Now
he asks you to implement the wisdom of this verse by making the following
changes in the way you think about evil and its potential impact on you and
the world: 60th V erse
Bolster your immunity to negativity by contr olling yourself in the midst
of noxious thinking. Catch yourself when you have judgmental thoughts that could be
considered harmful for yourself or others. For example, if you see yourself
as unworthy of respect, that’ s a damaging thought directed at you. Change it
to the following affirmation: I deserve and anticipate receiving only Divinelove. This is what I attract. When you’re confronted with any reports of
hatred and evil on our planet, suspend your fantasies of revenge toward the
perpetrators. Change your mental energy to something like: I send loving,
kind thoughts to all and trust that this love will help them see the folly of
their hatred. Be conscious of all of your thoughts, changing them
midstream if necessary . Become  one person who brings the benefits of the
Tao to our world. Declar e yourself immune to injurious entr eaties. Visualize a protective shield all around you, guarding you against what’ s
perceived as evil in the world. Your shield is permeable only to energy that
harmonizes with the Tao. Love, kindness, and help can all get through—but
if any harm comes near you, it will be repelled by your shield. This means
you create a great sense of faith in the Tao. With this kind of inner trust,
when evil rages around you, it won’ t be able to impact you directly . Become the sage, the leader who governs your life and the lives  of those
around you, and who can’t be hurt. Declare it, practice it in your every
thought, and walk freely in the midst of danger . This isn’t having a false
sense of security; instead, it’ s an awareness that you and the T ao are one. Do the T ao Now
The next time you think that you’re the target of a harmful thought from a
stranger , a family member , or a co-worker , make every effort to remember
to respond from your inner nature, which is the Tao. Send back a loving,
kind response, and then retreat to a silent and peaceful knowing that you’ve
begun the process of immunizi ng yourself from harm. By practicing with
even a seemingl y innocuous statement, you’ll witness how effective this is. Approach the universe with the Tao in your heart rather than reacting
defensively . OceanofPDF .com61st Verse
A great country is like the lowland,
towar d which all str eams flow . It is the r eservoir of all under heaven,
the feminine of the world. The female over comes the male with stillness,
by lowering herself thr ough her quietness. So if a gr eat country lowers itself befor e a small one,
it wins friendship and trust. And if a small country can lower itself befor e a gr eat one, it will win over
that “gr eat” country . The one wins by stooping;
the other , by r emaining low . OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Remaining Low
Most of us have been taught that it’s important to tower over lesser folks
in virtually all of life’s endeavors. We’re told to “get to the top,” “stand out
in the crowd,” “be the best,” and “honor champions” who defeat
challengers. We’re expected to pay homage to those who make the most
money , collect the most mater ial objects, and evoke the most fear and
obedience because of their positions of power; and those who deign to live
among the “commoners” are the least deserving of our respect. This
passage of the T ao Te Ching invites us to reevaluate these beliefs. Look at the ocean: It’s the most powerful force on the planet because it
stays lower than the streams, which are necessarily and inescapably drawn
to it. As the rivers flow downward to become one with it, the sea is able to
be the great reservoir of all under heaven. This is what Lao-tzu refers to
throughout the Tao Te Ching as the “great Mother” or the “feminine of the
world.” That female energy, or yin, is the true receptor of all; by remaining
quiet and still, it ultimately overcomes male (yang) efforts to subjugate and
conquer . In the 61st verse  of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu speaks of the advantages of
leading by remaining low, using entire countries as his examples. He makes
the case for nations both large and small to be like the great ocean. As he
observed warrin g territories attempting to vanquish each other by exerting
their strength, he saw that peace and harmony could only be possible if the
territories behav ed in accord with the Tao—that is, by subju gating their
egos rather than their neighbors. Lao-tzu was addressing count ries and their political leaders in this
chapter , but countries are made up of individual men and women. We need
to become a critical mass of individuals who are willing to model the
wisdom that the great Chinese master offers us. We all must learn the value
of maki ng a dramatic change in the way we think of ourselves and each
other . Yes, it may require a complete about-fa ce on our part, but if we begin
to lessen  ego-dominated thinking, sooner or later the world will get themessage that Lao-tzu proposed in ancient times. Nations all over the globe
will find that leaders with feminine yin energy are beneficial. After all, this
is the way of nature . . . it is the T ao at work. You can apply the wisdom of this verse in the business world or with
anyone you encounter by updating the notion that towering above others in
the yang approach of masculine domination is the way to get ahead. Instead, see the value of living as if you can win trust and friendship
through a yin approach of feminine receptivity and stillness. As you try on these new attitu des and behaviors, quietly watch as the
energy from the following suggestions begins to influence your reality:
Reassess your personal view of what constitutes str ength. Can you see power in humility , stillness, and remaining low and out of
sight? In martial arts, the strongest conqueror is the one who uses the least
force and converts the lunges of his opponent into his own might. Look at
the story of violence throughout human history: Those obsessed with
positions of power ultimately resort to brutality , and then incur the same
kind of violence on themselves. And so it is in your personal life. By staying calm and under the radar , others will ultimately flow to you,
joining with you in creating friendship and trust. As you stay in this yin,
feminine, Divine -Mother mode, you’ll radiate energy and strength and win
over others . . . including those with an aversion to change. Think of
yourself as the ocean and stay low enough to allow all other s to stream
down to you and create a “great country” wherever you elect to settle. Emulate those whose gr eatest impact on humanity used the least
violent methods. There are many examples to be found for living by remai ning low,
replicating the example of stillness and yin energy. Jesus Christ, Buddha,
Mohammed, Zoroaster , Saint Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and
others of the highest spiritual persuasion serve as wonderful role models for
us. By demonst rating the exact opposite of what has becom e known as
power by force, they changed the course of human history . Furthermore,
they are remembered with the highest esteem by all people.You can become a similar leader of the Tao in your immediate
environment, smiling inwardly as you see yourself as that low, patient
ocean. All those who wish to tower above you in conquest will ultimately
flow down to you. Do the T ao Now
Each day as you grapple with how to be an effective leader in your family ,
in your country , and in the world, apply the following advice from Sai
Baba. This is what he counsels readers to do whenever they question what
action to take or how to think:
When head fast eyes ar e horrified
by the cruelties of life . . . When your mouth is par ched
and you can har dly speak,
The first sip of cool water
I am soothing you. Think of me. In a moment of crisis, silently say Think of me to your mental image of the
person who won you over by stooping and remaining low. You’ll
immediately find your way, as if that individual were directing you to
overcome the struggle, addiction, or ego-dominated thoughts that seem to
take you away from your feminine, T ao nature. OceanofPDF .com62nd Verse
The T ao is the tr easur e-house,
the true natur e,
the secr et Sour ce of everything. It is the tr easur e of the good man
and the r efuge of the bad. If a person seems wicked,
do not cast him away . Awaken him with your wor ds,
elevate him with your deeds,
repay his injury with your kindness. Do not cast him away;
cast away his wickedness. Thus when a new leader is chosen,
do not offer to help him
with your wealth or your expertise. Help him to meditate on the principle;
offer instead to teach him about the T ao. Why did the ancients make so much of the principle? Is it not because it is the Sour ce of all good,
and the r emedy for all evil? It is the most noble thing in the world.OceanofPDF .comLiving in the
Treasure-house
of the Tao
Imagine having access to a very special place where we could retreat and
commune with the sacred Source of everything. Here we’d find “the
treasure of the good man” and a space where the bad man goes to be
forgiven. This is where great rulers and the wisest among us would meditate
for guidance to carry out awesome responsibilities, where we’d be given the
