Enlightenment is the ultimate state one can achieve according to Taoism, which is to be one with Tao, the nature (nature is Tao's manifestation in our universe), also known as the Unity of Heaven and Humanity by the Taoist term. By reaching such a state, an individual can live and act as Tao because her mind is of the 'mind' of Tao, and her body is in complete harmony with her mind. In the Taoism scripture, Tao Te Ching chapter 16, such a state is described by Lao Tzu.
Empty the mind of all thoughts, keep your body at peace; ten thousands things converge, I observe to find their patterns.
By becoming one with Tao, one can see the patterns of ten thousand things. By seeing the patterns of ten thousand things, she will never be confused, never be lost, never see things in the ordinary way of 'good' or 'bad', thus never be bothered. More importantly, this level of enlightenment also means that she can now achieve effortlessly if called upon, even though she would have no need for such achievement because she has arrived.
Circumstances would still call for her action, for she is still human with worldly affairs. When that is the case, she would still strive to reach the goal. The only difference is that her endeavors will be fruitful, and her being will be peaceful without being bothered by the turmoil during the process, just as brought up in Tao Te Ching chapter 8.
Her mind is calm and tranquil; her friends are kind; her words are kept; her governance is effective; her endeavors bring results; her actions are timely. Not over-striving, she will be elevating without trying.
Her endeavors bring results because her action is the action of Tao, just as depicted in the story of Cook Ding butchering an ox in Zhuangzi's "The Master of Nourishing Life".
Cook Ding was butchering an ox for Lord Wen Hui. Wherever his hands touched, his shoulders leaned, his feet stepped, or his knees pressed, there were sounds like the cracking of bones, but each movement was harmonious and precise. His knife moved with a rhythm, playing the way of the ox as if it were a dance in the forest of mulberry trees. He followed the natural structure of the animal, and with each stroke, the knife effortlessly glided through, finding its proper place.
In this story, Cook Ding's mastery skill is based on his understanding of the Tao in oxen, just as explained by himself
What I value is the Way (Tao), which transcends skill. When I first began to butcher oxen, what I saw was nothing but oxen. Three years later, I had never seen a whole ox. Now, at this time, I meet the ox with my spirit, not with my eyes. My mind knows when to stop, and my spirit knows when to act. I follow the natural principles, cutting through the great gaps and guiding through the deep hollows, depending on the inherent structure of the ox. I have never cut through the bone’s connecting points, let alone the great joints. A skilled butcher changes his knife every year, while an average butcher changes his knife every month because the blade becomes dull. My knife has been in use for nineteen years, and I have butchered thousands of oxen, yet the blade is as sharp as when it was first honed. There is space between the joints, and the blade is thin, so by entering the gaps with a thin blade, there is ample room to move. This is why after nineteen years, the blade is still as sharp as when it was first sharpened. However, whenever I go to butcher, I see the difficulty, and it serves as a warning to me. I stop and take a moment to reflect, move slowly and carefully, making slight adjustments, and in the end, the ox is effortlessly cut apart, like earth falling to the ground. I stand holding the knife, look around, hesitate in satisfaction, and then, having done my job, I carefully put the knife away.
To be clear, Cook Ding is not yet at the level of enlightenment, at least not in the way that we are discussing here. However, his level of butchering has reached 'enlightenment' because he sees the Tao in the body of oxen and guides the blade following its patterns. True enlightenment is just like that, except the subject is nature instead of the body of oxen.
The body of an enlightened one is a vessel of Tao that is blessed with health, robustness, and longevity, just as said in Tao Te Ching chapter 55
Those who have the deepest virtues are like newborn infants. Poisonous insects do not sting them, beasts don't hurt them, raptors don't attack them. Fragile yet holding the fist firmly. Not knowing about intercourse yet erect, for their purest essence. Cry all day without being hoarse, for their purest harmony.
Being able to achieve things effortlessly without being bothered by their turmoil and blessed by Tao with healthiness, robustness, and longevity is surely nice, but what enlightenment can bring is far beyond these worldly things. It is of great joy to live in harmony with Tao; it can even be described as immortality, just as said in Tao Te Ching chapter 16. Continuing from depicting how the endeavor of an enlightened one brings results quoted above, Lao Tzu continues to tell us
Those who know about the order are tolerant, tolerance leads to just, just leads to fairness, fairness is the way of nature, the way of nature is the way of Tao, the way of Tao leads to immortality, so that your being survives death itself.
