THE WAY Everyone is on their own path, or way, or, as it's said in Taoist circles, Way, with a capital 'W.' On our given path we naturally develop a certain perspective. Sometimes we even say things like, "From where I'm standing." One of the perspectives that we develop is the attitude that our Way is best. In some ways this is a good thing, in other ways not so good. It's good because it's certainly healthier, in a psychological sense, to like your Way. Everyone would probably agree that, if you hated the Way you were on, but remained on it, you'd be deliberately inflicting pain on yourself, which doesn't sound exactly sane. If you keep your feelings (about your Way) to yourself, it's one thing. But if you share those feelings with others, which you are very likely to do if you truly like your Way, it can cause problems. Remember, most people like their Way. However courteous they may act, chances are they don't particularly care for your Way. If they did, they'd probably already be on it. All Ways are ok. None are superior or inferior to others. Some, however, are broader, and some are longer. Some Ways are sensitive, some not. The Way of religion, for example, is sensitive. Christians adamantly believe in their Way and are very sensitive about it. They like their Way so much that they talk about it every chance they get. They believe in the rightness of their Way so intensely that they try to persuade others to walk with them. This behavior belies great sensitivity on their part about the Way they're on. Something of the same could probably be said about the Way of Islam. The religious Way does not believe that all Ways are ok, but, on the contrary, believes that only its Way is ok, that other Ways are bad, so bad that they lead to destruction. Because they hold such beliefs, their Way is narrow and short. It is very limited. There is one Way that sees (even contains) all Ways, that they are all ok, however short or narrow they may be. The broad Way is what some call the Tao, which means, literally, Way or Path. There are few who walk the Tao Way. It is too non-restricted for the many, who need walls and boundaries, inside of which they feel somehow ensconsed in a shield of stability. The Tao Way is also less traveled because those who are on it seek no converts. They accept converts but don't seek them. They would even take issue with the very idea of converts, holding that any conversions are unnecessary, because all Ways are ok, because they are all forms of the Tao Way. All religions have their own great book. Christianity has the Bible, Islam the Koran. Tao also has a great book, although, at first appearance, it certainly doesn't look great. In comparison to the other great books, it's actually quite small. Its called the Tao Te Ching and its opening words are simple yet profound:
The Tao that may be told of is not the eternal Tao.
Since Tao means Way, this may also be understood as
The Way that may be told of is not the eternal Way.
It suggests that there are many paths, but if any of them may be described (told of) they are not eternal. The logic is simple and irrefutable: the eternal cannot be described. In the same way that we could never count all the infinite numbers, we could never describe the eternal Way. We may conclude from this that Christianity, for example, is not the eternal Way, because those who walk that Way are forevermore describing it and telling of it to others. Sometimes the word eternal is translated as real, so that the words appear as
The Way that may be described is not the real Way.
There is a very good reason for this translation. If there is indeed a Way that is eternal, then all other Ways are illusory, not real.
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