secret for casting out all wickedness without personally needing to cast out
anyone ourselve s. In this wonde rful locale, we would absolutely know the
Source of good as well as the remedy for evil. As I studied and contemplated this passage, I began calling it the “Count
your blessings” verse. It reminds me that I can access a sacred treasure-
house deep within me, as can you and all other conscious beings. It reminds
me to change the way I see the appear ance of darkness in our world today . It remin ds me that within me is the wondrous wellspring of the Tao. It
reminds me to be willing to chan ge the way I view myself and my role here
as one of the 10,000 things. You can modify your conditione d way of viewing most things by looking
at all that appe ars to be weighted with hatred, wickedness, and evil. According to Lao-tzu, no one is evil or wicked; rather , those who live in
contradiction to the Tao’s teaching only appear to be so. Instead  of casting
them aside, you must reconnect them to the Great Way. So stay centered by
thinking and behaving in ways  that harmonize with the all-loving, all-
knowing Tao, keeping in mind that this Source doesn’ t inflict harm on,
exclude, or judge anyone—it just gives life. Where you perceive negativity , alter your view to see pure love and
kindness that’s mistakenly being directed to seek a sacred place in the
material world. That energy is powerful, and it’s moving away from its
Source instead of returning and replenishing in the spiritual cycle that is itsoriginating point. When you’ve succeeded in changing how you perceive
so-called wickedness, invite others to see the differenc e as well. Thanks to
your new point of view , you’ll be quite comfortable discussing the
difference between material-world satisfactions and the riches of the Tao. And if requested, you’ll even be able to offer a map or path to the sacred
treasure-house of the T ao. In a translation of the Tao Te Ching by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, the
62nd verse concludes with the following words:
Why does everyone like the T ao so much at first? Isn’t it because you find what you seek and ar e forgiven when you sin? Therefore this is the gr eatest tr easur e of the universe. Here’ s what Lao-tzu offers you in this “Count your blessings”  gem of a
verse:
Practice seeing the door of the treasur e-house opening to you. See yourself as a Divine creation  of the eternal Tao, with the entrance to a
sacred space always available to you. Know that what you’ve thought of as
negative can never be if it’s able to enter the treasure-filled Tao. Visualize a
house that’s opening its front door to you and welcoming you to bask in the
sacred warmth of its interior , and imagine leaving all angst and fear behind
as you walk in. Make this home  of the Tao a private retreat that you’re free
to enter with this meditative visualizing technique. It is divinity itself, and it
can be your sanctuary at any time. Practice forgiving, and avoiding judgment, when you see r eprehensible
or evil-minded ways. Take Lao-tzu up on his advice for dealing with those who appear to be
wicked people by mentally separating the individuals from their toxic
behavior . Remem ber that they are Divine creations of the Tao who simply
believe that ego should control life. In your thoughts, erase the vileness, the
wrongdoing, and the addictive or harmful actions; and allow those folks to
just be there apart from their malevolent behavior . See the unfolding of the
Tao in them, and picture them as innocent children who are overstimulated
by ego’s temporary stronghold. In your mind, forgive the evil conduct, andmake every effort to wrap loving arms around the children you see before
you. Lao-tzu urges you to treat yourself in a similar manner: Cast out any
behavior you dislike about yourself, allow your pain to be felt, and absolve
yourself. With these behaviors removed, visualize embracing yourself, and
notice the radiant being of light who is yourself in your imagination. Practice elevatin g yourself with your Tao deeds and doling out kindness to
others as well as yourself. This is how you apply this verse of the Tao,
which is indeed the remedy for all evil. Do the T ao Now
Today , make the decision to help one other person, if only for a few
moments, to meditate on this verse’ s principle. But do so without
mentioning the Tao Te Ching or this book. Possibly send out an expression
of love where you might have chosen anger . Or mail a greeti ng card with a
particularly meaningful verse of the Tao to someone who’ s assumed a new
position of leadership. Whatever you do, your motivation is to help that
man or woman unlock the door to his or her treasure-house by offering keys
in the form of your own T ao-centered thoughts and behaviors. OceanofPDF .com63rd Verse
Practice nonaction. Work without doing. Taste the tasteless. Magnify the small, incr ease the few . Rewar d bitterness with car e.
See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve gr eatness in little things. Take on difficulties while they ar e still easy;
do gr eat things while they ar e still small. The sage does not attempt anything very big,
and thus achieves gr eatness. If you agr ee too easily , you will be little trusted; because the sage always
confr onts difficulties,
he never experiences them. OceanofPDF .comLiving Without
Difficulties
This verse conve ys so much with an economical use of words. Every time
I read what Lao-tzu is saying here, I feel that it’s impossible for me to
experience difficulties in my life if I’m willing to accept his sage advice. He
counsels that we learn to think in moments, rather than in days, weeks,
months, years, decades, or a lifetime. All we ever get is right now—that’ s it. So we must avoid the inclination to magnify tiny events or worry about a
future that may never arrive. It’s the little things that make all the differenc e
in our world, and keeping life simple replaces chaos. As Lao- tzu reminds
us, “See simplicity in the complicated . . . do great things while they are still
small.”
I’ve followed that advice while working on this book. As you might
imagine, writing  individual essays on the 81 verses of one of the most
revered and enduring spiritual texts has been a daunting task! A project like
this involves at least a year of daily researching, reading, writing, and
revising. Yet instead of focusing on the challenges of this project, I choose
to “see simplici ty” and “take on difficulties while they are still easy.” I
immerse myself in a single verse in the morning, allowing the words to
flow through my heart and onto the page. I feel like I’ve mastered the ironic
conclusion of this 63rd passage, which says that difficulties are not
experienced when they’re confronted. This, then, is the wisdom of this verse: There’ s no such thing as difficulty
when you live in the present moment, doing only what you can right now. So examine your thoughts about what you call the troubles in your life. Can
you shift to thinking of every undertaking as not only manageable, but easy
and small as well? After all, how do you pursue a difficult course of study
that will take several years to complete? By not projecting yourself into the
future or using your present mom ents to worry . How do you get through the
long, difficult process of giving birth to a child? Moment by moment. I’ve
watched my wife do just that during the years she was either pregnant ornursing, delivering five children  in eight years. As Lao-tzu teaches, if you
don’t attempt anything big, you will achieve greatness. Almost every morning I do a 90-minute hot yoga class with 26 postures
and two breathing exercises. Now an hour and a half of intense activity in a
room that’s more than 105 degrees can seem not only big, but very difficult
as well. I’ve learned to change the way I think about this daily routine that I
enjoy so much, and now I find it to be easy. As the first breathing exercise
begins, I keep my mind and body totally focused on what I’m doing in the
opening moment. If my mind wants to wander to what I’ll be doing in an
hour, I just bring it back to the present. I look in the mirror and remind
myself that this exercise or posture is small and simple. Bingo —dif ficult is
out of the picture! By pract icing in the present moment and training myself to stay in a state
of simplicity , I’ve made my 90-minute yoga class a snap. I’ve achieved
what I consider to be greatness in the little progressions and improvements
that have evolved naturally . It’s work without doing, and nonaction in
action because I’ve confronted what might have been thought of as tough. The result is that I don’ t experience dif ficulty . Lao-tzu urges you to change the way you look at your 21st-cent ury world
by doing the following:
Look for the simplicity in what you call complicated by seeing that in
this moment, it’ s not hard. Change your preoccupation with tomorrow , along with all of the
tomorrows that comprise your future. My friend Byron Katie (whose
husband, Stephe n Mitchell, created a wonderful translation 63rd Verse of
the Tao Te Ching that I’ve incorporated in this book) gave me my favorite
definition of insanity: “To believe that you need what you don’t have is
insane.” I’d add, “Believing that you can’t be content and happy now
because your future appears to you to be difficult is another form of
insanity .”
