Beatao

The Beatles were a phenomenon in history. Their music changed the minds of the young ones and old ones. Their era was not only a music time but it lead to a mind revolution. Their songs had very deep meanings and profound thoughts that give a lot of room for interpretations, analysis and get high with the lyrics. John Lennon, the lead singer, usually talked about peace, of being cool, of taking life easy and be open to life and love. The Tao Te Ching teaches the art of not doing anything, of emptying the mind and not seek for anything. John Lennon once did a peace protest along with his wife in which he would not get up from bed and let his hair grow as long as it could be. They have a theory of life as music. Life without any politics, wars or stress. The Tao Te Ching leans to the same branch.

“Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talking.” (TWO).
Doing nothing is a concept of living life as it comes and having no worries. Learn as it comes, clearing the mind. They also don’t have anything to do with the religion, as a matter of fact they were once banned by the Vatican because of the revolutionary ideas that were brought up in their songs. The Tao Te Ching could be confused as a religion and yet it has absolutely nothing to do with it. It is now seen as a religion but there is no god in its teachings. There is a very known song from The Beatles called “Let It Be” in which it talks about doing nothing, letting life go on. While reading The Tao Te Ching this song came to my mind because it can be compared to the maxims of the T.T.C:
“Understanding and being open to all things,” (TEN)
Let it be resumes this phrase, let things be, let life teach you, let life pass by, let it be. “It” being everything, such as heaven and earth, humans and life.
“When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
“Mother Mary” could be interpretated as a person or a religion, or a teaching such as the Tao Te Ching or The Analects. In this case it leans more towards the Tao Te Ching than the analects, because Confucius would not say to “let it be”, he would probably say to be eager to do something to learn something and take action.

Tao teaches to live life as it comes, to follow the flow, just like music. The Beatles based their songs on the flow, music.
“Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image.
Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is form.
Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within is essence.
This essence is very real, and therein lies faith.” (Twenty-One)
There it is practically describing what music is, but it is actually describing the Tao “and Tao alone”. There could not be another explanation, but that music is life, and life is music.
“Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.”
“Words of wisdom” is exactly what it is. The Tao is wise thoughts, wise way of living, letting it be.
“Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.”
These kinds of lyrics refer to taking it eassyyyy. It is said that The Beatles wrote this song when they were high, abusing of the substance SFF. (Strawberry Fields Forever) The Tao states:
“In spring some go to the park, and climb the terrace,
But I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am.
Like a newborn babe before it learns to smile,
I am alone, without a place to go.” (Twenty)
It is described quite similar to the lyrics of SFF. “Without a place to go”, just being drifted by life as it passes in front of you. “Strawberry Fields Forever” is that, a place not known, not existing, and somewhere away.

The Beatles lyrics also tend to lean to the branch of saving the world. Of making a better place for humans to live in and not the hell it has become. In the song “Imagine” there is this phrase:
“Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger”
In this world the most important thing has become having possessions, owning things, power, money, greed. We fail to realize that we are actually wasting the chance to live the life as it should be lived, following the Tao.
“To gain is to loose,
and to loose is to gain.”
To Tao also states many times throughout the book the concept of “gaining” and making “no profit” out of working, and so on and so forth. It is practically the same principle, being able to go on without worrying about material things.

This is why the Tao and the Beatles are related to each other. They share many thoughts and ideas which take a big part of each. The Tao, if you think about it, relates to many things because of the broad ideas and generalized thoughts.
You may follow the Tao and listen to The Beatles!