Tao (meaning “the way” or “the path”) was the wisdom of the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (meaning “master”) who lived circa 800 to 600 BC. He wrote a short book, more a pamphlet, Tao Te Ching, of 81 chapters which became the bible and foundation of Taoism. It was adopted by many great dynasties of the Chinese renaissance for more than a millennium. Taoism is not a religion but a way of life, a mode of benevolent existence. It complements Christian philosophy and values, but often contradicts Western thinking.

Some of his famous teachings include: 1) The more you know, the less you know, which means that in learning we begin to realize how little we really know, which drives us to know more; 2) Not planning is sometimes a form of planning; chaos is a form of harmony.

Prestigious American universities and corporations started adopting Lao Tzu’s wisdom, giving Tao seminars to their executives as part of their corporate training programs.

Below are two anecdotes on the wisdom of Tao.

Accidental Art

Anecdote 1. As an instructor in Basic Photography and Dark Room 101 at the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), I dared to pioneer in nude photography. I told the class to pay for the nude model. The news spread like wildfire. When I started the class, a big curious crowd blocked the entrance to the studio. I had to shoo them away.

I supervised the students to set up the lights, a combination of key lights (spots) and filler lights (flood lights). I told the class to be careful because there were many cables lying all over the floor. When the shooting began, the students were all excited, bumping into each other for better vantage points.

And then it happened. While they were shooting, a student tripped on the main cable. All the lights went out, except the sharp main spot light. Everyone stopped shooting waiting for the lights to be restored, except one guy who kept taking shots in the semi-dark.

At the time, there were no digital cameras, only analog, the old style. The students had to develop their own film and make their own prints in the darkroom. We were not into color photography which was a complex advanced course. Everything was in black and white, which is the true art format.

When the prints came out, the first prize was won by the student who took shots in the semi-dark. Since only one spotlight was on, in the absence of fill lights, he had a nude shot in hi-contrast, surrealistic, fantastic finish. It was an unplanned accidental shot but it won first place.

“Accidental art” was the winner. Lao Tzu said sometimes it is better not to plan. Not planning, meaning chaos, is a form of harmony.

Anecdote 2. Rene, the future valedictorian of our class was a quiet unassuming fellow. He never took notes in our Philosophy class. He absorbed everything in his photographic mind, and would instead be sketching a cartoon portrait of the teacher. When the professor noticed, he just let him be, knowing he would get a bad grade for lack of notes. Lo and behold, he was the only one who got a grade of 1, the highest grade.

He would normally crumple his sketches and throw them in the waste can. I secretly picked one up after everyone had left and ironed the paper straight. I then submitted it under his name to the school art contest.

Lo and behold, it won first place. When Rene saw his name as the first prize winner, he blushed as red as an apple. The Philosophy professor liked the sketch. So Rene had it framed and gave it to him.

This was not “accidental art.” It was impromptu art but not accidental. Lao Tzu was right. It is when you make no effort that you are able to shoot the basket. When you concentrate too much, you miss the shot. It is the same with Efren the Magician, the world famous pool player, whose shots are half science, half psychic.