Look at what you have and realize that you’re obviously fine in this
moment! A Course in Miracles states this idea so well: “You have no
problems, though you think you have.”Think small. Change your notion of “thinking big” to “thinking small and getting big
things done.” Examine whatever it is that seems so enormous that it terrifies
you to start. Then shift your thinking to see what can be done today in your
precious presen t moments, completely ignoring the overal l picture. Your
accomplishments will magnify into greatness when you undertake the
small; by doing so, you’ll paradoxically see huge results. Do the T ao Now
Set aside some time today to focus on the biggest challenge in your life. Break down whatever it is to one thing that can be done today , right in this
moment. Erase the big picture—simply do what you can now and let
everything else fade. Write the opening paragraph of your novel. Lay out
your blueprint for the home you want to build. Sign up for one course at a
local educational institution. Go for a two-minute run. Be in the now. See
how doing the Tao at this moment brings big results by paradoxically
staying small and simple. OceanofPDF .com64th Verse
What is at r est is easily managed. What is not yet manifest is easy to pr event. The brittle is easily shatter ed;
the small is easily scatter ed. Act befor e things exist;
manage them befor e ther e is disor der. Remember:
A tree that fills a man’ s embrace gr ows fr om a seedling. A tower nine stories high starts with one brick. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Act and destr oy it;
grasp it and lose it. The sage does not act, and so is not defeated. He does not grasp and ther efore does not lose. People usually fail when they ar e on the ver ge of success. So give as much car e at the end as at the beginning, then ther e will be no
failur e.
 
The sage does not tr easur e what is difficult to attain. He does not collect pr ecious things;
he learns not to hold on to ideas. He helps the 10,000 things find their own natur e
but does not ventur e to lead them by the nose.OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Being Here Now
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” is the most
famous line of the entire Tao Te Ching. It’s quoted so often because it
encourages us to avoid procrast ination and just begin from where we are,
right here, right now . A tiny seed planted and nurtured grows into a forest; a
marathon begins by taking that first stride. In my opinion, the German poet
and playwright Johann von Goethe nicely summed up this ancie nt teaching
with these rhyming words:
Only engage, and then the mind gr ows heated,
begin it, and then the work will be completed. The essence of the widely know n 64th verse of the Tao Te Ching is this:
Every goal is possible from here! With the emphasis on from here! This is
particularly applicable to problems that seem overwhelming. When you
change the way you think about them, your new and unique perspective will
cause the enormity of the things before you to diminish. “The sage does not treasure what is difficult” because he breaks it down
into easily managed steps. Rather than taking over and directing others or
attempting to do everything himself, the follower of the Tao finds a way to
manage problems befor e they exist, and prior to disorder breakin g out. Lao-
tzu is encouraging us all to do the same. Reexamine how you view the challenges you face, as well as those of
your family, community , and country . Sense in your heart how easily
preventable many of them are when you deal with things before they exist,
and when you refuse to be attached to the ideas  that are largely respon sible
for these problems. There are three steps to enlightenment that most people traverse:
1. The first is through suffering. This is when the big problems of your
life become so overwhelming that a long period of misery ensues because
you “treasure what is difficult to attain.” Ultimately , you come to a placewhere you can look back at those huge obstacles —such as illness,
accidents, addic tion, financial loss, children’ s struggles, and divorce—and
see in retrospect that they were actually gifts disguised as problems. Yet this
is not the way of the T ao; this is not how a sage conducts his life. 2. The second is by being in the present moment. Here you’ve moved
closer to the Tao by asking yourself when a crisis erupts, What do I have to
learn from this experience right now? I know there’s a gift hidden for me in
this misfortune, and I’ll focus on looking for it.While this is Tao-centered
thinking, it’ s not all that Lao-tzu wants to convey in this 64th verse. 3. The third is by getting out in front of big problems. This means that you
act befor e difficulties occur , sense disorder coming your way, and manage it
in advance. This is the way of the Tao. “The small is easily scattered,” says
Lao-tzu. So here you’re the acute observer who’ s totally in tune with nature. With foresight, you anticipate an argument, play it out in your mind in a
split second, and are able to neutralize the negative energy because you
were in front of it. You’ve respo nded by not acting in your former problem-
producing ways and are thus harmonized with the Tao. At this stage you
prevent difficulties rather than solve them. This verse invites you to master the third or Tao-centered method. Here
are some suggestions for doing so: 64th V erse
Remind yourself of the inher ent value in practicing the most enduring
line fr om the entir e Tao Te Ching: “A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.”
Forget about the end result: When you arrive where you thought you
wanted to be, you’ll just begin a new journey . So enjoy each step along the
way and keep in mind that every goal is possible from here. Just do one
thing, one day at a time. Here’ s an examp le of this from my own life: It has now been almost two
decades since I’ve had a drink containing alcohol. Had I thought about not
drinking for 20 years, it would have been overwhelming and really difficult
—yet I’ve done it, one day at a time. I can’t speak for the next 20 years, but
one thing I’m absolutely certain  of is that today , and today alone, I will not
be takin g a drink. One step . . . one moment . . . one day at a time . . . is the
Tao in action.Become a master anticipator . Decide that you’re perfectly capable of preventing trouble from cropping
up in your life long before it manifests into your material world. Anticipate
your own health, for instance. Become conscious of prevention  rather than
waiting for challenges to materialize. By taking care to be nutritiously
sound as a way of life—such as by taking supplements that remove toxins
from your body , cleansing your colon, eating more fruits and vegetables and
fewer animal products, exercisi ng, and meditating—you’re out in front of
big problems. You’re foreseeing what you need to do while you’re capable
of scattering the small, managin g your health in harmony with the Tao long
before there’ s disorder . Find other areas of your life to practice being a
master anticipator! Do the T ao Now
Take one habit that you’d like to see removed from your life, such as
something that you believe constitutes a weakness or perhaps even an
addiction. Just for today , and with no promises about tomorrow or the
future, take a single step to transcend this habit. Don’ t smoke or drink
caffeine, just today . Eat only veggies and fruit, just today . Speak warmly to
hostile neighbors, just today. Notic e at the end of this one day how you feel. Then, and only then, decide if tomorrow morning you wish to continue
practicing the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, which was itself written one
word and one day at a time, and has lasted for more than 25 centuries. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com65th Verse
The ancient ones wer e simple-hearted
and blended with the common people. They did not shine forth;
they did not rule with cleverness,
so the nation was blessed. When they think that they know the answers,
people ar e difficult to guide. When they know they do not know ,
people can find their own way . Not using cunning to govern a country
is good fortune for the country . The simplest pattern is the clear est. Content with an or dinary life,
you can show all people the way
back to their own true natur e.
