What the Tao Teaches About Living a Better Life
A doctrine on the true Nature of Things
The Tao Te Ching takes twenty minutes to read and twenty lifetimes to understand. This two-and-half-thousand-year text credited to Lao-tzu (or Laozi) — literally, ‘Old Master’ — is a doctrine on the true Nature of Things.
The Tao is when you’re in zone; it’s the moment before you kiss your life partner; it’s in the perfect swing of a baseball bat; it’s being present, mindful and effortless.
It’s also none of those things.
To name the Tao is to miss the point because it’s more than that; it’s the art of living, a skill that can be cultivated, practiced and experienced in all walks of life.
The Greek, Stoic and Nietzschean philosophies are all overused today — and don’t get me wrong, I appreciate them too, but nothing has taught me more in life than the Tao Te Ching. Here are my seven favorite lessons:
1. Thoughts weaken the mind
“Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart. The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is as open as the sky.” — Lao Tzu…
