DAO DE JING VERSE 18

“When the great Tao is forgotten,

Kindness and morality arise.

When wisdom and intelligence are born,

The great pretense begins.

When there is no peace within the family,

Filial piety and devotion arise.

When the country is confused and in chaos,

Loyal ministers appear.”

To those unfamiliar with Daoism (sometimes translated as Taoism), these passages from Lao Tsu’s 6th century text may appear surprising. This is not least because Daoism is sometimes confused with and equated with Buddhism in the west. However, this misses one of the essential components of this philosophical system. Buddhism, like Christianity, is essentially a very moral-centred belief system that encourages adherents to behave altruistically. Daoism very much transcends morality, and hence the importance of non-action. For me, this passage sums this up perfectly.