Tao Te Ching

Every now and then, I like to reconnect with my roots. In this case, I like to connect with one of the two cultures that made me who I am, and this time it is China. I’ll admit that I am a little cut off from the culture, food and people living here in the United Kingdom, but this is the 21st century - we have the internet and access to literature, ideas, people, music and culture at the click of a button. But while modern China is an enigma in and of itself, this time I looked back at what China was before, looking at its foundations and the ideas that built it. Taoism is one such way - I do not know much about ancient mysticism except that it is not necessarily a religion; it is a sort of meditative movement, a way of life, a way of understanding the universe.

I was surprised by how much of this treatise on Tao rang true with me; it spoke out against man's selfishness and greed in our pursuit of superficial things. The more we want, the less in touch with Tao we are, and the less happy we will be. We will never be fulfilled, always chasing the next thing and the next and the next… what did surprise me was the fact that Taoism is considered a ‘feminine energy’ which somewhat contradicts the notion that the Tao cannot be fathomed, it is a great unknown, yet it is the mother of all things, older even than God. While the imagery is beautiful, it does somewhat explain old and exhausted patriarchal ideologies, if we move away from the philosophy for a moment, that is. The Tao (in the feminine sense) is infinite and gives birth to many worlds; she is inexhaustible and is perfectly fulfilled. Powerful in concept, but I have a feeling generations of women may disagree.

I have always been a little unsure of translations, but I do like this one by Stephen Mitchell. He is a renowned translator, and to give credit where it is due, I wouldn't be able to get in touch with my own culture if it weren’t for English translations of ancient Chinese texts. I will also say that this book had a beautiful, calming quality to it. My edition is accompanied by beautiful artwork from ancient China depicting landscapes, animals and people going about their daily life. It was beautifully immersive. While short, it is one I can easily come back to and find a passage that suits any situation.