritual text, Tao Teh Ching, is almost incomprehensible to me due to its ancient word choice and syntax. A few months ago, a fellow Substack writer
@ recommended this version, and I decided to pick up the book. It’s now on the bookshelf of my “morning reads.”I found this entry (the 18th Chapter) to be a surprisingly succinct answer to many of the puzzles that have been swirling in my head from childhood all the way till the present day.
The first concept — “When the inner truth of the Tao is lost, the outer code of morality comes into being” — speaks to my life-long struggle to hear my inner voice while being constantly succumbed by external codes of morality and expectations for appropriate and acceptable behaviors.
Growing up in a collectivist culture has trained me to pay as little attention to that inner voice as possible. The top priority was to uphold the traditional moral codes passed down by my ancestors, such as Confucian (who confused the hell of me, ha ha!), my parents and teachers. I was told to never question their teachings and to obey them in a wholesale fashion.
Although my elders observed how “stubborn” I was as a child, and my facial expression exuded an unmistakable defiance coming from deep inside, these qualities were gradually squelched and squashed into a tight corner of my psyche. I started to learn to smile and nod and obey, hoping to gain acceptance and belonging by scoring big in being “compliant.” You see, compliance (guai 乖) is the highest form of complement a child can receive in my culture. I scored big.
However, in becoming guai, I lost my connection with my inner voice. And in doing so, I lost the internal moral compass that all of us are born with. I believe this is the “tao,” which is one and the same as the intelligence of the Universe.
In learning to read my internal moral compass again, I’ve come to rely less and less on the external codes of morality that differ from culture to culture. As someone who straddles between multiple cultures, returning to my “tao” helps me reduce the confusions caused by the different emphases of what’s important in each cultural tradition, and stay ever truer to what’s essential and non-negotiable to myself.
Checking in with my “tao” has helped me make decisions that align with my integrity. What is integrity? I learned, through examples of the lack of integrity in cheaters, liars and manipulators in my life, that it is the place where our values and our words align with our actions.
Did you know that my Chinese first name, which sounds like “loo,” means “road,” and that the words “tao” and “loo” combine to mean “path” (道路)?
Next, I want to turn to the concept, “When discord arises in the family, filiality is emphasized.”
This passage gives me an “ah-ha” moment. It gives me the context to explain why there is such a strong emphasis of filial piety in my culture and my own family. Filial piety is a concept that’s common in Asian collectivist cultures. My interpretation and experience of it is: an unquestioned and unflinching duty to be loyal and obedient to your parents/ancestors.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard an explanation for what appears to be a need to subject children to coercive obedience. At least, that’s my own experience of it. My interpretation of Lao Tzu’s words: This is a strategy that elders adopted when they lost control and the ability to resolve conflicts and discord within the family. So, lacking the ability to use age-appropriate words and emotions, Chinese parents resorted to the bamboo sticks and the “moral code” of filial piety to force children into submission. Sigh!
This new understanding makes me feel a sense of relief. This perspective liberates me from my cultural straitjacket to come up with new ways to view my familial relationships.
Now we are left with two concepts, which I find relevant in our broader social and political life.
“When cleverness reigns in the world, hypocrisy becomes rampant.” I believe the concept of “cleverness” here represents an overemphasis on cerebral matters and a neglect of heart and soul matters.
These two stanzas remind me of how politicians and other forms of leaders, such as religious and community leaders, capitalize on “clever” communication styles to manipulate people who put their trust in them. They act in a hypocritical way and exhibit a lack of integrity through spewing clever catchphrases but never meaning to make good on their words.
“When chaos befalls the nation, respect is accorded to loyal subjects alone.” I won’t need to elaborate on this much more than to say that this is the scenario that we are witnessing right now in America.
What do you think of this passage from Tao Teh Ching? Have the concepts sparked some interesting thoughts in you? Please share! I love hearing and learning from you!
Loved this piece! Thank you for sharing. What insight! I grew up in the Caribbean and filial piety is also big in our culture. This stanza makes so much sense to me.
What a thoughtful and interesting perspective on this ancient text. I loved 4 year old defiant you & your sister love painting. I gained insight into myself from your interpretation. Integrity is something I think about often. It is our ultimate defense against bullies, villains and despots everywhere.