Road, Street, Way, TAO

There have been Tao comparisons of many kinds. For example “The Tao Of Pooh” or “The Tao Of Physics”. That got me thinking; if there can be a Tao of something as childish as Winnie The Pooh to something as serious as physics. For example, you could make the Tao of a car. Once the engine is turned on the car has a purpose, the flow of things start. When put in drive, it turns into desiring and when put in neutral turns into desireless and so on.

Recently I heard about a movie called The Tao of Steve. The whole point of the movie is to teach this guy how to get a woman into bed. It involves 3 rules. 1st rule: be desireless, eliminate desire “Basic principle: we pursue that which retreats from us.” This ultimately goes back to: we want what we can’t have, the forbidden. Since the beginning of time we desire most what we are told not to touch, look talk etc. 2nd rule: “Do something excellent in her presence thus demonstrating your sexual worthiness.” What I take from this is do what you can, what you know how to, along the way, along your way. Lastly, the 3rd rule: After doing the former, “Then you must retreat.” This follows the saying, “dangle the bait and take it away”; by this creating temptation. I find it very interesting how something so profound can be taken into such an ordinary situation.

Since we were told to compare the Tao to something without making it the Tao Te Ching I have been thinking of what this actually means. The meaning that is given to Tao at the beginning of the book is the way or path. I took this very much into consideration whilst reading. Unfortunately, I started reading this desiring because of it. In fact, I think it is hard, almost impossible, to read desireless because if you try to understand the symbolism you are desiring to find the symbolism and if you don’t, you don’t understand the book to its full extent.

My idea since beginning of, what to compare it to, was something childish; maybe Sesame Street. Anything you tell a child he will believe. I believe they are ultimately pure. Before anything adult-like we are totally balanced. Going back to Sesame Street, you are introduced to Elmo, described as a friendly, cheerful monster. I was completely shocked by this description. Usually, we think of a monster being frightening and/or somewhat grotesque. This contradiction is the perfect balance of “good” and “evil”. Sesame Street in general teaches you many things, better yet said makes proposals. For example, on their page they have playlists and each song teaches/proposes different ideas. There is one that talks about different approaches to the word baby and taking those differences to a whole new level making them more evident. By music.

Each of the Muppets (characters) characterize a different personality and some that are not thought of fondly. Each character, by just being who they are, teach a lesson. The cookie monster, gluttony, Elmo, the desire to improve, Rosita the Yin Yang,(the mesh of Spanish and English), Oscar, the trash of one is the treasure of another and lastly, Big Bird, the balance between all. Yes, the Muppets and the Tao Te Ching are a put together of what could be described as suggestions to achieve the perfect way of life, although I don’t think there is one.

Overall, I think the Tao really just means your way, because there is no specific way. It is a book of suggestions telling you that it has done its duty of telling you how. Now you have to decide if you want to accept and execute what the suggestions imply. “The Tao of heaven is pointed but does no harm.” That’s why at the beginning the book talks about itself (not necessarily in a good way); because one within itself leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and at the end it says:

EIGHTY-ONE
Truthful words are not beautiful.
Beautiful words are not truthful.
Good men to not argue.
Those who argue are not good.
Those who know are not learned.
The learned to not know.

The sage never tries to store things up.
The more he does for others, the more he has.
The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance.
The Tao of heaven is pointed but does no harm.
The Tao of the sage is work without effort.

In other words, It’s up to you.