OceanofPDF .comLiving by Staying
Simple-hearted
If you are currently in the important position of ruling a country , I
encourage you to take this wisdom especially to heart. If you’re not, I
suggest studying  this passage of the Tao Te Ching from the perspective of
your personal life, which most likely involves leading others. Supervising or parenting shouldn’ t mean imposing bureaucratic rules or
impressing others with your supposed intelligence and superiority . A truly
influential person isn’t cunning, doesn’ t “shine forth,” “rule with
cleverness,” or instill fear in those he or she is designated to oversee. As
Lao-tzu explains, “When they know they do not know , people can find their
own way.” In other words, the effective leader guides others to their own
nature. The realization you’re invited to consider here is that your job is to help
others know that they don’t know! If they believe that they do have
knowledge, then they’ll never find their way back to their T ao nature. That’ s
because they’re relying on ego input, which tells them that their true
essence is their identification with the physical or material world. One who
lives according to the Tao know s that ego is a false master , draw ing people
away from knowing their true nature. Implement the teachings of this verse by refusing to convey superiority or
intellectual ingenuity . Instead, show others how to live from the Tao
perspective by being willing to admit that you don’t know what’ s best for
them, nor do you even know with any degree of certainty how your own life
should go. Let other people know that you’re willing to ask for guidance. Show them that you’re not “in char ge,” either of them or of what happens to
you. Allow them to see a man or woman who’ s humble, lives peacefully in
the cycles of life, and stays simple-hearted. As you change the way you look at leadership, you’ll see that individuals
who are willing to surrender their egos enjoy a connection to their Tao
energy and become simple-hearted leaders. Their only task is to helpeveryone in their sphere of influence realize that they also do not know! Lao-tzu seems to smile wryly as he informs you of this wondrous paradox. Blend in with those whom you feel compelled to supervise by trying on
these new ways of thinking and being:
Be willing to pr oudly say to those in your charge, “I don’t know .”
This phrase is a symbol of strength rather than weakness, so use it freely . When you teach others to do the same, they’ll begin to allow their highest
selves to be guided by the Great  Way. Keep in mind that nature never forces
anything to grow , but is silently and invisibly ever present. Do the same to
the best of your ability by not forcing yourself and your ideas on anyone
(with sensible precautions for those too young or too immatur e to take on
adult responsibilities). The simple truth  is that neither  we nor anyone else really know what’ s
ideal for ourselves or others. There’s a silent destiny always at work;  there
are fortunes as well as misfortunes in every life, independent of our
particular opinions. Practice keeping your life simple and uncomplicated. Model this behavior for those you feel obliged to lead. Rather than
analyzing a situation from every angle, trying to come up with the most
viable solution, trust your first instinct and take the simplest and least
problematic route. Don’ t “pole-vault over mouse turds”— 65th Verse by the
time you’ve discussed the many options available to you, the problem itself
could have been long behind you had you simply disposed of those rodent
droppings with a simple tissue and dumped them into the garbage! Here’ s
some great advic e for you, as well as the leaders of countries who are often
so mired in bureaucratic red tape that they become paralyzed: Keep it
simple. Do the T ao Now
In as many ways as possible, demonstrate your understanding of what
Lao-tzu meant by asking leade rs to be “content with an ordinary life.”
Spend a day without the label of “parent,” “supervisor ,” or “boss,” and put
yourself on an equal footing with those who usually look to you for
direction. Think  of yourself as one of those you lead—in fact, pretend thatyou are him or her for one day. This will give you an awareness of how to
put the T ao to work right away . I’ve found that when I practi ce this with my children, they respond
according to their own best and true nature. For example, when I simply say
to my teenage daughter , “I know that you’re perfectly capable of being
responsible and sensible while I’m out of town, and I love that about you,” I
remove the “authoritarian parent” label and treat her the way I’d want to be
treated. When this becomes the norm, it’s obvious that Lao-tzu is correct:
“The simplest pattern is the clearest.”
OceanofPDF .com66th Verse
Why is the sea king of a hundr ed str eams? Because it lies below them. Humility gives it its power . Therefore, those desiring a position
above others must speak humbly . Those desiring to lead must follow . Thus it is that when a sage stands above the people, they do not feel the
heaviness of his weight;
and when he stands in fr ont of the people,
they do not feel hurt. The sage stays low
so the world never tir es of exalting him. He remains a servant
so the world never tir es of making him its king. OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Emulating the Sea
Unlike the perception of God as an old white man Who created a universe
where your behavior may cause you to be sentenced to damnation for
eternity , the Tao is perceived as a natural energy. The Source of life isn’t
seen as a deity monitoring earth lings like a king or dictator , since it doesn’ t
dole out punishments or withhold rewards. Lao-tzu taught that the Tao only
asks you to live in harmony with nature. For Lao-tzu, nature’ s great symb ol is water , and he refers to it in many of
the 81 passages. When you emulate that element, you’ll begin to see that
judgment and exclusion have no place in the Tao. Be like the sea, advises
Lao-tzu, and the world will never tire of exalting you. The essential
message present ed in this verse and in many others of the Tao Te Ching is
that the ocean is king of all because it knows to stay low. All streams must
ultimately flow to the sea, and in the process, it becomes a servant to all. The teachings here are clear: Be humble. Never put yourself above others or
see yourself as superior to anyone. The highest power is a yielding valley . Become a servant, not a dominator . When even the tiniest waterway s are left alone, they uniquely carve out a
path that leads them to the sea. And the great ocean never lords its greatness
and power over the rivers and streams: It doesn’ t rise above them and
demand devotion, nor does it threaten them with punishment or extinction if
they refuse to cooperate. The sea knows instinctively that the streams and
rivers will naturally gravitate toward that which stays low . Using this metaphor throughou t the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu reminds you
that people also tend to be instinctively drawn to those with intrinsic
majesty that emer ges from humi lity and staying low. And this position isn’t
uniquely held by the great master . Peter , a servant and apostle of Jesus
Christ, offers an almost identica l message in the New Testamen t, centuries
after the death of Lao-tzu:Be shepherds of God’ s flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as
God wants you to be; not greedy  for money , but eager to serve; not
lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the
flock (1 Pet. 5:2–3). Change the way you think about yourself and others as model leaders by
looking to the massive life-giving sea, who’ s patient, accepting, and lower
than the streams that flow to it. Then imitate that water power yourself by
suspending your ego and releasing the need to lord anything over anyone. The people you’re entrusted to lead will gravitate to you and the
watercourse way of the T ao’s natural flow . You’re advised to learn from the way water behaves and imitate it as
much as possible in your life. Here are ways to apply the wisdom of
emulating the sea in your life today:
Never assume that you know what’ s best. Even if you’re older , wiser , and richer than others and have more
