Gambling and the Taoist Philosophy

Taoism is not a religion. Rather, it is a philosophy; a way of looking at things. Believed to have come from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu or Laozi, "Tao," or "Dao," as it is also often pronounced, means "the way." It is a philosophy that nurtures the idea that all things are one; that all of the opposites of the universe flow into one another and that ultimately, all would be right with the world, if we would only let it. In Lao Tzu's text, the Tao Te Ching, we are told that nature possesses a rhythm; regardless of what will a human being may impose on it, the seasons continue to change, and night, will always become day and then back into night once again. These things happen regardless of what people want, in the same way that a seed grows into a giant tree, if conditions are favorable, and it is left to its own devices.

Taoism is a "go with the flow" philosophy: it suggests that to find enlightenment, a person need only observe, breathe deep, and let the wisdom of the universe blow through them and allow their own wisdom to blossom. Let the universe happen around you; things happen, things will happen, things will keep on happening, and this is as is it should be.

In a manner of speaking, the gambler is very much a Taoist, and the casino can be said to be a good place to contemplate the Tao. Gambling is an activity that depends on an unpredictable outcome. A person bets something of value on the idea that something will happen a certain way. They can control how much they wager, they can choose what they want to wager on, and they can decide when to do so, but unless they intend on cheating, they have to let the event or the activity occur as it will, much in the same way that Taoist philosophy advises a person that they can make their choices, but they must also allow the world around them to be as it is and not try and control everything.

Even in gambling games that depend on strategy and tactics -such as poker or blackjack- the final outcome will always depend on luck: even if you are an expert cardsharp, if you keep on being dealt appallingly bad hands at Texas Hold'em, you will still lose. Regardless of how much a person hedges their bets or how prudently they manage their gambling budget, there is always an exuberant sense of abandon in gambling; knowledge that ultimately, a person just has to go with the flow. After all, if you actively grab the roulette ball and drop it into the number and color combination you had bet on, that would be considered cheating. In roulette, as with any gambling game, a person simply has to let the universe do what it will.