It
loves and nourishes all things but does not lord it over them.” The T ao is the
informing principle of God, not nature’ s lord and master . A power -hungry
and ego-dominated control freak it’s not! Feeling superior is a human
creation. The Tao doesn’ t act as boss, forcing itself on you or anyone. It
simply allows all of creation to reveal itself with perfect timing  . . . and all
that is revealed is sacred because it’ s a piece of the ego-free T ao. I sugges t that you create some quiet time to reread this verse and reflect
on the sacred nature of everything in your life. Include past experiences that
you’ve blamed for preventing you from having the abundance, health, or
happiness that you’ve wanted and even expected. Ponder the advice that
there’ s a time for it all: Just as you must breathe in to breathe out, you may
experience what it is to be ahead by also having a “being-behind
experience.” All of those times that you felt betrayed, abandoned, abused,
frightened, anxious, or incomp lete—they all came about according to a
natural law that also led you to feel cared for, protected, loved, comforted,
and whole. There’ s a time for everything, including what you’re
experiencing today . Begin recognizi ng that every moment of your life is in accordance with
the Divine Tao. By doing so, you’ll shift from judgment (and perhaps
anger) to gratefulness for being able to feel both exhausted and rested,
scared and safe, unloved and cared for. All of it is a part of the natural law. Your “ego-mind” tries to protect you from pain by insisting that you can
learn to eliminate some aspects 29th Verse of your life. However , the sage
within you desires to be more harmonious with the perfection  of the Tao. How do you allow this? Lao-tzu urges you to avoid the extremes, the
excesses, and the extravagant, and know that all is unfolding perfectly , even
if your thoughts tell you that it’s imperfect. Those thoughts must also have
their own time, and in the natural flow, they’ll be replaced by new ones . . . which will show up on time as well. Here’ s what I believe this verse from Lao-tzu offers you from its 2,500-
year-old perspective:Give up needing to contr ol. Begin a conscious program of surrendering, and allowing your world and
everyone in it to do as they are ordained to do. Surrendering is a mental
process: It involves taking a split second to stop yourself in your mode of
judgment or frustration and have a brief talk with yourself on the spot. Just
remind yourself  to step back and be a witness rather than a protagonist,
which you can do by providing a sanctuary for the feeling you’re judging. Invite Divine natural order in by simply allowing what you’re experiencing
to go forward without criticism  or control; in this way, you move to the
center . Think of the need to control as a signal to allow the Tao to flow
freely through your life. At first your ego-mind may loudly scoff at the idea
of the Tao being  responsible for the perfect unfolding of everything. It’s up
to you to recognize that your belief that ego can control life is an illusion. Practice r ecognizing that ther e’s a time for everything. When you’re in the middle of a tough moment, repeat the lines given to
you by Lao-tzu. I do this in yoga practice when I feel exhausted holding a
position for what seems like a too-lengthy period. I remind myself, There’s
a time for being  exhausted, and there’s a time for being vigor ous. This frees
me immediately  from my demanding ego, which is saying, You shouldn’ t be
feeling this tired. You can do the same in any moment in your life. Experiences of pain, loss, fear, anger , and even hatred seem to vanish when
you remember that this is a part of the perfect blossoming of natural law;
and there will soon be a time for comfort, peace, and love. Apply this verse of the Tao Te Ching by creating your personalized
statement when you observe things such as crime, AIDS, hunger , and war. Try something like, Yes, there seems  to be a time for such things, and I
choose not to remain in extremes of resentment and anger . But there is also
my desir e to do something about these cir cumstances— that feeling is also a
part of the natural law unfolding. I choose to act on my inner desir e to
rectify these conditions. By remaining internally peaceful and avoiding the
extremes, I will impact the world in the same loving way that the Tao
eternally manifests fr om love and kindness. It’s not what you see around you that keeps you connected to the Tao; it’s
understanding how this eternal flow works. As Ralph Waldo Emerson putit, “By atoms, by trifles, by sots, heaven operates. The needles are nothing,
the magnetism is all.”
Do the T ao Now
Find a place where control is all-consuming and relinquish it today. Stifle
your inclination to interfere, reminding yourself as you do so that there’ s a
time for everything and you’re becoming more adept at observing
peacefully rather than taking over. Post this advice by Naomi Long Madgett where you can read it, and be
constantly reminded of your desire to live naturally:
I wouldn’ t coax the plant if I wer e you. Such watchful nurturing may do it harm. Let the soil r est fr om so much digging
And wait until it’ s dry befor e you water it. The leaf ’s inclined to find its own dir ection;
Give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself. Much gr owth is stunted by too much pr odding,
Too eager tenderness. The things we love we have to learn to leave alone. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com30th Verse
One who would guide a leader of men in the uses of life
will warn him against the use of arms for conquest. Weapons often turn upon the wielder . Wher e armies settle,
natur e offers nothing but briars and thorns. After a gr eat battle has been fought,
the land is cursed, the cr ops fail,
the earth lies stripped of its Mother hood. After you have attained your purpose,
you must not parade your success,
you must not boast of your ability ,
you must not feel pr oud;
you must rather r egret that you had not been
able to pr event the war . You must never think of conquering others by for ce. Whatever strains with for ce
will soon decay . It is not attuned to the W ay. Not being attuned to the W ay,
its end comes all too soon. OceanofPDF .comLiving
Without Force
If you were to explicitly follow the advice offered in this 30th verse of the
Tao Te Ching, you’d be in a position to have a conflict-free existence. Imagine that! If our entire global population understood and lived the
directives of this chapter of the Tao Te Ching, we’d finally be free of battle-
related stress, along with the ravages that war has spread acros s our planet
since we began keeping historical records. As the 29th verse wisely
instructed, there’ s a time for everything—could this be the time for living
without force? Here’ s my impr ession of what’ s being offered to you in this verse: Force
creates a counterforce, and this exchange goes on and on until an all-out
war is in progr ess. Once war has begun, decimation and famine result
because the land cannot produc e crops. Now when you create war in your
personal life, it produces a dearth of love, kindness, and joy, which leaves
you and everyone around you stripped of Divine Motherhood. Lao-tzu is
encouraging you to look for an alternative to force for settling disputes. If
you can find no other option, then you’re encouraged to abandon any
reference to yourself as winning or conquering. Force includes any use of physi cal or mental abuse in which the weapons
of hatred and intolerance are applied. There will always be a counterforce,
and what you’ve opted to do isn’t “attuned to the Way.” This means that
you’ll ultimately lose—especially when you consider that Martin Luther
King, Jr ., once observed that the only way to convert an enemy to a friend is
through love. Unfortunately , whenever force is used, resentment and ultimately revenge
become the means for responding. If we’re thinking in war-zone terms, the
killing of a large group of peop le designated as enemies leaves their sons
and daughters growing up hating the vanquishers. Ultimately , those
survivors take up weapons to exact revenge on the children of those who
vanquished them. The use of force propels entire generations of people intoa continuation of war. Or as Lao-tzu puts it, “Weapons often turn upon the
wielder .”
