Chapter 14

14

Look for it, and it can’t be seen.
Listen for it, and it can’t be heard.
Grasp for it, and it can’t be caught.
These three cannot be further described,
so we treat them as The One.

Its highest is not bright.
Its depths are not dark.
Unending, unnameable, it returns to nothingness.
Formless forms, and imageless images,
subtle, beyond all understanding.

Approach it and you will not see a beginning;
follow it and there will be no end.
When we grasp the Tao of the ancient ones,
we can use it to direct our life today.
To know the ancient origin of Tao:
this is the beginning of wisdom.

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So far from chapters 1 to 13, I have tried to analyze the content of the tao te ching from a logical perspective. However, the more I read through the chapters of the book, the more I find Laozi’s statements to be primarily mystical. Of course, I am aware that Lao Tzu did have insights into nature, and based upon them, he unfolded his core ideas.

In the last verse of the chapter, Lao Tzu encourages us to know the “ancient” origin of Tao. Whereas Solomon declares in Proverbs that to learn to to fear Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, Lao Tzu asserts that it is the knowledge of the tao’s origin that will empower us to attain wisdom. But what Tao really is is subject to one’s interpretation. In addition, one’s interpreted tao is not quite the Tao of the universe. Therefore, it is essentially vain to attempt to define it. Because you can never quite reach it.

Because Lao Tzu never clearly identifies the identity of the tao, it is difficult to discern what he precisely meant to tell us. Hegel rightly notes that while Lao Tzu’s book contains many profound maxims, most of them cannot be understood clearly due to their ambiguity. The tao te ching does include a lot of elements that lead one to make a mystical interpretation of the text.

In that sense, it is no wonder that many ancient Chinese people developed mystical faith in the transcendental power of Tao, which led to the religion of Taoism. Mysticism is not found only in Asia; it pervaded Western societies as well. In fact, mystical beliefs are still observed among many of our contemporaries. As a matter of fact, even Wittgenstein’s first published monumental book ended in mystical notes – i.e., concluding that we should only remain silent regarding things we cannot describe but only experience.

Actually, I have a feeling that some of the descriptions in Chapter 14 can resonate very well with someone seeing fantasies after taking LSD. I will put here a bold guess simply for fun. Is it possible that Lao Tzu included in his book some descriptions of his fantasies after taking opium?