Taoism Ki Khoobsurti: Paani Ki Taqat Aur Na Karne Ka Hunar

Duniya ki har muqaddas kitab apne Khuda ya apne sach ke elan se shuru hoti hai. Aik kitab aisi hai jo apne pehle jumle mein khud apna inkaar karti hai: "Jo Tao bayan ho sake, wo asal Tao nahi. Jo naam rakha ja sake, wo asal naam nahi." Tao Te Ching — raah aur us ki taseer ki kitab — pachhattar chhote chhote abwab, paanch hazar lafz, aur duniya ke sab se zyada tarjuma hone wali kitabon mein Bible ke baad shayad doosra number. Riwayat ise Laozi se mansoob karti hai — "boorha ustad" — jis ke bare mein kaha jata hai ke wo tang aa kar mulk chhor raha tha jab sarhad ke muhafiz ne kaha: jane se pehle likh do. Wo ruka, paanch hazar lafz likhe, aur dhund mein ghaib ho gaya. Muarrikh is kahani par shak karte hain. Kahani ko is se koi farq nahi parta.

Paani Ka Falsafa

Tao Te Ching ka markazi ustad koi paighambar nahi — paani hai. "Sab se behtar bhalai paani jaisi hai," aathwan bab kehta hai: "paani sab ko faida deta hai aur kisi se jhagarta nahi; wo un jagahon mein thehr jata hai jinhein log haqeer samajhte hain — isi liye wo Tao ke qareeb hai." Aur ikattarwan bab is ka raaz kholta hai: "Duniya mein paani se narm koi cheez nahi; magar sakht aur mazboot ko todne mein us ka koi saani nahi."