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How now is the Tao?

Lehigh University students are learning that Chinese philosophy is more than yin and yang

 

Americans are taking to Asian ideas like Jack Kerouac to the road. Who hasn't heard of Yoga and the I Ching? Buddha and Confucius? Acupuncture and Tai-Chi? 

But Taoism, the millennia-old Chinese philosophy underlying many of these ideas, was a mystery to Western audiences until Benjamin Hoff explained it through the adventures of a stuffed-with-fluffing bear in his best-selling book, The Tao of Pooh. 

Pooh's successful literary exploits may be linked to a recent phenomenon at Lehigh University. Norman Girardot, professor of religion studies, expected just a handful of students to register for his course "Taoist Phantasmagoria" last semester. On the first day of class, more than 100 students arrived. 

Taoist Phantasmagoria probed the origins of Taoism, sometimes spelled Daoism, one of the three spiritual teachings of China. (Confucianism and Ch'an, a Tao-ified sort of Buddhism, are the other two.) Students explored ancient texts, from the poetic Tao Te Ching to the humorous Chuang Tzu, and looked for evidence of Taoist concepts in modern environmental movements, chaos theory, holistic medicine and popular culture. 

The class discovered an abundance of fictional Taoist figures in films from "Forrest Gump" to "Star Wars." In a galaxy far, far away, Yoda prods Luke to use "the force," an analogy for the Tao if ever there was one. Forrest Gump embodies Taoist principles such as simplicity, discipline and spontaneity. Imagine running back and forth across the country for no particular reason, then going home when you don't feel like running anymore. That's the Tao. 

Perhaps the first Taoist, Lao Tzu composed the Tao Te Ching over 2,000 years ago. This timeless book is the origin of yin and yang. Taoists believe the relationship between opposites, such as the dark yin and the light yang, isn't static. It's a dance, a constant flux. Neither can exist without the other. Yin and yang unite to form the Tao, represented by that omnipresent black-and-white symbol often called 'yin and yang.' 

So what exactly is Taoism? A leading scholar of eastern thought who has studied in Beijing and written widely on the subject, Girardot says, "It's a Chinese religion and/or philosophy that emphasizes effortless action, dark humor, chaotic simplicity, a tolerance for oxymoronic thinking, and ritualized imagination." 

Still don't grok it? That's okay, because Taoism by nature resists definition. It stresses that all people, places and things are connected; in a way, Taoism is the spiritual counterpart of the Internet. Or, to paraphrase comedian Steven Wright, Taoism is like the dictionary: it's a poem about everything. 

'Going with the flow' is another fitting phrase for this philosophy. "I try to flow with everything, to be really accepting of people," says Pete Weisman, 18, of Saucon Valley, who took "Taoist Phantasmagoria" this spring. 

Weisman likes the idea of childlike simplicity promoted by Taoism. "I believe in keeping life simple, by getting rid of complexities like telephones, TVs, VCRs and beepers," he says. "Too many people think being simplistic means being an idiot. It's not." 

Tao, P'u and Chi are three concepts vital to understanding this philosophy. Tao, roughly translated as "the way" or "the path," is the stuff of which everything is made, a kind of universal matter. "Tao can be taken as a general symbol of universal personal, social and ecological harmony," says Girardot. 

As the one million readers of Hoff's book know, P'u means 'uncarved block' and refers to a person's inner nature or instinct. Taoism praises looking inward and accepting what you find there -- a comforting notion to America's feel-good self-help psyche. That the word P'u bears an obvious resemblance to the name of A. A. Milne's honey-loving character is not a coincidence, Taoism suggests, but evidence of the interconnectedness of things. 

Chi, or Qi, is a universal energy that flows through everything. The goal of exercises like Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung is to circulate this energy through the being and improve both mind and body. In China, mental and physical well-being are interdependent. Based on this holistic attitude, Taoists seek to achieve good health through physical discipline, eating habits, sexual practices, medicinal herbs that balance yin and yang, and a lifestyle that minimizes stress. Health is an on-going process, not an end result. 

Living in tune with Taoist principles means being both thoughtful and carefree. (These aren't contradictory; think of them as two opposites seeking balance.) One goal of practicing Taoism is to experience life and nature directly, by meditating, traveling, wandering and, especially, playing. The Chinese word for this concept is wu wei. 

Nine years ago, Lao Tzu and Benjamin Hoff piqued the curiosity of Bethlehem resident Timothy Falconer, a 29-year-old software developer. After studying with Girardot at Lehigh, he continued to study and practice Taoism, which is now the foundation of his spirituality. 

Falconer incorporates wu wei into his daily routine. "I walk a lot because I notice more than when I drive," he says. "I take long baths and drift in thought on my waterbed. Most of my true Taoist insights come from watching my cat. I often endeavor to be as in tune with the world and as quietly graceful as he is, though usually end up doing the human equivalent of meowing to get out all the time." 

Asian philosophies explore many of the human problems confronting Western civilization in the 20th century: material ambition, time pressures, individuality, work ethics and living out of harmony with nature. This may help explain why they appeal to contemporary Americans. 

While interest in Taoism is on the upswing, it doesn't seem to be experiencing the epidemic popularity of Buddhism, which counts celebrities Oliver Stone, Richard Gere and Uma Thurman among its supporters. 

But Taoists, who love a good mystery, won't mind if their ancient Chinese secret remains just that. 

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