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Grace in Taoism?
My Chinese Christian friend recently asked me about the notion of grace in Taoism. In Christianity, “grace” means a kind of divine favor. It is also closely tied to gratitude. The believer feels grateful for the divine favor s/he receives. But since the Tao is not a personal god and the notion of ultimate reality in Taoism is not anthropomorphic, I told my friend that the notion of grace does not really apply in Taoism.
I do understand that Western psychologists feel that a sense of gratitude is important for cultivating happiness. After reflecting on what I learned in Taoism, I told my friend that the closest thing to gratitude in Taoism is contentment. A Taoist’s happiness is not based on having his wish granted or his desire gratified. Rather, it is based on the contentment of what he already has. This is perhaps the biggest difference between East and West. The West talks about the pursuit of happiness. The East emphasizes the enjoyment and savoring of what one has.
Chapter 51 of the Tao Te Ching is also educational. It reads:
道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命常自然。故道生之，德畜之；長之育之；亭之毒之；養之覆之。生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰，是謂玄德。
This may be translated as follows:
The Tao birthed them.
Virtue raised them.
Material gives them forms.
