From "Spirit of Japan" Tao Management 2002

What is the essence of Taoist thought?
It is found in the eternal and infinite and we call it Tao--the Way.
We modern beings only believe that which can be seen, or the voice that can be heard.
We thus put our greatest faith in words, but is this worthy of consideration as truth?
Taoist thought says no.
Truth exists in that which cannot be seen, in that which cannot be heard.
For example, take human beings.
The truth of that person is not in what that person says, his clothes, or his title.
It is in that person's heart where truth can be found.
Without seeing this, the truth of that person cannot be seen.
In the heart; in other words, the truth is in a place which cannot be seen.
So Taoist thought is not a slave to words and titles, clothes and accessories, because none of these constitute the truth.

What can be said about those that transcend this?
They see that which cannot be seen, they hear the voice that cannot be heard.
The master can see tomorrow and can therefore make accurate preparations.
It is also said that a fisherman attains full status as such only after he has learnt to forecast tomorrow's weather.
The master can see what's behind.
This is why a master swordsman can ward off a sword thrust when attacked from behind.
In this way, superior skills and deep wisdom are found in that which cannot be seen, that which cannot be heard.

In Taoist thought, even if we try to see the Tao we cannot; even if we try to hear its voice we cannot; and we cannot touch it even if we try.
But it exists.
It is precisely because its existence is such that it is said to be eternal and infinite.
Taoist thought proclaims that we humans, birds and animals, grass and trees, and all things were born out of the Tao.
Thus, the Tao exists within us.
Whether we realize that we ourselves are one part of the Tao is vital.
So all truth is the Tao within us; so it is inside but not outside ourselves.

Moreover, like ourselves, everything was born from the same Tao and is one part of it.
Thus, in Taoist thought everything is seen as equal with no discrimination.
Because wealth and poverty, rank and class are irrelevant in the truth of a person, no distinction is made between them.
So the Tao conflicts with nothing; there is never any dispute.
Putting it further, our focus should always be directed towards the Tao: we can see our ideal selves in its eternal and infinite existence.
To be awakened to the meaning of life and death in our fleeting lives, we mortal beings should never forget this eternal and infinite existence by seeing the form which has no shape, hearing the voice where there is no sound.

Apart from the joy of life, the satisfaction of living and being grateful for being alive, what else is there?
If there are other things that's fine; if not, that's fine, too.
However, there are many people who, instead, put importance on these other things and who spend their lives in trying to obtain them.
Not only that, in obtaining them they end up destroying the vital points of living.
Making one's life inferior means attaching no importance to the lives of others.
Thus, these kinds of people cannot live their lives in peace and harmony as they would wish to because they lose sight of the essence of living and merely spend their lives in deep distress.

Taoist thought, therefore, does not necessarily have praise for civilization.
Civilization has a tendency to run ahead of itself and the civilization that goes too far alienates humans and leaves them out in the cold.
It becomes a case of ourselves wringing our own necks.
It is a grave warning to us modern beings that, despite the wonderfully infinite ability and wisdom we have within us, we leave it unnoticed while only looking to the outside to develop our abilities.

It is especially now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, that Taoist thought urges us to return, once more, to the roots of our humanity and to look at ourselves anew, once more to turn our attention to the wise words of Taoist thought.