The Setting
According to legend, Laozi (the Old Master), disillusioned with the corruption of the court, decides to leave civilization and journey west into the wilderness. At the Hangu Pass, the gatekeeper Yin Xi recognizes his wisdom and begs him to leave a teaching before departing. What follows becomes the Daodejing—81 brief verses of mysterious, paradoxical wisdom that would influence Chinese civilization for millennia.
The Dialogue
The First Question
YIN XI (the gatekeeper): Master, I have seen many scholars and officials pass through this gate, yet none carry themselves as you do—with such simplicity, such peace. Please, before you depart, share your wisdom. What is the source of your contentment?
LAOZI:
“The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of ten thousand things.”
You ask for wisdom, yet wisdom begins with knowing what cannot be said. The ultimate reality—what I call Dao—is beyond all words, beyond all concepts. The moment I name it, I limit it. The moment I describe it, I falsify it.
YIN XI: But surely you can give some indication? Otherwise, how can we understand?
LAOZI: Understanding comes not through words but through direct experience. However, since you ask sincerely, I will point with words, though the words themselves are not It.
Listen:
“The Dao is empty,
Yet inexhaustible in its function.
Fathomless, it seems to be the ancestor of all things.
It blunts sharp edges,
Untangles knots,
Softens glare,
Merges with dust.”
The Dao is like space—it seems empty, yet it contains everything. It seems to do nothing, yet through it, all things are accomplished.
The Nature of the Dao
YIN XI: Master, this Dao you speak of—is it God? Is it Brahman? Is it the ultimate reality?
LAOZI:
“There was something formless yet complete,
Born before heaven and earth.
Silent! Empty!
Standing alone, unchanging,
Pervading everywhere, inexhaustible.
It may be called the mother of all under heaven.
I do not know its name,
So I call it ‘Dao.‘
Forced to name it further, I call it ‘Great.’”
Call it what you will—God, Brahman, the Absolute. Names are provisional, pointing to what cannot be named. What’s important is not the name but the reality.
YIN XI: How does the Dao operate? How does it create the world?
LAOZI:
“The Dao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang,
Through the blending of qi they achieve harmony.”
The Dao doesn’t “create” like a craftsman making objects. Creation is effortless, natural, spontaneous—like water flowing downhill, like spring following winter. The Dao simply is, and from its being, all arises.
YIN XI: But if the Dao is so great, so powerful, why can’t we see it? Why don’t we know it?
LAOZI:
“Look at it, cannot be seen—it is called invisible.
Listen to it, cannot be heard—it is called inaudible.
Grasp it, cannot be held—it is called intangible.
These three cannot be further inquired into,
So they merge into one.
Above, it is not bright.
Below, it is not dark.
Continuous, it cannot be named,
And it returns again to nothingness.”
You cannot see it because you ARE it. The eye cannot see itself. The Dao is too close, too obvious, too fundamental to be objectified.
The Teaching of Non-Action (Wu Wei)
YIN XI: Master, you speak of the Dao’s way. How should we humans live in accordance with it?
LAOZI:
“The highest good is like water.
Water benefits all things and does not compete.
It stays in places that others despise.
Therefore it is close to the Dao.”
Learn from water. It doesn’t strive, yet accomplishes everything. It doesn’t grasp, yet fills every vessel. It doesn’t resist, yet wears away stone. This is wu wei—non-action, or rather, action without force.
YIN XI: Non-action? But surely we must act, must do, must accomplish things?
LAOZI:
“In pursuing knowledge, one increases daily.
In pursuing the Dao, one decreases daily.
Decrease and decrease again,
Until arriving at non-action.
Through non-action, nothing is left undone.”
Wu wei doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means acting without ego-driven effort, without artificial force. It means aligning with the natural flow of things rather than fighting against it.
Watch the skilled archer: he doesn’t force the arrow. He simply lets it go at the right moment. Watch the wise leader: she doesn’t compel people. She creates conditions for people to flourish naturally.
YIN XI: Can you give practical examples?
LAOZI:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Those who act, destroy it.
Those who grasp, lose it.
Therefore the sage acts without acting,
Teaches without speaking,
Accomplishes without doing.”
If you try too hard, you create resistance. If you force things, they break. If you grasp tightly, things slip through your fingers. But if you act with gentle persistence, if you allow things to unfold naturally, if you yield when necessary—then you accomplish great things effortlessly.
The Power of Softness
YIN XI: Master, the world values strength, hardness, aggression. But you speak of softness. Is softness not weakness?
LAOZI:
“Nothing in the world is softer than water,
Yet nothing is better at overcoming the hard and strong.
This is because nothing can replace it.
That the soft overcomes the hard,
And the gentle overcomes the rigid—
Everyone knows this, but no one can practice it.”
