Here is one way the Tao Te Ching describes the Tao:
“He who says doesn’t know, he who knows doesn’t say”
How can we understand the Tao if we cannot even talk about it?
One way is to understand the Character for Tao:
On the top right Yin and Yang are balanced, (The two dots with a slanted line underneath).
Under this is the character for Yourself, (The rectangle shape with two triangles or two waves on the left)
On the left hand side is the character for Path.
Putting it all together it can be understood as The Self Path to experience the balance of Yin and Yang.
It is the path we take through this life, we walk this path. No one can do it for us. Therefore, Tao is unique for each one of us.
In terms of the 5 Elements – Heart, Kidney, Lung, Spleen and Liver, the symbol can be understood this way also.
The top right is the 2 kidneys,
The slanted line underneath is the Liver. The Liver is always tricky, twisty. This is the side view of the Liver, if we saw a side view of the character
this slanted line (Liver) would extend backward and have depth. It is also like a leaf (Liver in nature is wood element), think of a leaf – if you place it on the palm of your hand,
one view is you look at it on your palm, but now look at it from the side, you see a thin line but there is depth where the rest of the leaf resides.
The rectangle shape with the triangles or waves is the Spleen.
On the left, the path is Lung’s yang partner – the Large Intestine. This is a very powerful and mysterious organ in Chinese Medicine.
Here, we see it featured in it’s rightful place – the path that we take through this life.
Using the yin yang principle of visible and invisible, the organ that does not show up in this character is the Heart. The King. This represents the invisible, the Heart is the most powerful
influence on the Tao, our Tao, our path.
Follow your Heart for true peace and fulfillment. Then the other organs will also be fulfilled.
When the King is happy, there is peace in the kingdom.
