The Secret Teachings of the Tao Te Ching

Trust and Faith

In the Chinese language the character xing means both trust and faith. From within, the person reveals their natural trust and faith in the inherent goodness of life, and speaks from the heart.

To live in this way will generate a true fellowship of trust. Others listen not only to the vibration of voice but also the emanation of the inner being. What others integrate is not merely the intellectual understanding of words, ideas, or beliefs. There is an awareness of the openness of heart and the honesty of mind, which conveys respect, energetic communication, and inner connection.

Trustworthy words are not beautiful.

Beautiful words are not trustworthy.

The knower does not know everything.

The know-it-all knows nothing.

Kindness is not overindulgent.

Overindulgence is not kind.

The sage does not collect.

As soon as he exists for others, he has more.

As soon as he gives to others, he has more.

So the Tao of heaven benefits and does not harm.

The Tao of humankind exists and does not compete.

(68:1–3)

Lao Tzu explains that appearances are not always trustworthy; beautiful speech can be beguiling and insincere.

The one who claims knowledge and takes pride in it does not truly know. There is no need to display knowledge. The know-it-all hungers insatiably for information and recognition and is not truly wise. The one who knows that he doesn’t know is truly wise.

True kindness and compassion does not overindulge but supports the genuine well-being of others. Kindness is beauty that emanates honest loving and benevolent caring. Kindness is readily accepting and willingly given. It is an expression of Wu Wei, inactive acting. There is a respect, neutrality, and selfless responsibility in the harmony of action.

In this kindness and living for the good of all, the sage is full and complete. He wants for nothing.

In Wu Wei, one expects nothing in return, loses nothing, and gains nothing. There is no judgment or attachment to any outcome. There is just simplicity and generosity of response. This is the revelation of universal kindness.

So the sage, through nonaction, does not fail.

Not clinging, he does not lose. . . .

He is able to support the nature of all things and, not by daring, to impose action.

(64:5,8)

SPEAKING THE TAO

The Tao that is voiced is no longer that of eternal Tao.

The name that has been written is no longer that of eternal name.

The nameless is the beginning of the cosmic universe.

The named is the mother of the myriad creatures.

(1:1–2)

We began with the wordless uttering of the Tao in the first chapter. We now discuss what it means to speak the Tao. Voice and speech are natural and instinctive actions of the human being. Pure, honest, humble, and innocent voice is the “sound of Tao.”

To ask the meaning of this voice is to ask the meanings of sounds of thunder, earthquakes, rain, birdsong, or any natural vibrations that come through natural phenomena. We hear them and know them. There is no need to understand or interpret.

In the actionless action of Wu Wei, the head, voice, hands, and feet act without engaging. It is the weightless clouds and colorless spirit that execute this actionless action. When one head and two feet act harmoniously, the feet do not work independently. They are one since they must work together, and neither completes an action by itself. The quality of this unity is that it leaves no space for projection, such as conscious manipulation, personality configuration, and emotional reaction. Nor does it separate the body from the mind.

Eminent action is inaction,

For that action it is active.

Inferior action never stops acting,

For that reason it is inactive.

Eminent action is disengaged,

Yet nothing is left unfulfilled;

Eminent humanness engages,

Yet nothing is left unfulfilled; . . .

(38:1–2)

The eminent action that we are now exploring is “speaking the Tao.”

Types of Speech

There are four different ways of engaging in speech.

1. Lao Tzu states that Those who know, do not say. Those who say, do not know. If someone truly and absolutely knows, what purpose does it serve to talk about it? Communication is, in a sense, an attempt to clarify mentally. Speech itself serves as a vehicle moving back and forth between knowing and not-knowing. The speech expresses what one already knows, explains what one wants to know, requests what one seeks from self and others, and defends the habitual position of merely knowing.

2. Speech is a self-promise, a way to encourage oneself, engage with oneself, and build trust within the self. The twofold purpose of speech is: a) to establish a relationship and build a mutual trust; b) to cling to fixated habits and grasp firmly the attachment to body/mind. The order of business in making a promise is to ensure engagement, to commit to the process, and to bind to the result of what has been planned. The virtue of a promise must be realized as a promise to only oneself.

A promise can be a way to deal with insecurity; it is a powerful form of ego protection and fear suppression. The more insecure one feels, the deeper the fear one encounters. A promise is also a bargain involving trust. Much of this trust involves not just words, but giving one’s word. Addressing this, Lao Tzu explains that speaking with good trust is the way of the Tao (8:3).

