It sees a sniffle, a stomac hache, back
or knee discomf ort, and fatigue as messages to follow the body’ s signals
back to a natural state of well-being. A happy mind thinks of the body as
capable of healing infirmit ies because it knows that it isn’t a human
creation, but a product of the Tao. A happy mind trusts the capacity of the
body to live without sickness or suffering. So use your happy mind to work
with you to stay healthy . Examine your habits. What daily habits distance you from your natural state of well-being? Any
addictions, no matter how serious or minor they might seem, are beckoning
you to be totally fed up with them. Get sick of being weakened by
destructive pursuits. You know what they are, and you know when you’ve
habitually let yourself become ill from food, alcohol, or drugs; or from the
guilt and shame that results after a binge. Remember that “ignoring
knowledge is sickness” and examine your fixations, vowing not to ignore
your awareness of what they are. Do the T ao Now
Dedicate a day to really listening to and trusting the messages from your
body , and then listen to what your mind tells you about those signals. Introduce your mind to the possibility that the body is signaling a request
that you can grant, such as a nap or a walk along the beach, for instance. Cultivate the Tao-centered happy mind, which will not entertain sickness
thoughts. OceanofPDF .com72nd Verse
When people lack a sense of awe,
there will be disaster . When people do not fear worldly power ,
a greater power will arrive. Do not limit the view of yourself. Do not despise the conditions of your birth. Do not r esist the natural course of your life. In this way you will never weary of this world. Therefore, the sage knows himself
but makes no show of himself;
loves himself
but does not exalt himself. He pr efers what is within to what is without. OceanofPDF .comLiving with
Awe and Acceptance
This verse of the Tao Te Ching alerts you to two components that work
together for a harmonious life: a sense of awe and total acceptance. W ithout
these combined forces, you’re unlikely to see the presence of the T ao. As I wrote about this verse, I found myself reading from Saint John of the
Cross, a 16th-century mystical poet who lived a life of awe. I’ve reproduced
a few of his lines to give you an idea of how this feeling manifested in a
Divinely spiritual man:
My Beloved is the mountains,
And lonely wooded valleys,
Strange islands,
And r esounding rivers,
The whistling of love-stirring br eezes,
 
The tranquil night
At the time of rising dawn,
Silent music,
Sounding solitude,
The supper that r efreshes and deepens love. This morning I sit here in my sacred space on Maui feeling an urgency
that actually feels like the rapture in Saint John of the Cross’ s words. I sense
the presence of Lao-tzu urging me to hurry up so that he may convey to you
what he means by having a sense of awe. It is so profound as to usher into
your life a timeless awareness of the arrival of a greater power . I feel that power right now in my beautiful surroundings. The sound of
mynah birds fill the air as the ocean rolls in undulating waves, much like
the heartbeat of our planet. The colors are absolutely breathtaking: thebright blue sky; the shimmering green palm trees, sea grass, and ficus
plants; the dreamy oranges and purples mixing in the distant clouds; and
topping it all off, a rainbow  that appears to be connecting the nearby islan d
of Lanai with my front window . When words appear on my blank sheets of paper , I’m awash with
bewildering waves of pleasure  at how I’m being used by an invisible
Source. I know that I’ll soon be in the ocean, propelling myself along the
shoreline, looking down at the creatures playfully moving about in the salty
water and wond ering where they sleep. How do they get here? How can
they breathe without air? Do they ever stop moving? Will they be here after
I’m gone? And then I’ll emer ge from the ocean and walk along the sand,
feeling the sun on my body and questioning how it stays up there, how we
keep moving around it while spinning once every 24 hours, why the ocean
doesn’ t tip upside down while the whole planet is turning over and over,
and if the stars and the universe itself will ever end. The reason it’s crucial to have a sense of awe is because it helps loosen
the ego’s hold on your thinking. You can then know that there’ s something
great and enduring that animates all of existence. Being in awe of that
something staves off disasters because you have no fear of worldly
conditions. You’re kept grounded in the otherworldly power that manifests
a trillion miracles a second, all of which are oblivious to your ego. The 72nd verse of the Tao Te Ching also asks you to accept yourself and
your individual concerns. With three very emphatic suggestions, Lao-tzu
tells you to avoid self-limits, accept your body as a perfect creation, and
allow your life to unfold in accordance with its own nature. I love the metap hor of nature as a guide to sagelike acceptance. In fact,
throughout the 81 verses, Lao-t zu emphasizes being in harmony with the
natural world, telling you that’ s where you connect with the T ao. As Meister
Eckhart, a 13th-century Catholic monk and scholar , put it: “God created all
things in such a way that they are not outside himself, as ignorant people
falsely imagine. Rather , all creatures flow outward, but nonetheless remain
within God.”
And in John 15:4–5, the Bible advises you to “stay joined to me, and I
will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it staysjoined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. I
am the vine, and you are the branches.”
Learn about the Tao by being in perfect harmony with the environment. Think of trees, which endure rain, snow , cold, and wind—and when the
harsh times arrive, they wait with the forbearance of being true to their
inner selves. As Deng Ming-Dao writes in 365 Tao: Daily Meditations:
“They stand, and they wait, the power of their growth apparently dormant. But inside, a burgeoning is building imperceptibly . . . neither bad fortune
nor good fortune will alter what they are. W e should be the same way .”
In order  to do so, we must accept ourselves as being a part of the 10,000
things. And we must love that same burgeoning, imperceptible inner nature
that will bear fruit. Or, as Lao-tz u concludes this verse, “He prefers what is
within to what is without.”
Love yourself, make no show of yourself, and quietly remain in awe and
acceptance. Here are some suggestions on how to make this your reality:
See the miraculous in
 
Change your view of the world to one of awe and bewilderment. Rather
than looking for miracles, shift to seeing everything as miraculous. By
being in a state of awe, you won’t be able to mentally experien ce boredom
or disappointment. Try seeing the invisible Tao flowing through and
supporting everyone and everything: A rainstorm becomes a miraculous
event, the lightn ing a fascinating display of electrical fireworks, the thunder
a booming reminder of the invisible power of nature. Live the mystery by
beginning to perceive what average eyes fail to notice. Focus on loving the life you have now in the body you’ve got! Tell yourself that you love everything about the physical shell you’ve
incarnated into. Affirm: My body is perfect, born at precisely the right time,
and this is the perfect age now. I accept myself as I am. I accept my role in
the perfection of this universe at this time. I surrender to the natural course
of my body’ s destiny .See your body through the eyes of totally accepting thoughts and, as Lao-
tzu says, “In this way you will never weary of this world.”
Do the T ao Now
List five natural  occurrences in your daily life that you’ve been taking for
granted. Then spend some contemplative time allowing each into your
consciousness. The sky, some flowers, a tree in your yard, the moon, the
sun, the fog, the grass, a spiderweb, a crab hole, a lake, a shrub, a cricket,
your dog, anything that occurs naturally . . . let yourself radically appreciate
the miracle you hadn’ t been noticing. Write, draw , or photograph some
observations that you’ve gleaned from this new perspective of awe and
bewilderment. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com73rd Verse
Bold action against others leads to death. Bold action in harmony with the T ao leads to life. Both of these things
sometimes benefit
and sometimes injur e.
