Five Riddles in the Spirit of Tao
Taoism isn’t a set of rules; it’s more like a big riddle that you can never fully solve, but always learn from. Lao Tzu’s teachings are playful, often paradoxical, shaking up our assumptions and throwing out the rulebook. Sometimes, they catch us off-guard, forcing us to learn by being puzzled. They make us dance with the unknown.
Here are five riddles inspired by the spirit of Tao. The answers are below the riddles. Don’t jump to the answers just yet — bend your mind a little first 😉 Ready to give them a shot?
Riddle 1
I’m nothing, yet I’m everything.
A space where all begin to sing,
I have no form, yet shape all forms,
My beauty is to be unborn.
What am I?
Riddle 2
I grow by letting go,
My arms reach wide, my feet are low.
I am the strongest when I bend,
In yielding, I find all my strength.
What am I?
Riddle 3
I have no form, no weight, no end,
I am with you, but not your friend.
Endless and fleeting, I appear,
Yet when you seek me, I’m not here.
Try to pin me, and I slip away,
Let me unfold, and I shape your way.
What am I?
Riddle 4
I grow in silence and fall with no sound,
As in each ending, a start is found.
Embrace me, and I am your friend,
Resist me, and I’ll be your end.
I stay untouched by time’s flow,
Yet without me, time cannot grow.
What am I?
Riddle 5
I have no shape, yet I shape the land,
I yield to all, yet firmly stand.
I travel low, yet guide the way,
I make you leave, I make you stay.
What am I?
ANSWERS
Riddle 1
VOID
In Taoist thought, the void is not an absence but a creative space where all things arise. It is the space between form, action, and thought, where everything takes shape yet remains as infinite potential. The void holds all possibilities but is not constrained by them.
Riddle 2
A TREE
This metaphor reflects Lao Tzu’s vision of strength through flexibility. Just like a tree that bends in the wind but doesn’t break, true strength comes from releasing control, and from allowing life to shape us rather than resisting it.
Riddle 3
TIME
Time, for Lao Tzu, is like the Tao itself: invisible, formless, and ever-present, guiding the natural rhythms of life. You can’t force time to act on your terms, but you can flow with it, learning to align yourself with its rhythm rather than trying to master it.
Riddle 4
CHANGE
Lao Tzu teaches that change is the only constant in the universe. It is both the cause of all that seems chaotic and the root of all that is ordered. Change is invisible in its process, yet it shapes everything in profound, observable ways. The more we try to control or resist change, the more it slips away — so it’s essential to embrace it without resistance.
Riddle 5
WATER
In Taoism, water is the ultimate teacher. It’s soft, flexible, and unassuming, yet it has the power to shape mountains and carve canyons. Lao Tzu saw water as a perfect metaphor for living in harmony with the Tao. It flows effortlessly, taking the path of least resistance, yet it’s unrelenting, proving its strength over time. Water doesn’t compete or force its way — it simply adapts, nourishes, and persists. It reminds us to embrace humility, stay flexible, and find strength in gentleness.
The Journey Continues
I hope you enjoyed cracking these Tao riddles. You know the path has no finish line — and that’s what makes it beautiful!
(from the book Be a Vessel, not a Chaser — Lao Tzu Lessons of Success, by Monica Laura Rapeanu & MONLart Publishing)