influence and power than they do, never assume that you know what’ s best
for anyone. Instead, imagine yourself as the great ocean that allows and
encourages the smaller streams to come to you. Stay low, speak softly, and
remain humble—and let others be in control of their lives as much as is
humanly possible. By seeing yourself as the all-receiving sea, you remove
your ego from the picture and thus become like one of the leaders referred
to in this verse of the Tao Te Ching. No one should feel the heaviness of
your directions or be hurt by your instructions. A situation that allowed me to implement this advice occurred on the day
I wrote this essay. I live on Maui, and my 90-year -old mother is in Florida,
where my daughter Saje also resides. My mother was experiencing a
stomachache and nausea from some strong medication she’d taken, so I
phoned my daughter to see if she had any suggestions for getting some
yogurt to her. Saje’ s immediate response was, “We have some yogurt right
here—I’ll take it over to Grandma’ s.” Rather than giving her an order and
instructing her to tend to her grandmother , I allowed my daughter to be of
service while I stayed in the lowest possible place. Remain a servant.See yourself as someone who’ s on this planet to assist others. Look for
opportunities to be of aid, particularly to those who need your leadership. Remember that the great sea serves everyone by being a life-supporting
receiver of all who wish to partake of her bounty , so practice emulating her
by expressing the T ao. Do the T ao Now
Dedicate a day to leading by serving, as opposed to giving orders. Find
occasions to stifle your learned habit of interfering and telling other s what
to do, and allow them to flow to you instead. Commit to this principle
further by encouraging someone to make the decision rather than following
your orders. OceanofPDF .com67th Verse
All the world talks about my T ao
with such familiarity—
what folly! The T ao is not something found at the marketplace
or passed on fr om father to son. It is not something gained by knowing
or lost by for getting. If the T ao wer e like this,
it would have been lost and for gotten long ago. I have thr ee treasur es, which I hold fast
and watch closely . The first is mer cy. The second is frugality . The thir d is humility . From mer cy comes courage. From frugality comes gener osity. From humility comes leadership. Now if one wer e bold but had no mer cy,
if one wer e broad but wer e not frugal,
if one went ahead without humility ,
one would die. Love vanquishes all attackers,it is impr egnable in defense. When heaven wants to pr otect someone,
does it send an army? No, it pr otects him with love. OceanofPDF .comLiving by the
Three Treasures
You’re being invited to change your life by seeing it through the prism of
this ancient verse of the Tao Te Ching, which instructs you on the three
things you need for a T ao-styled life of success:
— Mercy is the name used here for the first treasure, but additional terms
such as compassion, good-heartedness, love, kindness, and charity have
been employed in other translations. You’ve very likely been weaned on a
model of achievement that’s measured by accumulation, accomplishment,
and the acquisition of power and influence over others. Successful people
are usually considered to be narrowly focused on their own goals, oblivious
to anyth ing but getting to the top, and ruthless in preventing anyone else
from getting what they’re after . Lao-tzu, howeve r, says that the first and most important treasu re is what
true courage stems from, not from a heartless and callous attitude. He even
tells you that boldness without mercy is a prescription for death! So you’re
encouraged to think of other s first by being willing to serve and exhibit
kindness and love, even toward your enemies, instead of seeking external
indicators to prove that you’re successful. Shakespeare speaks of the first treasure in The Mer chant of V enice:
The quality of mer cy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain fr om heaven . . . But mer cy is above this scepter ed sway ,
It is enthr oned in the hearts of kings . . . The great playwright then reminds us with his next lines why Lao-tzu
made mercy the top priority of the three treasures:
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’ sWhen mer cy seasons justice. Mercy , compassion, and kindne ss are all attributes of God and the Tao. Lao-tzu saw this truth many centuries before Shakespeare did. — The second treasure is frugality , or what was referred to in other
translations as economy , moder ation, thrift, or simplicity . Now frugality and
moderation don’t generally spring to mind when those at the pinnacle of
achievement are described; however , according to Lao-tzu, being satisfied
with less rather than more resul ts in great generosity . So be willing to take
only what you need, and don’t accumulate or hoard. The less attached you
are to your stuff, the easier it is to be generous; the more you cling to it, the
more you feel you need, and the less concerned you are with the welfare of
others. — The third treasure necessary for a successful life is humility , which
other translations refer to as “not presuming to be above nature,” “daring
not to be ahead of others,” and “not always trying to be number one.” From
this quality , Lao-tzu reminds us, comes true leadership that radiates Tao
energy. Often our perception of strength, power , and triumph is influen ced by the
yang masculine qualities of arrogance, loftiness, and self-importance. So
when you change the way you think about enlightened leadersh ip, you can
discover what genuinely successful 67th Verse people have learned before
you—that is, that we’re all instruments for Tao or God or whate ver you call
the ener gy that writes the books, delivers the speeches, makes the lifesaving
discoveries, and so on. Humility is akin to surrendering to a force greater
than your ego, giving credit to that Source, and being grateful for any
wisdom and influence that’s given to you by that power . Be humble; stay
low; and be a generous, grateful leader . Here are some ways to apply these three treasures to your daily life:
Live in harmony with the myriad manifestations of the T ao.The key to living in harmony is compassion and mercy . You’re not in
competition with anyone, so don’t feel as if you must defeat another person
or compare yourself on any level. Extend mercy and compassion toward
every form of life, including yourself! When you radiate love and respect
for all, you’ll be aligned with the Tao, which will protect you as if you were
a baby in the arms of a loving mother . See the hidden str engths of simplicity and humility in those whom you
may have pr eviously judged to be weak or ineffective leaders. Those who practice frugality  and refuse to hoard or engage in
conspicuous consumption deserve to be viewed as strong examples of how
to guide others—whereas those who speak and act forcefully while
stockpiling more and more goods are not in harmony with the Tao. Moreover , such individuals’ actions tend to contribute to more dissension,
and as Lao-tzu reminds us here, those who go ahead with boldness and
without deference will die (and, I hasten to add, will lead others to their
deaths as well). As you notice examples of simplicity and humility in those
who are in positions to lead, make every effort to emulate the same qualities
in your own daily interactions. Do the T ao Now
Choose a conversation in which you can practice the three treasures by
using an economy of words. While attempting to make a point in
conversation, for instance, stop yourself after a moment or so and use your
talking time to listen. You’ll be employing all three of Lao- tzu’s treasures at
one time: You’ll have mercy for the person with whom you’re conversing
by being frugal with your words and humbly refusing to be ahead of or
above your conversational partner . OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com68th Verse
A good soldier is not violent. A good fighter is not angry . Good winners do not contend. Good employers serve their workers. The best leader follows the will of the people. All of them embody the virtue of noncompetition. This is called the virtue of noncontending. This is called employing the powers of others. This since ancient times has been known
