Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth;
still and silent, standing alone and unchanging,
going through cycles unending,
able to be mother to the world.
I do not know its name; I label it the Way.
Imposing on it a name, I call it Great.
This is from Chapter 25 of the Tao te Ching. I posted it because I was in the mood for pondering the nature of Tao. First off, it is nearly impossible to describe in words. How would you describe the color red to someone who was born without sight? But the passage above is a good place to start. Tao is not a thing, process, or being, yet it encompasses all of these. It makes no demands, and has no plans, thus its will is always done. It asks nothing of people, and 'nothing' seems to be too much. Tao may be "mother to the world," but it is not a Creator. Creation implies a conscious, deliberate act; but when consciousness arises, one has already departed from the Tao. The Tao is not good, nor is it evil, it just is. As soon as something is perceived as good (likewise as evil), the Tao has been forgotten. Tao has no voice, yet one may hear it.
*pauses* Looking over what I just wrote, I realize how much it sounds like the Tao te Ching. There are only so many ways to describe the undescribable, I suppose.
A few final thoughts.... The Tao turns no one away. It is only a matter of whether people bother to listen or not. There are no rules or doctrines to follow. Rules are for those who have fallen away from Tao. Given a chance, people will do what is right.
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