Look around you. The hard and strong die quickly—the mighty oak toppled by wind, the rigid iron rusted and broken. But the soft and yielding endure—the supple bamboo bends and springs back, the flowing water wears away stone.
YIN XI: But in conflict, doesn’t strength win?
LAOZI:
“The living are soft and flexible,
The dead are hard and stiff.
All living things, plants and animals, are tender and supple.
At death they become dry and brittle.
Thus hardness and stiffness are associated with death,
While softness and flexibility are associated with life.”
The greatest strength is in yielding, not in resisting. When you resist forcefully, you create an equal and opposite reaction. But when you yield, you absorb the force and redirect it.
Consider: a tree heavy with snow. If its branches are rigid, they break. But if flexible, they bend, the snow slides off, and they spring back. This is the wisdom of softness.
YIN XI: Is this why you left the court? Because rulers rely on force rather than softness?
LAOZI:
“Weapons are instruments of misfortune,
Not the tools of the enlightened.
They use them only when unavoidable,
And consider restraint to be best.
Even in victory there is no beauty,
For one who finds beauty in it
Delights in killing people.”
Yes. The court relies on laws, punishments, armies. But the wise ruler needs none of these. He rules by virtue (de), by example, by creating harmony. When people’s needs are met and harmony prevails, who needs weapons?
The Paradoxical Way
YIN XI: Master, your teachings are full of paradoxes. “Act without acting,” “do without doing.” How can this be?
LAOZI:
“When everyone knows good as good,
There is already evil.
When everyone knows beauty as beauty,
There is already ugliness.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complete each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Sound and voice harmonize each other.
Front and back follow each other.”
Reality is paradoxical. Every concept contains its opposite. You cannot have “up” without “down,” “good” without “evil,” “action” without “non-action.” The sage sees through these dualities to the underlying unity.
YIN XI: Then there is no right and wrong?
LAOZI:
“Therefore the sage abides in non-action,
And carries out wordless teaching.
Things arise and he lets them come,
Things disappear and he lets them go.
He produces but does not possess,
Acts but does not rely on his actions,
Accomplishes but takes no credit.
Because he takes no credit,
His accomplishment remains.”
Right and wrong are relative to circumstance. What’s “right” in one situation may be “wrong” in another. The sage doesn’t cling to fixed moral rules but responds appropriately to each moment.
This doesn’t mean chaos or immorality. It means a higher wisdom that sees beyond conventional morality to true virtue.
The Value of Emptiness
YIN XI: Master, you speak often of emptiness, of the void. But isn’t emptiness nothing? Why value nothing?
LAOZI:
“Thirty spokes share one hub,
But it is the empty space at the center
That makes the wheel useful.
Clay is molded to form a vessel,
But it is the empty space within
That makes the vessel useful.
Doors and windows are cut to make a room,
But it is the empty space within
That makes the room useful.
Therefore, the material is beneficial,
But the immaterial is useful.”
Emptiness is not nothingness—it is potential, space for things to be. The usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness. The power of a room is in its space. Without emptiness, there can be no fullness.
YIN XI: And for people? Should we also be empty?
LAOZI:
“Keep emptying the mind,
Maintain a solid center.
All things arise and flourish,
But each returns to its root.
Returning to the root is called stillness,
Stillness is called returning to one’s destiny,
Returning to destiny is called the eternal,
Knowing the eternal is called enlightenment.”
Yes! Empty the mind of preconceptions, desires, fixed ideas. Be like an empty vessel that can be filled. Be like still water that reflects clearly. In emptiness is infinite potential. In stillness is true power.
The Simplicity of the Sage
YIN XI: Master, what is the life of the sage like? How does one who knows the Dao live?
LAOZI:
“In ancient times, those who practiced the Dao well
Were subtle, mysterious, and penetratingly wise,
So deep they could not be understood.
Because they could not be understood,
I can only describe their appearance:
Cautious, as if crossing a winter stream.
Hesitant, as if fearing their neighbors.
Reserved, like a guest.
Yielding, like ice about to melt.
Simple, like uncarved wood.
Empty, like a valley.
Murky, like muddy water.”
The sage lives simply, naturally, without pretense. He doesn’t display his wisdom like a badge. He doesn’t force his views on others. He is like water—beneficial yet unassuming, present yet unobtrusive.
YIN XI: Does the sage desire nothing?
LAOZI:
“There is no greater disaster than not being content,
No greater danger than being covetous.
Therefore, the contentment that comes from knowing contentment
Is lasting contentment indeed.”
The sage has desires—he eats when hungry, rests when tired. But he doesn’t chase endless desires. He knows: the more you want, the less you have. The more you grasp, the more slips away. Contentment is the greatest wealth.