 
It is heaven’ s way to conquer without striving. It does not speak, yet it is answer ed. It does not ask, yet it is supplied with all that it needs. It does not hurry , yet it completes everything on time. The net of heaven catches all;
its mesh is coarse,
but nothing slips thr ough. OceanofPDF .comLiving in
Heaven’s Net
Once again you’re asked to see the Tao through a paradoxical lens. After
all, what is “the net of heaven”? It is the invisible world wherein all of the
10,000 things originate. And while it appears to have many openings—
ways to escape the inevitability of the intentions of the Tao—no one and no
thing can exist beyond what the T ao orchestrates. Here in this 73rd verse, you’re encouraged to be a respectful, cautious
being under the net of heaven. All the translations I’ve studied say the same
thing in differen t words. Here’ s one, for instance, that’s brief  and to the
point:
Reckless bravery: death. Cautious bravery: life. Therefore the sage behaves in a cautious manner . So Lao- tzu is asking you to change the way you look at bravado and
courage. Rather than seeing these qualities as admirable, he asks you to be
less of a dauntless hero and more vigilant and alert in order to live the Great
Way. Note that the way of heaven is to eschew bold actions and remain
cautious. Lao-tzu offers you four examples of how the net of heaven holds
everything within its grasp without having to be forceful or reckless, and
you’re encouraged to emulate that in all of your undertakings:
1. “It is heaven ’s way to conqu er without striving.” See how the Tao is
peaceful, silent, and always the conqueror . No human can command the sun
to cool down, ocean currents to stop, winds to subside, rain to cease, or
crops to quit growing—this is all handled naturally and perfec tly without
any effort by the Tao. Nature always wins because the Tao simply does it all
without needing to attack or strive. Be like this and relax in heaven’ s net. 2. “It does not speak, yet it is answered.” Heaven’ s net is invisible and
silent—the force that provides you with every breath and holds the universetogether at the same time does so without commanding, yelling, or even
mildly cajoling. So be in harmony with heaven’ s way by being more
cautious and reserved. Listen more and speak less, trusting  that your
answers will come to you without any notice and most assuredly without
any screaming. 3. “It does not ask, yet it is supplied with all that it needs.” You have an
infinite supply of all that you will ever need available to you, so you
needn’ t demand  anything or even ask for it. All is in Divinely perfect order
with heaven’ s way, and you are a component of that perfect order . Your
supply will arrive if you requir e less and welcome all that shows up. You
simply cannot slip through heaven’s net, no matter how many holes you
may perceive there to be. Everything is arriving on schedule—by trusting in
this, you’ll be guided to a rende zvous with your destiny , and you’ll marvel
at how it all comes together without your asking or demanding. 4. “It does not hurry, yet it completes everything on time.” How can the
Tao hurry up? Imagine giving such a request to heaven: “I’m tired of winter
and insist that you bring me spring flowers in the middle of these long
freezing nights. I want my potatoes today , even though I only plant ed the
seeds yesterday . Hurry up, I insist!” The Tao works with Divine timing, so
everything is completed precisely as it should be. You’re invited to slow
your pace so that it 73rd Verse harmonizes with heaven’ s way. Even if you
think that what you want is late, in reality it is all on time. The more you hurry , the less you get done. Try rushing through a shower
after running a 10k and notice how your body continues to sweat profusely . Then try slowing your mind down, relaxing, and allowing the water to
course over you—and notice how your body feels clean without sweating in
precisely the same amount of time that you used in your hurry-up mode. Even if your ego doesn’ t grasp it, this is the truth: Everything is on time
under heaven’ s net. What follows is Lao-tzu’ s advice for you today , as you peruse this 73rd
verse of the T ao Te Ching some 2,500 years after it was written:
Don’t see caution as a weakness or an expr ession of fear . Instead, view it as a way to step back and allow events to unfold naturally . Bravery is a fine quality , but reckless bravery—that is, where you rush inwithout thinking—is a sure way to invite disaster . In this provocative verse,
Lao-tzu is telling you to think before you act. Allow heaven’ s way to do the
conquering without your having  to fight or defeat anyone. Very often your
first impulse is dominated by your ego’ s need to win and conquer . I saw this as a competitive tennis player . By not striving, I’d often emer ge
victorious over younger , stronger , and sometimes more talented players. The reckless overhitting of the ball by my opponent would cause him to
make unnecessary errors, while I stayed in the backcourt and simply
returned the ball in what appeared to be effortless harmony . And this
created more of a desire to win in my recklessl y brave opponent, causing
him to make even more mistakes. I call this “young man’ s disease.”
Be an active listener . Rather than attempting to control others by speaking frequently and
loudly , allow yourself to becom e an active listener . Many of the answers
you seek (and the results you expect) from others will surface if you can
remember not to speak or even ask. Try living in accord with nature, which
listening—rather than pushing, striving, or demanding—will help you do. Do the T ao Now
I decided to go for a one-hour nonaction walk today after rereading this
73rd verse, to simply observe how everything under the net of heaven is
working perfectl y. I noticed the silent sun nourishing the land and providing
light for us all. I stepped back and watched bees flitting back and forth
between flowers , and stood there amazed by the invisible life force growing
green bananas in a clump at the top of a tree. In all, I was just an observer
of the Divine, invisible, silent, effortless Tao at work—realizing that while
it’s in no hurry , it’s still gettin g everything done on time. Those green
bananas will ripen in due course; but today I just loved the energy that
creates, nourishes, and prepares them to appear for my breakfast someday! Today I urge you to take a similar nonaction walk for an hour, and note
how nothing slips through the net of heaven. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com74th Verse
If you r ealize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you ar e not afraid of dying,
there is nothing you cannot achieve. There is always a lor d of death. He who takes the place of the lor d of death
is like one who cuts with the blade
of a master carpenter . Whoever cuts with the blade of a master carpenter is sur e to cut his own
hands. OceanofPDF .comLiving with
No Fear of Death
What happens when we die? Is death the vehicle that returns  us to our
Source of being, or does it signify the end of consciousness and all of life? One thing is absolutely certain:  This subject is an absolute mystery to us. Some Tao scholars have referred to death  as a place of oneness wherein
time, space, and all of the 10,00 0 things cease to have meaning. Thus, what
dies is our human identity . There’ s still someone undernea th the external
layers, though, so when you know and understand who that formless
someone is, your fear of dying will evapora te. You can live on the active
side of infinity by knowing your infinite Tao nature, which probably means
that you’ll alter the way you think about birth, life, and death. Move from wanting to see permanence in your life to realizing that all
things change due to the natur e of this being an ever-modifying world. There’ s nothing external to hold on to; after all, the moment you think you
have it, it becomes something else. This is as true for your earthly
packaging as it is for your worldly treasures. Whether you realize it or not,
the body  you were in when you began reading this essay is different now,
and it will become different again the moment you attempt to make it
remain the same. This is the nature of our reality . If you can get comfortable
with it, you’ll reduce—and ultimately eliminate—your anxiety regarding
mortality . As Lao-tzu promises: “If you are not afraid of dying, there is
nothing you cannot achieve.”
