What does laozi philosophy of dao follows nature say?
paulpeng
"Dao follows nature" is a key concept from the *Tao Te Ching*, emphasizing that everything should occur naturally. This idea lies at the heart of **Laozi philosophy**, which outlines the fundamental laws governing the universe, encompassing humans, earth, and heaven. Essentially, it means all things in the universe operate in accordance with the natural way.
Laozi elaborates on this in Chapter 25 of the *Tao Te Ching*: "There exists a formless and complete entity, born before heaven and earth. It is silent and boundless, standing alone and unchanging. It cycles endlessly without exhaustion. It can be considered the origin of heaven and earth. I do not know its name, so I call it the Dao. If a name must be given, I would call it 'Great'. Great implies it is boundless, boundless implies it is far-reaching, and far-reaching implies it returns. Thus, the Dao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and humans are also great. Among the four great things in the universe, humans are one. Humans follow the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature."
This passage describes a primordial, formless entity that existed before the universe. It is unique, unchanging, and cycles through all things. It is the origin of all things in the universe. Laozi refers to it as the Dao and describes it as "Great". This "Great" Dao is omnipresent, spanning from the past to the future, from near to far, and after creating all things, it returns to its original state. Because the Dao is infinite, creating all things and allowing them to return, it is considered great. Heaven, earth, and humans, which follow the Dao, are also considered great. The universe comprises four "Great" things, and humans are one of them. Humans follow the laws of the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature.
"Dao follows nature" is central to **Laozi philosophy**. It is not an isolated concept but relates to the fundamental metaphysical question of the relationship between the "Dao" and "all things", as well as the core political philosophical question of the relationship between the "sage king" and the "people". This concept directly involves two important ideas in **Laozi philosophy**: the "Dao" and "nature". As the metaphysical "Dao", it is the source of "all things" (as in Chapter 42: "The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two give birth to three, and three give birth to all things"; Chapter 51: "The Dao gives birth to them"), the "mother of heaven and earth" (Chapter 25), and the "shelter of all things" (Chapter 62; the silk manuscript uses "shelter" instead of "master"). The "Dao" not only creates "all things" but also serves as the foundation and guarantee for their existence. This is why Laozi's "Dao" is both ontological and cosmological. Chapter 4 states: "The Dao is empty yet inexhaustible in use. Deep, it seems to be the ancestor of all things." Although the "Dao" is the source and foundation of all things, the mother of all things, it never claims to be their master: "The great Dao flows everywhere, to the left and the right. All things depend on it for life, and it does not refuse them. It accomplishes its work but does not possess them. It clothes and feeds all things but does not dominate them. It can be called small; all things return to it but it does not dominate them, so it can be called great. Because it never claims to be great, it achieves its greatness." (Chapter 34) Moreover, the "Dao" never "dominates", "controls", or "interferes" with all things. It embodies the supreme virtue of "creating but not possessing, acting but not relying, leading but not dominating" (Chapter 51) and "being good at lending and completing" (Chapter 41). Laozi refers to this nature of the "Dao" as "wu wei" (non-action). Chapter 37 states: "The Dao is always non-action, yet nothing is left undone." "The Dao is always non-action," Wang Bi interprets as "following nature." It is evident that "non-action" is the way the "Dao" operates. It does not need to "act" but naturally gives birth to and nurtures all things.
What is the "Dao"? Based on the *Tao Te Ching*, the "Dao" is the most primitive and fundamental existence in the universe, the most basic driving force of change, the ultimate destination of all things, and the simplest yet deepest law of things. Laozi's "De" (Virtue) is the specific manifestation of the "Dao" in all things (De means "to get"), so acting according to laws is also an attribute of "De". "There is something formless and complete, born before heaven and earth"—the "Dao" is the origin, the most primitive existence. "The reverse is the movement of the Dao... All things in the world are born from being, and being is born from non-being," so it is the destination of all things. Humans, earth, and heaven follow the great "Dao", which can be called the "objective law" that does not change with people's will.
What is "nature"? "Nature" is composed of "self" and "state". "State" indicates a condition. "Nature" means being in one's own state, referring to a state not influenced or interfered with by external forces or humans, which is generally called "being so by itself". This is the main meaning of the word in ancient Chinese philosophy. The meaning of "not forcing or coercing" in "nature" is derived from this. "Nature" is not only an attribute of the "Dao" but also an attribute of all things that follow the "Dao". Chapter 64 of the *Tao Te Ching* says: "Therefore, the sage... assists the natural development of all things and does not act arbitrarily." Clearly, the "nature" mentioned here refers to the "nature of all things". The "sage" follows the "non-action of the Dao" to practice "non-action politics", assisting and cooperating with the "nature of all things" in reality, which is what Zhuangzi calls "following the natural order" and "adapting to what is already so". This is also what the simplified version of the *Tao Te Ching* says: "The Dao is always non-action. If the侯王 (rulers) can adhere to it, all things will transform on their own." "Transform on their own" is similar in meaning to "nature", indicating that "all things" change on their own. Similarly, in *Zhuangzi・Ying Diwang*, it is said, "Follow the natural order of things and do not allow selfishness." It is evident that "nature" here refers to the "nature of things (all things)". Wang Bi consistently interprets "nature" as the "nature of all things" in his commentary on the *Tao Te Ching*. For example, in Chapter 29, he comments, "All things take nature as their character," and "The sage understands the nature of things and expresses the feelings of all things." Laozi said, "The Dao is always non-action yet nothing is left undone" (found in both the received text and the silk manuscript). Some doubt that the phrase "non-action yet nothing is left undone" was added by later generations. However, the Guodian bamboo slips also contain the phrase "non-action and nothing is not done," proving that this suspicion is unfounded. From this statement, it is clear that the "Dao" is "non-action". Yet, it can give birth to heaven and earth, nurture all things, and not dominate them, so it is also "nothing is not done". Chapter 51 of the *Tao Te Ching* says, "All things respect the Dao and value De. The respect for the Dao and the value of De come from the fact that no one commands them but they remain natural." Here, "nature" refers to the natural respect for the Dao and value for De that all things have. The reason why "Dao" and "De" are respected and cherished by all things is that they do not command or interfere with them but allow them to develop and act on their own.
When we emphasize the nature of all things, we must not forget the great Dao that endows them with nature; otherwise, it would be like water without a source or a branch without a root. "Independent and unchanging," "empty yet never exhausted, the more it moves, the more it produces," "non-action yet nothing is not done," and "the reverse is the movement of the Dao" are the natural attributes of the Dao. Long life, lasting vision, pure essence, and returning to the root and restoring one's destiny, peace and stability, are the natural attributes of things, especially humans. If humans cannot achieve their natural state, it is "un-Dao," and "un-Dao will not last long." Therefore, when humans are not in a natural state, corresponding measures should be taken to restore their natural state. Thus, nature is not only a characteristic of the great Dao but also an attribute of all things. This understanding lies at the core of **Laozi philosophy** and serves as a guiding principle for living in harmony with the natural world.
The principles of **Laozi philosophy** remind us that true harmony comes from aligning ourselves with the natural order. By embracing simplicity, balance, and non-interference, we can navigate life's complexities with greater ease and wisdom. This approach not only enriches our personal lives but also fosters a deeper connection with the world around us.
