The Tao Te Ching Interpreted & Explained

by Dr. Daniel Condron

One of the qualities of our physical universe is that it is temporary. The physical universe is designed to be a temporary school or place of learning for the real and lasting identity that is the individual. This real identity has been known throughout the ages as I AM.

The first creation of the Creator was LIGHT. Following the First Creation came the creation of individualized units of LIGHT known as I AM or plural I AMs.

All creation begins as a thought. Before any creation takes on physical form it is first a thought. The original LIGHT of creation was formless. To name something is to separate and identify its form as separate and distinct from other forms.

In the Bible the Book of Genesis, chapter one verse three states, “And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.” Also in Genesis 2:19, “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name.”

Before Adam named the creatures they were without identification. The symbolic meaning of this in both the Tao Te Ching and the Bible is that before energy or consciousness takes on form it is formless yet in a potential state that is ready to be used and directed. To name something is to recognize its form and form is a powerful factor of physical life and the Conscious Mind.

The physical environment in which we live is the final outward manifestation of LIGHT. LIGHT is the first creation of the Creator.

The eternal Tao is eternal creation and its essence is LIGHT. The nature of spirit is eternal. The nature of the physical body is temporary. One who thinks physically, one who is engrossed in the physical senses and doesn’t recognize his own entrapment in a physical body, can not understand the higher nature or vibration of energy and consciousness. The eternal creation or Tao is energy and substance vibrating at a higher rate of vibration than our five physical senses can perceive. This higher vibration is meaningless to one engrossed in physical existence because in order to name something you must first perceive and identify that something.

There are over 10,000 things one can perceive and identify on our physical Earth. Therefore, you can name them which is to separate and identify them. This is productive yet when one is controlled by physical desires then the attention is held bound on physical forms and objects and things. Then one ceases to identify the learning in the use of physical objects.

The one who is using the physical existence to build permanent understandings of Self, creation, soul growth, and spiritual development understands the Subconscious and Conscious Minds. Such a one can understand the manifestations being constantly created in the life. Such a one understands thought is cause. Such a one creates only the highest desires and the desires are for soul growth and spiritual development.

Everyone has an inner urge which is the desire to be like their Creator. Children desire to be like their parents.

Everything began formless. Everything was created from the essence of Creator. Everything and everyone has deep within its being the desire to be like a creator and evolve into and en-LIGHT-ened soul.

All desires are to be used to build permanent understandings of Self and Creation. As desires are fulfilled and evolved to the need for enlightenment, soul growth is quickened. The soul fulfills spiritual needs for awareness and higher consciousness and attains a universal or unity consciousness.

The lesson is:

Discipline the mind until the still mind is achieved. Use desires for permanent learning and growth.

Move and work in harmony with creation,with others, and with nature. Harmonize with your environment. Lead when needed. Follow when needed.

Thirty

One who assists the ruler in the way of the Tao
counsels him not to use force against all under Heaven
such effort is certain to bring about retaliation
where armies are stationed
thorns and thistles grow

A good thinker achieves his goal and that is all
he uses power but does not make use of force
in the same way
achieve your goal but do not become arrogant
achieve your goal but do not praise your deeds
achieve your goal but do not brag
achieve your goal and win when you have no choice
this is called achieving one’s goal without using force

Those who achieve through force may flourish for a while then
fade away
what is not in harmony with the Tao comes to an early end

Force is not in harmony with the Tao

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The way of the Tao – the way LIGHT uses the Perfect Plan of Creation held in Superconscious Mind – is to use the Aggressive and Receptive Principles of Creation in balance. The Aggressive and Receptive Principles of Creation are named Yang and Yin.

Force and taking are the destructive misuse of the aggressive and receptive principles. Therefore, there is resistance. Therefore, all gains are temporary.

To do what needs to be done is to respond. This is responsibility. Responsibility is the hallmark of a thinker, a learned being. Power is creating. Force is destroying. Always create. Adding to, building upon, and improving what is in one’s environment and in the Self is also the hallmark of a thinker.

To achieve results is to move forward in one’s consciousness and to continually build and add to what already exists in the environment.

Do not feed the conscious ego with false illusions of grandeur. These are distractions that keep one limited, engrossed, and entrapped in physical life and the physical body.

The natural way is to create and add to what is in your environment. The natural, organic way is to work with others to create a better world and a more enlightened Self.

Violence destroys. Love, goodness, truth and LIGHT create. Be a creator. Therefore help others. Love others. Teach others and give service to others.

A goal gives the mind direction. A purpose gives the Self motivation and a personal benefit.

To have as a purpose the idea of impressing others is an external purpose and is therefore weak. A strong purpose benefits the Self permanently. Therefore, a strong purpose will always add to one’s learning and growth and will make one a better person.

A weak purpose is temporary for it depends on whether or not one can receive a response or reaction from another.

The goal and purpose is not meant to out do another person. The goal is meant to give the mind direction for the purpose of adding to one’s soul growth and the fulfillment of permanent understanding of Self, and mind. This permanent understanding is then stored in subconscious mind which is the soul of Self.

