The Tao in Taoism

Lao Zi

According to Taoism, the Tao is the “way of the universe “and is the first cause or cosmic force behind nature’s order. It implies an impersonal force rather than a personal Creator.

A careful look at the “Tao Te Jing” or “Book of the Way” in English, believed to be written by Lao Zi, has this confession: “I do not know His name. Name Him ‘ Tao’ possibly. For the lack of a better word, I call Him the Almighty”1. Lao Zi clearly refers the Tao as a person. Although Lao Zi is regarded as the founder of Taoism, he really had nothing to do with many of its religious doctrines and practices. He has even been misrepresented as being the Tao himself. But clearly he acted only as the messenger of the Tao1.

What is this Tao? The book states that the Tao is the “very progenitor of all things in the world”2. In the opening chapter, Lao Zi wrote that the “Tao can be told but is not the ordinary Tao. The name [of the Tao] can also be given, but that is not the ordinary name as well1.” Thus the Tao is not an ordinary Tao way or wisdom.

Does the Tao foreshadow Christ? In chapter 4, verse 4 Lao Zi writes that the Tao looks like Someone’s Son. He said, “I do not know whose son He is, He was before any king [born into the world] 1. ” “I am the Way (Tao), the truth and the life”3 is similarly found in another classical book.

The Tao has two faces, yin and yang, which oppose each other, but yet are one. The book On I-Ching reads, “In the I-Ching, there is Grand Terminus, which produced the two elementary Forms. One is Yin, and one is Yang. ” In I-Ching, Yin means the Earth, dark; and Yang means the Heaven, bright. Genesis 1:2 reads, “And God saw the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. ”

1. Wang, S & Nelson, E. God and the Ancient Chinese. Published by Sinim Bible Institute 1998; page 61-65
2. Laozi. Revised and Annotated by Fu Huisheng. Translated into English by Arthur Wesley. Hunan People’s Publishing House 1999; Chapter 4 verse 4: page 9.
3. John 14:6