Fundamental Concept of Te
On the most basic level Te is the primary intrinsic nature of things. The hardness of a rock, the suppleness of a freshly cut leaf, and the sourness of a lemon are physical characteristics readily recognized. It would go contrary to our understanding and experience to grasp a rock only to find it soft and squeezable like a sponge; or to find the freshly cut leaf to be dry and brittle; or to bite into a lemon only to discover it to be sweet and mellow tasting. Through observation and experience we have come to expect certain qualities belonging to certain things.
We also acknowledge the inherent nature of animals. For example, the hunting and killing instincts of a predatory beast, like a lion or tiger, are taken for granted (but should always be respected!). Nevertheless, sometimes these large predatory animals are tamed and even kept as pets. Even when the animal is reared from birth by humans, its true nature never changes. It is always lurking just below the surface. All to often, then, these seemingly amazing relationships end up in tragedy, both for the owner and for the animal.
Each of us, too, have basic behavioral tendencies, likes and dislikes – peculiar to our own personalities – developed over the course of our lives. We often make decisions based upon a combination of our biology, environmental and social factors – although we boast of having free will.
Interestingly, the Chinese character for the word “te” also denotes rising, climbing, or ascending which might suggest the striving for attaining higher character or virtue. The inference here is that we are able to transcend our basic tendencies toward a higher consciousness. Incidentally, the pictograph for the word “tao” contains the head of a man which could relate to the intellect and, therefore, be pointing the way toward enlightenment.