3. Speech is an expression of the belief system of the mind, individual and collective, personal and cultural. It is a premise or a statement to which the mind adheres. It is a technique of binding and rejecting. Individual identity, group dynamics, and social construction are all based upon the effective and powerful use of speech. In this manner the individuality and personality merge with the social and cultural environment.

4. Speech is a way of revealing inner trust and confirming the capacity for trustworthy relationships between the inner self and self-concept, and between self and others. Based on this inner trust, people’s statements about their “inner voice” are universally accepted and understood. This highlights the authentic meaning of speech, a tool and vehicle for trust and trustworthiness.

Right Speech

Each of the preceding types of speech can have either a positive or a negative aspect. Numerous spiritual teachings emphasize “right speech,” which is often explained in negative terms—avoiding harmful speech. Harmful speech can be defined as: lies (words spoken with the intent of misrepresenting the truth); divisive speech (spoken with the intent of creating rifts between people); harsh speech (spoken with the intent of hurting another person’s feelings); and idle chatter (spoken with no purposeful intent at all).

The focus is on the intent. This is where the practice of right speech intersects with self-awareness and discipline. What are the motives for your speech? As we become more aware of ourselves and more honest with ourselves, we cultivate a natural sense of when to speak and when to remain silent.

In positive terms, right speech means speaking in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, supportive, and authentic. When you practice these positive forms of right speech, your words become a gift to others. In response, other people will start listening more to what you say, and will be more likely to respond in kind. This gives you a sense of the power of your actions: the way you act in the present moment does shape the world of your experience.

Quality of Speech

Upon accepting the limits of speech, we must then appreciate the qualities of speech. Speech can save or destroy the lives of self and others.

First, one must know oneself very well. If one has deep self-awareness and self-honesty, one’s speech is authentic and original. Second, one’s intention should be sincere self-expression and spontaneous response. There should be no motivation within the speech other than honest, heartfelt vibration. Third, the purpose of speech is clear and complete within the speech itself; there is no further need for clarification and supplementation.

[S]ince the sage wants to elevate the people, his speech is down to earth.

(66:2)

Any experienced individual understands the result of overintellectualization in speech. This is a kind of indulgence that loses the heart and intent of the communication.

Being overly informed leads to exhaustion,

Better to be centered.

(5:3)

Each time specific information is exchanged there is energy transmission, whether mental, emotional, or mechanical. There are countless elements that shape the meaning and quality of propagation of information; it is also colored by any inner conflicts or needs of the informant. It is not an easy task to accurately pass information from one to another—neither adding nor omitting anything in the translation.

If there is no gap in the space between speaker and listener, the information is tangible and trustworthy. There is no tension in teaching and learning, and there is no blockage between supply and demand. They are One. There is no egotism or self-consciousness, and no one is counted as better or worse. There is no rigid identity of one called “teacher” and the other named “student.” The teacher is rewarded by teaching and the student is informed through learning. The older generation passes down its wisdom and is left with nothing; the recipients receive everything but also have nothing. There is no attachment to being the one who knows.

Wordless Communication

In the world, the sage inhales and smiles like a child (49:3,4). He realizes two things. One is that the Tao of heaven is . . . good at responding without speaking and appearing without being asked (75:4); the other is that wordless teaching and the riches of nonaction are matched by very little in the world (43:3).

The childlike smile of the sage is the most authentic expression of love. It is profound wordless communication. This kind of smile is bright but not dazzling, innocent, humble, and vulnerable. This smile indicates quiet happiness and joy. It conveys self-control, lack of prejudice, and respect. This smile has no defensive mechanism, no fearful protection, and no intellectual wisdom.

Who could possibly turn away from that innocent and radiant smile? This is the quality of pure love, the expression of kindness, and the ultimate communication.

The sage’s smile also conveys a wordless teaching. It teaches the love of light and life. It also reveals the limits of language. Anyone who is not obsessed with mental structures can experience the power of nonverbal communication, which profoundly communicates feelings and subtle sensations between heart and mind.

THE WAY OF TRUSTWORTHINESS

On the surface most people do not appear to be trustworthy and trusting. Many people seem to be anxious and fearful, and driven by anxieties, needs, and wishes. These needs and wants obscure people’s ability to trust others and to be trustworthy themselves. Yet when two people come to know each other very well, they establish trust together. It takes time, effort, and a suitable environment to build a trustworthy relationship, yet people do it all the time.

The demands and requirements for establishing self-trust, however, are much greater. Normally, people are unwilling to investigate the nature of self-trust. It requires a thorough knowledge of the self and total self-honesty. Self-examination must be objective and selfless. To be trustworthy is to place trust in oneself as well as others without preference or prejudice, and to comply fully with that trust.