Your Tao essen ce has to be infinite because it came from a world of
infinite possibilities. You’re not a thing that’s solid and perm anent; in fact,
there’ s nothing like that in the world you incarnated into! You are real, and
what’ s real never changes. Yet your real self isn’t in this world, but is the
part of you that is the Tao. Whe n you live in harmony with the infinite Tao,
death is irrelevant—so know your highest self and understand that there’ s
nothing you can’ t achieve. The second part of this verse deals with killing, or taking another being’ s
life. Lao-tzu is quite specific here, saying, “There is always a lord of death.”At the moment of your coming into the world, everything you needed for
this journey was handled by the lord of life and death. Just as your birth
was Tao energy, your body type, skin color , eyes, ears, and every other
physical aspect of you are expressions of the Tao. This includes your death,
which has been choreographe d, determined, and allowed to unfold in
Divine timing. In other words, killing isn’t your job, not ever—not of
another person or any other being. Since death is as much a part of the Tao
as life, it must be allowed to be in accord with nature, not perfo rmed as an
ego decision. I learned this lesson years ago while changing court sides in the middle of
a tennis  match in which I’d been playing at an exceptionally high level. While taking a drink of water , I noticed a bee lying upside down , apparently
in the final throes of its short life. I assumed that it was suffering, so I
stepped on it to avoid prolonging its agony . As I began to play again, I
couldn’ t get that bee out of my mind: Did I do the right thing? Who am I to
decide this little creatur e’s fate? Who am I to become an executioner , even
to such a seemingly insignificant creatur e as a tiny insect? And everything
on the tennis court began to take on a different energy from that moment
on. Previously my shots had been landing on the lines, and presently they
were out by inches. The wind seemed to shift and work against me. I was
now moving more slowly and making uncharacteristic errors. Ultimately ,
what looked like a sure victory turned into a complete  letdown and an
embarrassing defeat because my role as the well-intentioned murderer of a
small bee had been occupying my mind. I’ve since changed the way I see
death, and I no longer 74th Verse deliberately kill anything. I’ve decided
that it’s not my job to decide another ’s death ever since my day of
awakening with that bee! Even  if that bee only had a few minutes of life
remaining, it is the job of the “lord of death,” or the great Tao, to make that
determination. I just spoke with my dear friend Lauren, who’ s in the throes of watching
her cat, who’ s been with her for 19 years, get ready to pass on. She asked
for my advice about having Sweet Pea euthanized to avoid prolonging her
suffering. After I read her this verse and told her my own experience with
that tiny bee, Lauren elected to hold Sweet Pea in her lap until deathclaimed her. A reverence  for life as a form of the Tao helps us all realize
that we’re not in char ge of death decisions. Lao-tzu’ s legacy is summed up magnificently in the words of T. S. Eliot,
from his poem “Little Gidding”:
We shall not cease fr om exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive wher e we started,
And know the place for the first time. This is death—nothing to fear , nothing to do. This is what I believe Lao-tzu is saying to you in this profound verse of
the T ao Te Ching:
Discontinue fearing your death. It makes as much sense to think about your death in fearful terms as it
does to perceive the color of your eyes in such a way. The Tao is in it all—
birth, life, and death. Reread the T. S. Eliot quote, as well as the 40th verse
of the Tao Te Ching (which I titled “Living by Returning and Yielding”). By retur ning in death, you’ll truly know the Tao . . . for perhaps the first
time. Examine the ways you kill. Make a decision that you’re no longer going to serve in the capacity of
executioner , including even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant
creatures, and then act on it. Live this principle by allowing the lord of life
and death to decide when the return trip is to be made. Don’ t make this a
crusade; just make your own commitment to exist in harmony with the Tao. And by all mean s, don’t impose your beliefs on others, for noninterference
is one of the major positions of the T ao Te Ching. Do the T ao Now
During meditation, practice dying while still alive. That is, leave your
body , discard it, and float abov e the world. This will help you disconnect
yourself from feeling that your physical shell is who you are. The more you
are the observer rather than the object of what you see, the easier it will beto remove your fear of dying. Do this for just a few minutes daily . Remember that you are not this body—you are a piece of the infinite Tao,
never changing and never dying. This excerpt from Neale Donald Walsch’ s Communion with God
elaborates on this thought:
Which snowflake is the most magnificent? Is it possible that they are all
magnificent—and that, celebrating their magnificence together they create
an awesome display? Then they melt into each other , and into the Oneness. Yet they never go away . They never disappear . They never cease to be. Simply , they change form. And not just once, but several times: from solid
to liquid , from liquid to vapor , from the seen to the unseen, to rise again,
and then again to return in new displays of breathtaking beauty and wonder . This is Life, nourishing Life. This is you. The metaphor is complete. The metaphor is real. You will make this real in your experience when you simply decide it is
true, and act that way. See the beauty and the wonder of all whose lives you
touch. For you are each wondrous indeed, yet no one more wondrous than
another . And you all will one day melt into the Oneness, and know then that
you form together a single stream. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com75th Verse
When taxes ar e too high,
people go hungry . When the government is too intrusive,
people lose their spirit. Act for the people’ s benefit;
trust them, leave them alone. OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Demanding Little
This verse was intended to help the ruling classes and the nobility manage
the realm. Understand that during the warring-states period in ancient
China, rulers used onerous methods to impose order on the masses: They
tended to keep all of the tax money that was collected from the people for
themselves, flaunting their good fortune in the faces of the impoverished. Those who were overtaxed and overburdened would lose their spirit and
sense of loyalty and ultimately rebel against the laws imposed upon them. This book you’re holding in your hands isn’t intended as a social
commentary to enlighten political leaders who take advantage of their
positions (although I’d certainly invite any of them to take heed of Lao-
tzu’s advice!). Rather , I wrote it to help you apply the inherent wisdom in
each of the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching. So you’re invited to change the
way you look at assisting others to stay inspired and have contented and
peaceful lives. You may believe  that demanding more from those in your charge, such as
your children or co-workers, creates more productivity , but Lao-tzu
suggests the opposite is true. Demand little, he advises, and even leave
people alone as much as possible. And the imposition of excessive taxation
on the masses can have an analogous component for you to consider when
it comes to how you treat those you’re responsible for leading. Government officials often vote to raise more and more money for pet
projects and even their own personal benefit simply because they have the
authority to do so. Since they’re in charge of lawmaking, they write rules
that allow them to be abusive toward the very people who pay their salaries
and provide them  with all of their benefits. In virtually all cases, those who
are being taxed to provide luxurious lifestyle perks receive far less in the
way of benefits than those who are the recipients of that tax. In other words,
the rule makers and others in power are using their positions to take
advantage of ordinary people. When this becomes too preva lent, thoseordinary people become restless and disruptive, with scant respect for
authority . As Lao-tzu puts it “People lose their spirit.”
