Knowing Contentment (Lao-Zhuang Philosophy #QuoteNotes40)

Here is the quote I would like to introduce this time!

This is a famous saying, perhaps better described as a maxim that brilliantly expresses a universal truth rather than just a quote. It is a way of thinking that stands at the opposite pole to capitalism, which treats growth-ism as correct, but the more you learn about it, the more you become convinced that this is indeed the truth. Reading this article is sure to improve your general knowledge just a little bit.

The meaning of "Knowing contentment"

To "know contentment" means to be satisfied with what you have, not to lament what is lacking, to be grateful for your current situation, and to hold a feeling of gratitude; it also means that this state leads to inner richness and happiness. This is a concept derived from Laozi's teaching, "He who knows contentment is rich."

"Knowing contentment" is by no means a word of "resignation" that denies ambition or growth.

It means finding balance to live a more fulfilling life by noticing the happiness right in front of you and being grateful for your current situation. It is a way of thinking that can be applied in various situations, such as daily life, work, and human relationships. "Knowing contentment" is a phrase that gives us the awareness to objectively look at our own state, be satisfied with the status quo, and be grateful.

Who said it

Laozi

What kind of person?

Laozi was a thinker who was active during China's Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods and is considered the founder of Taoism. He denied the artificial morality and scholarship of Confucianism and preached the path of non-action and naturalness. It is said that Laozi authored the work later known as the "Tao Te Ching."

Speaking of China's Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it was quite a long time ago, about 3,000 years ago (the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods lasted from 770 BC to 221 BC). Because all of Laozi's thoughts capture the essence, they continue to influence various fields such as politics, philosophy, and art even today, long after the era in which Laozi lived.

Founder of Taoism

Laozi's thought would go on to form the foundation of Taoism.

Philosophy of non-action and naturalness

He preaches avoiding artificial actions and following the laws of nature.

Concise maxims

"Laozi" is characterized by concise, aphoristic expressions, and also contains many paradoxical words.

Doubts about his existence

Doubts remain regarding the existence of Laozi, and there are theories that he was a mythical figure or that he was a combination of multiple people.

Laozi's Philosophy

• Dao: Refers to the fundamental existence of the universe, the source of all things.

• De: Refers to a way of life in harmony with the Dao.

• Wu-wei: Refers to avoiding artificial actions and following the laws of nature.

• Non-contention: Refers to actions based on the philosophy of not competing and wu-wei.

The Taoist Symbol 'Taijitu'

Even if you don't know 'Laozi' or 'Taoism,' you have surely seen the Tao mark (Taijitu, Yin-Yang symbol) somewhere before.

It is an important symbol in Taoism, representing the dualism of Yin and Yang. In Taoism, this mark is considered the source of all things, from which Yin and Yang are born.

The white area representing Yang and the black area representing Yin are combined in a characteristic, contrasting shape. The two proportions are equal, expressing that neither is good nor bad.

As an even more important point, a black dot representing Yin is placed in the center of the Yang area, and a white dot representing Yang is placed in the center of the Yin area.

It successfully conveys the deep theme that Yang and Yin are not about which is good or bad, but rather that there is Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin, all in a single, concise, and efficient mark.

And if you read even deeper, there is surely a Tao mark inside the circle of the opposite color placed in the center of each area... and even inside that Tao mark, there is another Tao mark... and so on infinitely = one can interpret this as containing the implication that it is essentially 'equal to nothing.' Hmm, it really is profound...

It is a wonderful, highly perfected figure as a symbol, isn't it?

However, regarding this mark, it was on cheap brand clothes that were often sold when I was a child. Until I properly learned about Taoism after becoming an adult, I mistook it for the brand logo of a low-cost clothing manufacturer... That's why I still can't shake the bias that 'Tao mark = logo for cheap, tacky clothes,' and I reflexively think 'tacky' when I see it.

The Tao mark is a truly great symbol, though... If I could erase the memory of the cheap brand, I would.

Reinterpreting 'Knowing Contentment'

The quote I introduced this time was this one!

It is a phrase that makes us realize a certain truth: that happiness is not about continuing to grow infinitely, but about recognizing the happiness that is already there.

Is Taoism a double-edged sword?

Many of the teachings of Taoism, starting with 'knowing contentment,' capture the essence of this world and are very useful for living one's life.

However, as someone who was once deeply immersed in Taoist thought, I want to convey that Taoism is a 'double-edged sword.'

If you forget your role or the fact that you are a citizen living in a society built on capitalism, and blindly believe only the surface of Laozi's words, you will end up in trouble. There is a very high possibility that you will arrive at the mindset of 'I don't need to make any effort.'

How to use 'knowing contentment'

Let's take 'knowing contentment' as an example. 'Knowing contentment' means being satisfied with what you have, not lamenting what you lack, being grateful for your current situation, and feeling gratitude, and it means that this state leads to richness of heart and happiness.

It is possible to interpret 'knowing contentment' as 'I don't need to make any effort. I don't need to grow. Let's accept ourselves as we are!' But this is a mistake.

Currently, Laozi's teachings are often interpreted in a word as 'doing nothing and letting things flow,' but that is wrong. The essence of Taoist teachings is 'the theory and technique of how to accomplish things while keeping yourself in a safe zone.'

