STRAW DOGS

One of the most memorable passages from the Tao Te Ching speaks of all people as straw dogs. This is a reference to ancient rituals where small figurines made from straws were used to represent animals in a ceremonial tableau of the myriad things of the world. After the ritual was done, these figurines were discarded, sometimes thrown into a bonfire.

This is a vivid imagery that compares life itself to the ancient ritual. The progression of life is like the ritual being conducted in a proscribed sequence. While this is happening, we are like the straw dogs at the center of it all, experiencing this interesting ritual called life.

Eventually, life comes to an end, just as the ritual must come to an end. Our bodies can no longer contain life and must be buried, just as the straw dogs are no longer imbued with the power of the ritual and must be discarded. All of our struggles, our material gains and losses, end up in a trash heap, or go up in flames. This is the ultimate Tao of detachment.

The Tao Today

Look at how the imagery of the ancient ritual puts everything in life into the proper perspective. For instance, why should you bicker with anyone when everyone will experience the same fate as the ritual of life comes to a close? Why not set aside your differences with others? They, too, are straw dogs in the ritual, just as you are.

The Tao of Joy Every Day

~ Derek Lin