as the ultimate unity with heaven. OceanofPDF .comLiving by
Cooperating
This verse of the Tao Te Ching asks you to reconsider what you think you
have to do to be a winner . In the Western world, getting ahead most often
implies having to be in a state of contention and competition—basically ,
you must defeat the other guy by getting what you want before he does. Lao-tzu asks you to change this kind of thinking by embodying “the virtue
of noncompetition,” which can work for you even in a society where
conquering and being number one are so highly valued. The Tao Te Ching teaches that all of the 10,000 things emer ge from the
same state of nonbeing. Here there’ s only oneness, which implies complete
collaboration, not competition. Who can there be to defeat if you see
yourself in everyone? You’d be picking a fight with yourself! Lao-tzu asks
that you follow his advice and choose to live by cooperating. Believe it or not, this can actually work to your advantage in athletic
competitions. Rather than thinking of an opponent as the enemy and
employing anger and mental and physical violence, remind yourself of Lao-
tzu’s words in the opening of this verse: “A good soldier is not violent. A
good fighter is not angry . Good winners do not contend.” Instead, such
individuals view their opponents as a part of themselves and as crucial
members of this dance of life. So rather than being angry and hateful
toward opponents in a tennis match or football game, see them  as a part of
you that’s working to help you achieve excellence. Without them, you
couldn’ t improve, get a good workout, or become victorious. Do as Lao-tzu advises and “[employ] the powers of others” to elevate
yourself to the status of winner . That is, cooperate with your oppon ents by
wanting them to play at a high level—the best they’re capable of. Shift your
focus from being upset or self-reproachi ng to the task at hand. See the ball,
move the ball, or remain upright and balanced in a martial-arts contest. When anger isn’t a component, your game will go to a new level. And this
is true off the athletic field as well: What you fight weakens you; what youcooperate with strengthens you. So change your thinking about competing
to cooperating in all areas of your life, including your work. I practic e this concept by thinking of every person whose purpose is to
help improve the quality of life on our planet as being my partner , on my
“team.” I cannot conceive of anyone out there whom I’m in competition
with for any external prize. If they sell more  books than I do, I applaud their
good fortune; in fact, I’ll tell as many people as I can to buy their products. If they make more money , get more publicity , or reach more people, I
celebrate by thinking, My teammate has helped me with my mission. When I play a close tennis match, I silently send love and encouragement
to my opponent. When I’m less stressed, less angry , and less violent in my
thinking, I’m living in the moment that Lao-tzu calls “the ultimate unity
with heaven.” My level of excellence soars , regardless of the outcome on
the scoreboard. This is what Lao-tzu recomm ends to you from his 2,500-year -old
perspective:
Declar e that you’r e not going to fight. Don’ t fight colds, illnesses, or even serious afflictions. Don’ t fight with
family members, or against political opinions. Don’ t fight addictions, and
most important,  don’t fight yourself. Instead, make the shift to living by
cooperating. If you have cancer or arthritis cells in your body , talk to them
from that perspe ctive: “If you insist on living in my body , I wish to live in
harmony , peace,  and total health with you; otherwise, I invite you to take up
residence elsew here.” This may sound strange, but it puts you back in
harmony with the T ao, which isn’ t violent, hateful, or angry . Also, when it comes to your children and other family mem bers, see
yourself as their ally , daily practicing the “virtue of non-contending.”
Practice seeing yourself in everyone else. If someone you love is hurting, you experience their pain. Therefore,
whenever you say or do something that’s harmful to someone you love,
you’re doing something to harm  yourself. Extend this awareness to all of
humanity—after all, you share the same origination spirit or Tao with every
living being in the universe. When you see your own spirit in a cooperativeembrace with all others, you’ll know what Lao-tzu means by “the ultimate
unity with heaven.”
Here are some marvelous words from Pablo Casals that express this
thought:
When will we [teach our children] what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have
passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs,
your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And
when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a
marvel? Do the T ao Now
Affirm that you’ll think of your opponent as an extension of yourself in
your next competitive encounter . Vow to mentally send that person  love,
surround him or her in light, and pray that he or she will perform at the
highest level. Then note how your own performance improves and carries
you to a new level of excellence. OceanofPDF .com69th Verse
There is a saying among soldiers:
I dar e not make the first move
but would rather play the guest;
I dar e not advance an inch
but would rather withdraw a foot. This is called
going forwar d without advancing,
pushing back without using weapons. There is no gr eater misfortune
than feeling “I have an enemy”;
for when “I” and “enemy” exist together ,
there is no r oom left for my tr easur e.
 
Thus, when two opponents meet,
the one without an enemy
will sur ely triumph. When armies ar e evenly matched,
the one with compassion wins. OceanofPDF .comLiving
Without Enemies
Imagine a world with a common heritage that bonded all beings on the
planet—a world  that didn’ t know the word enemy , where everyone happily
agreed that we’re all one people, originating from the same Source of
nonbeing. Pictu re a world that understood that harming anyon e would be
analogous to harming oneself. Unfortunately , while there’ s never been such
a state of affairs among humans during the entire written history of
civilization, this is the vision of Lao-tzu in the 69th verse of the Tao Te
Ching. And it’s my vision for what’ s possible when we work at being Tao-
centered people, with T ao-centered leadership. This grand vision begins right here, right now, with you! Remove the
concept of “enemy” from your life, and model this behavior for those
around you. Ultimately , the ripple effect will move everyone around the
globe toward an “enemy-less” world. Recently , a deranged man armed with guns and ammunition barricaded
himself in an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County , Pennsylv ania, where
he proceeded to murder several girls. As the peaceful, Tao-centered,
Christian members of this close-knit community grieved over their
unspeakably horrific losses, they invited the family of the killer to mourn
with them at the mass funeral and prayed for the killer as well. As the Amish leader said, “We have no enemies; we are all God’ s
children, and forgiveness is at the very core of our Christian faith. If we
can’t forgive those who are lost and would do harm to us, then our faith
would be meaningless.” These beautiful words are so similar in feeling to
what Lao-tzu wrote in this verse: “There is no greater misfortune than
feeling ‘I have an enem y,’” and “when two opponents meet, the one without
an enemy will surely triumph.”
So how can you have an oppone nt without an enemy? In her illuminating
book The Tao of Inner Peace, Diane Dreher offers a respons e to that
question. Keep this in mind as you apply the 69th verse of the Tao Te Chingto your life: “The old perception of conflict as combat only narrows our
vision, limits our choices, pulls us into endless struggles between
competing polarities.” She then adds, “Making enemies gives away our
power , keeps us from taking  responsibility for our lives. Instead of
resolving conflic t, we focus our attention on fearing, hating, and lashing out
at perceived ‘enemies.’”
