Taoism

 I recently finished reading “Judgment at Tokyo” and, at the very end of the book, there was a section on Prime Minister Tojo Hideki. The trial was over and Tojo was sentenced to be hanged. In his cell, and after a lifetime dedicated to violence, the former general spent his last days in ascetic spiritual contemplation by composing poems. He studied a Buddhist book on the holy scriptures and wanted to take the volume with him to the gallows. My thought is that if a monster like Tojo could change his mindset in his final days then surely I could do so as well.

I have been studying Taoism, which is a close relative of Buddhism, and a key component of it is zen, or tranquility. And in that tranquility, the Tao, or “the way” is within you, and the only path to reaching it is through effortlessness. Taoism teaches us that good and evil are irrelevant and that we, as people, are irrelevant. There is no fear of death, nor hope of an afterlife, so we are free from the impediments of happiness or the need for salvation. The creative power of the Tao is in its quality of emptiness. Taoists act in a way that does not come from personal desire but by emulating the empty qualities of life. Non-doing is effective because Taoists are unambitious and not bothered by fame, rules, or social obligations. I can relate to these ideas because I wasted a lot of time and energy by trying to become a legend at Sacred Heart. Also, I made a fool out of myself by campaigning to get the teacher of the year award. I would have been a lot happier if I didn’t desire awards or affirmation that was never going to happen.

I am not a convert, as my Catholic faith means a lot to me, but I do think that I can learn from some of the lessons of Taoism. For example, I am trying to unlearn what I know and am intentionally striving to forget. There is no reason for me to cling to my old thoughts as I have obsessed over them before and, for mental health reasons, there is no use in re-thinking them. It is time to let go. Similarly, Taoists are peaceful and calm people, and they strive to live in harmony with the universe. They live a life that is simple and uncomplicated. Unknowingly, when my wife and I retired, we took on the ideas of the Taoists by moving into a small condominium and living simply, while I have tried to obtain peace by ridding myself of my type A, controlling personality. It is a struggle to let go but inner peace is worth the effort.

If Buddhism states that the way to happiness is to release ourselves from desire, then a central tenet of Taoism is reaching contentedness through non-doing. I am fully retired and my contentedness comes from knowing that I was a teacher for 35 years. I am proud of my career and that can never be taken away from me. Some people want to guilt me into re-entering the working world but I am perfectly happy practicing non-doing. I swim in the morning and take a long walk in the afternoon and I read a lot. This is enough to help me stay sharp and healthy. My daily routine is not for everybody but it is enough for me at this point in my life.

My interest in Taoism was reignited because I just finished reading “Shogun” by James Clavell and have been watching the new mini-series which is based on the book. One of the lessons that I took away from the novel is that Japan has always been a very crowded nation. There is no solitude while living in a paper house so the Japanese have learned from a very young age how to hide beneath a mask of smiles and manners. There is an invisible fence of privacy that cannot be penetrated by outsiders as the Japanese conceal their inner thoughts through politeness. I think that we all put up a front and, like the Japanese, we do not engage with others because we are too busy or just don’t want to be bothered. It sounds like a lonely way to live.