Reflecting on the Wisdom Philosophies of Lao Tzu (vegan), Part 2 of 2

Today, we continue exploring the Venerated Enlightened Master Lao Tzu’s timeless wisdom, which illuminates the path to true well-being through harmony with the Tao. His teachings guide us in nurturing the mind, body, and spirit while aligning with nature’s flow. A key aspect of this philosophy is recognizing and avoiding six harmful influences – desire, ego, fear, attachment, resistance, and excess – that disrupt inner peace and balance. Lao Tzu’s teachings in the “Tao Te Ching” guide us in removing these harmful things from our lives to restore harmony. These six influences, He believed, drain our energy, cloud our judgment, and lead us away from the path of true health.

As he wisely said, “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” Chasing recognition and accumulation often brings stress and dissatisfaction. When we become fixated on status and material gain, we lose sight of what truly nourishes the soul – peace, contentment, and genuine connection. Lao Tzu also warned about the harmful effects of desire, believing that excessive longing leads to discontent, imbalance, and disharmony. He expressed this idea in one of His most profound teachings: “Always without desire, we must be found, If its deep mystery, we would sound; But if desire always within us be, Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.”

One of His teachings states: “Loving, hating, having expectations: all these are attachments. Attachment prevents the growth of one’s true being.” Another insight attributed to Lao Tzu is: “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.”

In the Tao Te Ching, he states: “That which offers no resistance, overcomes the hardest substances.” This suggests that yielding and non-resistance can lead to overcoming challenges more effectively than forceful opposition. Lao Tzu also advised against using force to achieve goals, as he believed it only leads to more resistance: “Do not attempt to conquer the world with force, for force only causes resistance.” By practicing non-resistance, individuals can navigate life with greater ease, finding harmony and balance in their actions and interactions.

In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu warns about the overstimulation of the senses: “The five colors blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavors confuse the palate.” This suggests that overindulgence in sensory pleasures can cloud our perception and disrupt inner harmony. Lao Tzu also cautioned that accumulating material possessions can lead to harmful behavior: “Possessing rare treasures brings about harmful behavior.” By acquiring wealth and possessions, people may become distracted by greed, losing sight of the path of virtue.