Thinking in alignment with the Tao applies to any conflict you may
experience. When you resort to force, then disputes with your spouse, your
children, your business partners , and even your neighbors will continue to
intensify . That’ s because the Great Way of Tao is that of cooperation, not
competition. The all-creating Source is alway s providing, asking nothing in return, and
coming from a place of sharing  its inherent love. It knows that all are part
of the 10,000 things, and they must cooperate with each other because they
share the same origin. So whenever you’re in a mode that propels you in the
direction of using force, you’ve  lost sight of your connection  to the Tao. Moreover , any collection of people (such as communities or countries) who
resort to weapons to get their points across are unattuned to the Way. They’ll leave the earth and the hearts of the people uninhabitable, except to
“briars and thorn s.” Your choice concerning your commitment to practicing
the Tao includes refusing to participate in any manner , be it mental or
physical, in anything that violates your understanding of the advice offered
in this powerful passage of the T ao Te Ching. Perhaps the easiest lesson prese nted here is the reminder to eschew the
behaviors of boastfulness and pomposity for anything achieved by force. Remember that whatever is accomplished in such a way creates a
counterforce that will ultimately  result in your victory turning to a defeat. If
you somehow feel that you had no other choice than to use violence to
protect yourself and those you love, immediately retreat to a position that
doesn’ t allow for bragging and self-congratulation. Vow to work on
restoring a balance of love where hatred previously resided, and do all that
you can to make amends for any damage that resulted from your use of
force. This 30th Verse is the Way. It has also been called wu-wei, or “not
forcing,” which means to take the line of least resistance in all of one’s
actions, and by doing so, create more strength. Here’ s what I believe you can learn and practice from Lao-tzu’ s advice in
this 30th verse of the T ao Te Ching:
Eliminate verbal and/or physical for ce in all situations.Examine the relationships in which you experience conflict . Make a
concerted decision to use less harsh language and to completely veer away
from becoming  physical in the resolution of any altercation. Practice
stopping thoughts of violence by shifting right in the mom ent to a stance of
listening. Bite your tongue! Stifle yourself! Hold back any response at all
for the time being. These are great reminders to you to become attuned to the Way. Remember , any act of force will definitely produce a counterforce, so if you
insist on escalating devastation , your weapons will be turned  back upon
you. Refuse to participate in violent actions in any way . Create distance between any form of violence and yourself. This includes
listening to TV or radio reports  or even perusing newspaper articles about
the uses of force taking place all over the planet. See if you’re justifying
hearing or reading about hostile activities as a need to be “fully informed.”
Once you know that force is being applied anywhere in the name of
subjugating others, you’ll realize that the constant repetition of that news
makes you a participant in the violence. By refusing to allow such energy
into your life, even as a passive observer , you keep yourself attuned to the
Way. Eventually , when enough of us are unwilling to tolerate such behavior in
any form, we’ll be closer to bringing an end to the use of force on our
planet. Rememb er that every use of force, even the smallest, creates a
counterforce. Here’ s what a great 16th-century poet, Saint John of the Cross, advises:
You might quiet the whole world for a second
if you pray . And if you love, if you
really love,
 
our guns willwilt. Do the T ao Now
In line with altering the way you look at the world, today change every
television chann el and radio station that presents an image or audio of the
use of force or violence. Then increase that “no tolerance” policy to include
movies, videos, and games that have beatings, homic ides, and chase scenes. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com31st Verse
Weapons ar e the tools of violence;
all decent men detest them. Therefore, followers of the T ao never use them. Arms serve evil. They ar e the tools of those who oppose wise rule. Use them only as a last r esort. For peace and quiet ar e dear est to the decent man’ s
heart, and to him even a victory is no cause for r ejoicing. He who thinks triumph beautiful
is one with a will to kill,
and one with a will to kill
shall never pr evail upon the world. It is a good sign when man’ s higher natur e
comes forwar d.
A bad sign when his lower natur e comes forwar d.
 
With the slaughter of multitudes,
we have grief and sorr ow. Every victory is a funeral;
when you win a war ,
you celebrate by mourning.OceanofPDF .comLiving
Without Weapons
The 31st verse of the Tao Te Ching unequivocally states that implements
of violence serve evil. Lao-tzu clearly knew that weapons design ed to kill
are tools of futility and should be avoided if you choose to live according to
the principles of the Tao. This includes the design, production, marketing,
distribution, and of course, the use of weapons in the business of killing. The Tao is about life; weapons are about death. The Tao is a creative force;
weapons are about destruction. Humanity has failed to learn this profound
teaching of the Tao Te Ching, which was written when weapons consisted
mainly of bows and arrows, spears, hatchets, and the like. From his positio n as an observe r and a being of Divine wisdom, Lao-tzu
recognized that there’ s no victory in any activity where killing takes place. Why? Because all people, regardless of their geographic location or belief
system, are connected to each other by their originating spirit. We all come
from, retain, and return to the Tao. When we destroy each other , we’re
destroying our opportunity to allow the Tao to inform us, to flow freely in
and through the form we’re in. What appears to our ego to be a victory to
celebrate is really a funeral, a time to mourn. Lao-tzu reminds us that taking
pleasure in winning a battle is aligne d with an ego will to kill. The Tao has
only a creative, nurturing, and loving will. On this physical plane, our
highest nature expresses itself through the precepts of the Tao, while our
lowest nature expresses itself by engaging in the business of killing. The written history of humankin d involves wars as far back as it can go,
and we measure our supposed march toward civilization by the
sophistication of our weapons. We’ve advanced from simple spears used in
close individual combat to bows and arrows that kill from a short distance,
rifles and explos ive devices that execute from farther away , and bombs that
decimate when dropped from the air. We’ve reached the level where we
have to invent terms like mega-death and weapons of mass destruction to
describe our current ability to annihilate millions of people and other life-
forms with one nuclear blast.The current level of presumably enlightened sophistication means that we
have the capacity to destroy all life on our planet with the weapon s we’ve
amassed. This perilous state has emer ged because we’ve ignored the basic
tenet of the Tao Te Ching, particularly as stressed in the infinite wisdom of
this verse: “Arm s serve evil. They are the tools of those who oppose wise
rule.”