Whatever is sent forth from Self be it mental, emotional or physical will return to Self in like manner. Therefore, force is followed by loss of strength. For force is the misuse of energy to overpower another.

The way of the Tao is complete harmonization. Love is harmony. The way of the Tao is love. Love connects. The way of the Tao is connectedness. The way of force is to separate and alienate.

That which fails to unite, build, and create is temporary. That which unites souls in bonds of Divine Love, Light and Truth is permanent, lasting and eternal.

The Tao Te Ching devotes several chapters in a row to the subject of power, control and force. The solution to all of these is given as harmony.

The lesson is:

Give the mind direction. Cooperate and harmonize with others for mutual quickening of awareness and understanding. Seek to create and be in harmony in all that is accomplished.

Forty-nine

The Sage has no heart of his own
his heart is the heart of the people

To the good he is good
to the bad he is also good
until they become good
To the true he is truthful
to the false he is also truthful
until they become truthful

The Sage is in harmony with the world
through his heart he is universally connected
with all humanity
People open their eyes and ears to him
to the Sage they are his children.


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The wise one, the Sage, is aware of the universal connectedness of all beings. This wise reasoner realizes that as one aids others to betterment so the Self is also helped and aided.

The heart symbolizes and is the center of love and understanding. In fact, the Heart center or chakra has as its quality that of love and understanding. Love is fully necessary in order to build permanent and lasting understanding of connectedness. When one’s love expands to include all beings, then the heart of Self becomes the heart of the people.

Jesus who became the Christ said, “Whatever you wish men to do for you do likewise also for them; for this is the law and the prophets,” (Matthew 7:12). Jesus the Christ also said, “You have heard it said, be kind to your friend, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless anyone who curses you, do good to anyone who hates you and pray for those who carry you away by force and persecute you. So that you may become sons of your Father who is in heaven, who causes his sun to shine upon the good and the bad, and who pours down his rain upon the just and the unjust,” (Matthew 5:43-45).

It is very productive to be good to not only the good but also the bad because by this action one can grow in consciousness. The nature of reality is connectedness. As you think, so you become, is a Universal Truth. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant in causing one’s thoughts to be productive and giving so that the Self may receive the greater learning in each situation.

As one practices more honesty, one becomes more honest. As one becomes more honest, one lives according to truth. As one lives according to truth, one lives in greater truth. As one lives in greater truth, one aligns with Universal Truth. As one aligns with Universal Truth, one lives in greater harmony and connectedness with all the Universe. The mind is capable of being used productively to cause one’s consciousness to grow and one’s awareness to expand.

Why be good to the bad and truthful to the false? Because such a one, in helping others to elevate their consciousness, does likewise in the process the same to and for the Self. It is one’s practice ground.

When people know they are loved, they feel safe and secure. When people feel secure and safe, they are willing to open themselves up and listen. Those who are willing to open up and listen are capable of hearing the higher truth, the Universal Truth. Thus, to open their eyes and ears to the Sage is to receive wisdom and truth.

Since the Sage is more mature and evolved mentally as a soul, those less mature are as children for they have built less soul understandings. The ones who have gained and amassed soul understandings need to share and teach this to others. In order to receive from a greater soul one must give to lesser souls.

The enlightened being knows, perceives, and is aware he is connected to everything and everyone.

The Universal Laws operate everywhere and at all times. Every person is in essence an individual, an identity known as I AM. Therefore, each individual or I AM needs to know, perceive, and be aware of that connectedness with other I AM’s.

All people have an inner urge from their own Real Self, which is I AM, to grow and mature as creators through connectedness consciousness until Self recognizes who he is through unity consciousness, which is also called union with God, union with the Godhead, or seeing God face to face.

Humbleness is the mark of a surrendered ego. An ego that is surrendered to I AM. The enlightened being’s goal is not the accumulation of physical things. Rather the urge is to claim understanding of the spirit or High Self.

The confusion arises because while others create goals and desires the enlightened being creates ideals and fulfills the inner urge. Such a one speaks with authority because the truth of Self, of Mind, and of Creation is known.

Such a one continually creates a quality of infancy. The qualities of infancy are openness, absorption, curiosity, innocence, truth and Love.

Such a one continually learns, grows, expands consciousness, and is filled with greater Truth, Love, and LIGHT.

The wise soul, the intuitive thinker, has developed an expanded consciousness that is connected through the heart, and through love to all humanity.

When love is present, people do not fear. Therefore, it is easy for them to be open and to listen and to receive and perceive the truth.

The more enlightened one becomes, the more such a one perceives those less enlightened as children. The enlightened one, the Sage has more experience and understanding of Self, of Mind, of LIGHT, love and truth. Such a one lives the Universal Laws of Creation.


The Lesson is:

That which you do to others you also do to yourself. All beings are connected. Expand one’s love until it is universal. Teach others the truths one has learned.