What and Where is Tao

Xuefeng

August 5, 2007

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, it is described: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence." Many Chinese translations render it as: "In the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God, and the Tao was God. This Tao was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and of all things that were created, none were made without him."

From this, we learn:

1. At the beginning of the universe, the Tao already existed; in other words, before the universe was formed, the Tao was already there.

2. The Tao was with God, the Tao was God, and God represents the Tao.

3. All things were created by God, and it was through the Tao that they were created; without the Tao, God could not create all things. Laozi expounds on the Tao in the Tao Te Ching:

“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of all things.”

“The Tao is empty, yet its use is inexhaustible. It is deep, like the source of all things. It blunts sharpness, untangles knots, softens the glare, and merges with the dust. It is serene and elusive. I do not know whose child it is. It seems to have existed before the Lord.”

“The Tao is elusive and intangible. Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image. Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is form. Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within is essence. This essence is very real, and therein lies faith. From ancient times to the present, its name has never been forgotten. It stands as a witness to the beginning of all things.”

From Laozi’s exposition, we understand:

1. The connotation and extension of the Tao are difficult to describe. The Tao is empty, yet the beginning of all things comes from the Tao. The Tao is the mother of all things and the origin of all things. Therefore, the Tao contains everything and is real.

2. The Tao is empty, yet its function is infinite and unfathomable. It hides its light under a bushel yet is capable of resolving all disturbances. It is both brilliant and ordinary, like dust, formless and shapeless, seemingly existing and non-existing.

3. The Tao existed before the birth of God.

4. The Tao is elusive, giving a sense of vagueness. What is vagueness? “The form of the formless, the image of the imageless, this is vagueness. Approach it and you do not see its beginning; follow it and you do not see its end.” What is this understanding and feeling? It is a state of holograph, boundless, with no fixed rules or modes, seemingly disordered yet orderly, containing image, substance, essence, faith, emotion, and righteousness.

Buddha Shakyamuni in the Diamond Sutra reveals: “All forms are illusory. If you see all forms as non-forms, you see the Tathagata.” “Those who see me by outward appearance and seek me in sound are treading the heterodox path and cannot perceive the Tathagata.” “The Tathagata comes from nowhere and goes nowhere; hence the name Tathagata.”

From Buddha’s teachings, we understand: The Tathagata is the Tao, and the Tao is the Tathagata. Though the names are different, their essence is the same.

Combining the expositions from the Bible, Tao Te Ching, and Diamond Sutra, we can fundamentally understand that the Tao has the following attributes:

1. The Tao is the Tathagata, the mother of the universe, and the origin of all things.

2. The Tao is the divine source; the universe and all things were created by the divine through the Tao.

3. The Tao is empty, yet it contains all things, just as the Heart Sutra states, “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.”

4. The Tao can transform the universe and all things. The universe and all things are within the transformation of the Tao.

5. The Tao is one. The entire universe is the Tao. Any object, LIFE, or phenomenon is the Tao. Therefore, the universe is a hologram.

6. The Tao is a holograph. Everything is within the Tao. It may appear disordered on the surface, but internally everything is orderly. “The net of Heaven has large meshes, but it lets nothing through.”

7. The Tao has essence, faith, emotion, and righteousness. The Tao is not unfeeling or untrustworthy.

8. All the laws of nature are manifestations of the Tao. The birth, aging, sickness, and death of humans, as well as the rise and fall of human society, are also manifestations of the Tao. So, where is the Tao?

The answer: The Tao is in everything. The Tao is in eating, drinking, defecating, walking, sitting, and lying down. The Tao is in the growth, flowering, and fruiting of plants. The Tao is in fighting, brawling, stealing, and robbing. The Tao is in turbulent waves, storms, and lightning. The Tao is in the flight of birds and the foraging of fish. The Tao is in the heartbeat of lovers and the anger of enemies. The Tao is in people’s interactions and arguments. The Tao is in the rise and fall of the stock market and the bankruptcy of companies. The Tao is in the change of regimes and the rise and fall of dynasties. The Tao is in birth, aging, sickness, death, happiness, and sorrow. The Tao is in dreams. The Tao is in illusions. The Tao is in water. The Tao is in the mountains. The Tao is in the sky. The Tao is in the soil. The Tao is in the brain. The Tao is in the heart. The Tao is in the past. The Tao is in the future. The Tao is in all times and spaces. The Tao is in all things.

How to seek the Tao? Please see the next article – “How to Seek the Tao”