I believe  that Lao-tzu was not only speaking about physical weapons, but
also nonphysical behaviors that are just as destructive. These include
violent words, gestures, and threats that aren’ t a part of humankind’ s higher
nature. If you change the way you look at your world, you must include
noticing your language and your demeanor . Do you demonstrate that you’re
a person who values life in all of its costumes? Are you someone who
wouldn’ t take up any type of arms—be they physical or not—against
another , unless alternative mean s had been exhausted? And then, if forced
to injure  another , are you able to feel compassion for your so-called enemy? Weapons designed to kill are inconsistent with the very essence of the Tao. Thus, you must make every effort to be peaceful and harmo nious with its
life-giving ener gy. The massive proliferation of guns in our modern society is a giant step
away from humankind’ s highest nature. So replace defending the right to
own and use weapons with the Tao consciousness. Seek instead  to aspire to
a time when our collective human energy is elevated to such a high status
that even the contemplation of killing is impossible. You can begin to do so
by changing the way you look at the necessity for weapons. It begins with
each and every one 31st Verse of us, and we can start by taking heed of
what the Tao Te Ching teaches us. By making this verse your personal
calling, you have the ability to save our planet from becoming a lifeless
one. This is what I believe Lao-tzu is saying to you personally from his 2,500-
year-old perspective:
Begin to see the use of physical or verbal weapons as unwanted
responses. Change your need to defend yourself to a stance of realizing that this is
evidence you’re ignoring the teachings of your Source of being. Refuse toconsider using weapons of violence in any form by noticing your language
and abolishing hatred from your vocabulary . Replace defending your right
to possess and use arms with an attitude that all deaths from such
instruments are signals of detachment from the wisdom of the Tao. When
enough of us reach a critical mass in our thinking so that it disallows the
existence of weapons, we’ll be moving the direction of our world. No
longer will we be able to evaluate the planet’ s level of civili zation by the
sophistication of our weapons; instead, the measurement will be on the Tao
scale of how well we’re able to feed and love each other . Then being civil
will authenticate the root word found in civilization. Discontinue celebrating death or violence in any form. Distance yourse lf from as many images of death as possible,  including
watching movies or TV shows that depict killing as a form of
entertainment, along with news reports that emphasize the extinguishing of
life. Teach your kids, and any children you can, to sanctify life. Encour age
them not to take pleasure in the demise of so-called enemies, terrorists, or
insur gents—all of these kinds of death, be they on a battlefield or an urban
street, are evidence of our collective will to kill. And don’t demonstrate
hatred and outrage; rather , teach yourself and others that every victory
accomplished with weapons is a funeral that should be mourned. Here are some sensitive lines from Saint Thomas Aquinas, a holy man
who attempted to teach us what  Lao-tzu offered in this verse of the Tao Te
Ching:
How is it they live for eons in such harmony—
the billions of stars—
 
when most men can bar ely go a minute
without declaring war in their mind against someone they know . There are wars wher e no one mar ches with a flag,
though that does not keep casualties
from mounting. Our hearts irrigate this earth. We are fields befor e
each other . How can we live in harmony? First we need to
know
 
we ar e all madly in love
with the same
God. Do the T ao Now
Say a private prayer today for every person you read or hear about who’ s
a victim of killing by a weapon, no matter how distant. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com32nd Verse
The eternal T ao has no name. Although simple and subtle,
no one in the world can master it. If kings and lor ds could harness them,
the 10,000 things would naturally obey . Heaven and earth would r ejoice
with the dripping of sweet dew . Everyone would live in harmony ,
not by official decr ee,
but by their own goodness. Once the whole is divided, the parts need names. There are already enough names;
know when to stop. Know when r eason sets limits
to avoid peril. Rivers and str eams ar e born of the ocean,
and all cr eation is born of the T ao. Just as all water flows back to become the ocean,
all cr eation flows back to become the T ao. OceanofPDF .comLiving the Perfect
Goodness of the Tao
In this verse, Lao-tzu describes  the ecstasy of being truly on the same
page as your Source. What you might describe as openheartedness or joy is
the “simple and subtle” flow of the Tao energy that’s responsible for all of
life . . . and no ef fort on your part is necessary . Lao-tzu opens this verse with a reminder that no one—not you, me, or
even the most powerful king or dictator—can rein in or master this force
known as the Tao. If it were under our control, then all of nature and its
10,000 things would celebrate because we’d live in peace and harmony . When we’re able to live and breathe the perfect goodness that is the Tao,
wars, famine, conflict, and other negative human creations cease to exist. The challenge presented in this 32nd verse of the Tao Te Chin g is how to
live in our phys ical world in unison with the eternal, always-m olding and
always-creating T ao. Look at what you desire to bring into your life; then, in the context of this
sweet verse, feel grateful for everything you encounter . Express gratitude
by riding  the flow of your existe nce and allowing it to be your ally. You can
steer while still enjoying this glorious ride, but if you elect to fight it, you’ll
ultimately get pulled under by its current. This is true for every aspect  of
your life: The more you push against it, the more resistance you create. Be aware of anything that’s directing you toward activities that truly
ignite your passion. If events seem to be taking you in a new direction in
your work, for instance, or signs  point to changing your job or location, pay
attention! Don’ t get pulled under by refusing to budge and continuing a
familiar frustrating routine, and then justifying your fear of change. Recognize the Tao energy coursing through  your life and quit fighting your
calling. I watch my young son on a surfboard each day of the summe r here on
Maui. He loves the thrilling ride as he accelerates by going with the wave—
he’s not attempt ing to control it by prolonging it or forcing it to move in adifferent direction. I use this as a metaphor for my life, for I write in the
flow. I allow thoughts and ideas to come in and move onto the page. I allow
myself to be carried by the great wave of the Tao in all of my decisions,
which brings me peace. That’ s because I trust in the perfect goodness of the
Tao to guide me, direct me, and take me where it will. You and I are like the rivers and streams that Lao-tzu mentions in this
verse. We were born of the Tao, our Source of being, and we’re return ing to
the Tao. The return trip is inevitable—it can’t be stopped. So watch your
body as it goes through its changes, noting that it does so in the same way
that the rivers head down to the ocean to reemer ge and become one with it. Lao-tzu urges you to know when to stop driving yourself, advising you to
instead jump into the oneness and avoid all manner of difficulties that he
calls your “peril.” Flow with the T ao in everything you do. Give up the need
to be in charge, which is just your ego working overtime. You cannot force
the T ao . . . let it carry you by relaxing into it with trust and faith. As you ride this glorious wave of the Tao, consider this advice from Alan
Watts in Tao: The W atercourse W ay:
Let your ears hear whatever they want to hear; let your eyes see
whatever they want to see; let your mind think whatever it wants
to think; let your lungs breathe in their own rhythm. Do not expect
any special result, for in this wordless and idealess state, where can
there be past or future, and where any notion of purpose? Stop, look, and listen right now before you go on reading. Yes, get in the
perfect goodness of the Tao right now—in your business, in your
relationships, in your career , in your everything! Stop, listen for your
passion, and then allow yourself be taken there by the ceaseless tide of all
creation, which continues in spite of your ego’ s opinions. Here’ s what Lao-tzu seems to be saying to you, through me, about
implementing the idea of this 32nd verse of the T ao Te Ching:
Pay attention to the flow of your life. Remind yoursel f that you don’t have to be in charge—that, in fact, it’s
