Banner by Nancy Xiao

Finding Our Dao 道 (Way)

By Lynnette Tibbott

Sometimes, the most impactful ideas for change are created from chaos. Or so it was for a man named Kong Qiu, who lived in 6th century China. Born in a time of brutal violence known as the Warring States period, Kong Qiu saw death and destruction daily. After the fall of the emperor, feudal lords vied to be the sole ruler of China. Kong Qiu believed the lords to have lost their tian-ming (heavenly mandate) to rule. 

Kong Qiu is more commonly known as Kongzi, or by his Westernized name, Confucius. Kongzi traveled between the states, surviving starvation and assassination attempts in his plight to pacify China’s unrest. Legend says that in his travels, he amassed a thousand disciples who compiled the Lun-Yu (The Analects) of his teachings.

Yet, Confucianism is not the only philosophy that rose from the Warring States period. The Hundred Schools of Thought were different philosophies that flourished during 6th century China. Despite the social strife of the Warring States period, China saw an innovative cultural and intellectual expansion. Philosophies such as Legalism, Mohism, and Daoism rivaled Confucianism — however, Doaism earned its place as one of Confucianism’s most competitive contenders. Doaism was allegedly created by Laozi, a mysterious man who wrote the Daodejing, a book that explained the central philosophies of the dao of the universe. 

Venture forward to the present day. The world is in its own Warring States era, except it is not only humanistic wars we are waging — we are forcing Mother Nature’s hand and pushing her to the brink of destruction. Like a pendulum, we will eventually get hit with an equal force. 

America is guilty of everything between waging war over oil to forgetting to turn off the water when we brush our teeth. Political and social rifts attempt to put blame on one specific group of people. Somehow, the government does not bat an eye over the rich taking a 20-minute trip on their private jets. Companies go virtually unregulated with the toxic chemicals they emit. The government encourages the middle class to sacrifice aspects of their lives to accommodate those who pocket millions. The East Palestine train derailment, where hazardous chemicals such as vinyl chloride were released into the atmosphere, proves that we are woefully unprepared to tackle climate disasters. 

America needs a change in the way we view the world. Daoism teaches us how to live in accordance with the natural world, while Confucianism can teach us moral responsibility, both on a personal level and as a society. When we combine both philosophies, we might find helpful methods to solve the issues of modern times. 

In Daoism, we are encouraged to live in harmony with dao. The direct translation of dao is “the way” or “the path.” The word dao, as used in Daoism, is meant as the principle of the universe. In other words, it is not a tangible object, but more of a law of reality that underlies the natural order of the universe. Anything that breaks this natural order strays further from Daoist belief. 

Daoism teaches us to treat nature with respect. Wuwei 无为 (inaction) is the method to act in accordance with dao. Although it may seem counterintuitive to remain passive in the issue of climate change, the idea is more complex than that. Wuwei tells us that humans should not do anything that interferes with dao, which means we should not be harming the environment and clinging to unnatural methods, like the human role in deforestation, for example. 

Where did we go awry with our balance of nature? It is in human nature to hoard resources and establish the security of excess reserves. It was not until the Industrial Revolution that it was possible for humans to take this idea to its full extent. In today’s time, over-consumption and commercial waste are not only an aspect of our world, but also an inescapable reality. Landfills accumulate so immensely that they are now spanning miles into our oceans. 

We live in a world of convenience. In one year, a single individual throws away over a thousand pounds of garbage. This is not hyperbolized, either. We live in a world of filth; we’re just so desensitized to it that we’re okay with running from this reality, often concerning ourselves with minor inconveniences instead of tackling the mountainous issue. 

“If Heaven and Earth are unable to persist, how could man?” (Daodejing, Chapter 23). 

Daoism encourages us to find a sustainable way to avoid exploiting nature for the sake of respecting dao, and we can look to Confucianist practice for ideas to cultivate growth in ourselves and our society. In Confucianism, the core beliefs begin with the ideas of Ren 仁, Yi 义, and Li 礼. Ren, in essence, means the shared connection of love and respect between humans. Yi is understood as moral duty, righteousness, and justice. Often, Renyi is combined to represent how individuals should behave for themselves and for society. 

Li are the rituals or practices we can follow to achieve Renyi. For the issue of climate change, we can adopt certain Li, or actions, that can help conserve and protect the environment. For example, we can all follow simple behaviors to reduce our waste. Small feats like turning off the lights or picking up a piece of litter on the sidewalk can make a significant impact when they are repeated on a daily basis. Choose the more sustainable option when you can, and cultivate growth and positivity within yourself by doing good for the environment. 

Confucianism also encourages a certain level of self-reflection. “Everyday I examine myself on three counts: in my dealings with others, have I in any way failed to be dutiful? In my interactions with friends and associates, have I in any way failed to be trustworthy? Finally, have I in any way failed to put into practice what I teach?” (The Analects, 1.4). 

In the same vein, we can ask ourselves whether we are doing what we can to help the environment. But, the individuals that make up the middle-class are not the only ones who are responsible to strive for beneficial environmental practices. Confucianism stresses the importance of good “rulers,” or in our case, ethical government leaders.

“People in ancient times were not eager to speak, because they would be ashamed if their actions did not measure up to their words,” (The Analects, 4.2). 

Politicians make false promises, and leaders and activists are even breaking their own moral codes. There is no denying that society needs to step up to fight climate change, but there is nothing quite like the hypocrisy of the rich and famous telling the public to behave in one way while behaving in another. This is why good leadership is critical, especially in addressing and alleviating the harmful impacts of climate change. If we as a people have no faith in our system, we lose hope for change.

“The gentleman understands rightness, whereas the petty person understands profit,” (The Analects, 4.16).

Our country is run primarily by corporations that strive for profit. Renewable and sustainable energy, such as solar power, are pushed to the wayside in favor of Big Oil and fossil fuels. Even if someone wanted to go solar, high prices are often the limiting factor in their decision. Until the government prioritizes the long-term health of the environment over the short-term benefits of the current economy, there is little way for small businesses and the average American to switch over from fossil fuels. Unless our government leaders make steps to cultivate their own ways of Li and change their behavior around resolving climate issues, it becomes nearly impossible for our world to achieve dao. 

There is no denying our lack of balance. The way we live is unsustainable. We are not only exploiting our Earth, but we’re also putting it through Hell and still begging for it to last us another lifetime. No matter how we try to avoid this issue to cope with our personal problems, the reality is that we will reach a point of no return. 

Just because we are facing a present issue does not mean we can neglect the past. The beliefs of Confucianism and Daoism, although created thousands of years ago, still apply to our world today. Not only do these philosophies stand the test of time, but we can also use them as a tool in our modern world — all we need to do is listen.

“The world is a sacred vessel that cannot be changed. He who changes it will destroy it. He who seizes it will lose it,” (Daodejing, Chapter 29).