Tao Te Ching · 2 of 81 · tr. James Legge

Chapter 2

All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is. So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another. Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech. All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement). The work is done, but how no one can see; 'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.

Themes

◆Detachment Gelassenheitpraxis

Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.

The description of things growing with no claim made for ownership reflects a radical letting-go of attachment and will.

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◇Apophatic Theologytheology

Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.

[auto] The sage's action is defined by negation ('without doing anything'), describing the ideal state through what it is not rather than positive attributes.

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◇Inner Silencepraxis

The practice of stilling the mind and speech to open receptivity to divine knowledge or presence.

[auto] The instruction to convey teachings 'without the use of speech' aligns with the practice of stilling verbal expression to access deeper understanding.

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◇Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

[auto] The sage operates beyond the dualities of ownership and expectation that arise from worldly distinctions, embodying a state where such oppositions do not bind.

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◇Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] The passage centrally employs paradoxical statements like 'manages affairs without doing anything' and 'conveys his instructions without the use of speech' to convey spiritual truth.

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◇Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The text describes opposites like existence and non-existence giving birth to one another, implying an underlying non-dual reality where distinctions are relative.

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◇Wu Weipraxis

Effortless action aligned with the spontaneous flow of the Dao; non-coercive, non-striving conduct that yields results without forcing — the sage acts without acting.

[auto] The passage explicitly defines the sage's conduct as managing affairs without doing anything, which is the core definition of wu wei.

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Related passages · 17 parallels

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 35 (part 2)

“For, on this admission, its perfection cannot reside in any such planning and providing: its perfection will be something quite different, something of quite another class: Reason cannot be itself one of those first needs of nature; it cann…”

Both passages explore the nature of perfection and the good life, emphasizing the importance of a higher principle or understanding that transcends ordinary human concerns. They both touch on the idea of a sage or enlightened individual who understands and embodies this higher principle.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 64

“Section 3 3. And the soul includes a faculty peculiarly addressed to Beauty- one incomparably sure in the appreciation of its own, never in doubt whenever any lovely thing presents itself for judgement. Or perhaps the soul itself acts immed…”

Both passages explore the nature of beauty and its relationship to underlying principles or forms. Passage A discusses the soul's recognition of beauty as a reflection of divine thought, while Passage B describes the interdependence of opposites, including beauty and ugliness, in the natural world. Both emphasize the interconnectedness of these concepts within a broader metaphysical framework.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 66 (part 1)

“Section 5 5. These Lovers, then, lovers of the beauty outside of sense, must be made to declare themselves. What do you feel in presence of the grace you discern in actions, in manners, in sound morality, in all the works and fruits of vi…”

Both passages discuss the nature of beauty and the higher realms of perception and understanding. Passage A emphasizes the soul's vision of higher beauties beyond the material world, while Passage B discusses the interdependence of opposites and the sage's ability to manage affairs without action, both pointing towards a deeper, more profound understanding of reality.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 66 (part 2)

“The dishonour of the Soul is in its ceasing to be clean and apart. Gold is degraded when it is mixed with earthy particles; if these be worked out, the gold is left and is beautiful, isolated from all that is foreign, gold with gold alone.…”

Both passages explore the concepts of beauty and ugliness, particularly in relation to the soul or inner self. They discuss how the presence or absence of certain qualities leads to beauty or ugliness, and how these qualities are perceived and valued. The passages share a mystical perspective on the nature of beauty and the soul's relationship with it.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 224

“Section 3 3. That Love is a Hypostasis [a "Person"] a Real-Being sprung from a Real-Being- lower than the parent but authentically existent- is beyond doubt. For the parent-Soul was a Real-Being sprung directly from the Act of the Hypostasi…”

Both passages discuss the nature of beauty and love, exploring how the appreciation of beauty can lead to higher spiritual understanding. They also touch on the idea of duality and the contrast between different states of being, though from different cultural and philosophical perspectives.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 276 (part 2)

“It cannot be, itself, The Good, since then it would not need to see or to perform any other Act; for The Good is the centre of all else, and it is by means of The Good that every thing has Act, while the Good is in need of nothing and there…”

Both passages explore the nature of the ultimate reality or the Good, emphasizing its transcendence and the inability to fully comprehend it through intellect or language. They also discuss the relationship between the ultimate reality and the intellect or the world, highlighting the dependence of the latter on the former.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 278 (part 1)

