16      The Cycle of Life

Attain utmost emptiness, abide in steadfast stillness.

The ten thousand things arise in unison. Thereby we see their return. All things flourish, and each returns to its source.

Returning to the source is stillness.

It is returning to one’s fate.

Returning to one’s fate is eternal.

Knowledge of the eternal is realization.

Not knowing of the eternal leads to unfortunate errors.

Knowledge of the eternal is all-embracing.

To be all-embracing leads to righteousness, which is majestic.

To be majestic leads to the heavenly.

To be heavenly leads to Tao.

Tao is eternal. Until your last day, you are free from peril.

The Cycle of Life

The universe is cyclic. Celestial bodies move in their strict orbits. On Earth we see the four seasons repeated endlessly. The same repetition is done by the moon’s phases monthly, and the shift from sunrise to sunset daily. All living things are born, grow to maturity, and then pass away. This is the nature of things, whether we approve or not.

            Lao Tzu has no doubt that we should appreciate this, not only to be able to come to peace with it, but also so that we understand it. When we accept the cycle of life, we learn something about its patterns and the law that rules it all. That law is Tao, so by recognizing the inevitable cycle of existence we are able to perceive and comprehend Tao.

            The empty stillness of which Lao Tzu speaks reminds us again of Zen. No doubt, he thinks of some kind of meditation, a pensive mood in which the cycles of life become clear. When you relax from your daily strife you can notice the patterns of the world around you. You become aware of it all, because you reduce your own inner noise.

            Only when we see the cyclic nature of the whole world and all its living things, we can come to terms with the fact this is inevitably true for ourselves, as well. Each of us is bound by the cycle. None can escape it. The solace lies in the fact that we all share this basic fate, and that it goes on infinitely. So, although every single creature in the world has a limited life span, the world as a whole does not. In that sense we are all eternal, because we are part of it.

            When we are aware of this, we learn to appreciate the time we have, and we don’t embark on futile grand attempts to become immortal in one way or other. We should not strive to be glorified by posterity, since that is an illusion of little meaning, making no difference to us at present. Instead, our contribution should simply aim at the present – the world we are in, instead of the world yet to come. It is also the only way of serving the future properly.

            Living in the present, indifferent to what imprint it might bring on the future, is to remain with Tao. That calms the mind and invigorates the body, also it keeps you out of unnecessary trouble or hardship.

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