Rather than demanding more because you’re older , bigger , richer , or more
powerful, leave those you’re in charge of alone whenever feasible, trusting
in their inherent wisdom to do the right thing. Overbearing, taxing
authorities create rebellion and chaos—and you’ll create the same unless
you check your inclinations and reverse yourself by being less demanding
instead of more. I’ve practiced this approach to leadership my entire adult life by keeping
the number of people who work for me and require my supervision to an
absolute minimum. My deman ds on my manager/ secretary/all-purpose
assistant are few and far between, and she’s been my sole employee for
three decades. I allow her to negotiate contracts, to make all arrangements
for speaking events, and to manage my very large business with an absence
of demands from me. I don’t tell her what time to come to work, what to
wear , or how to talk to people; and my reward for being a boss with
minimal demand s is someone who’ s fiercely loyal, who can be depended on
to do the right thing, who loves her job, and who is indispensable to me. I behave the same way toward my editor , who has also been with me for
30-plus years. I write from my heart, allowing the words to flow onto the
page, and then I send it to her. I trust this woman implicitly and allow her to
do what she incarnated to do with no demands from me. My reward for
being nonintrus ive is to have my books beautifully and professionally
polished. My editor and I also enjoy a loving, peaceful relationship, with
both of us content and proud of the work we were destined to produce. While what I’m describing may seem impossible to you, it can absolutely
be attained when you trust in the Tao to mana ge all of the details of both
your professional and personal life. The following is what Lao-tzu urges you to take from this 75th verse of
the Tao Te Ching, which was originally intended for leaders of countries,
but is applicable to everyone in a supervisory or parental role:
Don’t overtax yourself. Lao-tzu’ s reminder that excessive taxation will lead to a loss of spirit
applies to you as well. If you weigh yourself down with excessive demands,you’ll wear yourself out or develop symptoms of depression, anxiety ,
worry , heart disease, or any number of physical ailments. Give yourself a
break from self-imposed pressures that burden you, allowing yourself
plenty of free time to commune with nature, play with your children, read,
see a movie, or just do nothing. Trust those you’r e entrusted to lead. Don’ t continually monitor those you’re responsible for raising or
supervising; instead, develop a trust in your less experienced charges. They
must be allowed to use their own minds, for they also have a destiny to
fulfill that’ s orchestrated by the T ao. So demand less and encourage more as
much as you can, allowing them to pursue their own excellence and
happiness. Your trust will lead to their trusting themselves and the wisdom
that created them. Do the T ao Now
Take a break from all that occupies your mind, including your
responsibilities. Even if it’s only for 15 minutes, clear your mind, empty
your “demands file,” and allow yourself the freedom that comes with being
less exacting. When you complete this, do the same with your children or someone who
reports to you at work. Put your arm around them and ask them to go for a
brief walk, just doing nothing but being together in nature. Then let them
return to their responsibilities at their own pace. If you’re thinking that your child or employee needs an imperious
overseer , perhap s they’ve become that way because you haven’ t trusted
them to be self-reliant. OceanofPDF .com76th Verse
A man is born gentle and weak;
at his death he is har d and stiff. All things, including the grass and tr ees,
are soft and pliable in life;
dry and brittle in death. Stiffness is thus a companion of death;
flexibility a companion of life. An army that cannot yield
will be defeated. A tree that cannot bend
will crack in the wind. The har d and stiff will be br oken;
the soft and supple will pr evail. OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Bending
The thing I love most about studying the Tao Te Ching is its impeccable
adherence to finding the Great Way by closely studying nature. In this
passage, Lao-tzu asks us to chan ge the we look at the concept of strength by
noticing how the most solid and durable things in the natural world tend to
be soft, gentle, and even weak. If we see strength as being hard, inflexible,
and unyielding, he invites us to change that perception. Life, according to
Lao-tzu, is defined as soft and pliable. Some of my fondest memories of my eight children came from watching
their flexible newly born bodies in awe. I could lay them on my lap and
easily place their feet in their mouths or even behind their necks! They were
perfect yoga masters at the tender age of only a few months or even days. When they were toddlers, I watc hed in amazement, often holding my breath
as they bumped their heads, ran into walls witho ut looking, and took what
appeared to be nasty falls. Yet lo and behold, they’d shake it right of f. What
would have surely resulted in a broken hip or arm for an older person was
hardly noticed by these limber youngsters. By the same token, an older tree that’s getting close to death will become
hard, brittle, and susceptible to fire and harsh winds. Since the tree can’t
bend, a strong gust can blow it right over. As it ages, the wood becomes
weaker simply because it’s inflexible. Its rigidity , which some think of as
strength, has actually turned it into a weak organism. Similarly , at the
moment of death all creatures go into rigor mortis, which is complete
stiffness and, of course, a total absence of strength. Being pliable and able to bend  goes beyond the aging proce ss that all
bodies are destined to experience. Thus, Lao-tzu encourages you to apply
this principle to your thought processes and behaviors. You’re reminded
that rigidity and hardness accompany death, while pliability and even
weakness are the companions of life. You may have been taught that
strength is measured by how “hard” you are in your thinking or how
inflexible you are in your opinions, and that weakness is associated withthose who bend. But when confronted with any stressful situation, keep in
mind that being stiff won’ t get you very far, whereas being flexible will
carry you through. Change the way you think abou t strength, not just as it relates to those in
positions of power , but for yourself as well. There’ s a lot to be said for what
we’re condition ed to think of as weak: Begin to see that strength is
weakness, and weakness is streng th . . . just another of the Tao Te Ching’ s
fascinating paradoxes. Here’ s what Lao-tzu urges you to consider as you apply the lessons of this
oft-quoted 76th verse:
Be str ong by bending. Be willing to be like palm trees  in the midst of hurricane-forc e winds—
their so-called weakness somehow gives them the strength to survive
devastating storms. The same is true for the way you relate to others, so
listen more, allow your viewpoints to be challenged, and bend when
necessary , know ing that you’re actually choosing strength. The more you
think in rigid ways, refraining from considering other points of view , the
more you’re liable to break. As Lao-tzu reminds you, “The hard and stiff
will be broken,” while “the soft and supple will prevail.”