The lesson from Diane’ s brilliant book, as well as this verse of the Tao Te
Ching and the statement of the Amish community leader , is that conflict
doesn’ t have to mean combat. In other words, someone with a contrary
point of view doesn’t have to be the enemy . Imagine if every general took
these words of the Tao Te Ching to heart and practiced them: “I dare not
make the first move . . .” There’ s no way war could exist. Lao-tzu advised  that if war ever does become inevitable, one should
practice defense rather than offense. One should never initiate hostilities,
but recognize in the heat of battle that the battle itself is something to grieve
about. With no concept of “enemy ,” and a heart that’s filled with
compassion, one stays harmonized with the Tao. The presence of combat,
whether verbal or physical, is an indica tion that contact with the Tao has
been lost. There should be no celebration, and every war and battleground
conflict should be treated as a funeral, with compassion ruling the day . As I sit here contemplating the visage of Lao-tzu, he seems to say that a
world free from foes isn’t as impossible as you may believe. This is how
you can put this wisdom to work for you now: 69th V erse
Refuse to think of anyone as your adversary . Reread the most important line in this verse: “[W]hen ‘I’ and ‘enemy’
exist together , there is no room left for my treasure.” Your treasure is your
peace of mind and your Tao connection, so your competitors in business,
your opponents in an athletic match, and the members of a competing
political party are not your foes. And those people whom a government
declares are your enemies are most assuredly not. Affirm: I have no enemies. There are people with whom I have strong
disagr eements. I may even be requir ed to defend myself and my way of life,
but I will not think of them as adversaries. Recall Lao-tzu’ s statement thatthe perso n “with out an enemy will surely triumph.” Be that individual right
now. Vow to never start a fight. Stay on the defensive side of disputes, aligning with Lao-tzu’ s advice to
“play the guest”  rather than make the first move. See colleagues where you
once saw combatants by finding yourself in them. Convey compassion and
caring toward your perceived adversaries, who are actually representing a
part of you. Refu se to start a fight, reminding yourself that you’d be battling
with yourself. Find a way to see oneness in a holy encounter , since all of us
are of the T ao. Do the T ao Now
Reproduce these words found in Anne Frank’ s diary , written as she was
being hunted by the Nazis: “. . . in spite of everything I still believe that
people are really good at heart. . . . I can feel the sufferings of millions and
yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right.”
Post this for everyone in your family to see. OceanofPDF .com70th Verse
My teachings ar e very easy to understand
and very easy to practice;
yet so few in this world understand,
and so few ar e able to practice. My wor ds have an ancestor;
my deeds have a lor d.
The people have no knowledge of this,
therefore they have no knowledge of me. This is why the sage dr esses plainly ,
even though his interior is filled
with pr ecious gems. OceanofPDF .comLiving a
God- Realized Life
I pondered this 70th verse of the Tao Te Ching for a week, reading and
rereading more than 50 interpretations of it. I was particularly draw n to this
phrase in The Essential T ao, Thomas Cleary’ s translation:
Those who know me ar e rar e;
those who emulate me ar e noble. I also asked Lao-tzu for direction, trying to determine what his message is
for the 21st century. I knew that the master never would have spoken from a
need to have his ego massaged. He was, after all, the original Tao master ,
enjoying a life centered in the Great Way rather than ego and encouraging
everyone to do the same. Try to imagine what it must have been like for this Divine avatar to walk
among his people in ancient China: He’d take incredulous note of their
warlike behavio rs, all the while having an internal awareness of what was
possible for all of his fellow human beings if they would only change the
way they looked at their lives. Freedom, peace of mind, contentment, and
virtually every other principle that I’ve described in these 81 essays were
only a thought away . I can imag ine that some 500-plus years later, Jesus of
Nazareth might have felt the same sentiment that Lao-tzu expre ssed here in
verse 70, something to the effect of, This is oh-so easy, so simple to
understand and to practice, yet so few are willing or able to grasp the
essence of heaven on earth. I can almost feel the frustration that Lao-tzu is expressing in these lines as
he urges us to live a Tao-centered existence, rather than an ego-centered
one. I’ve titled this brief essay “Living a GodRealized Life” because this is
what I believe he’s asking you to do throughout the 81 passages, and
particularly here in number 70. “My words have an ancestor; my deeds
have a lord,” he says, and then immediately follows with the thought that
the peop le just don’t get it, so they clearly “have no knowledge of me.”
Lao-tzu’ s ancestor is the Tao, and the lord of his deeds is that very samenameless Source. He seems to be musing, I think like God thinks; I speak as
God, the creator of the universe, would speak; and therefore I act in
accor dance with these God-r ealized principles. I urge you to do the same, which is oh-so easy if you just surrender and
allow this life-sustaining Tao energy to guide you. Stop fighting, eschew
violent thoughts and deeds, and give up trying to control others or the
world. Stay humble; don’t interfere; respect your creative genius, as well as
that of others; and, above all, return to your invisible Source and shed your
troublesome ego while you’re still alive and incarnated as one of the 10,000
things. If you do all of this, you will naturally live a long life in joyful,
nonjudgmental peace. Think of how the great spiritual masters have been portrayed  by artists
throughout the centuries: Lao-tzu wears a simple robe, Jesus is outfitted  in
plain clothes and sandals, Saint Francis sports almost tattered rags, Buddha
looks like a peasant with a walking stick, and Mohammed is depicted as a
simple man. Then look at the how the followers of the greatest spiritual
teachers have been portrayed— living in the lap of luxury , opulence, and
conspicuous consumption in golden palaces. The great sages dress plainly
even though they conceal the most precious commodity within themselves. And just what is this great treas ure hidden within these masters? Verse 67
explained that it is God realization in the form of the three treasures: mercy ,
frugality , and humility . You don’t need gold-embroidered costumes and
temples strewn with riches—both of which were the result of the sweat of
countless servants and slaves—to house these treasures. Dressing plainly
keeps the sage in harmony with the simplicity of this message. This is what I hear Lao-tzu saying between the lines of this 70th verse,
expressing the bewilderment that he feels as so few people seem to grasp
his beautifully simple message:
Know the T ao Te Ching. Change your mind about being one of the vast majority who doesn’ t
understand or practice the teachings of the Tao Te Ching. Lao-tzu tells you
that there’ s so little to do—all you need to remember is that your holiness is
a piece of the Tao. According to A Course in Miracles, “Your holinessreverses all the laws of the world. It is beyond every restriction of time,
space, distance, and limits of any kind.”
Declare yourself to be one of those who possesses this knowledge, and be
willing to practice God realization every day . See God everywher e.
Make it your daily practice to seek the invisible force of God in
everything you see and hear. In the 14th century , Meister Eckhart offered
some advice on how to put this 70th verse of the Tao Te Chin g into daily
life: “What is the test that you have indeed under gone this holy birth? Listen carefully; if this birth has truly taken place within you, then every
single creature points you toward God.” He further advised: “If the only
prayer you said in your whole life was ‘Thank Y ou,’ that would suf fice.”
