“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exodus20: 4)“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Exodus20: 7)
While I was reading the Tao I kept on remembering many passages from the Bible. The passages above are two of the Ten Commandments. Similar to the first passages from the Tao Te Ching, it is stated in the bible that one must not have any image or representation of God nor may one use his name in vain.
“The Tao that can be told
Is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
Is not the eternal Name.
The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
Of all particular things.” (Tao Te Ching: Chapter 1)
The first thing that is said in The Tao Te Ching is that the Tao cannot be explained and it can’t have a name. Similar to that of the Ten Commandments, one should not use Gods name in vain nor shall one name the Tao.
These two “rules” are similar because they are both trying to preserve the power and importance of the Bible and the Tao Te Ching, because once you name something so important and mysterious as the Bible or the Tao you are taking away some of its importance and mystery. If you make an image of god, you are reducing it even more. And eventually both will be reduced to a simple theory, which is exactly what these two passages are trying to prevent.
The Tao is supposed to always remain a mystery and it is suppose to be impossible to explain. So are Gods powers. We know that Taoism exists but we don’t know its source. Same with Gods powers, we know they exist but we don’t know the real source. The true essence of faith lies within these principles.
“Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.
Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.”(Tao Te Ching: Chapter 1)
“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse…”(Romans1: 20)
I began to look at the New Testament and realized that some of the Lord’s teachings are the same of those in the Tao. For example:
“The more you talk, the more you are likely to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet. “(Proverbs 10:19)
”The mouth, on the other hand, becomes exhausted if you talk too much. Better to keep your thoughts inside you.” (Tao Te Ching: Chapter 5)
Both are saying that you should keep your mouth shut for useless matters. This shows that the Bible does teach some similar things as the Tao. I have found that these two have many characteristics in common and that the Tao and The Bible have some similar teachings. I think that the Tao expresses them in a much more direct way.
“Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”(Matthew 26:52)
“People who try to take the executioner's place are like people that try to take the Master Carpenter's place. If you use the Master's tools, you just cut your own hands.” (The Tao Te Ching: Chapter 74)
In the bible we assume that God is supposed to be teaching the good and defending it. But that is no the case, God is impartial because he is the creator of everything and everyone thus he loves all his creations. But what about a thief? That’s still is one of his creations. All humans sin and yet, God still forgives all of our sins. God is above good and evil.
The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.
The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.
Hold on to the center.” (Tao Te Ching: Chapter 5)
The Tao is also like God in this sense; it is above good and evil, and in Taoism the yin yang represents this.
“When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.” (Tao Te Ching: Chapter 2)
In Taoism good and bad compliment each other. Without bad, good wouldn’t exist, and without good, bad wouldn’t exist either. Good and bad balance each other out. In every wrong, there is some good and in every good there is some bad.
Both of these books are the basic pillars to universal beliefs. And they are very similar. They are both spiritual guides to help their readers become better people. But the bible is a religious book, and I believe that the Tao is more a philosophy than a religion. But they both have common basic principles and teach their readers and followers positive life lessons. They both make humans undertake the quest to find a spiritual life through a matter as deep as faith.
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