By seeing Tao in ten thousand things, one can see herself as an organic part of nature, a point of manifestation of Tao. In space, she is not intimidated by the boundless universe; in time, she sees the past, present, and future as one. Her mind rises above and becomes free from the shackles of reality, seeing everything and reaching eternity in one moment. By being so, she is deeply connected and can communicate with the things surrounding her, not by the language of humans, but by the common language of Tao that is behind everything, also known as the flow of Chi energy.
Now, you might think that this almost sounds like mythology. You are not alone in this sentiment, because it is the very reason why Taoism further evolved into becoming a religion in the first place. Regarding this ultimate stage of enlightenment, it serves as the North Star for any practitioner who wants a better life in this transient human existence. It is to be treated as an ideal that is theoretically achievable, but you rarely see it in real life. But does it matter whether we can eventually achieve it or not? My humble opinion is that it does not matter, because the journey is more important than the destination, or the destination resides in the journey itself.
Chasing enlightenment is like holding water; you cannot grasp it, for it will leak through the cracks. To hold water, you must create a void in your hand by cupping your fingers. This is the very reason why the act of no act, aka, Wu Wei, is introduced by Lao Tzu as the main practice of Taoism.
It is impossible for anybody to know whether she, or someone else, has reached enlightenment, because in the state of such enlightenment, one would have already forgotten herself. Just as depicted in Zhuangzi, "Ten thousand things are one."
Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed that he was a butterfly, a fluttering butterfly, he was conscious only of his happiness as a butterfly, unaware that he was Zhou. Suddenly he awoke, and there he was, palpable Zhou once more. He did not know whether he was Zhou who had dreamed of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhou. Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is called the Transformation of Things.
Also depicted by Lao Tzu in Tao Te Ching chapter 20
I am alone in tranquility, all to myself; dazed, like a newborn infant that has yet to learn to laugh; tired, like a roamer who has yet to return home.
It is the state of forgetting oneself just like a newborn is unaware of its own existence, the enlightenment is not something that can be spoken and shared to others. Because of this, neither Lao Tzu, nor Chuang Tzu would claim that they have achieved enlightenment directly, instead, they tell us by depicting what an enlightened individual would be like. As depicted in Tao Te Ching chapter 15
The masters from ancient times who know well about Tao are subtle and profound; their depth of knowledge is bottomless. Because of their immeasurable wisdom, only their appearances can be depicted roughly; they are careful as if crossing a frozen river; they are vigilant as if watching out for neighboring enemies' attacks; they are humble as if attending a ceremony; they are smooth like melting ice; they are simple like raw materials; they are tolerant like a great valley; they are accepting like murky water. Who can wait quietly for movements to settle gradually? Who can revive silence into vitality step by step?
Also, in many stories told in Zhuangzi, to name one about himself in the chapter of "Autumn Water."
Zhuangzi was fishing in the river Pu when the King of Chu sent two high-ranking officials to extend an invitation to him, saying, "We wish to burden you with the affairs within our borders!"
Zhuangzi, without turning back, held his fishing rod and said, "I have heard that in Chu there is a sacred tortoise that has been dead for three thousand years. The king keeps it wrapped in cloth and stored in a precious box, placed in the ancestral temple. This tortoise, would it rather be dead and have its shell honored, or be alive, dragging its tail through the mud?"
The two officials replied, "It would rather be alive, dragging its tail through the mud." Zhuangzi said, "Go back, then! I too will drag my tail through the mud."
Zhuangzi would rather 'drag his tail through the mud' than to govern the kingdom on behalf of the king, telling us that he has achieved the enlightenment, and the magic of it is forgetting oneself as if she is a tortoise dragging its tail through the mud.
Final thoughts
The pursuit of enlightenment is the journey a practitioner of Taoism should embark on, and not to care about the destination, because as lofty and unreachable as it is, what one will acquire, gain, and experience during the process will be well worth the effort.
It is also worth noting that enlightenment is not exclusively Taoist; many philosophies and religions across continents and throughout history also attempt to achieve it, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, in which enlightenment is about becoming a vessel of God's power.
All roads lead to Rome; the paths to the pursuit of enlightenment differ from group to group, culture to culture, and individual to individual: some by mindfulness practices such as meditation, some by reading and writing, some by worshiping deities, and so on.
The reason I chose Taoism as my path is that, unlike most other ideas where one is required to follow certain doctrines, its lack of such strictness fits my personality. It allows one to pursue enlightenment by virtually doing any activity, and for me, such activities are meditation, heavy reading, guitar playing and fishing.
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