Tao: Definition, Examples, & Practices

Why disturbed? To be psychologically healthy requires psychological flexibility. Seeing the world as something that needs to conform to our expectations is a recipe for negative emotions. This is something, in my experience as a therapist, that everybody—including me—has to continually learn and relearn. Not just that; it’s also one of the oldest and most enduring kernels of human wisdom, passed down in some form through almost every major world religion. In this article, we will take a look at one of those religious traditions: Taoism.

The Tao Te Ching is a text written around 400 B.C.E. and attributed to the spiritual teacher Lao Tzu. It is considered, along with a similar text written by Zhuang Tze, to be one of the two foundational texts of Taoism. It reflects the philosophy of right and proper living, in harmony with nature, that was popular in China at the time of its publication. In fact, Taoism was popular enough that it is sometimes referred to as Huang-Lao thought, a name that links a prominent emperor of the time with the author of the Tao Te Ching (Verellen, 1995).
 
The central teachings of the Tao Te Ching revolve around not interfering with the larger world, finding freedom through surrender of one’s own willfulness, and becoming transcendently connected to nature and a greater life force through these acts (Verellen, 1995).
 
This approach is well summarized by the Chinese phrase wu wei, which has been translated in many ways, all of which reflect useful aspects of the concept. While wu wei can be said to literally mean “nonaction,” it has also been translated in ways that connote not performing, not forcing things, not doing anything, and doing nothing but aligning oneself with the moment. All of these translations capture some of the essence of this core principle of Taoism: Instead of selfishness, we can practice humility and embrace what is, which will lead us into greater harmony and peace.​

Inner peace is achievable through recognizing the way of nature, or Tao. We can be content, it is argued, when we recognize that the way of nature inherently includes both good and evil, both positive and negative experiences (Wong, 2016). If we accept this fact on a very deep level, we no longer feel upset or destabilized by painful things happening. It is nature’s way for both pain and pleasure to come our way.
 
Taoism advocates for the possibility of experiencing inner peace especially as our lives may be repeatedly painful and full of problems. There can be no happiness without unhappiness, Lao Tzu wisely observes; if you take either away, the other will disappear as well. This is especially reflected in the ideas of yin and yang, terms you have probably heard before and that are central to Taoism. Yin and yang are a complementary pair that together make up a whole, whether that is darkness and light or inaction and action.
 
It is also important to distinguish between experiencing inner peace and disengaging from the world (Wong, 2016). Taoism does not teach people to give up on trying to influence their worlds; rather, it encourages them to act with compassion toward other people while accepting that the results of their efforts are beyond their control. In this way, people can both maintain inner peace and be in rightful action.​

Following the teachings of Taoism, as a religious practice or even as a form of therapy, offers a powerful way to embrace one’s humanity and experience greater peace (Craig, 2007). The Tao encourages us to live our lives with authenticity and compassion, and without attachment to outcomes. It preaches a kind of radical acceptance of what is—the way of nature—that, when fully embraced, can allow people to effortlessly let go of painful thoughts and feelings.
 
This is a benefit that has also been demonstrated in research settings. For example, in a study of Taiwanese college students, participants reported better mental health outcomes as they endorsed living by the principles of Taoism more often (Wang et al., 2016). In particular, their abilities to exercise nonattachment and to cope dialectically were associated with feeling less stress and more positivity.​

Some examples of practicing Tao can easily be identified through returning to the concept of wu wei, or nonaction. Not interfering is a principle that can apply on many levels, but we can look at three main domains: oneself, other people, and the world at large. To practice Tao and the principle of wu wei means not to meddle or interfere with what is happening on any of these levels (Craig, 2007).

Let’s look at an example of how this might manifest in a normal day in my life. I regularly become upset when traffic slows me down in my quest to get somewhere. Taoism teaches that the flow of traffic on any given day is a manifestation of the way of nature. It is not something to resist but something to accept and embrace. For me, that could mean taking a deep breath and letting go of my anger and impatience. At the same time, it could also mean not trying to interfere with my own emotions. There is no need to shame myself for feeling upset, and perhaps there is not even a need to try to change my upset feelings. This is the way that I am, and that is part of the way of nature too.​

What are some other ways to practice Tao? A chief practice is that of nonattachment. We can try not to get overly attached—or, more radically, not to get attached at all in the first place—to our experiences and material possessions. My favorite pair of socks will wear through eventually; the hair on my head will thin out and turn gray. The pleasant feelings I had while reading in bed this morning cannot last, nor can the sense of peace I feel when I think about my professional situation. Letting go of the desire to maintain these positive experiences will save me from greater suffering and bring me more internal peace.

This teaching makes me think of how often I hear my clients, and sometimes myself, say something like, “I just want this relationship to feel okay, to feel safe.” Once we achieve that state of feeling, we become attached to it, not wanting it to end. We are forgetting that a felt sense of okayness or safety is only fleeting at best.

Similarly, attachment to our possessions gives us something to worry about and try to defend. If we cannot control nature’s way but can only try to flow along with it, then trying to make sure we have enough—or more than enough—is to invite a fearful possessiveness into our lives.

We can take this nonattachment even further, to the point of embracing not knowing. What good does it do you to know whether something is absolutely true or not? Whether this person is good or bad, whether it will snow this weekend or not? None of these things are knowable with absolute certainty; it’s better to stop trying to know for sure and to embrace that change and uncertainty are nature’s way.

To practice Taoism is to relinquish self-centered desires and to live in pursuit of harmony with others and with nature (Wang et al., 2016). We can achieve this by remembering three things (Peng & Nisbett, 1999). First, everything in the world is dynamic and ever-changing; it cannot be understood as fixed and predictable. Second, in part because of this dynamic nature, everything in the world contains inherent contradictions that we must recognize and accept. Third, this fluidity of existence means that everything in the world is also interconnected. We are not separate from each other, nor are we separate from the carpet under our feet, the windows in the room, or the sounds of a car passing by outside.

Here are some quotes from the Tao Te Ching that provide a little taste of its teachings in its purest form (aside from reading it in the original Chinese, of course):
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• A great nation is like a great man: When he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers. He thinks of his enemy as the shadow that he himself casts.
• If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.
• Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.
• The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.
• When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad.
• Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe. Therefore the Master takes action by letting things take their course. He remains as calm at the end as at the beginning. He has nothing, thus has nothing to lose. What he desires is non-desire; what he learns is to unlearn. He simply reminds people of who they have always been. He cares about nothing but the Tao. Thus he can care for all things.

• Bebell, D. J., & Fera, S. M. (2000). Comparison and analysis of selected English interpretations of the Tao Te Ching. Asian Philosophy, 10(2), 133–147.
• Craig, E. (2007). Tao psychotherapy: Introducing a new approach to humanistic practice. The Humanistic Psychologist, 35(2), 109–133.
• Komjathy, L. (2004). Tracing the contours of Daoism in North America. Nova Religio, 8(2), 5–27.
• Peng, K., & Nisbett, R. E. (1999). Culture, dialectics, and reasoning about contradiction. American Psychologist, 54(9), 741–754.
• Stensrud, R. (1979). Personal power: A Taoist perspective. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 19(4), 31–41.
• Verellen, F. (1995). Taoism. The Journal of Asian Studies, 54(2), 322–346.
• Wang, S. Y., Wong, Y. J., & Yeh, K. H. (2016). Relationship harmony, dialectical coping, and nonattachment: Chinese indigenous well-being and mental health. The Counseling Psychologist, 44(1), 78–108.
• Wong, P. T. (2016). Chinese positive psychology revisited. International Journal of Existential Psychology & Psychotherapy, 6(1), 1–7.