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4 Taoist Teachings That Will Transform Your Life

Pearls of wisdom from the East applicable in the modern Western world.

The Western world as we know is a well-oiled machine. Effective at problem-solving, progressive innovation and capitalistic advancement. Yet, in the last century or so, we talked more about the downsides. We are the generation that questions the meaning of our jobs, frequently feels lost and hopes to shape our own version of the future. Our values are being put under scrutiny and we are forced to pull back to look for answers elsewhere–inside ourself– instead of chasing after what previous generations wanted. Our isolation is often magnified and we feel most lonely.

‘Do we come here just to pay bills and die?’

When you dare to ask big questions, big revelations surface.

The cradle of spirituality in the East had raised many spiritual leaders –Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Gandhi, the Dalai Lama to name a few. Many practices were developed to help us grow spiritually — yoga, meditation, fasting… Journey to the East is a journey inwards, advancing towards our own core being and reaching another level of understanding. That is where the hidden answers we are seeking are held. Once we understand ourself, we understand everyone else. Once we understand a drop of water, we understand the ocean.

The Tao wisdom has been passed down by generations in South-East Asia and still very much applicable in today’s modern world. Taoism is ancient philosophical teaching from Lao Tzu–a philosopher lived around 500 BC in old China. It is spiritual and practical teaching on how to live your life in harmony with the Tao. Tao in translation means the source of all lives, the pattern of the Universe and the essence of everything that exists.

Perhaps you have seen this symbol. You might recognise that ‘it is something Chinese, something oriental’. But it is more than a symbol. It holds ancient wisdom translated into a visual representation and kept unchanged for millennia. Let’s dive into what are the hidden meanings behind the visual depiction of this seemingly common symbol. Here are the lessons the Tao is bringing.

The perfectly rounded circle shape of the Taoist symbol represents the continuation of life and all things. One of its indications is the cycle of life — a deer ate tree leaves in the forest to stay alive. When it died, its decaying body fed the soil that grows the trees. That is a simple cycle that we can observe. There are many larger, more prominent universal mechanisms that are too complex for our perception. Some of our senses are not yet developed to even comprehend or process the change. That results in our feeling of being lost, of being treated unfairly, of blasting anger towards the unknown. Simply put, we are playing a game that we don’t know all the rules and winning in one area doesn’t apply to another.

Now, hold on to your (Western) hat!

Incarnation is believed to be a part of this cycle. Is it too big of an ask for you to zoom out and look at the bigger picture? Do you think you, and everyone else, are that small, that insignificant? Do we just spend some time here then vanish, poof, end of everything? Do we carry no consequences and no responsibilities? Are we here just to be breathing and eating, having no meanings to our actions? It doesn’t make any sense, none, don’t you think? We cannot be given this body and this mind just to vanish into nothing! Gone. Done. Nothing affected. We live or die makes no difference to the bigger picture. Is it right?

The Tao says, you matter. This symbol represents the belief that life continues after we die and death is merely a transition. The ongoing cycle of birth and death. Flowers blooming and withering. Seasons returning.

There are centuries-long debates on this. It seems to be the biggest difference between the Western and Eastern philosophies and ways of life. But for this article, if you choose to read on, consider this: Death is not the end of your book. We had lived many lives before we come here and we will live many lives after we die.

As many time as it takes for you to learn.

The point is for you to mature.

Lead a truly honest, kind and loving life towards all that is living. Your kindness counts and it will be returned to you when you need it most. Pay it forwards. Even if no one sees what you did, it won’t be lost. Nothing will ever be lost. So be very mindful about cultivating your mind and heart, they are the cause of all your sufferings. Aim for the higher good. Cultivate your own essence. Destiny is real. What you put out does truly come back to you.

The black and white colours represent two opposite-field forces.

The masculine and the feminine forces. Chaos and Order. The grounded and the whimsical. Certainty and idealism. What we can see and touch versus what we can only feel.

Those energies are present in us all, with different intensity and ratio. Even the toughest, macho-men harbour soft and mellow sides. And the perceived vulnerable woman can be very strong-headed in realising her dreams.

Though we are wired uniquely, we all made up of these same two energies. This makes us unique in the ways we experience the world:

All is the result of the combination of those two energies.

We are all very unique.

Honour yourself. Allow you to be you, feel things and see things the way you do. Course correct on the way when you deem necessary. But ultimately, don’t wish for yourself to be different. Work with what you have instead and strive for balance. Get rid of the idea of how you should be based on the surroundings and others’ expectations. Ask yourself honest questions and patiently wait for you to show up with the answers. Because it matters.

You are a perfectly unique composition of stunning combinations. And even if you don’t see it or feel it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t the absolute beauty.

The black dot and the white dot represent the seeds of change–the uncertain nature of life. At any moment, the possibility of order turning into chaos and chaos turning into order are always present.

We need orders and stability to express and manifest ourself. And we need chaos and misfortunes to keep us on our toes, to remind us of humility and catalyse our strength to be the best version of ourselves. Both are equally important for our growth.

Change is constant. If you cannot see stability, keep looking for it.

Life is constantly changing, whether we want it or not. Train yourself in the calm waters so that you can hold on steadily come the hurricanes. Inversely, when something bad happens, know for sure that something good is coming out of it.

Balancing is an act but also a habit. We walk through life thinking it is a journey on a paved road leading somewhere.

We are constantly at a test.

And instead of letting it pressurise us, we could take it as an immense blessing!

We can start fresh every second, every minute, every moment. All of the days. Everyday. All of the time. Until our time runs out.

The natural state of all things is balanced, and nature has its way of restoring itself. If you tipped the scale, there will be consequences. Only when we learn how to balance our life, our thinking, our behaviours; when we exist in accord with nature we find peace and harmony. With that comes our true happiness.

Discover what the balanced state of your mind, your environment and your relationships look like. How do you feel there?

Don’t take life too seriously, but don’t waste it with indulgence.

Give plenty, but accept gratefully.

Love unconditionally, but take that love back if not appreciated.

Be there for someone, and ask someone to be there for you.

Be helpful, but don’t ignore your own needs.

Work hard for prestige, but spend time for growth, too.

There were debates on who was right–the West or the East? Is incarnation even worth the debates? There seem to be conflicting ideas about the purpose of life, growth and methods of self-cultivation. But looking deeper, many similarities emerge in the ultimate ideologies. The idea is happiness and inner peace come from working on yourself. All roads lead to Rome, in this case, all fingers point to the Moon.

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