Name: Mystery

It is human nature to try to name things in order to create meaning and understanding of what the world is. Because we are not able to name things that created heaven or earth and the solution to the mysteries of life we are obliged to limit them. Tao Te Ching brings the idea that we shouldn’t name things that have no limits because they lose their mystery and majesty. “The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things. Even desireless, one can see the mystery.” (1 Pg. 3) Reaching eternity is sometimes referred to as the actions that we make which influence our society and are a breakthrough to the teachings of our time, it is not the name they carry because this limits our goals and actions. The questions we should arouse in our communities isn’t the name of our creator but the teachings and majesty underlying the mere existence of such unfathomable power and intelligence in our lives.

Opposites are similar in topic but contrary in position. They limit us to extremes in the world. Because there are opposites we can describe and limit things or else we would be unable to communicate our thoughts and positions on topics. Because we limit ourselves to words, our uniqueness becomes a mathematical question. “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arises together.” (2 Pg. 4) Because we have different traits we are described with words but that that can’t be limited and integrates all opposites, is what we all should look for.

Tao talks about our perspective and how we need it, to not loose our nerve in life and how we shouldn’t trust what is obvious to the senses but think before it is too late to act upon what was brought to you. “The five colors blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavors dull the taste. Racing and hunting madden the mind. Precious things lead one astray. Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees. He lets of that and chooses this.” (12 Pg. 14) Being able to sacrifice or neglect certain senses in order to follow one’s intuitive mind to find the truth and not trusting a limited and possibly fallible sensorial world is the way to a better decision.