This paper examines Lao-tze's principle of non-interference as presented in Chapter 29 of the Tao Te Ching, situating it within the broader philosophy of Taoism. The discussion traces how concepts such as the primal self, the Void, emptiness, and the natural flow of the universe underpin Lao-tze's advice against tampering with the world. The paper contrasts these Taoist teachings with distinctly modern American tendencies toward control, force, and the avoidance of nothingness, using additional chapters of the text to illustrate how non-interference and letting go are, paradoxically, the most powerful forms of action available to the Taoist master.
In Chapter 29 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tze raises an issue that is central to Taoism but which a modern American might find difficult to understand: non-interference. Americans like to be in control. This is not just an American feature but a feature of the modern world. People have grown accustomed to instant answers to their questions and instant gratification, so that patience is almost entirely elusive. If something seems wrong, the modern person fixes it immediately, even if that means taking shortcuts and making the situation worse. Lao-tze's philosophy of non-interference seems anathema to modern life. However, it is central to the Way — the Tao.
The Taoist master "sees things as they are / without trying to control them" (Chapter 29). To this, the American might answer, "But what if things are bad? Don't we have a responsibility to fix them?" Lao-tze responds simply: "Do you want to improve the world? / I don't think it can be done." This statement seems pessimistic on the surface, as though the author is suggesting that it is impossible to change anything, so why bother trying? However, what Lao-tze really means is that "the world is sacred / It cannot be improved. / If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it" (Chapter 29).
To fully understand what Lao-tze is trying to say in Chapter 29 of the Tao Te Ching, it is important to place the chapter in the broader context of the philosophy as a whole. Chapter 29 refers to the Taoist concept of non-interference, which is a state of being that is in accordance with the Tao, or the Way. The Way is the way of balance and neutrality, which mirrors the essential nature of the universe as being "infinite," "unchanging," and "eternally present" (Chapter 25). The Tao, or Way, is a state of being that is paradoxically also a state of action. Lao-tze explains why a state of being — even nothingness — can also be a state of action, in terms of relaxing and letting go. "Open yourself to the Tao," Lao-tze advises. "Then trust your natural responses; / And everything will fall into place" (Chapter 23). When Lao-tze expands upon this concept in Chapter 29, he states that relaxing and letting go are the only ways of making the world a better place, because by letting go and doing nothing, the world is brought into tune with itself.
In the preceding chapter, Chapter 28, Lao-tze writes, "If you accept the world, / the Tao will be luminous inside you / and you will return to your primal self." The modern person might then ask, "What is the primal self, and how would I know what it looked like?" Herein lies one of the mysteries of the Tao that must be understood if the entire philosophy is to be grasped. The primal self is that which is original and untainted, because it was "formed from the void" as all creation was (Chapter 28). There is no hard definition of the primal self, either, because "he who defines himself / can't really know who he really is" (Chapter 24). The primal self is beyond words or descriptions; it is a state of being. In a sense, Lao-tze's primal self is not a "self" at all, but simply a way of being that is selfless. The primal self cannot be revealed through typical mental cognition but through emptying the mind. In fact, the primal self is the Tao. It is "ungraspable," which is why effort is meaningless (Chapter 21).
Lao-tze's concept of letting go, which he advises throughout the Tao Te Ching, is linked with the concept of emptiness and nothingness. The modern American will have a difficult time accepting emptiness and nothingness as real, or as acceptable. It is hard for a modern person to accept a void, which is why individuals try to fill the natural void with things like drugs, alcohol, and shopping. Yet any pursuit that seeks to fill the void is only avoiding the reality of the Tao. Nothingness is beauty, pure and untainted. "The Tao is dark and unfathomable. / How can it make her radiant? / Because she lets it" (Chapter 21).
The Master lets the darkness of the Void illuminate her own impulses so that doing Nothing is really doing Something special. Nothingness is pure potency and power, and all is perfect and sacred within the void of nothingness. Nothingness is at the center and origin of the universe. When the Master returns to the primal self by recognizing the essential emptiness at the heart of creation, he or she achieves a state of bliss and peace, and that state enables the perfect unfolding of the universe. From that state of bliss and peace comes the ability to maintain pure repose and calm. It is within the state of calmness and repose that the world can evolve as it should, without the unnecessary interference of the will.
The will can only "tamper" with the beauty of creation (Chapter 29). As Lao-tze said earlier, in Chapter 24, "If you want to accord with the Tao, / just do your job, then let go." The American finds it hard to let go because the American has an aggressive attitude that frequently involves the use of force. It is almost impossible to imagine getting a job done or living one's life by letting go. In fact, the entire history of the United States has been built on the use of force to achieve what are considered great things. Yet Lao-tze would point out that the nation and its people are not completely healthy. They exert will and use force to fill the void that is perceived as uncomfortable. The philosopher calls the feeling of discomfort at perceiving the void "existential angst" — the anxiety that comes from fearing the void. The Taoist Master, by contrast, welcomes and embraces the Void and thus becomes peaceful. When one welcomes the Void and becomes the Void through oneness with the Tao, the whole world opens up. "If you want to be given everything," Lao-tze advises, "give everything up" (Chapter 22). Such advice is anathema to the American, who is counseled against giving anything up.
This is because the nation is not following the Way. Lao-tze would notice immediately, "He who has power over others / can't empower himself" (Chapter 24). The white American has had power over the Native American and the African American, and has thus been unable to spiritually empower himself. Similarly, the "Puritan work ethic" that has dominated American society is not in accordance with the Tao. "He who clings to his work / will create nothing that endures" (Chapter 24).
"When force is permissible under Taoist principles"
"Right timing and remaining centered in the Tao"
The nature of the universe is a void or nothing, which necessitates a complete letting go of the mind and a relaxing of the will. In Chapter 29, Lao-tze advises against tampering with the universe. "If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it / If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it" (Chapter 29). The universe is not an object. Our eyes and ears may perceive things, and those things are real, but they are made of the pure energy of life. They are therefore already perfect as they are, and any tampering will undo the sacred balance that is the Tao.
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