Wen Tzu - Verse 83, Part I

from Verse Eighty-Three

To cling to the laws of one generation and thereby repudiate customs transmitted through the ages is like trying to tune a lute with the movable tuning bridge glued down. Sages adapt to the changes of the times, taking appropriate measures on seeing how things form.

Different ages have different concerns; when times change, customs change. Laws are set up in consideration of the age, works are undertaken according to the time.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

I'm fairly certain the above passage was aimed at the Confucians because that philosophy is about honoring the customs and mores of old. Lao Tzu recognized that times change and, for progress to occur, human society must change too.

The Crow, among others, has accused me from time to time of presenting Taoist thought from a leftist perspective. In terms of socio-political labels, I don't deny the charge. Regardless of the age, conservatives are those who believe we should cling to the ways of old and, in this verse, Lao Tzu warns against this. Consequently, I firmly believe that, if Lao Tzu were writing his works today, he too would be branded as a left-leaning philosopher!

Mind you, as indicated above, left (or right) merely is a label. In my own mind, I don't view my philosophy nor that of the Taoist sages as occupying any specific side or direction. For me, Taoism is the most ethical collection of observations and beliefs that I know. It is mainstream society which has bestowed the "leftist" designation on philosophies of this nature and that's the primary reason I use the term myself.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.