Explainations from the Chocolate Factory
By Theodore Lemann
Explanations From The Chocolate Factory
I allowed a small and fortunate group of young – chaperoned – individuals to explore my factory in an effort to discover one of those children to be my skilled successor in overseeing this operation. To find suitable criteria with which to test the potentials, I turned to some of the Tao Te Ching’s later chapters, which describe great masters of The Way. Verse 64 states:
a giant tree grows from the tiniest shoot
a giant tower rises from a basket of dirt
a thousand-mile journey begins at your feet
but to act is to fail
to control is to lose
sages therefore don’t act
thus they don’t fail
Like a giant tree bursting from the smallest seed in soil, one of these children would have to learn to be a contributor canopied over the groundwork of chocolate production. They must do this through non-action, so that also like a giant tree, the chocolate may mature into something delectable. Thus, they cannot prize the candy. They must appreciate the beautiful mystery of it, but not be overly indulgent in that enjoyment.
That is why I rarely eat the candy. Verse 65 follows that “The ancient masters of the Way / tried not to enlighten / but to keep people in the dark” I like to keep to the dark and not attempt to know the taste of the candy, but to understand it’s life from birth. In this way I follow the conclusion of Verse 64: “they turn to what others pass by / to help all things remain natural / they dare not act” The experience of the candy without it’s sensorial sensation is passed by with every chomp that is taken from a chocolate bar, yet it draws from the holistic understanding of the living process that creates such a great sensation. Thus non-action. I do not attempt to take an overbearing hand to any aspect of nurturing fine products into existence. I watch them arise and when my work is done, I step back.
This was a major factor in the selection process of my heir and so I wrote it into the contract that was signed by all parties, prior to entering: They must not steal any of the candy. Most overlooked this fine detail of the conditions under which they were visiting. I will admit it was written very minutely, but attention to such small details is a very important, too. The Tao – though it can equally be described as large as it could be small ¬– is something that might easily slip beneath a person’s nose and beyond their consideration. That is as harmful as is rampantly gourmandizing the contents of this factory. Verse 25 reads:
Humankind imitates earth
Earth imitates Heaven
Heaven imitates the Tao
and the Tao imitates itself
A good foreman will imitate the product that is being crafted in his factory. That is, he does not over-esteem the robust flavor of the chocolate and such because the chocolate and such do not act as if they are proud to have such ‘greatness’. As Verse 30 says:
win but don’t be proud
win but don’t be vain
win but don’t be cruel…
virility leads to old age
this isn’t the Tao
what isn’t the Tao ends early
This chocolate, though it may be presented glamorously packaged, does not itself maintain any righteous demeanor. It is subtle in tone and texture. It is unassuming in it’s isolated form, separate from the fantastic machines and landscapes that surround it and this is how I strive to be, for it is stated in verse 24 that “those who display themselves don’t shine / those who flatter themselves achieve nothing”
Overall, The Willy Wonka company is a fairly harmonious establishment in the way it runs and the people who maintain it. I do my best to uphold this standard by looking to the Tao Te Ching for advice. Though it can be difficult to find continuity within and understand the paradoxes throughout the Tao Te Ching, I personally have always said, “a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” (from the movie)