Examine your unbendable attitudes. Scrutinize your attitudes on matters such as the death penalty , legalization
of certain drugs, abortion, gun or birth control, taxation, energy
conservation, and any other issues on which you hold an unshakable
position. Then make an effort to walk in the shoes of 76th Verse those who
have opposite opinions. When you consider the rebuttals they’d of fer, you’ll
see that this old proverb has some truth in it:
This is my way! What is your way? The way doesn’ t exist. Today , for example, I had a conversation with my daughter Serena
concerning a presentation she was to make before one of her college
classes. She was convinced that her conclusion was unbendable regarding alarge retail chain’ s employment policies. There was no room for discussion
—they were wrong and she was right. Yet for the sake of an intelligent
discussion, I took the position of the retail giant  and tried to offer that
perspective to her. As our discu ssion continued, my daughter found herself
bending just a bit. As she realize d that every story has two sides, she found
herself willing to listen to the opposition. Serena was able to bend in a way
that made her strong. If leaders on both sides of any matter were willing to at least listen to each
other , conflicts wouldn’ t need to escalate to life-and-death  proportions. By
listening, yielding, and being gentle, we all become disciples of life. Do the T ao Now
Every day in yoga class there’ s an exercise that reminds me of this verse
of the Tao Te Ching, and I encourage you to practice it right now. Stand
with your feet together , raise your hands above your head, and stretch as
high as you possibly can. Now bend to the right as far as you can go,
stretching for 60 seconds. Then  return to an upright position and do the
same on your left side. All the while, see yourself as flexible, supple, and
able to bend in harmony with the T ao. OceanofPDF .com77th Verse
The way of heaven
is like drawing a bow:
The high is lower ed,
the low is raised. When it is surplus, it r educes;
when it is deficient, it incr eases. The T ao of mankind is the opposite:
It reduces the deficiency
in or der to add to the surplus. It strips the needy to serve those who have too much. Only the one who has the T ao
offers his surplus to others. What man has mor e than enough
and gives it to the world? Only the man of the T ao. The master can keep giving
because ther e is no end to his wealth. He acts without expectation,
succeeds without taking credit,
and does not think that he is better
than anyone else.OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Offering the Surplus
If you view the ways of heaven from a distance, you’ll find that nature is
perfect. The Tao is at work, invisibly keeping a Divine  balance. When I was
in Sedona, Arizona, for instance, I took a tour of the forested areas in the
steppes of the majestic red-rock mounta ins. After I lamented the recent fires
that had decimat ed so many trees, the guide explained how this had actually
been nature at work. “For millions of years,” he explained, “when the forest
gets too thick, nature’ s lightning strikes and thins out the forest.” Without
such an occurren ce, the timber would choke on its own surplus. This is how
our planet works. While at times natural events  such as droughts, floods, hurricanes,
windstorms, and excessive rainfall can seem disastrous, they’re actually
maintaining balance. This is also clear in the lives of butterflies, flocks of
geese, or herds of caribou and buffalo—the sport of killing upsets nature’ s
system of dealing with surpluses. And the Tao agrees: “When it is surplus,
it reduces; when it is deficient, it increases.” Observe nature, says Lao-tzu:
If deficiencies exist, don’ t continue to reduce what’ s already in short supply . The lessons in these final verses relate to governing the masses by staying
harmonized with the Tao. Lao-tzu seems to rail against people in positions
of politi cal power who took from the needy to give themselv es more of
what they didn’ t need. In today’ s world, we can see evidence of this
practice in myriad ways, but especially in lawmakers voting themselves
benefits to be paid for by everyone else: They give themselves 95 percent
retirement packa ges, medical insurance for life, limousines, private parking
places on public land, and free first-class travel, even as they strip the needy
and serve those who have too much. And in countries where starvation is
rampant, it’s not unusual to see large amounts of food and supp lies stacked
on docks while people die from malnourishment because government
representatives think they’re “above” all that. The 77th verse of the Tao Te Ching suggests thinking about the surpluses
we can put back into circulation to decrease deficiencies that existelsewhere in our world. Lao-tzu  asks you and me to put the wisdom of this
verse to work in our personal lives by seeing what we have but don’t need
as an opportunity to be “Tao people.”Lao-tzu isn’t asking our government,
political leaders, or captains of industry , but us personally: “What man has
more than enough and gives it to the world?” The answer is, only the man
or woman of the Tao. When there are enough of us, there will be a pool
from which we Tao-centered people emer ge to govern. Then we’ll put into
place the way of living of fered in this verse. It’s fairly simple to understand a surplus of mone y or possessions, but the
word actually symbolizes much  more. For example, there’ s the surplus of
joy you feel that you can offer to yourself and your family . Then there’ s the
excess of intellectual prowess, talent, compassion, health, strength, and
kindness you can share with the world. Whenever you see deficiencies in
joy, abundance, educational opportunities, perfect health, or sobrie ty, make
your own surpluses available. Lao-tzu urges you to look at what’ s deficient
and be an instrument of increasing, rather than a collector of more, which
marginalizes and divides the oneness that is all of life. Practice these new ways of being that are more aligned with the way of
the T ao:
Reduce surplus. Reduce what’ s in excess in your life and then offer it where it can be
utilized. Begin with your stuff: clothing, furniture, tools, equipment, radios,
cameras, or anything that you have too much of. Don’ t sell it; rather , give it
away (if you can afford to). Don’ t ask for recognition for charitable acts—
simply behave in harmony with 77th Verse the Tao by reducing your
surplus. Then think about your intangible abundance of health, joy,
kindness, love, or inner peace , and seek ways to offer those glorious
feelings to those who could benefit from your bounty . Be an instrument of incr easing. Just as nature fills voids by maintaining the cyclical balance necessary to
our world, be an instrument of increasing where you observe deficiencies. Practice giving by dedicating a portion of your earnings to be used to ease
deficits, for as Lao-tzu points out, “The master can keep giving because
there is no end to his wealth.” If you can’t offer money to those who areless fortunate, say a silent bless ing for them. Offer a prayer when you hear
an ambulance’ s or police car’s siren. Look for opportunities to fill the
empty spaces in other people’ s lives with money; things; or loving ener gy in
the form of kindness, compassion, joy , and for giveness. Do the T ao Now
Plan a day when  you make a point of getting rid of some of your surplus,
making sure that you part with something that’s useful elsewhere. Look
around for thing s you don’t need or use—for instance, I just glanced up
from my writing and spotted some legal pads, three DVDs, and a toaste r
that I haven’ t used in six months. If you scan the room right now as you’re
reading these words, I’m positive you’ll see things that you could easily
categorize as surplus. So sched ule a time to put some of your excess into
circulation. You can also pick up those things in your line of vision at this
moment and drop them off where they’ll be welcomed today . Be a man or
woman of the T ao! OceanofPDF .com78th Verse
Nothing in the world is softer
and weaker than water . But for attacking the har d, the unyielding,
nothing can surpass it. There is nothing like it. The weak over comes the str ong;
the soft surpasses the har d.
In all the world, ther e is no one who does not know
this, but no one can master the practice. Therefore the master r emains
serene in the midst of sorr ow;
evil cannot enter his heart. Because he has given up helping,
he is people’ s greatest help. True wor ds appear paradoxical. OceanofPDF .comLiving like Water
In researching, studying, and putting into practice the 81 verses of the Tao
Te Chin g, I’ve been struck by the many references Lao-tzu makes to water
in its various forms: the sea, rain, fog, mist, snow , and rivers and streams. The esteemed master seemed to find his spiritual strength in all of nature,
but he must have had a special reverence for water and how it functions in
all of our lives. Be like water seems to be repeated throughout the Tao Te
Ching. This element is closer to being Tao-like than anything else in this
world, so it is a perfectly suitable symbol for teaching about the Great W ay. Water is as mysterious to us as the Tao is. When you reach into the river
and try to squeeze it tight, you end up losing it all. W ater is elusive until you
cease grasping and let your hand relax and be one with it—pa radoxically ,
you get it by letting go. Lao-tzu advises emulating this element in all of its
undecipherable and mysterious ways, even if it seems contrary to what your
intellect and conditioning are telling you. Lao-tzu reiterate s three themes that appear throughout this book. They are
the true characteristics of water:
1. Overcome the unyielding parts of your life by yielding! Hard and rigid
are overcome by the relentless application of gentle things, such as water ’s
soft flow or steady drip. So be persistently gentle and willing to surrender ,
and watch the resistance of the harsh and implacable wear away . For years, one of my family members who insisted on damaging herself
and her relationships by ingesting intoxicating substances has been  met by
my loving but firm response. Slowly , over time, her hardness began to wear
away in the face of the steady drip, drip, drip of gentle but resolute
kindness, acceptance, and love. It can be discouraging at times, but as Lao-
tzu points out in this verse, we must act just like water and use a soft
approach, “for attacking the hard, the unyielding, nothing can surpass it.”