Listen:
“Fame or life, which is more dear?
Life or wealth, which is more valuable?
Gain or loss, which is more harmful?
Excessive love leads to great expenditure,
Excessive hoarding leads to great loss.
Know contentment, and you will not suffer disgrace.
Know when to stop, and you will not encounter danger.
Thus you can long endure.”
The Art of Leadership
YIN XI: Master, before I became a gatekeeper, I served in government. The rulers I knew all sought power, control, glory. What would you say to them?
LAOZI:
“The Dao never acts, yet nothing is left undone.
If lords and kings could abide by this,
All things would develop naturally.
If things develop and begin to act,
I would calm them with the nameless simplicity.
Through nameless simplicity,
There would be no desire.
Without desire, there is stillness,
And the world settles itself.”
The best ruler is one the people barely know exists. The next best is one they love and praise. Next, one they fear. Worst is one they despise.
The wise ruler doesn’t impose, doesn’t control, doesn’t micromanage. He creates conditions for harmony and then steps back. When the work is done, the people say, “We did it ourselves!”
YIN XI: But surely sometimes force is necessary? What about enemies, criminals, chaos?
LAOZI:
“Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish—
With care and without excessive handling.
When you manage affairs through the Dao,
Evil spirits have no power.
Not that they have no power,
But their power cannot harm people.
Not only can their power not harm people,
The sage also does not harm people.
When neither harms the other,
Virtue converges and accumulates.”
Deal with problems gently, carefully, minimally. Don’t over-react, don’t over-govern, don’t over-correct. Most problems resolve themselves if you don’t make them worse by heavy-handed intervention.
The Eternal Return
YIN XI: Master, what happens after death? Does the Dao offer immortality?
LAOZI:
“All things arise from the Dao.
They are nourished by Virtue.
They are formed from matter.
They are shaped by environment.
Thus all things respect the Dao and honor Virtue.
The Dao is respected and Virtue honored
Not because this is decreed,
But because it is natural.”
You come from the Dao and return to the Dao, like waves arising from the ocean and dissolving back into it. There is no death, only transformation. The body dies, but the essence returns to the source.
YIN XI: Is there anything beyond death?
LAOZI:
“One who knows others is intelligent.
One who knows himself is enlightened.
One who conquers others has physical strength.
One who conquers himself is strong.
One who knows contentment is wealthy.
One who acts with vigor has will.
One who does not lose his place endures.
One who dies but is not forgotten has longevity.”
True immortality is not living forever in a body, but living in harmony with the eternal. When you align with the Dao, you transcend birth and death. The body may perish, but what you truly are—that which is one with Dao—is eternal.
The Final Teaching
YIN XI: Master, you have shared much wisdom. Is there anything else before you depart?
LAOZI:
“My teachings are very easy to understand
And very easy to practice.
Yet no one in the world can understand them,
And no one can practice them.
Words have an ancestor,
Deeds have a master.
People are ignorant of these,
Therefore they do not understand me.
Those who understand me are few,
Those who follow me are rare.
Thus the sage wears coarse cloth,
But carries jade within.”
What I’ve shared is simple, yet profound. Don’t complicate it with interpretations and philosophies. Just live it. Be natural, be simple, be humble, be content.
Return to the source. Flow with the Dao. Act without forcing. Yield without weakness. Accomplish without claiming credit. This is enough.
YIN XI: Will we meet again, Master?
LAOZI:
“Those who know do not speak.
Those who speak do not know.
Block the passages,
Shut the doors,
Blunt the sharpness,
Untangle the knots,
Soften the glare,
Merge with the dust.
This is called the Mysterious Unity.”
We are always meeting. In the Dao, there is no separation. When you return to silence, when you align with naturalness, when you embody simplicity—there you will find me, or rather, you will find what I point to.
Now, take these words and live them. Don’t just read them—be them.
(Laozi departed westward and was never seen again in the civilized world. But his words remained, puzzling and inspiring seekers for thousands of years.)
