Like A Newborn Child

“He who is in harmony with the Tao is like a newborn child.” (Lao Tzu)

Ever watched a child? Whatever they’re interested in is the only thing that exists for them. No ulterior motives, no hidden agendas—just the moment. That’s where they’re at. No place else. They live in harmony with the Tao unconsciously. The Tao Te Ching (chapter 55) reminds us we can do the same consciously any time we choose. Why don’t we choose more often?

At first glance, we tend to think that children have a lot to learn. However, the truth is we can learn a lot from them. Why? Because their minds are still open and uncluttered with what we call “knowledge.” Can we really learn from those who have less knowledge than we do? Yes, we can. This newsletter explores what I mean by that, and why Lao Tzu suggests it puts us in harmony with the Tao.

The Tao Te Ching makes a number of references to how knowledge is not all it’s cracked up to be. Knowledge-building is a pursuit which can keep us distracted from the present moment for as long as we like—or at least until the day when, presumably, we will know it all. Since this day is a very long way off, this means knowledge-building is in effect a pursuit without an end. So, given that our lifetimes are finite, this does not bode well for how we spend our limited time.

That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with knowledge. There are many upsides to knowledge which we’ll acknowledge (no pun intended) in a moment. However, unless we’re careful, our pursuit of knowledge has an unfortunate side-effect. It can easily block our awareness of the Tao. Here’s how.

Lao Tzu tells us “In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped” (chapter 48). If the Tao is like light, then our knowledge-building often does a good job of blocking it. Why? Because we see the world in terms of whatever our mind is full of.

When our mind is full of knowledge, we see the world in terms of all the separate things we think are out there. We think this is how to shed light on things, as we like to say. However, Lao Tzu suggests that, with respect to the Tao, this is precisely what keeps us in the dark. “The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; that is what gives her her radiance” (chapter 21).

At this point, you likely have two comments. First, you may say, surely there is a very real sense in which knowledge does shed light on things. Second, what about the newborn child and why is it more in harmony with the Tao than we are? Let’s look at each comment in turn.

Yes, there is a very real sense in which the pursuit of knowledge does shed light on things. For all practical purposes, for the time being, it has many useful applications. We can use our knowledge to predict and control certain aspects of our natural world. We can dam rivers and create hydroelectricity, we can repair damage to the human body and prevent illness, and we can send a man to the moon and listen to the stars with radio telescopes. All very impressive.

It's all fine as far as it goes. The trouble is that it doesn’t really go very far. After all, “the time being” is here today and gone tomorrow (as are we). In an eternal sense, that’s not very far at all. On the other hand, the Tao is the Oneness/Wholeness that is everything. “Since before time and space were, the Tao is" (chapter 21). It’s the only thing that is eternally real. The Tao isn’t going anywhere.

However, the eternally real is also the one thing we cannot name and talk about. As Lao Tzu reminds us, “The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name" (chapter 1) which means we can never “know” it.

This is why children live in natural harmony with the Tao. Their minds are not yet full of anything that gets in the way. They have not yet accumulated anything that blocks the light. They do not look at the world through the lens of what they think they already know. They just accept the world as it is. They play in the light.

So, how can we live in the light? It’s simple. All we need to do is let go and unclutter our minds. And, you may ask, exactly how do we do that? “The ancient Masters didn’t try to educate people, but kindly taught them to not-know” (chapter 65). Well, that sounds relevant. But where is an ancient Master when you need one?

The answer is, thanks to Lao Tzu, they’re in the Tao Te Ching. “... the Master... simply reminds people of who they have always been. He cares about nothing but the Tao. Thus he can care for all things" (chapter 64). Hmm, sounds like kind advice but how is that relevant to not-knowing? Here’s how.

We all start as children and stay open-minded until we begin to care about anything other than the Tao (even if we don’t give it a name). Examples include caring about possessions, chasing after anything to do with fame or fortune, seeking more security, or striving to be seen well by others. That’s when our minds become full and start to close. So, that’s what we need to let go of. It’s not complicated.

Note that the Master doesn’t “teach” us anything, he simply “reminds” us of who we have always been. Children are naturally open to the world. They have no preconceptions. Being young, they haven’t yet had enough time to “have always been” anything other than children. As a result, they tend to receive the world as it is. This is exactly why we can learn from them. “If you receive the world, the Tao will never leave you and you will be like a little child” (chapter 28).

An example that’s true for me is when I meet something I don’t understand, or I encounter a version of reality other than the one I desire. In the first case, I tend to see it through the lens of what I already know. Where does it fit in? In the second case, I tend to look at the reality in terms of what actions I need to take to get it to meet my desires. What am I doing? Lao Tzu would call it nothing less than interfering and forcing things.

If I let go of my thoughts and desires, here’s what will happen. “Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone” (chapter 48). Children typically do not act like they have to “do” anything. They’re not interfering or forcing things. Other things being equal, this is what play looks like, this is curiosity in action.

How about you? Do you tend to meet the world in a spirit of play and curiosity? Or do you tend to meet it in the context of everything you already “know” and look only to see if it measures up to your desires and expectations?

If you have any thoughts you’d like to share, you can get in touch with me by:

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Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share this newsletter.

Francis

IN OTHER NEWS...

Past newsletters are here: www.francispringmill.com/newsletter-archive

In Harmony with the Tao: A Guided Journey into the Tao Te Ching is available here. There Is No Somewhere Else: Insights from the Tao Te Ching is available here.

Synopses and reviews for both books are on www.francispringmill.com/books

If you have enjoyed my books and have a spare couple of minutes, I'd love it if you could leave an Amazon review so more people can discover them. (The customer review link for In Harmony with the Tao is here, and for There Is No Somewhere Else is here.)