. . . He is trustworthy to those who are trustworthy.

He is also trustworthy to those who are not trustworthy.

It is the trust of Action itself.

(49:2)

It is not necessary to trust others before trusting oneself, nor is it necessary to act for others in order to be trusted. The nature of trustworthy action is integrity and harmony of intention, word, and deed.

The Virtue of Faith

Faith is an act of total submission to Oneness and embrace of Oneness. In this submission and embrace, there is no yesterday or tomorrow. Faith accepts that which is present and trusts whatever has been revealed. Faith is happy with the conceivable and content with manageable; faith is fulfilled with whatever is achievable and well aware of the uncontrollable. Faith is essential but has no central kernel. Faith is omnipresent, sometimes observable but without a focal point. Faith clears the path to what we can be; it reveals what love is; it expresses selfless devotion. Faith is the unfolding of all that we can manifest.

Faith is visible when the heart is open. It is as close as the breath. It lies within the devoted heart and smile of love. The rational mind cannot grasp it. God instills its bravery; the self experiences the sublime blissfulness within. Space cannot hold it; time cannot trace it. Faith nourishes our spirit.

Faith generates trust, promotes loving activity, assures kind action, ensures the meaning and quality of life, and elevates the life above and beyond its cyclical journey of birth and death.

However, in the attempt to create faith within the church, we are usually left with a constructed faith, not with a genuine, direct experience. In constructing faith with words, the linguistic interpretation becomes the main attraction. When we defend faith by raising the sword, destruction and revenge are forthcoming. Gambling our faith against life is rewarded with an exhausted corpse. Visualizing faith conjures up an empty symbol. Projecting faith with rationality constructs a self-defined delusion.

The true inner experience of faith can never be a commodity nor a possession in the mind of our ego eyes. Genuine faith cannot be capitalized on in this way.

In the modern world, we have become so fixated with our quest for material gain that we fear the face of God. We selfishly and mercilessly exploit our natural world. Life is driven by ego needs, fueled by consumerism and sensationalism. Life is no longer viewed as sacred. Most people have lost faith in life itself.

When faith is weak, there is distrust.

Especially in the worth of speech.

Results speak for themselves.

(17:2–3)

Faith and trust are intimately connected. When one has faith and trust, one is trustworthy. Consequently, one’s actions demonstrate this trustworthiness and beckon others to a brotherhood of faith and trust.

When we look beyond the call of ego’s demands, our minds become still and calm. When the minding mind is set aside, that very mind magically becomes faithful. Then we understand that God is faithful, the world is faithful, as we are faithful.

THE TREASURE OF THE TAO

Lao Tzu is very practical in his use of few words in his teaching. He declares that

My words are easy to understand and easy to apply.

Yet no one in the world can understand them and no one could apply them.

Words have their origin, and events have their leader.

Only because of prevailing ignorance am I not understood.

The few who understand me, the more precious I am.

So the sage wears shabby cloth, but holds a treasure within.

(72:1–4)

Lao Tzu treasures the Tao and wants to offer it to others. Yet he knows that it is subtle and difficult to grasp. Because of the prevailing social, cultural, and material conditions, people’s minds are obscured, and his teaching is not understood. Yet Lao Tzu has utter faith in the penetrating power of the Tao.

THE INNER ALCHEMY OF THE TAO

[The sage] is kind to those who are kind.

He is also kind to those who are not kind.

It is the kindness of Action itself.

He is trustworthy to those who are trustworthy.

He is also trustworthy to those who are not trustworthy.

It is the trust of Action itself.

In the world, the sage inhales.

For the world, the sage keeps the mind simple.

All people are fixated on the ears and eyes.

While the sage always smiles like a child.

(49:2–4)

The sage is good to those who are good and also to those who are not good because he has faith in goodness itself. The sage trusts those who are trustworthy and also those who are not trustworthy because he has faith in trustworthiness itself. The sage has faith in life itself, in the Tao itself, in Te itself.

Those who are kind are those who have faith within, without, and in between. Faith within is the power of Tao; faith in between is the harmony between ourselves and others; faith without is living without calculation and expectation. Love needs no calculation; action needs no expectation.

Tao pervades all, Te encompasses all. Harmony is energized, and faith is suffused. This is the realization of Tao, the application of Te, the meditation of harmony, and the cultivation of faith.

The Tao is the most precious treasure. Awaken to the Tao and find something essential to do before your life is over. Recognize and hold close the treasure within.