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The same is true of us. When we trace our origin back in time, we will quickly realize that we, too, once existed as nothing more than possibilities. Thus, we must acknowledge that our being emerged from nonbeing.

This realization is the perfect antidote to worldly attachments. Next time you find yourself unable to let go, contemplate how we all came out of nothingness and must eventually return to it. When we understand this truth, we will see that our grasping ways make no sense at all. (back to text)

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1 Reaction to the Tao varies greatly, depending on the individual. Those who have achieved a higher level of understanding will resonate powerfully with the Tao when they encounter it. Those who are not quite there yet may not feel anything. Those who have yet to explore spirituality will simply fail to comprehend it. (back to text)

2 This lack of comprehension often expresses itself as mockery. Such individuals laugh at the Tao because they feel the need to belittle that which is too unfamiliar to grasp easily. In their case, laughing is not a sign of happiness, but an attempt to disguise ignorance as a superior attitude.

Tao cultivators do not take offense at this. We understand that many people still live with the illusion of separateness—their world is black and white, us versus them, so anything beyond their comfort zone must be an enemy of sorts. Their lives are limited, so we do not regard them with annoyance or indignation, only with compassion and goodwill.

Sages liken such individuals to a frog who lives in a well. From its perspective at the bottom, the sky is rather small. If a bird were to stop by and tell it about the vast spaces outside, the frog would react with disbelief. Then, perhaps feeling a tinge of fear that it might be wrong, it would ridicule the bird, to drive it away, and along with it, the sense of discomfort.

The day will come when the frog grows strong enough to jump out of the well. Similarly, one day those who laugh at the Tao will gain enough spiritual maturity to venture beyond their limits. When that happens, they will see the wide open vistas for themselves, and they will know, in their heart of hearts, that nothing will ever be the same again. (back to text)

42 Annotations

1 In this line, the Tao is the pregnant void—an infinite field of nothingness bursting with potentialities. This formless, metaphysical Tao gives rise to the oneness that will eventually give rise to everything in the physical universe. (back to text)

2 “One” represents the embryonic universe. As such, it begins with no opposites and no polarities, and then distills into yin and yang. Before anything else comes into existence, these two energies become distinct from one another. Thus, the oneness of the Tao gives rise to the two. (back to text)

3 The two energies began to interact. They swirled into one another, neither one able to dominate or overwhelm its counterpart. A balance emerges from their interactions with one another. This is the critical third factor: movement, circulation, and rhythm, all embodied in the dynamic dance of yin and yang. (back to text)

4 The dynamism between yin and yang produces everything. Life mirrors this in the interplay of male and female energies, resulting in reproduction. All living things are thus rooted in yin energy—the source of life—while moving to the rhythm of the active yang principle. (back to text)

5 We are no exceptions to the above. The interaction of men and women perpetuates life and gives it meaning. This is important not only in terms of biology but spirituality as well. When we, as men and women, integrate the yin and yang energies, we achieve harmony and glimpse the divine nature of the Tao.

Another interpretation of this integration casts it in terms of our approach to life, rather than the interaction of the sexes. It says we should be grounded in the yin principle—humility, quietness, and tranquility—while embracing the yang principle—advancement, achievement, and progression. (back to text)

43 Annotations