 
2. Water appears to be somethin g you could easily overpower . However ,
it’s so flexible that once you push it out of the way, it will find its own level
below all strong  things and patie ntly enter where nothing solid can block itsresting place. Put up barricades, erect levees, and make everything
waterproof; yet with enough passage of time, the flexible quality of water
will triumph. “The weak overcomes the strong” is a powerful message for
you. Remember to stay flexible, willing to lower yourself in humility and
appear weak, but knowing that you’re in harmony with the Tao. Lao-tzu
urges you to be like the master who remains “serene  in the midst of
sorrow ,” and evil will not be able to enter your heart. 3. Water is so soft that it can’t be harmed, damaged, or destroyed—it
simply returns to its Source to be used over and over again. Boil it until it
disappears, and its vapors enter the atmosphere, ultimately to return. Drink
it, and it returns after nourishing your body . Pollute it, and it will return
after enough passage of time to become purified nourishment again. This is
all accomplished because of the element’ s mutable softness. When you stay soft and surpass the hard, you too will be indestructible. (Reread verse 43, “Living Softly .”) There’ s nothing softer than wate r under
heaven, and yet there’ s nothing that can surpass it for overcoming the hard. There’ s so much wisdom to be found in this analogy: Stay in your soft
mode. Hang back when you’re  about to show how hard you can be. Try
patience rather than attempting to rigidly control. Trust your innately gentle
self. I love Mary Oliver’s beautiful poem “Wild Geese,” in which she speaks
of this:
You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundr ed miles thr ough the desert, r epenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves. Tell me about despair , yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving acr oss the
landscapes,over the prairies and the deep tr ees,
the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air , are heading home
again. Whoever you ar e, no matter how lonely ,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things. From his 2,500-year -old perspective, Lao-tzu reminds you of how much
you have to learn from nature, particularly water , and urges you to put these
ideas into practice:
Change the way you look at str ength versus weakness. See that the stereotypes of rigid, hard, forceful, cocksure, and dominant
aren’ t attributes of strength at all. In fact, these qualities will lead you to be
suppressed and overpowered by softness, or what you’ve called weakness. Change the way you look at all of this, and watch your world change. When
you begin to admire and emulate those who stay weak and pliable, you’ll
see the true strength in yourself  as a person of the Tao. Give up interfering
and helping, and opt instead to stream like water—gently , softly , and
unobtrusively—wherever you’re needed. Be soft like water . Like water, flow everywhere there’ s an opening, rather than attempting to
dominate with your forcefulnes s. Soften your hard edges by being more
tolerant of contrary opinions. Interfere less, and substitute listening for
directing and telling. When someone offers you their viewpoint, try
responding with: “I’ve never considered that before—thank you. I’ll give it
some thought.”
Do the T ao NowDo a meditation today in which you picture yourself as having the same
qualities as water . Allow your soft, weak, yielding, fluid self to enter places
where you previously were excluded because of your inclination to be solid
and hard. Flow softly into the lives of those with whom you feel conflicted:
Picture yourself entering their private inner selves, seeing perhaps for the
first time what they’re experien cing. Keep this image of yourself as gently
coursing water , and watch how your relationships change. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com79th Verse
After a bitter quarr el, some r esentment r emains. What can one do about it? Being content with what you have
is always best in the end. Someone must risk r eturning injury with kindness,
or hostility will never turn to goodwill. So the wise always give without expecting gratitude. One with true virtue
always seeks a way to give. One who lacks true virtue
always seeks a way to get. To the giver comes the fullness of life;
to the taker , just an empty hand. OceanofPDF .comLiving Without
Resentments
In this verse, which has been so helpful to me personally , you’re asked to
change the way you hold resentments following a difference of opinion or
an outrig ht quarrel. Now what causes annoyance and anger after a dispute? The generic response would be a laundry list that detailed why the other
person was wrong and how illogically and unreasonably they behaved,
concluding with something  like, “I have a right to be upset when my
[daughter , moth er-in-law , ex-hu sband, boss, or whomever you’re thinking
of] speaks to me that way!” But if you’re interested in living a Tao-filled
life, it’ s imperative that you reverse this kind of thinking. Resentments don’t come from  the conduct of the other party in an
altercation—no, they survive and thrive because you’r e unwilling to end
that altercation with an offering of kindness, love, and authentic
forgiveness. Lao-tzu says, “Someone must risk returning injury with
kindness, or hostility will never turn to goodwill.” So when  all of the
yelling, screaming, and threatening word s have been expressed, the time for
calm has arrived. Remember that no storm lasts forever , and that hidden
within are alwa ys seeds of tranquility . There is a time for hostility and a
time for peace. As the storm of a quarrel subsid es, you must find a way to disre gard your
ego’s need to be right. It’s time to extend kindness by letting go of your
anger . It’s over, so offer forgiveness to yourself and the other  person and
encourage resen tment to dissipate. Be the one seeking a way to give, in the
sense that Lao-tzu describes in this verse, rather than the one looking for
something to get. I run a large enterprise based on the wisdom in this profound verse. My
company is all about giving, so if there are any disputes about product sales,
my assistant knows to let the other party have whatever they desire. If
someone can’t afford something, I give it away . I allow recordings of my
talks and ask nothing in return. I give of my time for photographs,
autographs, or anything at all. Unless I have a plane to catch, I’m the lastperson out of the auditorium, and I’m willing to talk with anybody who
makes such a request. It’s all about giving, and those who work for me
know this and live by these principles. When I asked an outsider to be a part of my speaking tour not long ago, I
encountered a man who was a tremendously gifted musician and entertainer
yet was living in scarcity . Despite his enormous talent, abundance just
wasn’ t flowing into his life. After a few of our speaking dates, I noticed his
inclination to be a taker rather than a giver—he consistently  looked for
ways to make more money on the side, excluding everyone else who was
working to provide a service to those who attended the lectures. I had a long discussion with this man about how his profiteer ing rather
than offering was blocking the flow of abundance into his life, and I
encouraged him to trust in the wisdom that Lao-tzu provides. The point here
is that this was an opportunity for us to both proceed on the tour without
resentment. Regardless of anyone else’s attitude, if you live with “true virtue,” you’ll
seek a way to give. This truth completely aligns with the Tao; after all, the
creator of life is always giving, never taking. So change the way you think
about scarcity and resentment, and begin to truly feel the question How may
I serve? The universe will seem to respond, Finally , you got it—you’r e
acting like me! I’ll keep that flow coming into your life in ways that will
astound and delight you. As Lao-tzu says, “To the giver comes the fullness
of life; to the taker , just an empty hand.”
