Tao

In a recent comment (made elsewhere) I said, “I think that Taoism represents the most sophisticated view of reality.” And in this post I suggested that “the Tao Te Ching might be called a classical text on negative theology, thus the idea that anything you say about the Ultimate is wrong-headed even before you utter the words.” With these comments I thought I’d quote the first subdivision of the book here. It was written by Lao Tzu; the translation is by D.C. Lau in the Penguin Classics edition of 1963.

The way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.
The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;
The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.
Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets;
But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.
These two are the same
But diverge in name as they issue forth.
Being the same they are called mysteries,
Mystery upon mystery —
The gateway of the manifold secrets.

Now here we encounter the core issues of the spiritual life. It operates beyond the intellectual level—as Idries Shah observes in The Sufis—and must be anchored in experience. The words above escape analysis but may be experienced. Hence my characterization. Negative theology is not a kind of know-nothingness; but neither is it a game of conceptual juggling.