The Short Of It:
To calm the world, calm yourself.
16. Going home to the Root.
Having once arrived at a state of absolute vacuity, keep yourself perfectly still.
All things come into active operation together; but I observe whither they return. When things have luxuriated for a while, each returns home to its origin (the root). Going home to the origin is called stillness. It is said to be a reversion to destiny. This reversion to destiny is called eternity. [Those] who [know] (this) eternity is called bright. [Those] who [do] not know (this) eternity wildly works [their] own misery. [Those] who [know] eternity is magnanimous. Being magnanimous, [they are] catholic. Being catholic, [they are] a [sovereign]. Being a [sovereign], [they are] heaven. Being heaven, [they are] Tau. Being Tau, [they are] enduring. Though [their] body perish, [they are] in no danger.
16. ‘returning to the root’.
16.1 The (state of) vacancy should be brought to the utmost degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying vigour. All things alike go through their processes of activity, and (then) we see them return (to their original state). When things (in the vegetable world) have displayed their luxuriant growth, we see each of them return to its root. This returning to their root is what we call the state of stillness; and that stillness may be called a reporting that they have fulfilled their appointed end.
16.2 The report of that fulfilment is the regular, unchanging rule. To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent; not to know it leads to wild movements and evil issues. The knowledge of that unchanging rule produces a (grand) capacity and forbearance, and that capacity and forbearance lead to a community (of feeling with all things). From this community of feeling comes a [sovereignness] of character; and [those] who [are sovereign-like go] on to be heaven-like. In that likeness to heaven [they possess] the Tao. Possessed of the Tao, [they endure] long; and to the end of this bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.
16. returning to the root.
16.1 By attaining the height of abstraction we gain fulness of rest.
16.2 (In the) A.M. the ten thousand things arise, and I see them return. Now they bloom in bloom but each one homeward returneth to its root.
16.3 Returning to the root means rest. It signifies the return according to destiny. Return according to destiny means the eternal. Knowing the eternal means enlightenment. Not knowing the eternal causes passions to rise; and that is evil.
16.4 Knowing the eternal renders comprehensive. Comprehensiveness renders broad. Breadth renders royal. Royalty renders heavenly. Heaven renders Reason-like. Reason renders lasting. Thus the decay of the body implies no danger.
The Long Of It:
Chapter 16 of the Tao Te Ching is a tricky one. All the translations are wrought with tripwires, starting with Chalmers’ archaic use of the word catholic (here meaning all-encompassing), and continuing with modern esoteric words like destiny and eternity.
Thankfully, when we read all the translations back to back, the meaning of Chapter 16 becomes clear: all things must die. Life occurs, it peaks at some point, and then “return(s) to the root,” as Suzuki puts it.
Wise people let this knowledge guide their magnanimous behavior. Violent and hateful people labor under the delusion of immortality, and are poorly fated.
Extra credit:
Before Lao Tsu lays the somber fact of our mortality on us, he gives us a short how-to course on getting the most out of our limited time. Endeavor yourself toward stillness (vacuity, vacancy, and abstraction, respectively), and foster that stillness for longevity.
Lao Tsu alluded to a similar stillness in Chapter 12. But instead of limiting sensory input, Lao Tsu now wants us to limit our physical activity. However, we shouldn’t run off to the mountains and meditate in a cave for a hundred years.
Nature subjects all living beings to the external dangers of a living world, and the internal dangers of making decisions. Even a monk in a cave has to deal with bears, weather, food, sickness, etc.
Practice stilling your own waters, and dealing with the world’s ripples will be much easier. It’s a deceptively simple message. To calm the world, calm yourself.
-TB