impossible for you to be in charge. The nameless force, which Lao-tzu calls
the Tao, moves everything, so your continual argument with it only causesdissatisfaction. Each day, practice letting go and seeing where you’re
directed. Take note of who shows up and when. Observe the “strange
coincidences” that seem to collaborate with fate and in some way steer you
in a new direction. Keep track of situations that occur spontaneously or out
of the realm of your control. Look for a new , joyous feeling within you. As you move in the direction of “loosening the leash,” so to speak, you’ll
become keenly aware of the exhilaration of the Tao flowing through you. Begin to see what passions are stirred up as you allow the ride to be
directed by your Source rather than ego. These  joyous feelings are clues
that you’re beginning to harmo nize with what Lao-tzu calls “[your] own
goodness.” Your enthusiastic inner receptiv ity is your reminder that all is
perfect, so trust that ener gy. Do the T ao Now
Pick a time today , perhaps between noon and 4 p.m., to consci ously free
your mind from attempting to control the events of your life. Go for a walk
and simply let yourself be carried along: Let your feet go where they will. Observe everyth ing in your line of vision. Notice your breath, the sounds
you hear, the wind, the cloud formations, the humidity , the temperature—
everything. Simply let yourself be immersed and transported, and notice
how it feels to just go with the flow. Now decide to let freedom be your
guide. Realize that traffic, the people in your life, the stock exchange, the
weather , the tides . . . all of it is taking place at its own pace in its own way. You can move with the eternal, perfect T ao as well. Be it . . . now. OceanofPDF .com33rd Verse
One who understands others has knowledge;
one who understands himself has wisdom. Mastering others r equir es for ce;
mastering the self needs str ength. If you r ealize that you have enough,
you ar e truly rich. One who gives himself to his position
surely lives long. One who gives himself to the T ao
surely lives for ever. OceanofPDF .comLiving Self- Mastery
In our contempo rary world, an educated person is generally thought of as
someone with several diplomas who’ s in a position to intelligently discuss
all manner of topics, particularly in the academic field. In addition to
amassing schola stic credits, highly learned people often understand and
reach out to help others. In fact, they seem to possess the ability to
effectively “read” other people. These individuals’ power and status tends
to increa se in proportion to the number of men and women they oversee,
such as with the president of a university , a CEO of a business, or a general
of an army . In this 33rd verse of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu is asking you to change
the way you look at these twin ideas of knowledge and power . You’re
invited to evaluate your level of self-mastery by turning your gaze inward
and seeing the world, and your place in it, in a new light. A Tao-oriented
life focuses on understanding yourself, rather than on the thinking and
behaviors of others. You shift from the acquisition of information and the
pursuit of status symbols to understanding and mastering yourself in any
and all situation s. Power over others is replaced with an inner strength that
empowers you to behave from a wisdom that is inherently the T ao. As you modify your thinking, your world will under go pleasantly
dramatic changes. For example, as you realize that you are responsible for
your reactions in any given moment, others will cease to have any power or
control over you. Rather than worrying, Why is that person behaving that
way and making me feel so upset? you can see the situation as an invitation
to explore yourself from a new attitude of self-mastery . Your inward
exploration allows you to permit the flow of inner responses, examining
them with tolerance directed toward yourself. By seeking your stream of
thoughts and simply going with them, the conduct of that other person
instantly loses its potency . You begin seeing your world suffused with the
harmony of the T ao eternally (and internally!) flowing through you. In any situation—whether it be under the heading of “family ,” “work,” or
“social”; or even just seeing the atrocities reported on the evening news—
you’ll become aware that there’ s no “they” who have power over you. Byrefusing to turn the controls of your existence over to anyone or any set of
circumstances, you’re exercising personal strength instead of force. You are
indeed experiencing self-mastery , and this new state of internal control has
come about because you’ve elected to live in accordance with the Tao. You
don’t need the approval of others or another possession in order to be happy
—you must merely understand yourself as a Divine piece of the eternal T ao,
always connected to that infinite essence. Lao-tzu equates the ability to look within for the Source of enlightenment
and strength with eternal life. He reminds you that while externals such as
knowledge and the power over others may provide a long life, shifting to
being in charge of yourself offers imperishable wisdom and a ticket to
immortality . Here’ s what this great master wants you to take from this verse of the Tao
Te Ching and apply to your world:
Focus on understanding yourself instead of blaming others. Whenever you’r e anxious, in pain, or even mildly upset over the conduct
of others, take the focus off those you’re holding responsible for your inner
distress. Shift your mental energy to allowing yourself to be with whatever
you’re feeling—let the Tao flow freely , without blaming others for your
feelings. And don’t blame yours elf either! Just allow the Tao to unfold. . . . Tell yourself that no one has the power to make you uneasy without your
consent, and that 33rd Verse you’re unwilling to grant that authority to this
person right now. But you are willing to freely experience your emotions
without calling them “wrong” or needing to chase them away . Flow in the
Tao now! In this way, with this simple exercise at the moment of your dis-
ease, you’ve made a shift to self-mastery . It’s important to bypass blame and even your desire to understand the
other person; instead, focus on understanding yourself. By taking
responsibility for how you choo se to respond to anything or anyone, you’re
aligning yourself with the Tao. Change the way you choose to perceive the
power that others have over you and you will see a bright new world of
unlimited potential for yourself. Cultivate your desir e for others to discover the T ao in their lives.Dismiss any desire to extend power over others through the forceful
nature of your actions and your personality . Ego believes that others are
incapable of running their own lives and wants to control with force, so
demonstrate your inner strength  by abandoning such tactics. Catch yourself
as you’r e about to tell others how they “should” be. Use the opportunity to
practice allowing them to learn their own lessons without interference from
you. Notice how often you attem pt to use verbal force to convince others to
listen to you. Remind yourself to remain quiet and send loving energy. Practice this kind of self-mastery even though it’ s rare in today’ s world. Y ou
are strong enough to trust the T ao. When your judgments dominate , the flow of the Tao slows. See how the
world truly changes right before your eyes when you sincerely desire that
others follow their own life paths, which will lead them to realize the
greatness of the Tao. All those formerly perceived as needing you to tell
them what or how to live are also the same as you are in the Tao’s wisdom
and strength. Do the T ao Now
Today , practice experiencing the unfolding of the Tao with someone who
usually causes you distress. Consciously initiate a conversation with that in-
law, ex-spouse, bullying co-wor ker, or family member , inviting the Tao to
flow freely . Notice how, what, and where you feel; remain warmly and
tolerantly in touch with the sensations within your body . You’ve entered the
space of self-mastery in this moment. Here’ s what A Course in Miracles offers on this verse of the Tao Te
Ching: “This is the only thing that you need to do for vision , happiness,
release from pain. . . . Say only this, but mean it with no reservations . . . I
am responsible for what I see. I chose the feelings I experience . . . ”
OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com34th Verse
The Gr eat W ay is universal;
it can apply to the left or the right. All beings depend on it for life;
even so, it does not take possession of them. It accomplishes its purpose,
but makes no claim for itself. It covers all cr eatur es like the sky ,
but does not dominate them. All things r eturn to it as to their home,
but it does not lor d it over them;
thus, it may be called “gr eat.”