The Teaching
Core Principles of Daoism
The Dao (道):
- The nameless source of all
- Beyond concepts and words
- Empty yet full, still yet active
- The way things naturally are
Wu Wei (無為) - Non-Action:
- Acting without forcing
- Effortless accomplishment
- Aligning with natural flow
- Minimal intervention, maximum effect
Ziran (自然) - Naturalness:
- Spontaneous, unforced
- Following nature’s way
- Authenticity over artifice
- Simple over complicated
De (德) - Virtue/Power:
- Not moral virtue but natural power
- The Dao manifested in individual things
- Power through softness
- Strength through yielding
Key Paradoxes
The Soft Overcomes the Hard:
- Water wears away stone
- Flexibility stronger than rigidity
- Yielding wins over forcing
Emptiness is Fullness:
- The useful is the empty space
- Less is more
- Simplicity is sophistication
Non-Action Accomplishes Everything:
- Not doing, yet nothing left undone
- Minimal effort, maximum result
- Going with flow rather than against
The Nameless Names All:
- What cannot be named is the source of names
- Silence contains all words
- Void gives birth to form
Practical Application
Daily Life Practice
Morning:
- Begin in stillness and silence
- Don’t rush into activity
- Align with natural rhythms
- Set intention to flow with Dao
Throughout day:
- Act with minimum force necessary
- Yield when appropriate
- Observe natural patterns
- Respond rather than react
In work:
- Don’t force results
- Allow things to unfold
- Be efficient through simplicity
- Accomplish through non-doing
Evening:
- Return to stillness
- Release the day’s burdens
- Merge with the natural darkness
- Rest deeply
Meditation Practice
Sitting in Stillness (Zuowang - 坐忘):
- Sit comfortably, spine straight
- Let thoughts settle like mud in water
- Don’t try to achieve anything
- Simply be, naturally
- Return to primordial emptiness
Observing the Breath:
- Notice natural breathing without changing it
- Soft belly, relaxed body
- Like observing clouds passing
- No effort, just awareness
Walking Meditation:
- Walk slowly, naturally
- Feel connection to earth
- Move with minimal effort
- Embody water’s way
Life Principles
In Relationships:
- Yield without weakness
- Give space, don’t control
- Allow others to be natural
- Harmony through non-forcing
In Leadership:
- Lead by example, not command
- Create conditions, step back
- Govern least, govern best
- People should say “We did it”
In Conflict:
- Soft water approach
- Absorb and redirect
- Don’t meet force with force
- Win through yielding
Questions and Answers
Q: Is Daoism a religion or philosophy?
A: Both and neither. Philosophical Daoism (Daojia) focuses on these principles. Religious Daoism (Daojiao) developed later with practices, deities, rituals. Laozi’s teaching is pre-religious—simply the Way.
Q: How does Daoism differ from Confucianism?
A: Confucianism emphasizes social hierarchy, ritual, education, moral cultivation. Daoism emphasizes naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity, returning to source. They’re complementary—Confucian in society, Daoist in private.
Q: Can you practice Daoism while being Buddhist, Hindu, Christian?
A: The Dao is not sectarian. It’s the way reality is. Anyone can align with naturalness, practice wu wei, value simplicity. Many Zen Buddhists incorporated Daoist elements.
Q: What about Daoist immortality practices, alchemy, etc.?
A: Later Daoism developed many practices (qigong, tai chi, inner alchemy, etc.). These weren’t in Laozi’s original teaching but developed as practical applications. Some helpful, some distractions from the simple way.
Q: Is wu wei passive or active?
A: Neither and both. It’s acting without forcing, doing without ego-drive. Like water flowing—it acts (flows downhill) but doesn’t force (follows natural course). Effortless effort.
The Significance
Historical Impact
On Chinese Civilization:
- Balance to Confucian formality
- Influence on art (spontaneity, negative space)
- Foundation for Chinese medicine (flow, balance)
- Inspiration for martial arts (tai chi, aikido)
On World Philosophy:
- Alternative to Western dualism and activism
- Model of harmony with nature
- Philosophy of simplicity and sufficiency
- Paradoxical wisdom tradition
Modern Relevance
For our time:
- Ecological wisdom (work with nature, not against)
- Management principles (lead by stepping back)
- Stress reduction (wu wei vs. striving)
- Simplicity vs. complexity
- Being vs. doing
Timeless wisdom:
- Softness overcomes hardness (non-violent resistance)
- Less is more (minimalism)
- Flow state (wu wei in action)
- Sustainable living (natural limits)
Contemplation
*An old man at a gate,
About to leave civilization,
Pauses to speak:
“The Dao that can be spoken
Is not the eternal Dao.”
Yet he speaks anyway—
Not to inform,
But to point.
“Be like water,” he says.
”Soft, yielding, humble,
Flowing into low places.
Yet nothing overcomes it.”
“Act without acting,” he says.
”Do without doing.
Not by force but by following—
The way things naturally are.”
Simple words,
Yet containing infinity.
Easy to understand,
Yet no one understands.
For understanding comes not through analysis
But through being.
Not through knowing
But through living.
Be natural.
Be simple.
Be soft.
Be empty.
Return to the source.
Return to silence.
Return to the nameless.
Return to the Dao.
And in returning,
Never having left,
Find yourself
What you’ve always been:
One with the Way,
The eternal Dao.*
May you walk the pathless path, speak the wordless truth, and find the Dao that cannot be named. 🙏✨