“Section 1 1. "The Intellectual-Principle" [= the Divine Mind]- we read [in the Timaeus]- "looks upon the Ideas indwelling in that Being which is the Essentially Living [= according to Plotinus, the Intellectual Realm], "and then"- the text…”

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 359

“Section 39 39. We cannot, then, refer all that exists to Reason-Principles inherent in the seed of things [Spermatic Reasons]; the universe is to be traced further back, to the more primal forces, to the principles by which that seed itself…”

Both passages explore the concept of power and influence, with Passage A discussing the efficacy of configurations and patterns, and Passage B discussing the interplay of opposites and the natural order. Both emphasize the inherent power in existence and the interconnectedness of phenomena.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 486

“Section 8 8. This then is Beauty primally: it is entire and omnipresent as an entirety; and therefore in none of its parts or members lacking in beauty; beautiful thus beyond denial. Certainly it cannot be anything [be, for example, Beauty]…”

Both passages explore the nature of beauty and its origins, suggesting that true beauty is not merely superficial but rooted in deeper, more abstract principles or ideas. They both emphasize the inner essence over the outer form.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 487

“Section 9 9. Let us, then, make a mental picture of our universe: each member shall remain what it is, distinctly apart; yet all is to form, as far as possible, a complete unity so that whatever comes into view shall show as if it were the…”

Both passages explore the nature of beauty and the underlying principles that give rise to it. Passage A discusses the hierarchical nature of beauty, originating from the Intellectual-Principle, while Passage B describes the interdependence of opposites, such as beauty and ugliness, to convey a deeper understanding of existence.

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◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 490

“Section 12 12. We have told how this vision is to be procured, whether by the mode of separation or in identity: now, seen in either way, what does it give to report? The vision has been of God in travail of a beautiful offspring, God engen…”

Both passages explore the nature of wisdom and its role in the creation and existence of things. They discuss the interplay between opposites and the underlying unity that governs reality, though they do so within different philosophical and mystical frameworks.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 493

“Section 1 1. All human beings from birth onward live to the realm of sense more than to the Intellectual. Forced of necessity to attend first to the material, some of them elect to abide by that order and, their life throughout, make its co…”

Both passages explore the concept of beauty and its origin, with Passage A discussing the primal and omnipresent nature of beauty in the context of Platonic and Neoplatonic thought, while Passage B from the Tao Te Ching discusses the relational nature of beauty and its opposites in the context of Taoist philosophy. Both texts emphasize the transcendent and fundamental nature of beauty.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 564

“Section 3 3. How then do we go to work? Let us begin by distinguishing Matter, Form, the Mixture of both, and the Attributes of the Mixture. The Attributes may be subdivided into those which are mere predicates, and those serving also as ac…”

Both passages explore the nature of beauty and the interplay between opposites, such as existence and non-existence, beauty and ugliness. They also discuss the concept of intelligence or wisdom in relation to these opposites, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 585

“Section 24 24. With regard to locomotion: if ascending is to be held contrary to descending, and circular motion different [in kind] from motion in a straight line, we may ask how this difference is to be defined- the difference, for exampl…”

Both passages explore the nature of beauty and its perception, discussing how beauty and its opposite (ugliness) are understood in relation to each other. They also touch on the idea of qualities and their manifestation in different realms, though from different philosophical and mystical perspectives.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 680

“Section 41 41. Intellection seems to have been given as an aid to the diviner but weaker beings, an eye to the blind. But the eye itself need not see Being since it is itself the light; what must take the light through the eye needs the lig…”

Both passages explore the concept of a transcendent source of beauty and existence. Plotinus describes the formless source of all beauty and life, while Laozi discusses the interplay of opposites and the sage who acts without action, both pointing to a fundamental, ineffable reality.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 681

“Section 42 42. Faced by the difficulty of placing these powers, you must in reason allocate to the secondaries what you count august: secondaries must not be foisted upon the First, or tertiaries upon the secondaries. Secondaries are to be…”

Both passages explore the nature of beauty and form, emphasizing the transcendent and formless aspects of ultimate reality. They share a mystical perspective on the limitations of physical form and the higher, unformed essence of beauty and the divine.

◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XXII (part 15)

“If it had this likeness, long ago would its smallness have been known. The sage attends to the inner and not to the outer; he puts away the objective and holds to the subjective. The sage occupies himself with inaction, and conveys instru…”

Both passages discuss the Taoist principles of inaction, naturalness, and the interdependence of opposites. They emphasize the importance of subjective knowledge and the limitations of objective understanding, aligning closely with Taoist mystical thought.