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I've been reading ancient texts, such as Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, and I'm finding it challenging to comprehend the underlying messages in my first read.
The translated teachings are complicated and open for interpretation.
Sure, the author might've tried to convey a message in a particular direction when they wrote a phrase or a paragraph, but the concepts are broad enough to derive many meanings from them based on our individual life experiences.
While I get help from AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude to understand a passage when I have no idea of what it means, what I'm finding most effective in understanding the true depth of these old texts is an approach I like to call read and simmer.
Taking the text Tao Te Ching as an example, whenever I read a chapter or a couple, I don't try to wrap up my understanding and move on immediately.
Instead, I read only a few chapters at a time, let what I've read linger in my mind and close the book for now. I haven't moved on from the pages or taken notes on what I've read yet; I let those ideas simmer in my mind for a day or more.
This creates distance between me, the text and my initial impressions of it, gives my mind the time and the space to dive into my memories to join the dots and help me gain a solid understanding of what I've read rather than a hasty effort to draw a conclusion.
When I return to the book, I reread the pages I have simmering in my mind, and I usually understand the text better on the second pass. This is when I get those “aha” moments signifying I understood the message.
For example, consider these lines from Chapter 9 of Tao Te Ching:
Rather than fill it to the brim by keeping it upright
Better to have stopped in time;
At a glance, the message was ambiguous. I could understand it talked about knowing our limits, but I couldn't pinpoint where I would relate to this philosophy.
On a second read, my thoughts clicked sharper.
I could see this as a stellar reminder not to be too ambitious or greedy and to know what's enough success, money, or purpose for us.
Between rereading the chapter, I learned that Craig Newmark repeatedly turned down huge investment offers, limiting his net worth, to keep Craigslist true to its roots — a fantastic application of this philosophy.
Rather than fill it to the brim by keeping it upright
Better to have stopped in time;
Some passages are more cryptic and require multiple readings.
For such occasions, I keep returning to the pages until I've either understood and taken notes on the text, or understood and didn't find anything noteworthy.
I only move to the following chapters in the book once I've satisfactorily extracted the lessons from the previously read chapters.
The process is slow, but it helps me grasp the ideas in a way that allows me to relate to the philosophy and make practical use for it in my life.
Try this approach when you read something that's not obvious on the first try and feel there's more to what you understand now. Let it simmer and return to it after a few days.
In the meantime, you might have encountered similar ideas that help you connect the dots, or your mind gets the breathing space to fully comprehend the underlying meaning.
Read and simmer.