Here’ s what Lao-tzu encourage s you to do to make the wisd om of the
79th verse your reality: 79th V erse
End on love, no matter what! Picture yourself at the termination of a quarrel or major dispute. Rather
than reacting with old patterns of residual anger , revenge, and hurt,
visualize offerin g kindness, love, and forgiveness. Do this right now by
sending out these “true virtue” thoughts to any resentments you’re currently
carrying. Make this your standard response to any future altercations: I end
on love, no matter what! Practice giving.In the midst of arguments or disagreements, practice giving rather than
taking before you exit the fraca s. Offer the Tao treasures or real virtues by
presenting kindn ess rather than a put-down, or a sign of respec t instead of
proving someone wrong. Giving involves leaving  the ego behind . While it
wants to win and show its superiority by being contrary and disrespectful,
your Tao nature wants to be at peace  and live in harmony . You can reduce
your quarreling time to almost zero if you practice this procedure. Do the T ao Now
Silently recite the following words from the Prayer of Saint Francis:
“Where there is injury , [let me bring] pardon.” Be a giver of forgiveness as
he teaches: Bring love to hate, light to darkness, and pardon to injury . Read
these words daily , for they’ll help you overcome your ego’s demands and
know “the fullness of life.”
OceanofPDF .com80th Verse
Imagine a small country with few people. They have weapons and do not employ them;
they enjoy the labor of their hands
and do not waste time inventing laborsaving machines. They take death seriously and do not travel far . Since they dearly love their homes,
they ar e not inter ested in travel. Although they have boats and carriages,
no one uses them. They ar e content with healthy food,
pleased with useful clothing,
satisfied in snug homes,
and pr otective of their way of life. Although they live within sight of their neighbors,
and cr owing cocks and barking dogs can be
heard acr oss the way ,
they leave each other in peace
while they gr ow old and die. OceanofPDF .comLiving Your
Own Utopia
This second-to-last verse of the Tao Te Ching might have been titled
“KISS”—that is, “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Here, Lao-tzu makes a case for
an ideal  society where conflict isn’t a problem, harmonizing with nature is
practiced, and weapons may be present but are never used. The ancient
Chinese master seems to say that staying close to nature and taking pleasure
in the basics of life are more satisfying than pursuing technological
equipment and fancy carriages. He advises readers to keep close  to the land,
work with their hands, and not compete with neighboring villages. While it’s clear that the world has changed dramatically over the past
2,500 years, the advice in this 80th verse offers wisdom for the 21st century
and beyond. Imagine a world where weapons are vestiges of the past,
displayed in museums to illustra te and warn the populace about an absurdly
violent history . You’d see the conflicts on this planet exhibited from the
perspective of human beings as tiny microbes living on the same body ,
equally depende nt on it and on one another for survival, yet killing each
other and destroying their host anyway . War would simply seem senselessly
destructive. When we look at the conflicts that have taken place througho ut history ,
we cannot help but see that the hatred and rivalries in ancient and modern
times make no sense. Why won’t (or can’t) people share the land and live
together peacefully? What seems so important that it’s necessary to kill
each other over it? Even in fairly recent times, those individuals who were
so hated that we tried to decimate them have become our allies. So what
was all the killing about? Why haven’ t we learned to live in harmony with
the life-g iving Tao? The answers to these questions are obviously complex,
but, unfortunately , they continue to need to be asked. This verse doesn’ t negate an effort by you to create ways to live your
utopia. Instead, it’s offering you an escape from the vicious cycle of hatred,
murder , war, and subsequent cooperation before the next cycle of violence
erupts. You can return to the basics of a peaceful existence by choosing tolive simply and placing less ef fort on needing to conquer anyone. When you
see the inclination toward creating more war machines, vote instead for
candidates who support peaceful ways for dealing with conflict. Your personal choices also align you with the tranquil nature of the Tao. You can opt to do without some of the new technology some, or even all, of
the time. You can choose to write by hand and feel your connec tion to your
Source as the words flow through your heart onto the paper . You can choose
to walk rather than drive as often as possible. You can choose to compute
numbers withou t a calculator , and remember phone numbers as a way of
personalizing your connections. You can choose to swim or bicycle for
exercise in lieu of using machines. There are many laborsaving devices that Lao-tzu may never have dreamed
about, and you can eliminate them as part of your simplification routine. Maybe not having e-mail or downloading music is your way of
symbolically staying close to the land that Lao-tzu speaks of in this verse. In other  words, you can know what the modern world offers in the way of
information and technology , while at the same time being aware of the areas
of your life where you want to keep things basic. Recognize when you’re
feeling the effects of information overload, too many gadgets, or
overcomplication, and switch to a natural environment that pleases you for
whatever amount of time you choose. Lao-tzu seems to be encouraging you to simplify as a way to heighten
awareness of your Tao connection. Try out these new attitudes and
behaviors to help you change the way you think about your modern life;
you may in fact change the life you’re living! Practice radical appr eciation. Begin a practice of joyfully engaging with the things you take for granted. There are comforts such as your home, garden, meals, clothes, family
members, and friends that you experience every day without ever
appreciating them. Choose to pay attention—make the shift by giving
thanks and loving appreciation. Spend more time close to home in awe over
the many simple treasures that make up your life. See paradise all ar ound you.Change your belief that you must travel, be worldly , and experience
distant lands and people in order to have a fulfilling life. In fact, you could
reside on the same street for a lifetime without ever leaving and know the
bliss of the Tao. Keep in mind the thought offered by Voltaire: “Paradise is
where I am.” If where you are is at home, with the same people, the same
photographs, and the same furniture, make it your paradise. Find joy and
solace in the simple. Change your view to see the pleasure in what you
have, where you’re located, and who you are. Cultivate your utopia by
feeling the T ao in every cubic inch of space. Do the T ao Now
Devote a day to food! Appreciate the mysterious intelligence that created
food for your health and pleasure, and say a prayer with every connection to
it. Goin g grocery shopping, cooking, planning a dinner party , being a
dinner -party guest, eating at a restaurant, grabbing a snack, or having some
popcorn at the movies are just some of the opportunities to consciously
explore that connection. See these food connections as a part of the endless
Tao cycle, and being in your own utopia. OceanofPDF .com81st Verse
True wor ds ar e not beautiful;
beautiful wor ds ar e not true. Good men do not ar gue;
those who ar gue ar e not good. Those who have virtue do not look for faults;
those who look for faults have no virtue. Sages do not accumulate anything
but give everything to others;
having mor e, the mor e they give. Heaven does good to all,
doing no evil to anyone. The sage imitates it, acting
for the good of all,
and opposing himself to no one. OceanofPDF .comLiving Without
Accumulating
This final verse of the Tao Te Ching provides the closing message of this