Practice saying Thank You, God, for everything. This is the way to God
realization. Do the T ao Now
Plan a day to be like the sage who dresses plainly , without jewelry ,
makeup, or fancy clothes. In fact, head out for the day in a pair of shorts
and a T-shirt. Wherever you go, stay in this “plain” mode and notice how
irrelevant the attention paid to dress and looks seems. Tune in to your
feelings as you go about your business unconcerned about how others view
your appearance. OceanofPDF .com71st Verse
Knowing ignorance is str ength. Ignoring knowledge is sickness. Only when we ar e sick of our sickness
shall we cease to be sick. The sage is not sick but is sick of sickness;
this is the secr et of health. OceanofPDF .comLiving
Without Sickness
There’ s quite a paradox present in this passage, which has been expressed
throughout my many readings of the Tao Te Ching as variations on “only
when your sickness becomes sick will your sickness disappear .” Lao-tzu
seems to be saying that one must actually become ill in order to avoid
illness. Once again I’ve thought long and hard about this short verse. I’ve played
with these words over and over in order to grasp their essential meaning for
you, and for myself as well. Finally , I’ve meditated with Lao- tzu’s image
before me, asking what he meant by this puzzling 71st verse. His answer is
what I based the rest of this chapter on. First of all, what does the word sickness imply? For me, it means that
something in the body or mind is out of balance with the well-being from
which it origina ted—that is, it’s not in agreement with the Tao. Conditions
such as fevers, aches, wheezing, sniffling, breathlessness, coughing,
unusual fatigue, and fainting are indications of the presence of illness; and
the equivalent of such symptom s in our thinking could be fear, anxiety ,
anger , hatred, worry , guilt, stress, impatience, and so on. These  are signals
that our thoughts are out of balance with our Source, which is pure love,
kindness, patience, contentment, and all of the other expressi ons of Tao-
centeredness that appear in these 81 essays on the T ao Te Ching. The sage in this verse has looked long and hard at illness, and has come to
realize that it represents a physical manifestation of non-T ao thinking. A
fever , a cold, an ache, or a pain are all identical to the non-T ao expressions
of impatience, fear, anger , or any other ego-driven impulse. Since the sage
has seen where thoughts like these lead, he refuses to participate in such
folly. Thus, he has looked at poor health and vowed: I will not think in ways
that bring that about. I’ll stay center ed in the natural well-being of the Tao
because to think a sick thought is to allow sickness to crop up. Consequently , he’s sick of sickness, and the result is the secret of perfect
health.Allow me to provide you with an example of this. My colle ague and
friend Radhika Kinger recently  returned from a visit to Puttaparthi, India,
where she was in the presence of Sathya Sai Baba, a God-realized master
who lives and breathes all of the Divine messages presented in the Tao Te
Ching. Here’ s an excerpt from the letter she sent me afterward:
I just returned from Puttaparthi after spending a week there in
Sai Baba’s Divin e presence. I was saddened to see Sai Baba in a
wheelchair due to multiple fractures in his hipbone. Accor ding to
the doctors, no normal human  body can survive such physical
agony . But Sai Baba remains ever so blissful and complet ely
unaffected by his physical condition. A devotee asked Sai Baba how is it that a God-r ealized being has
to under go physical suffering. Why doesn’ t he cure himself? To this
Sai Baba replied, “My life is my message. People today need to
learn to give up body attachm ent and experience their divinity
within. Pain is a natural phenomenon. But suffering is a ‘choice.’ I
do not suffer , as I am not the body .”
Sai Baba looked at his condition  and declared himself to be sick of such a
thing being in his life. Suffering with illness just isn’t an option when one
lives in harmony with the T ao. With years of addictive behav ior behind me, I can tell you that the
wisdom of this verse of the Tao Te Ching was largely respons ible for my
getting back to the purity and well-being from which I originated. I became
sick of my sickness, as I was no longer willing to go through the
withdrawals and shame that accompanied it. I saw my affliction not so
much in the material world, but in the invis ible world of my thoughts,
which kept leadi ng me back to the illness. When I finally change d the way I
looked at all of this, I was able to bring about the seeming paradox of no
longer being ill by getting to the point of being sick of it. And this is truly
the secret of health. Here’ s how Lao-tzu would instruct you to put this wisdom to work for
you here and now:
Have a happy mind.An ancie nt Chinese proverb says that if a man has a happy mind, he will a
have a happy body . A happy  mind is sick of sickness—it refuses to
anticipate that things will get worse.
_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:

        Now
he asks you to implement the wisdom of this verse by making the following
changes in the way you think about evil and its potential impact on you and
the world: 60th V erse
Bolster your immunity to negativity by contr olling yourself in the midst
of noxious thinking. Catch yourself when you have judgmental thoughts that could be
considered harmful for yourself or others. For example, if you see yourself
as unworthy of respect, that’ s a damaging thought directed at you. Change it
to the following affirmation: I deserve and anticipate receiving only Divinelove. This is what I attract. When you’re confronted with any reports of
hatred and evil on our planet, suspend your fantasies of revenge toward the
perpetrators. Change your mental energy to something like: I send loving,
kind thoughts to all and trust that this love will help them see the folly of
their hatred. Be conscious of all of your thoughts, changing them
midstream if necessary. Become  one person who brings the benefits of the
Tao to our world. Declar e yourself immune to injurious entr eaties. Visualize a protective shield all around you, guarding you against what’ s
perceived as evil in the world. Your shield is permeable only to energy that
harmonizes with the Tao. Love, kindness, and help can all get through—but
if any harm comes near you, it will be repelled by your shield. This means
you create a great sense of faith in the Tao. With this kind of inner trust,
when evil rages around you, it won’ t be able to impact you directly. Become the sage, the leader who governs your life and the lives  of those
around you, and who can’t be hurt. Declare it, practice it in your every
thought, and walk freely in the midst of danger. This isn’t having a false
sense of security; instead, it’ s an awareness that you and the T ao are one. Do the T ao Now
The next time you think that you’re the target of a harmful thought from a
stranger, a family member, or a co-worker, make every effort to remember
to respond from your inner nature, which is the Tao. Send back a loving,
kind response, and then retreat to a silent and peaceful knowing that you’ve
begun the process of immunizi ng yourself from harm. By practicing with
even a seemingl y innocuous statement, you’ll witness how effective this is. Approach the universe with the Tao in your heart rather than reacting
defensively. OceanofPDF. com61st Verse
A great country is like the lowland,
towar d which all str eams flow. It is the r eservoir of all under heaven,
the feminine of the world. The female over comes the male with stillness,
by lowering herself thr ough her quietness. So if a gr eat country lowers itself befor e a small one,
it wins friendship and trust. And if a small country can lower itself befor e a gr eat one, it will win over
that “gr eat” country. The one wins by stooping;
the other, by r emaining low.
Change the thought to an affirmation, such as "I deserve and anticipate receiving only Divine love. This is what I attract."
According to the 60th verse, how can you respond to harmful thoughts?
Refuse to think of anyone as an enemy, and instead, send loving and kind thoughts to them.
What is the key to preventing difficulties in the 64th verse?
Emulate the sea, which is the greatest, and instead of being a leader, become a servant. Stay low and humble, and the world will never tire of you.
What is the message of the 65th verse?
Recognize that you are one with the Tao, and that you are already in harmony with the Tao. This is the secret of perfect health.
What is the message of the 70th verse?
Refuse to think of anyone as an opponent, and instead, see oneness in them.
What is the key to success in the 67th verse?