There are many reasons for this, but a major one is that in the text of the 'Tao Te Ching,' the book that conveys Laozi's teachings, expressions meaning success such as 'achieving merit' or 'accomplishing goals,' or even more ambitious expressions like 'conquering the world' appear many times.

If you interpret 'knowing contentment' without losing sight of the axis that Laozi's teachings are for 'succeeding,' you should not arrive at the conclusion of 'doing nothing and letting things flow.'

It can also be interpreted as: 'It is essential to calmly analyze your own abilities and situation. It is essential not to aim too high, but to take steady steps. Knowing contentment means knowing yourself, and if you can know yourself, you will be able to enjoy the process of growth.'

In the end, there is no absolute 'this is it!' correct answer to the words left behind by great people, but personally, I recommend an interpretation based on the axis of 'for the sake of success.'

After all, we live in capitalism

We, especially as average Japanese people, ultimately live in a society built on the rules of capitalism.

If you think about it specifically in terms of work, you can interpret yourself as a player involved in some form in the 'corporate activity' competition of whether or not you can achieve results in the form of sales, based on the fundamental rule of capitalism.

Even if you are not working, if you are a student, you can interpret it as a period of training to become a player in the competition.

Capitalism is a system that continues to expand itself in order to infinitely multiply the concept of 'money,' which is the greatest fiction created by humanity.

In order to survive in a society that is capitalism—which is society for Japanese people—that continues to expand itself, it is necessary to grow yourself in line with the expansion or growth of society. This is because if you stay where you are while being in an expanding society, you will relatively fall behind.

If you could live a life of 'doing nothing and letting things flow,' that would be happy in its own way. However, since humans are social creatures no matter how far they go, even if you have enough assets to live without working, I think it is essential to grow yourself in line with society to live 'humanely.'

In this case, 'growth' is not limited to so-called self-improvement growth, such as acquiring new skills or studying to obtain qualifications. Flexibly updating your mindset, such as your values and ways of thinking, in line with the changes of the times can also be called 'growth'.

Yukichi Fukuzawa, who became the face of the 10,000-yen note, also left behind the famous quote, "Those who do not advance will surely retreat, and those who do not retreat will surely advance". I cannot help but feel that the words of the person who became the portrait on the highest denomination banknote in Japan touch upon the essence of capitalism.

Unconventional success principles?

Up to this point, I have explained how to interpret the teachings of Laozi while living on the stage of capitalism!

Finally, I would like to introduce a very useful way of thinking for achieving 'success' in a society built on capitalism.

That is the 'unconventional success principle.' Since writing about it in detail would make this quite long, I will only introduce the simple concept in this article.

The idea behind the 'unconventional success principle' is very simple: there are two axes to the scale of 'success'—'heart' and 'money'—and the most solid path to success is to 'get money first' and 'enrich the heart next'.

I was shocked when I first learned this way of thinking. After all, I think the idea that 'you can be happy even without money, so let's enrich our hearts through philosophy and history!' is somewhat generally accepted in society.

I used to think that way in the past, too. Thinking, 'The heart is definitely more important than money after all...!'

However, the 'unconventional success principle' is more grounded. You absolutely need 'money' for true wealth! (After all, society is built on capitalism). If you seek only spiritual wealth without money, you end up like someone blindly believing in a religion... But if you don't have spiritual wealth, even if you have money, you just become a nouveau riche and you aren't happy.

If that's the case, the idea is to first work hard to gain a foundation (skills, knowledge, or in some cases, a personal business) that allows you to earn money quickly, and once that foundation is built, polish your spiritual wealth as a final touch. Isn't that incredibly grounded and logical?

There is also a manga version

After reading this far, if you think about the phrase 'knowing contentment' again, doesn't your impression change significantly?

The fact that we must 'grow' in order to live is unavoidable. If we are going to do it anyway, we can interpret this as a message to carefully identify the rules of the game we are playing and move forward step by step every day with our feet on the ground.

It becomes clear that this is by no means a phrase that encourages irresponsible resignation, such as 'if you do nothing and just go with the flow, everything will be fine, and things will work out on their own'.

How we accept, interpret, and apply the wise words left by our predecessors to our own lives is, in the end, up to each individual. Especially since I like the ideas of Laozi (Taoism), I might just be talking to myself, pulling out various arguments from here and there to make myself like them even more. Haha.

But personally, I am satisfied that I was able to face Laozi's words this seriously.

I have a deep attachment to Asian philosophies like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, so when I start writing about them, the word count inevitably increases. Haha.

It has become quite long, but thank you very much for reading this far!

Speaking of Laozi, 'Confucius,' who is also one of the world's three greatest sages, is also recommended. Many of Confucius's words also capture the essence, and they are full of messages that will serve as nourishment for living in the rapidly changing modern world.

Related Information

It is written in plain language and is very easy to understand.

If you want to dive deep, this is the book!

Introducing a book that lets you quickly grasp the big picture of Eastern philosophy!

Comparing Laozi and Confucius (Taoism and Confucianism) makes it very easy to visualize. Here is a very easy-to-understand video where Atsuhiko Nakata gives a lecture in a classroom style.

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