 
The sage imitates this conduct:
By not claiming gr eatness,
the sage achieves gr eatness. OceanofPDF .comLiving the
Great Way
In this verse, Lao-tzu asks you to reevaluate your perception of greatness. Typical definitions tend to center around the amount of fame and fortune
that an individual accumulates in his or her lifetime. As the previous verse
emphasized, the power to dominate and control others can also be used as a
benchmark of this quality: Commanders of huge armies and heads of state
who attract worldwide attentio n are considered great. Yet great men or
women are often thought of as having been instrumental in affecting the
course of human events in a positive way, making the world a better place
on eithe r a local or global level. Greatness, then, is a claim made by or for
individuals who stand out from the crowd. Verse 34 of the Tao Te Ching describes greatness in an entirely different
manner: Such a quality is the Tao, which is so all-encompassing that every
plant, creature, and human originates and lives because of it, yet it doesn’ t
seek to dominat e anyone or anything. The Tao doesn’ t ask for recogn ition
of any kind, for it has no interest in fame or being thanked for all that it
provides. It is this indif ference toward notoriety that makes true greatness. When you change the way you think about this quality , you’ll see your
world in an entirely new way: You’ll no longer be gauging appearances and
accumulations, and you won’ t notice how much power you or anyone else
uses to exact dominance or control over others. Rather , your new way of
thinking will allow you to look for the unfolding of the Tao in everyone you
see. Perhaps for the very first time, you’ll notice greatness in others, as well
as yourself, in terms of the Tao that includes all. You’ll be able to look at
the sky and see its grandness, which demands absolutely nothing in return. As you change your enculturated view of greatness, you’ll begin seeing a
different world. You’ll see the importance of everyone, including those
individuals you’ve previously identified as difficult or unreasonable. You’ll
begin to see that the holiness that ferments the galaxies is working in you,
in me, and in everyone. You’ll begin to trust that greatness is every person’ sheritage. The Tao is everywhere ; therefore, this quality will be visible in all
things and people. Here are my suggestions for applying the 34th verse of the Tao Te Ching
to your everyday life:
Discontinue deciding what anyone else should or shouldn’t be doing. Avoid thoughts and activities that involve telling people who are perfectly
capable of making their own choices what to do. In your family , remember
that you do not own anyone. The poet Kahlil Gibran reminds you:
Your childr en ar e not your childr en. They ar e the sons and daughters of Life’ s longing for itself. They come thr ough you but not fr om you . . . This is always true. In fact, disregard any inclination to dominate in all of
your relationships. Listen rather than expound. Pay attention to yourself
when you’re having judgmental opinions and see where self-attention takes
you. When you replace an ownership mentality with one of allowing, you’ll
begin to see the true unfolding of the Tao in yourself and other people. From that mom ent on, you’ll be free of frustration with those  who don’t
behave according to your ego-dominated expectations. Discover a new definition of gr eatness. Offer yourself a definition that doesn’ t use any standards of appearance or
traditional extern al measures of success. Notice those who give much, boast
little, nurture others, and decline recognition or credit, and put them in your
greatness file. Encourage yourself to practice these same kinds of
behaviors. Begin noticing how the Tao is always flowing in an all-
providing, no-boasting, nondemanding, nonpossessing manner . Can you see
how great that truly is? There are many people in your daily life doing just
that. Seek them out and acknow ledge them, while quietly emulating what
they do. Remember that a great  sage never claims ownership of greatness,
so when you change your definition, you’ll see that quality cropping up
everywhere, especially within yourself. Do the T ao NowMake a decision to spend a day seeking out several people who fit the
model of this verse of the Tao Te Ching. Silently convey to them that you
sense their greatness as an unfolding of the Tao. Then notic e how your
interactions with them differ when you’re not making judgments based on
their age, sex, title, conduct, manner of dress, height, weight,  skin color ,
religious affiliation, or political beliefs. OceanofPDF .com35th Verse
All men will come to him
who keeps to the one. They flock to him and r eceive no harm,
for in him they find peace, security , and happiness. Music and dining ar e passing pleasur es,
yet they cause people to stop. How bland and insipid ar e the things of this world when one compar es them
to the T ao! When you look for it, ther e is nothing to see. When you listen for it, ther e is nothing to hear . When you use it, it cannot be exhausted. OceanofPDF .comLiving Beyond
Worldly Pleasures
Take a few moments before reading this chapter and ask yourself the
following questions: When I think of pleasur e, what activities readily come
to mind? How do I distinguish between what I find enjoyable and what I
don’t? Generally , pleas ure is described as something experienced by the senses
and available here in the world  of form. Perhaps you experience it in a
sumptuous meal, in your favorite music, or on the golf course, but it’s most
certainly a welcome motivating force for you. Problems can occur ,
however , when such pursuits become the primary focus of life. In other
words, an emphasis on worldly pleasures can quite easily create an
imbalance in your system, leading to upset and disease. Obesity , eating
disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, addictions of every description, and
preoccupations with plastic surgery are just a few of the undesir able results. Most everything  defined as pleasurable is temporary , so if you need more
and more of it, then it has a grip on you. What you desire so strong ly has
become your jailer , trapping you into believing that it will bring you peace,
security , or happiness . . . but it never does. Worldly pleasures only seduce
you into becoming dependent on them, and they leave you always wanting
more. It’s a craving that can never be satisfied: You need another great meal
in order to have that pleasure again because it vanished almost immediately
upon the compl etion of your dessert. You need to keep the music playing
because when it stops, your enjoyment stops, too. All addictions scream out
this depressing message: “You’ll never , ever get enough of what you don’t
want.”
