Balance

The Tao is the definition of balance, and all things in existance are balanced against it, including itself. It is not freed from the requirement simply because it creates the requirement.

Often, we use the terms "good" and "evil" to define things in life. The Tao does not punish evil deeds any more than it rewards good deeds. Good and Evil are man made definitions, and their meanings are subjective. A muslim crashing a plane into a building will believe that he is doing a great good, while those that die believe that he is doing a great evil. For this reason, as taoists, we ignore good and evil, and give it no power. If you give strength to good, then you validate evil, and likewise if you strengthen evil, then you only create a need for good. This is balance.

So, as Taoists, we're freed from moral obligations? No, not at all. We must recognize something as a standard, and we must recognize that we are always in balance with the tao, whether we flow with it or against it is only a matter of balance.

If we spend our lives being helpful to others, doing deeds that better the lives of those around us, then we will flow with the tao, and find life a little easier. Likewise, if we live our lives being selfish, and ignoring the plight of those around us, helping only ourselves, then we flow against the tao, and things will always seem out of place.

The tao is not actively punishing, or rewarding either case, it is only supplying the balance needed, because it is not free from its own definition.

Its also important to point out that helpful actions are meaningless if they are done without virtue, while helpless actions, while performed with virtue, can be considered helpful in the end. For example, returning a wallet, expecting a reward is not truly helping the owner of the wallet, but finding a credit card on the ground and cutting it up and throwing it away, does in fact help the owner of the card, even if it seems to be a careless action at the time.