Untroubled Limericks about Taoism and the Tao

According to legend, there was once a wise old bearded philosopher from China, by the name of Lao Tzu. Some time in the 6th century B.C., he recorded a collection of pithy aphorisms that we know as the Tao Te Ching. I hesitate to call it a holy book, but it is basically the handbook of Taoism.

The Tao

Lao Tzu’s teachings have played an instrumental role in my own spiritual development. I still remember my first exposure to his enigmatic philosophy. As pimply 13-year-old, I read Benjamin Hoff’s light-hearted little book, “The Tao of Pooh”. It wasn’t exactly the flip of a switch, but more like the beginning of a slow and steady, never-ending process; the first drop in a bottomless well. Because the themes of Taoism run throughout my thoughts and writing, it was difficult to pick out just six limericks about the Tao.

     Tao Te Ching
     There’s a luminous legend Lao Tzu
     With disciples like Winnie the Pooh
               Let go of desire
               Your soul will lift higher
     The Tao’s not a thing to pursue

The Mystery

The Tao Te Ching looks like such a small and simple book at first glance, but it’s filled from cover to cover with pithy, paradoxical aphorisms. You could literally spend a lifetime reading and re-reading the short text, turning its ideas over in your mind.

From the first page, Lao Tzu makes it clear that the Tao is no ordinary belief system. It is not like other faiths or doctrines. “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.” The Tao cannot be touched.

     Presence
     You want to live better you want to know how
     Ask me the way and I’ll show you the tao
               The core of this teaching
               Is not about reaching
     But learning to listen and dwell in the now

     Emptiness 
     At the center of everything sits a deep void
     Peek at the darkness and keep your sangfroid
               A truth is contained 
               But loath to be named
     By the labels and fables we’ve learned to avoid 

Waves of Inference
Ten thousand things and I’ve tussled with each
Einstein in Hollywood Joyce on the Beach
Degrees of precision
From all forms of vision
And never a facet with nothing to teach

The Way

“The Tao” translates literally as “The Way.” The fundamental idea of Taoism, to me, is that life flows like a river, and the proper way to live is to go with the flow. Sometimes it will carry you upward, and sometimes it will bring you down, but it will always carry you forward. Any attempt to resist it will be fruitless.

     In the Flow
     From the fountain of time we all dip
     For each moment a succulent sip
               Holding water in hand
               Like an hour of sand
     It will never succumb to your grip

     On the Wave
     Life is a journey, each day is a test
     Take what you need and let go of the rest
               Be patient, be wise
               And soon you will rise
     For behind every trough there awaits a new crest

The Way Forward

I’m not sure how the Taoist philosophy will fare in the era of scientific certainty and concrete materialism. But regardless of public opinion, I’ll hold the torch.

     The Spirit Under Siege
     Hermits and searchers are beaten and battered
     See how the scientist Tyson gets flattered
               Praise the molecular
               Worship the secular
     Who can remember when Taoist Lives Mattered?

Further Reading

If you liked these limericks about Taoism, you’ll be sure to enjoy :

• Limericks about Buddhism
• Limericks about Indian Philosophy
• Limericks about Inner Voices
• Limericks about Water
• What is a Limerick?