entire collection of ideas: You came from no-thing-ness. The place of your
origination had no things; the place of your return is one of no things. Therefore, Lao-tzu is inviting you to replace the accumulation  of more stuff
with the celebra tion of your true essence. Just as nothing is pure Tao in its
formlessness, the real you is that same formlessness . . . for you are the Tao. The Tao Te Ching attempts to attract you to a way of being that
recognizes nothingness as the Tao—you could call it a God-realized way of
being. In this final essay , I’ve chosen to propose that you access your
nonbeing, Tao self by living without accumulating. This means giving
more, ar guing less, and releasing your attachment to everything in the world
of the 10,000 things. Ultimately , living this way even means letting go of
your attachment to your life and your body . But you can practice this right
now, while you’re still living in the world. Saint John of the Cross speaks to this way of seeing your life:
To reach satisfaction in all
desir e its possession in nothing. To come to possess all
desir e the possession of nothing. To arrive at being all
desir e to be nothing. To come to the knowledge of all
desir e the knowledge of nothing. All of this wisdo m of nothingness comes out of the offerings of Lao-tzu,
the ancient spiritual sage who wants us to experience the bliss of being all
by knowing a nonaccumulating place of nothing  ness.It is difficult to imagine a world without things, yet in this final verse of
the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu takes you through what such a world would look
like. You don’t need beautiful words, since there is no-thing for you to
describe. There is no-thing to argue about, as there are no possessions to
fight over. There’ s no faultfind ing or blaming, for all that exists is the
hidden virtue of the Tao. And finally , there is no-thing to collect, amass, or
accumulate, which leaves you in a state of creative giving and supporting. “Heaven does good,” says Lao-tzu, and good is a synonym for God, which
is truly the same as the T ao. Meister Eckhart illustrates the interchangeability of the words God and
Tao in this piece:
God is a being beyond being
and a nothingness beyond being. God is nothing. No thing. God is nothingness. And yet God is something. You’re encouraged in this final verse of the enduring and amazing Tao Te
Ching to do all that you can to imitate heaven while you’re here in form. Try out these suggestions from Lao-tzu as you change your thoughts, and
ultimately your life, forever:
Quit accumulating points for being right! Let go of your propensity for argument and replace it with the willingness
to allow anyone with whom you have a disagreement to be right. End your
quarreling ways  by simply telling the other 81st Verse person  something
like this: “You’re right about that, and I appreciate hearing your point of
view .” This ends the argument and eliminates blame and faultfi nding at the
same time. Change ego’s need to be right by using the Tao-based statement,
“You’re right about that.” It will make your life so much more peaceful. Reduce yourself down to zer o or
Observe your body and all of your belongings, and then put them into the
changing-world context. Keep this statement from Mahatma Gandhi in
mind: “If you would swim on the bosom of the ocean of Truth, you mustreduce yourself to zero.” So from a place of no-thing-ness or zero, become
the observer , seeing what you accumulate in the world of things. From this
perspective, you’ll find that nothing can ever truly be real in such a world. Practice this exercise whenever you’re feeling attached to your possessions
or your point of view . D. H. Lawrence dramatically captures this idea:
Are you willing to be sponged out,
erased, cancelled,
made nothing? Are you willing to be made nothing? dipped into oblivion? If not, you will never r eally change. Now glance again at the title of this book, Change Your Thoughts—
Change Y our Life: Living the W isdom of the T ao. Be willing to change. Do the T ao Now
I leave you with these words of Lao-tzu from Tao Te Ching: A New
Translation, which were translated by Sam Hamill. Here’ s the final verse:
The sage does not hoar d,
and ther eby bestows. The mor e he lives for others,
the gr eater his life. The mor e he gives to others,
the gr eater his abundance. Copy these words by hand, study them, and put them into practice at least
once each day. You will energize the flow of the Tao in your life, in this
world of 10,000 things. Namaste,
Dr. Wayne W . Dyer
OceanofPDF .comE p i l o g u e
I close this yearlong project on a personal note to share with you how
these 81 verses unexpectedly increased my personal sense of awe and
incredulity concerning the power and vast wisdom in this ancient classic. Reread the displ ay quote at the beginning of this book, which is attributed
to Confucius. Legend has it that this master was so impressed by Lao-tzu’ s
influence that he sought him out for consultation on etiquette and rules,
which was the major focus of Confu cian philosophy but considered to be
hypocrisy and nonsense by Lao-tzu. After meeting Lao-tzu, Confucius told
his disciples that the man was a sage—a dragon with mysterious powers
beyond the understanding of most people, including Confucius himself. Throughout the writing of these 81 short essays, I felt an almost mystical
attraction to Lao-tzu.
_OceanofPDF.com_Change_Your_Thoughts_-_Change_Your_Life_-_Wayne_W_Dyer.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        It sees a sniffle, a stomac hache, back
or knee discomf ort, and fatigue as messages to follow the body’ s signals
back to a natural state of well-being. A happy mind thinks of the body as
capable of healing infirmit ies because it knows that it isn’t a human
creation, but a product of the Tao. A happy mind trusts the capacity of the
body to live without sickness or suffering. So use your happy mind to work
with you to stay healthy. Examine your habits. What daily habits distance you from your natural state of well-being. Any
addictions, no matter how serious or minor they might seem, are beckoning
you to be totally fed up with them. Get sick of being weakened by
destructive pursuits. You know what they are, and you know when you’ve
habitually let yourself become ill from food, alcohol, or drugs; or from the
guilt and shame that results after a binge. Remember that “ignoring
knowledge is sickness” and examine your fixations, vowing not to ignore
your awareness of what they are. Do the T ao Now
Dedicate a day to really listening to and trusting the messages from your
body, and then listen to what your mind tells you about those signals. Introduce your mind to the possibility that the body is signaling a request
that you can grant, such as a nap or a walk along the beach, for instance. Cultivate the Tao-centered happy mind, which will not entertain sickness
thoughts. OceanofPDF. com72nd Verse
When people lack a sense of awe,
there will be disaster. When people do not fear worldly power,
a greater power will arrive. Do not limit the view of yourself. Do not despise the conditions of your birth. Do not r esist the natural course of your life. In this way you will never weary of this world. Therefore, the sage knows himself
but makes no show of himself;
loves himself
but does not exalt himself. He pr efers what is within to what is without.
A sense of awe and total acceptance.
What does the text suggest is necessary to achieve a harmonious life?
Loosening the ego's hold on your thinking by being in a state of awe.
What is the key to overcoming the ego's hold on your thinking?
It advises to emulate the qualities of water, being soft and yielding, and to stop accumulating things.
What is the message of the 75th verse of the Tao Te Ching?
It is encouraging you to change your perspective and see that true virtue is not about accumulating possessions or knowledge, but about giving and non-accumulation.
What is the 79th verse of the Tao Te Ching suggesting?
To help readers apply the wisdom in the 81 verses to their daily lives and live in harmony with the Tao.
What is the ultimate goal of the Tao Te Ching, according to the text?