The sage seeks harmony with the Way through emptiness where they are unburdened by their thoughts and desires.
The Way
The Way is empty yet inexhaustible and simplifies existence.
“The Dao is like an empty container: it can never be emptied and can never be filled. Infinitely deep, it is the source of all things. It dulls the sharp, unties the knotted, shades the lighted, and unites all of creation with dust.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 4
Despite its emptiness it encompasses everything.
“The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows; it is empty, yet has not lost its power. The more it is used, the more it produces.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 5
It is invisible, silent, and shapeless.
“Look for it, and it can’t be seen. Listen for it, and it can’t be heard. Grasp for it, and it can’t be caught…Unending, unnameable, it returns to nothingness. Formless forms, and imageless images, subtle, beyond all understanding.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 14
It is never exhausted and always abundant. It is peaceful and still.
“The greatest accomplishments seem imperfect, yet their usefulness is not diminished. The greatest fullness seems empty, yet it will be inexhaustible…stillness overcomes the heat. That which is pure and still is the universal ideal.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 45
Emptiness
Emptiness is a state of silence where one is centered.
“The more you talk of it, the less you comprehend. It is better not to speak of things you do not understand.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 5
One uses moderation to reach balance.
“It is easier to carry an empty cup than one that is filled to the brim. The sharper the knife the easier it is to dull. The more wealth you possess the harder it is to protect.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 9
It is a connection to and compassion for the rest of the world.
“Love the whole world as if it were your self; then you will truly care for all things.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 13
It is becoming an uncarved block full of potential.
“Know the honorable, but do not shun the disgraced: embracing the world as it is. If you embrace the world with compassion, then your virtue will return you to the uncarved block.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 28
A child like state of being.
“I alone am unconcerned and expressionless, like an infant before it has learned to smile.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 20
It includes simplicity, openness, stillness, and renewal.
“Whole as an uncarved block of wood. Receptive as a valley. Turbid as muddied water. Who can be still until their mud settles and the water is cleared by itself? Can you remain tranquil until right action occurs by itself? The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment.“
Dao De Jing, Chapter 15
It is returning to the source.
“If you can empty your mind of all thoughts your heart will embrace the tranquility of peace. Watch the workings of all of creation, but contemplate their return to the source.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 16
It is a union with the Way in which one is not abandoned, neglected, or humiliated.
“Stop talking, meditate in silence, blunt your sharpness, release your worries, harmonize your inner light, and become one with the dust. Doing this is the called the dark and mysterious identity. Those who have achieved the mysterious identity can not be approached, and they can not be alienated. They can not be benefited nor harmed. They can not be made noble nor to suffer disgrace. This makes them the most noble of all under the heavens.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 56
Reflection
One reaches emptiness through reflection and mediation. Such reflection does not require travel but an internal focus on their connection with the Way.
“Without opening your door, you can know the whole world. Without looking out your window, you can understand the way of the Dao. The more knowledge you seek, the less you will understand.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 47
Benefits
In emptiness one can see what is truly important. Human knowledge and desires are distractions.
“The Master leads by emptying people’s minds, filling their bellies, weakening their ambitions, and making them become strong. Preferring simplicity and freedom from desires, avoiding the pitfalls of knowledge and wrong action.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 3
One sees that emptiness is the most useful thing.
“Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that allows the wheel to function. We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful. We fashion wood for a house, but it is the emptiness inside that makes it livable. We work with the substantial, but the emptiness is what we use.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 11
They find peace and contentment.
“She who follows the way of the Dao will draw the world to her steps. She can go without fear of being injured, because she has found peace and tranquility in her heart.”
Dao De Jing, Chapter 35
Summary
The sage seeks harmony with the Way through emptiness. The Way is empty, simple, formless and yet encompasses all things. Emptiness is a state of being where one is centered and interconnected. One becomes an uncarved block full of potential. It is simplicity, openness, stillness, and returning to the Way. One reaches emptiness through internal reflection and mediation. In emptiness one finds peace and contentment and sees human knowledge and desires as distractions.
Resource:
Tao Te Ching, Laozi, A Translation for the Public Domain by J.H. Mcdonald, 1996.
