Tao Te Ching – 1

Today we are starting with the first poem of the Tao Te Ching. If you want to be a good student, you can read it here.

Are you done reading? Good, let’s start then!

Analysis

Before we get into any specific part: I think, broadly speaking, this poem is about what this “tao” is. So most parts are just about what it is, or what it is not.

Part 1

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

Lines 1-2: Tao is not really a thing that can be named. Only instances of it. -> The name you give it, is only the name of the instance in which you observe it.
For example: When you count things, you give them numbers. Like 1 rock, 2 rocks, 3 rocks, and so on. These numbers can be named, but they don’t really are the things you see. It’s more like a concept.

Lines 3-4: This is basically the same as the first two lines. With the difference being, you can’t give it a name.
This in turn also means “tao” is not the real name, but only the (or rather a) instance of “it”. Whatever this “it” might be.

Part 2

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Line 1: This abstract “tao”, is an eternally real concept.

Line 2-3: This is independent of the tao per se. In a way this means, if you don’t name something, it’s not real.
For example, you don’t wanna give false accusations about (for example) cheating in a relationship. Because once you done it, this is always lingering in your head, and you can’t really get it out. So you made it a real thing by naming it.

Part 3

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Free from desire – and you get it, otherwise you see only particular things. As the mathematician I am, this seems like: Free from desire gives you the law; and the desire gives only specific examples.
No better example (or learning thing) here…

Part 4

Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

I think, this darkness is like the unknowing. Because mystery definitely comes from not-knowing; and manifestations: I don’t know. I don’t even get, what this is supposed to mean… Or maybe, these manifestations are only manifestations in the mind of yourself. So then, this darkness would be your mind. Which is a somewhat negative worldview – to call you mind “darkness”. Maybe, instead of “mind” you have thoughts. Because, see next part.

Part 5

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.

Darkness = thoughts? If so, then this would somewhat make sense. It definitely be a good justification to meditate for long times (haha).

My Title

The Thing Itself

(I’m speed-running this right now, since otherwise I’m never going to finish this post…)

Authors Title

The tao that can be told…

To be honest, not

Closing words

All in all, this describes a vague notion of what the tao is (I guess). But I expect, that we learn way more about it in the future. So maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to sometimes come back to this poem, to see, how I changed my views about it.

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I just did this now really quickly, since I want to get further into the book. And I knew I started this, but I wasn’t really motivated to keep going. So now I did it poorly, so I could get further into the book!