Knowing
Tao Te Ching
Without taking a step outdoors
You know the whole world;
Without taking a peep out the window
You know the color of the sky.
The more you experience,
The less you know.
The sage wanders without knowing,
Sees without looking,
Accomplishes without acting.
Understanding nature, the cycle of living things from birth to death, allows the Taoist to be able to know the workings of the world. That knowledge is of the balance/harmony found in nature and in humankind. Learning that all living things are born and eventually die, and should lead harmonious lives with nature and with each other, is how the Taoist "knows" the world. Appreciating nature is to realize the simplicity of the world and its inhabitants; life, exsisting, and finally death. No follower of Tao will force their will onto another; things must just happen as they happen.
When I read "The more you experience, The less you know.", I think of balance. To just live your life through personal experience is limiting your knowledge. The Taoist needs to consider the perspectives and experiences of others to fully know harmony. To really understand another is to listen to them; comprehending different sides to the answer to a question is balanced; the Yin and the Yang.
The sage, because of their adopting of "The Way", being balanced and peaceful, is knowledgeable and able to broadly understand the world without seeing it or leaving home because of an understanding of the most basic yet universal concepts of life. This knowledge is an accomplishment that the Taoist neither has to work for or offer evidence of.