Contrast this bleak picture of pleasure, which Lao-tzu calls “bland and
insipid,” with the ecstasy of the Tao. Just for a moment, imagin e having the
perspective of the Tao as you read this verse, and see if you can change the
way you look at this idea of pleasure. The benefits of having a concept that
harmonizes with the Tao are outlined in the opening lines: All people will
flock to you, and they’ll find peace, security , and happiness when they do.The reason why they’ll discover these three jewels is because you exude
such qualities. Your emphasis is on the Tao—it’ s who you are and therefore
what you have to give away . You are now changing the way you look at things, so your idea of
pleasure shifts beyond the worldly nudges of your senses. You taste your
food, but you’re  in awe of the magic that produced the delectables you’re
eating, as well as the perfection of this incredible cycle that continues in the
elimination and reuse of what you’ve consumed. The constant behind this
ever-changing world becomes your new Source of pleasure, expressed in
the wonder and bewilderment you feel. Y es, of course you continue to enjoy
your meals, but your pleasure is in being at one with what allows it all to
transpire. You know that you can’t find, hear, see, or touch the Source, yet it’s
always available  and can never be depleted. The music that you hear isn’t
the Tao; the Tao is the invisible energy that fills the empty spaces that give
you so much joy. And that happiness you feel is the eternally available and
longed-for pleas ure of transcending the physical limitations of a human
body . Touching the Tao is way beyond any of the sensory pleas ures that we
somehow believe will satisfy that longing for transcendence. Addictions beco me impossible because you no longer try to get worldly
pursuits to satisfy you. It’s like realizing that you can fly when you’ve been
walking faster and faster , but never getting enough speed or altitude—you
kept trying to satisfy a natura l longin g to be aloft through the pleasure of
rapid walking. Now you observe the way nature flows: You clearly see it
never asking for more, never using up more, and absolutely never
demanding that it be provided with more than is necessary to maintain a
perfect balance. The realm of passing pleasures is no longer your central
place of 35th Verse self-identification. You’re at peace, feeling secure and
happy because you’ve changed your worldview to include the infinite Tao . . . how could addictions ever compare? Imagine a heroin addict believing that peace, security , and happiness are
available with an inexhaustible supply of opiates. That scenario is
impossible because the pleasure  that drugs bring lasts but a few seconds,
and then the opposite of peace, security , and happiness clicks in. The addictkeeps trying to fly by running faster—ultimately he comes to despise his
life and destroy himself in the process. Such is the destiny of those who
seek the pleasures of the world of the senses to fulfill their longing and
natural ability to transcend the physical plane. Here’ s what Lao-tzu is offering  you in this profound verse of the Tao Te
Ching:
Notice the eternal bliss that’ s always with you— even when the
delicacies ar e out of sight! Change your way of thinking of yourself as a totally physi cal being. Instead, recognize that worldly pleasures that tend to be overdone are
attempts to transcend the physical, which isn’t going to happen without
tapping into your natural connection to the Tao. Stop equating sensory
delight with the Tao-inspired bliss that’s available to you. Enjoy all that you
experience through the senses: Love your fine dining, bask in the melodies
of your favorite music, and be appreciative of the excitement of sexual
energy. But notice that this is all coming from your sensory self, which is
happily adaptab le to this world. Then seek your “Tao self,” which
transcends the physical, and explore its pleasures. Reexamine what true, lasting, enjoyment is. Even though the ef fects of the
Tao may initially have no appeal to your seeing, hearing, touching, tasting,
and smelling faculties, they’ll fulfill the longing you’re trying to sate with
worldly pursuits. When you’re chasing any passing fancy , begin
recognizing its value in the here and now, but stop trying to get it to satisfy
a greater longing. Introduce transcendent thankfulness to your everyday life. Make it a daily practice to give thanks for the presence of the eternal Tao
that’s always with you. From an appreciative viewpoint, the world that you
formerly desired  will begin to look different. In the grateful Tao awareness,
feelings of being incomplete when worldly pleasures are unavailable are
replaced with a transcendent thankfulness. What used to be a need for a
worldly delight is replaced with gratitud e and contentment for being aware
of the aspect of you that is the Tao, free of physical and earthly limitations
and confinement. Living with conscious appreciation of the Tao will attract
more people and experiences, enriching your balance of morta l and eternalawareness. Open yourself to the unlimited love and abundance of the Tao
and you’ll attract more of that same love and abundance to you. Your world
has changed because you see the Tao where you previously only noticed
your mortal self needing worldly pleasures. Do the T ao Now
Go on a 24-hou r fast. When you feel hunger pangs, switch your thoughts
to gratitude for the eternal force that’s always with you. Warmly let your
physical self know that it will be fed when the fast is over, then switch to
the Tao self that’s unaware of hunger . Enjoy the different nature of the Tao
self by concentr ating on locating its energy flowing through your body . It
will reveal itself—perhaps as contented, exhilarated, or blissfu l. Note the
difference between how this feels compared with worldly pleasures. OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com36th Verse
Should you want to contain something,
you must deliberately let it expand. Should you want to weaken something,
you must deliberately let it gr ow str ong. Should you want to eliminate something,
you must deliberately allow it to flourish. Should you want to take something away ,
you must deliberately grant it access. The lesson her e is called
the wisdom of obscurity . The gentle outlasts the str ong. The obscur e outlasts the obvious. Fish cannot leave deep waters,
and a country’ s weapons should not be displayed. OceanofPDF .comLiving in Obscurity
A large part of your growing-up life lessons revolved around the words
Notice me! You were taught that the more attention you received,
particularly for being a “good little person,” the more status and approval
you’d get from your peers (as well as the adults you knew ). Become
number one, you were told, earn that gold star, win that championship, get
the best grades, become valedic torian, attain that letter sweater , gather up
trophies, and so on. Such lessons were all about rising to the top of the
crowd and evaluating yourself based on how you stacked up competitively
with everyone around you. When you change the way you think about your place in the great scheme
of thing s, you’ll discover that “the wisdom of obscurity” allows you to
eliminate competition from your life and retreat into quiet strength. In other
words, Lao-tzu is asking you to take it easy and base your view on entirely
new criteria. As you do, your world will begin to reflect a gentle, low-key
soul who outlasts those who measure their strength by how much status
they have compared to their peers. This verse opens with the idea of understanding the dichotomous nature
of the material world and then encourages you to become an astute observer
of your life. Feeling belittled means that you must know what it’s like to be
important; the idea of being weak grows out of having known what it’s like
to feel strong. As one translation of the Tao Te Ching (The Way of Life
Accor ding to Lao Tzu, translated by W itter Bynner) reminds us:
He who feels punctur ed
Must once have been a bubble,
He who feels unarmed
Must have carried arms,
He who feels deprived
Must have had privilege . . . Avoid the pitfalls of feeling weak, unimportant, stressed, or fearful by
transcending the thinking that got you there in the first place. Keep in mindthat if you feel weak, you must  have had the opposite perception of being
strong at least once. If you experien ce stress, you have an idea of what
being unstressed is like. By becoming independent of the need to compare
yourself and fit in, you choose the path that Lao-tzu calls “the wisdom of
obscurity”—that is, you release your need to be more anything in the eyes
of others. Lao-tzu concludes this elegant verse with the metaphor of fish leaving the
deep water—when they try to examine the surface and see the “big world”
beyond those depths, the little guys no longer endure because they’re
captured by a net. Hence, you find the great lesson of this 36th verse: Stay
under the radar and you’ll outlast all who strive to be recognized. When you
shift to this viewpoint, your desire for obscurity will surpass your need to
be seen as strong and above everyone else—and you won’ t end up all alone
in your trophy room! Here’ s what Lao-tzu offers you from 25 centuries ago, when he dictated
this enduring tome of wisdom:
Strive to know oneness by seeking awar eness of opposites. Make every effort to stay in a state of oneness in your mind. For example,
