Welcome back to "Jammin on the Tao"! In this episode, we're diving into a powerful passage from the Tao te ching, Chapter 53, using the Ursula Le Guin translation. It opens with a simple, profound truth: "the great way is low and plain, but people like shortcuts over the mountains".
We explore what this means for us today, talking about how a lot of us live in a world of excess and extremes. We might have all the comforts we want in our homes, but our communities are often "full of weeds" and a sense of disconnection. We get into the dangers of mindless consumption and how, in our pursuit of more, we can actually end up taking from ourselves, depleting our energy.
The conversation highlights the importance of getting back to basics and tending to our own lives and local communities, like the idea of a community garden—a place where people come together, get their hands in the soil, and build something together. Ultimately, we realize that true wisdom isn't just about what you know; it's about what you do with it. The first step to finding that balance again is simply to become aware of the things that are out of harmony in our lives. Join the conversation in the comments! What are your thoughts on Tao te ching Chapter 53?
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The great way is low and plain, but people like shortcuts over the mountains.
Tao Te Ching Chapter 53 opens with a deceptively simple insight that cuts straight to the heart of human behavior. The Dao, the Great Way, is not hidden, complex, or exclusive. It is open, level, and accessible. And yet, people consistently turn away from it, choosing difficulty, excess, and extremes instead.
This chapter challenges us to ask an uncomfortable question: Why do we make life harder than it needs to be?
Walking the Great Way in a World of Extremes
Chapter 53 warns that arrogance, excess, and distraction pull us away from the Dao. When the mind loses its modesty, the simple path no longer feels sufficient. People begin to seek shortcuts, paths that appear faster or more impressive but are actually more difficult and destabilizing.
The imagery is striking:
- Palaces filled with splendor
- Fields left full of weeds
- Granaries standing empty
This contrast highlights imbalance. Attention is lavished on appearances, comfort, and accumulation, while the sources of nourishment—both literal and symbolic—are neglected.
In Taoist philosophy, this imbalance is not just a social problem; it is a spiritual one.
Excess, Consumerism, and the Illusion of Fulfillment
Chapter 53 speaks directly to a culture of excess. People adorned in fine clothes, carrying weapons, eating and drinking beyond necessity, and hoarding possessions are described bluntly as “shameless thieves.”
This is not merely a critique of wealth or power. It is a reflection on misdirected energy.
Excess consumption, whether of material goods, entertainment, or even information, creates the illusion of fulfillment while quietly draining vitality. The Dao is not found in constant acquisition. It is found in balance, restraint, and awareness.
And this imbalance is not limited to elites. Scarcity thinking and overconsumption permeate all levels of society, reinforcing isolation and disconnection.
The Untended Field: Losing Touch With What Nourishes Us
One of the most powerful metaphors in Chapter 53 is the neglected field.
On a personal level, it reflects how people retreat into carefully curated spaces, homes filled with comfort, technology, and distraction, while the living field outside goes unattended. Community weakens. Relationships thin. The land, both physical and relational, is no longer tended.
In modern terms, this “field” can also be virtual. People spend hours cultivating online identities, consuming content, and gathering ideas, yet fail to embody those insights in real life. Wisdom is collected, but not lived.
Taoism reminds us that knowledge without embodiment is another form of excess.
Community, Local Life, and Taoist Balance
Tao Te Ching Chapter 53 subtly points back to local, grounded living. True balance emerges when people are connected to their immediate environment, neighbors, land, shared responsibility.
This is why concepts like community gardens resonate so deeply. They represent:
Shared effort
Shared nourishment
Direct relationship with the earth
Mutual care
Such practices reflect the Dao in action. They are simple, cooperative, and sustaining.
Global systems and large-scale structures can be useful, but when they disconnect people from their immediate surroundings, imbalance arises. Taoist wisdom consistently returns us to what is near, tangible, and alive.
Why We Choose the Mountain Instead of the Plain
If the Great Way is easy, why do people avoid it?
Chapter 53 suggests that people are drawn to challenge, prestige, and struggle, not because they are necessary, but because they feed identity. Difficulty becomes a badge of worth. Excess becomes a symbol of success.
But making life harder than it needs to be is a form of energy consumption. It drains both individuals and societies. Taoism does not reject effort, it rejects unnecessary effort.
The Dao invites us to recognize when things are out of balance and to return to center.
Awareness as the First Step Back to the Dao
The final teaching embedded in this chapter is awareness.
Before rebalancing can occur, there must be recognition, seeing clearly where excess, distraction, and avoidance have taken root. Tao Te Ching Chapter 53 does not shame; it reveals.
When the veil lifts, the Great Way is already there, low, plain, and waiting.
Conclusion
Tao Te Ching Chapter 53 offers a timeless reminder: simplicity is not a lack, but a refinement. When we stop chasing extremes and tending appearances, we rediscover what actually nourishes life, connection, presence, and balance.
The Dao has never been hidden. We simply stopped walking it.