From a childhood of regular church attendance, certain verses of the Bible are well etched in my memory.  Resting just under the surface of the conscious mind, most of these words remain one-dimensional.  To fill them out with understanding is to meditate on them deliberately.  Adding new dimensions to stale, rote lessons requires us to widen our experience.  This opening is well accomplished through travel, or any activity that pushes our mental, physical and cultural boundaries.

Studying the Tao Teh Ching broadens my view of spirit.  Upon hearing or reading the chapters, echoes of Christian teachings resurface in my mind.  There is clarity where there was once imprecision.  Chapter Twenty is dense with concepts that are basic, yet perpetually misunderstood: In high truth, is there any difference between yes and no?  Between good and evil, is there any absolute distinction?  Must one fear what everyone fears? It is still too early for the subtle truth to dawn on those who are so self-assertive.

A major stumbling block for followers of Western spiritual traditions is the insistence upon duality.  In Chapter Twenty of the Tao Teh Ching, duality of thought is contrasted with the subtle truth.  For a wise man, it is foolish to hold on to certainty.  Christianity is a Western tradition unfailingly positing good against evil.  My way out of this quagmire is to refine my understanding of what is meant by evil, freeing the concept from traditional cultural trappings.  Letting go of the common definition of evil, the following New Testament passage reflects the truth of the Tao:  Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ and anything beyond these is of evil. MATTHEW 5:33-37. In this passage, I understand “evil” to mean harmful.  Jesus taught that rigidity of thought and certainty of opinion are foolish, the message of these verses.  We become trapped in our insistence upon black and white, thereby doing harm to ourselves and others.  This attitude separates us from the subtle truth.  Therein lies the congruence between Lao Tzu and Jesus on the assertion of absolute truth.

Intellectual wisdom and worldly knowledge were equally shunned by Jesus and Lao Tzu.  The concepts of subtle wisdom and the innate knowledge of the soul are elusive and unfamiliar to most.  Nonetheless, we are asked to abandon our intellects for our hearts as we progress on a spiritual journey.  The isolation inherent in such a process is described in Chapter Twenty of the Tao Teh Ching: The people of the world have more than enough.  I alone appear to have nothing.  The people of the world appear shrewd and wise.  I alone look foolish.  I like to be forgotten by the world and left alone. Jesus was also known for his practice of withdrawing from other people to meditate.  His demeanor and behavior were at odds with the masses.  Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to depart to the other side.  And a certain scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”  And Jesus said to him, “The foxes of the air have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” The solitary path of the subtle truth is lonely and unpopular.  Again echoing this sentiment, Lao Tzu wrote in Chapter Twenty, Everyone seems so clever and self-assured.  I alone appear unlearned and original, insistent upon a different direction than other people pursue.  I alone value taking my sustenance from the Mother. Speaking of truth and wisdom, Jesus prayed thus, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. MATTHEW 11: 25.

The practice of comparing these texts is intellectual, yet it leads me to a place in the heart.  It is of great comfort to me to draw parallels between diverse traditions.  I am reminded that in spite of external conflicts, there is a middle place where the cultures of the world can meet in spirit; it is “Love,” it is “Tao,” it is Yoga (union).  Whatever we choose to call it or which vehicle we use to reach it, it is there.

See more posts by Michelle Garrison-Hough

Latest posts in the The Tao and The Kingdom of God series:

• Part Three: The Tao and the Kingdom of God
• The Tao and The Kingdom of God: Part Two
• Part One: The Tao and The Kingdom of God

Series, The Tao and The Kingdom of God