if you’re tired, remind yourself that you know what being rested is like. Recognize the opposing feelin g so that you can know both of them
simultaneously . Do this with any sensation: If you’re depressed, weak,
jealous, unloved—anything—the antithesis of what you’re going through is
within your experiential fram ework. Seek the 36th Verse opposite feeling
right in the mom ent and be at one with it in your mind, for this will provide
you with a balanced sense of being at peace within yourself. This is
oneness, wherein you entertain extremes and use your mind to be like the
Tao, which never divides anything. How can oneness be broken apart? It
would no longer exist if you could split it up. Withdraw yourself and allow others. Monitor your inclinations to compare yourself to others or to stay within
the “system.” A system is designed to get you to behave just like everyone
else, as it contrives to make comparisons determine your success or
happiness. The Tao Te Ching urges you to seek obscurity: Draw little or noattention to yourself, and don’t ask to be recognized. Instead, allow , allow ,
allow . Let other people flourish, waxin g on about their strength and popularity . As Lao-tzu says, you must deliberately grant others the right to expand, but
take your own lesson from the fish that endure and stay in the deep waters
of your T ao-directed soul. Do the T ao Now
Give yourself an assignment to be as much in the background as you can
for an entire day. Stifle inclinations to compare yourself to anyone else or to
draw attention to yourself. You can accomplish this by making a
commitment to be interested in others today , substituting the pronoun I for
you. So instead of saying, “I did this kind of work for years; let me tell you
how you should proceed,” remark, “You seem to be doing so well with your
new business.” In the language of the Tao, stay soft and gentle and you will
endure. OceanofPDF .com37th Verse
The T ao does nothing,
but leaves nothing undone. If powerful men
could center themselves in it,
the whole world would be transformed
by itself, in its natural r hythms. When life is simple,
pretenses fall away;
our essential natur es shine thr ough. By not wanting, ther e is calm,
and the world will straighten itself. When ther e is silence,
one finds the anchor of the universe within oneself. OceanofPDF .comLiving in Simplicity
I call this the “Bite your tongue, zip your lips” verse of the Tao Te Ching. The paradox inherent in the two opening lines intrigues me enormously:
“The Tao does nothing, but leaves nothing undone.” Just imagine what
we’re being told to consider in this verse—do nothing and everything gets
done. It obvious ly contradicts all that you and I have been taught. Doing
nothing in our culture suggests a lazy, unsuccessful, and quite possibly
worthless individual. So for a moment, let’s modify the way we think about
living simply and doing nothing. Of all the troubles that are reported in the media—including wars,
terrorism, famine, hatred, crime, and disease—how many are the result of
interfering with the natural unfolding of creation? How much of the
essential nature of ourselves and our planet is able to shine through? What
would Earth be like if govern ments didn’ t meddle in everyone’ s lives? What if no one could be perceived as an enemy? Could there be a world
where groups of people never got together to control others or to invade or
conquer—how about where oceans, mountains, natural resources, air,
plants, and animals were respe cted and allowed to flourish without any
interference? Suppose that such a place of simplicity and lack of
interference existed . . . it would be acting exactly as the Tao does, doing
nothing and yet leaving nothing undone. Now shift out of this highly imaginative scenario and begin to reconsider
what’ s meant in this passage by the concept of powerful individuals
transforming the world. When they’re interfering with natural rhythms, they
ultimately create difficulties that are inconsistent  with the Tao. Try to
visualize great leaders who are instead centered in the Tao—th ey bite their
tongues and zip their lips rather than act in a hostile way, and they refuse to
participate in activities that cause harm to anything on the planet. Yes, this
may be a fantasy , but it’s not an impossibility when you think like a sage
and are centered in the Tao. The 37th verse of the Tao Te Ching can also help you change the way you
look at yourself. Let’s say that you’re accustomed to equating the idea of
success with a take-char ge kind of person. You believe that this individualallocates responsibilities to others because he or she is a leader who’ s
willing and able to tell others what to do and how to do it. Well, this view is
completely out of harmony with the Tao, which “does nothing” and “leaves
nothing undone. ” As you alter the way you look at your own power and
success, you’ll begin to replac e strong desires with calm contentment. When you start to allow your true nature—wh ich is the anch or of the
universe—to shine through, you’ll recognize that the way you look at things
has absolutely changed. I’ve used this simplicity lesson in dealing with all of my children. When I
step in and tell them “how ,” I create resistance. But when I bite my tongue,
zip my lips, and retreat into silence, they not only figure it out themselves,
but a calm energy replaces their frustration. I’ve learned that my kids know
how to be: They too have the anchor of the universe within them. They too
are centered in the do-nothing, get-everything-done Tao. They too have an
essential nature that they’re listening to. As I’ve gotten more adept at
trusting this—not only for my children, but for everyone I encounter—I’m
more peaceful. And guess what? More, not less, seems to get accomplished
—on time and without problems that used to surface because of my
interference. Change the way you think abou t the entire idea of success and power , for
this isn’t the result of obsessive accomplishment and continually following
directions. Start living in a world that you know 37th Verse works far better
with less meddl ing. You understand that not everyone will stop instructing
others and just allow the Tao to unfold, but you can be an observer ,
watching others tap into their power by centering themselves. Here’ s what Lao-tzu suggests for making this verse become your daily
reality:
Cultivate your unique, natural self. Practice allowing your essential nature to shine by not enforcing
judgments on yourself that were imposed by others. Remind yourself that
you don’t have to do anything:  You don’t have to be better than anyone
else. Y ou don’ t have to win. Y ou don’ t have to be number 1 or number 27 or
any other number . Give yourself permission to just be. Stop interfering with
your unique natural being. Lighten the burden you carry to be productive,wealthy , and successful in the eyes of others; and replace it with an inner
assertion that allows you to access the Tao. Affirm: I am center ed in the
Tao. I trust that I am able to straighten myself out, and so is the world. I
retreat into silence, knowing that all is well. Expect to see the essential natur e of others by r emaining silent. Deliberately bite your tongue and zip your lips at the precise moment that
you’re tempted to get involved in the lives of those around you. Become
aware of your inclination to tell others, particularly your family members,
how they should be conducting their lives. Even if you hold off for a few
moments before you butt in to someone else’s business, you’re on your way
to allowing those around you to find their anchor of the universe within
themselves. This new discipline of resisting your habit to get involved by
pausing before interfering will enable you to see how capable everyone
truly is when they’re in the energy field of someone who allows rather than
dictates. Do the T ao Now
Print or copy the first two lines of this 37th verse: “The Tao does nothing,
but leaves nothing undone.” Read the words repeatedly until you’ve
committed them  to memory; then go for a 30-minute walk and take note of
their truth. The air, sky, clouds, grass, wind, and flowers . . . nothing natural
that you see is undone, but nothing is taking place to work it all out. It is all
accomplished by the truth of these words. I’m reminded of a 13th-century poem by Rumi called “Nibble At Me,”
which applies perfectly to this section of the T ao Te Ching:
Nibble at me. Don’ t gulp me down. How often is it you have a guest in your house
who can fix everything? Let your all-knowing guest fix things while you live naturally . OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .com38th Verse
A truly good man is not awar e of his goodness
and is ther efore good. A foolish man tries to be good
and is ther efore not good. The master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone. The or dinary man is always doing things,
yet many mor e are left to be done. The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self. The highest kindness is to give without condition. The highest justice is to see without pr eference. When the T ao is lost, ther e is goodness. When goodness is lost, ther e is morality . When morality is lost, ther e is ritual. Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos. The gr eat master follows his own natur e
and not the trappings of life. It is said:
“He stays with the fruit and not the fluff.”
