Introduction

Weaving the Way has been pointing at a single motif from various angles. Perhaps an adequate summarizing bumper sticker would read: “Living inside-out.” Verse 18 states it very strongly: anytime we talk about being virtuous, it’s because we’re not just doing it. Verses 12, 16, and 17 also relate to this topic.

To me, this verse feels like an ode to the wisdom and spontaneous virtue that we find when we let go of our relative certainty in favor of something absolutely true. It makes allusions to the state of mind required and the nature of reality, once again serving as a philosophical exposition and a practice manual.

Let’s dig in!

Translation

True virtue’s appearance
is only from the Dao.

The Dao’s form is vague and indistinct.

Hazy. Nebulous.
There are pictures in the mist.
Swirling. Unclear.
There is substance to the ooze.
Dim. Gloomy.
There is an essence in the dark.

Its essence is absolutely real.
Herein is the truth.

From ancient times to now,
it has never given up its name,
we just call it “all-beginner.”

How do I know the “all-beginner’s” form?

Just this!

Commentary

True virtue’s appearance
is only from the Dao.

Where can we find what we need if all that “outside” stuff is unreliable? The answer is from our connection to the Dao, of course. We don’t need to pursue anything else at all; just deepen our relationship to the Way, and everything will take care of itself.

That’s a lovely idea, but does it really work that way?

Yes and no. Understanding natural law enables us to Weave the Way, but it doesn’t do it for us. Being enmeshed in the flow of life is so far from doing things according to our individual preferences that it’s hard to imagine. The rest of this verse tries to paint the picture for us.

The Dao’s form is vague and indistinct.

Nothing new here, yet there’s another layer of connotation. True virtue’s source is the Dao. The Dao is vague and indistinct. Therefore, true virtue is vague and indistinct.

For those of us who grew up in cultures of proscribed morality, right and wrong, black and white, this is a bit hard to digest. However, it’s entirely rational in its parallel to the statement that “all generalizations are false.” We all know that there are no hard-and-fast rules and judgments in life. There are always exceptions. There are always complex human truths behind behaviors that make clear-cut judgments difficult for the honest thinker.

In fact, facing each situation for its unique attributes and being present to the complexity of life can be overwhelming. This is, perhaps, one of the reasons why rules and regulations survive so long. It’s far easier to determine that something should be a certain way once and never think about it again. However, this is not in accordance with the way. Weaving the way demands comfort with the groundlessness of not knowing. Oddly, not knowing knows.

Hazy. Nebulous.
There are pictures in the mist.
Swirling. Unclear.
There is substance to the ooze.
Dim. Gloomy.
There is an essence in the dark.

Lao Zi tells us not to worry about it too much. We have a remarkable capacity to identify patterns in the flux of chaos. If we just relax and really take in the experience, then what we need to see will materialize. In a very real way, this is like the idea that “a picture is worth 1,000 words.”

Just pause and describe everything you’re conscious of right now.

Good joke, right? There’s no way! The words required to describe even a single moment would fill a book. And that’s just your experience of sitting there. How could we possibly use the faculties of mind that live in words and thoughts to take in and process the totality of a situation? Something as complex as an interpersonal situation? Forget about it.

And yet, through all of that uncertainty, a certainty emerges. The essence of the situation. Stopping here is already a profound statement, but I believe this text points to something deeper.

Its essence is absolutely real.
Herein is the truth.

The experience of an “empty heart-mind” in meditation is a form of perfect illumination. In that, illumination is the origin of all spiritual and religious experience. An essential core in our being connects to something so much greater than our individuality. It is this essence, the Dao, of pure consciousness where we can discover all we need to know about what to do in the world. It moves us in our unique path. Again, this is a motif repeated in numerous verses, now embellished with the quality of providing a source of guidance in our worldly affairs.

The method for experiencing this is very simple, though actually doing it is another matter. Simply stop doing everything else with the sincere intention to surrender to existing without activity.

Odds are that doesn’t work. That’s why the meditative systems invented different techniques like qigong, yoga postures, breath control, visualizations, koan practice, mantras and magical formulas, centering prayer and contemplation, dhikr, and etc. In the end, though, it’s all about stopping and surrendering to…

From ancient times to now,
it has never given up its name,
we just call it “all-beginner.”

Whatever it is. In this text, it’s already gone by numerous names. The Dao, the wellspring, the creatress, the Generative Mother, One, Voidness. Now we have another appellation, “all-beginner.” This term also could be translated as “All-Father,” which I like better. However, the Norse god Odin claimed that already. Either way, “all-beginner” or “all-begetter” works very well.

This points to “that which is the beginning of all things.” It refers to the moment of experience before we apply our filters; a meditative state of perfect reflection. Or, as was said in verse 1,

Spoken words about the Dao do not say it all.
Nor does any word written convey its essence.
The unnameable is the embryo of existence.

Something so far beyond conceptualizations surely begs the question that follows:

How do I know the “all-beginner’s” form?
Just this!

The answer, “Just this!” is really the only one that can be given. Look! It’s right here! This Moment! You don’t have to find it because you share in its essence. You are this!