Defining Tao
The Daodejing classically begins by stating the Tao that can be named is not the true Tao. Whatever you call it, is not what it is. It is defined as being undefinable. This leads many people who feel they understand it to also feel anyone who explains it does not understand it.
I don’t feel this was an attempt to purposefully obfuscate the meaning, but mearly a way of conveying the entirety of the idea.
Growing up, I attended church. As a Christian, I was taught nobody could understand the mind of God. The phrase “God works in mysterious ways” is probably said by countless people every day. These concepts are exactly the same in my opinion.
In quantum physics, as I understand it, one can know the speed of an electron, or direction of motion, but not both at any given time. It’s position can only be described as a probability. So in a way, any precise measurement falls short of a true description.
I was taught that “God is everywhere, in all things”. Science tells us all things are, at the most basic particle level, made from the same thing. In popular culture, Yoda tells us the Force surrounds us, binding us to all things.
All of these are facets of Tao. Although it is the essence of all things, us included, it’s not entirely vague in its universality. There is predictability to it. The Daodejing often pairs opposites together, as being directly related to one another. Newton brought even more clarity to this.
He describes the basic symmetry of the universe. All forces occur in equal but opposite pairs. There are no “isolated” forces, meaning nothing can exert a force without an exactly equal force oppositely directed. This is very central to understanding “just how deep the rabbit hole goes”. While we are familiar with the applications of symmetry in relation to motion, we don’t consider how this applies to other energies (such as emotion and thought) we guide and direct.
Although words and even ideas are unable to fully convey the extent of Tao, it does not mean we cannot know it enough to embrace the symmetry which is its core nature.
In my belief this is called finding the Way.
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