Lao Tzu On Ultimate Reality

The question of ultimate reality is a perennial problem of religion and philosophy. Lao Tzu has offered a special way of looking at the problem that has set an important tone in Chinese cultural history and has attracted many people in the West as a challenging possible alternative to the traditional way of looking at the problem. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the basic philosophical assumptions and problems in Lao Tzu’s conception of Tao as the ultimate reality and to compare it with some important conceptions of ultimate reality in other religions or philosophies, especially Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. We shall start with a general “definition” of ultimate reality, then discuss his view based on relevant passages in the Tao Te Ching, also known as Lao Tzu. It will be argued that there are two basic aspects of Tao as the ultimate reality. In its essence, it is empty of qualities, but in its function, it is the source of the myriad things. Other aspects of his conception of Tao will be treated only to a limited extent. It is hoped that the comparative method will bring out the uniqueness of his position in some systematic form. Every discussion of Lao Tzu’s thought confronts the perplexing problems about the person of Lao Tzu and the composition and formation of the Tao Te Ching.1 For this paper, we shall assume that there was a certain Lao Tzu who lived some time in the Late Chou dynasty (between the sixth and third centuries B.C.) and that he wrote the major portion of the Tao Te Ching, which was later supplemented, revised, and edited by his followers.