“He stays with the firm and not the flimsy .”“He stays with the true and not the false.”
OceanofPDF .comLiving Within
Your Own Nature
Here’ s the message behind this seemingly paradoxical verse of the Tao Te
Ching: Your nature is to be good because you came from the Tao, which is
goodness. But when you’re trying to be good, your essential nature
becomes inopera tive. In your effort to be good, moral, or obedient, you lose
touch with your T ao nature. There’ s one sentence in this verse that I pondered for days before writing
this short essay: “When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.” I felt perplexed
because it seemed so contradicto ry to what the Tao Te Ching was teaching. Finally , in a moment of contemplation while I meditated on a drawing of
Lao-tzu, it became clear to me: Natur e is good without knowing it were the
exact words I heard in my meditation. I then understood what Lao-tzu
seemed to want me to convey about this somewhat confusing (to me) 38th
verse. Live by your essential nature, the T ao, which is oneness; it has no polarity . Yet the moment  that you know you’re good, you introduce the polarity of
“good” versus “bad,” which causes you to lose your connection to the Tao. Then you introduce something new—you figur e that if you can’t be good,
you’ll try to be moral. And what is morality but standards of right and
wrong that you try to uphold? As Lao-tzu seems to be saying to me, The
Tao is oneness; it has no stand ards for you to follow . In other  words, the
Tao just is; it isn’t doing anything, yet it leaves nothing undone. There’ s no
morality; there is only the unattached Tao. It isn’t right and it isn’t fair, but
it is essential nature, and you’re encouraged to be true to your own. As morality is lost, the idea of ritual surfaces, so you try to live in
accordance with rules and customs that have defined “your people” for
centuries. But I could almost hear Lao-tzu saying: The Tao is infinite and
excludes no one. Rituals keep you disconnected from the Tao, and you lose
them by trying. So you rely upon laws, further dividing yourself and
creating chaos for yourself. Again, the Tao just is its own true, essential
nature—it has no laws, rituals, morality , or goodness. Observe it and livewithin its nature . In other words , act without being concerned for your own
ego. Give as the Tao does, without condition or trying to be good, moral, or
just. Just give to all without preference, as Lao-tzu advises. I admit that living by this 38th verse may be the total opposit e of what
you’ve learned in this lifetime. It certainly represents both an intellectual
and a behavioral challenge for me at times. You may appreciate knowing
that many of the scholars whom I researched regarding this verse said that
Lao-tzu wrote it (and the next one) in response to his opposition to
Confucius, his contemporary who laid out specific edicts and codes of
conduct for the people. What Lao-tzu seemed to be saying to me through
meditation was: Trust your own essential natur e. Let go of all polarities and
live in the indivisible oneness that is the Tao. The dichotomies of good/bad,
right/wrong, proper/improper , legal/illegal, and the like can be difficult—
just remember that when they surface, the T ao is lost. Here’ s some more advice for you, through me, from Lao-tzu:
Live in your essential natur e by r ejecting artificial principles. These principle s in descending order are goodness, fairness, rites, and
laws. Artificial goodness is an attempt to live by not being “bad,” so you
allow others to decide where you fit in on a goodness scale. Affirm: I am of
the Tao, a piece  of God, and I need no human-made device to confir m it. Goodness and God-ness are one, and I trust who I am and will act from this
perspective. I am staying with this truth and not what is false. Furthermore,
see that the Tao isn’t concerned with fairness—give of yourself knowing
that this is an artificial contriva nce that cannot exist from a perspec tive of
oneness. You are from, and will return to, that oneness, regardless of your
opinions about it. So open up generously without desiring to be treated
fairly . Abandon outmoded familial and cultural customs. Relinquish rites that you feel compelled to follow simply because they’ve
been that way in your lifetime, and particularly in your family . Peacefully
affirm: I am free to live, trusting in the eternal Tao. I do not have to be as
my ancestors were. I relinquish ancient rituals that no longer work or that
perpetuate separation or enmity . Remind yourself that goodness isn’t
accessed by obeying laws; rather , it is what resonates with your essentialnature. You don’t need any sort of code to decide what is proper , good,
moral, ethical, or legal. Trust yourself to be an instrument of love by
surrendering to your highest nature rather than being seduced by mortal
laws. This poem from  the 16th-century mystic Saint John of the Cross, titled “A
Rabbit Noticed My Condition,” beautifully describes this attitude:
I was sad one day and went for a walk;
I sat in a field. A rabbit noticed my condition and came near . It often does not take mor e than that to help at times — to just be close to
creatur es who
are so full of knowing,
so full of love
that they don’ t—
chat,
 
they just gaze with
their marvelous understanding. Do the T ao Now
Spend a day consciously choosi ng to notice one of God’ s creatures, such
as a dog, a butterfly , a moth, a spider , an ant, a fish, a cat, a deer, or
whatever attracts you. You can learn a lot from them about trusting your
inner nature. They are, as the poet says, “so full of knowing.”
OceanofPDF .com39th Verse
These things fr om ancient times arise fr om one:
The sky is whole and clear . The earth is whole and firm. The spirit is whole and full. The 10,000 things ar e whole, and the country is upright. All these ar e in virtue of wholeness. When man interfer es with the T ao,
the sky becomes filthy ,
the earth becomes depleted,
the equilibrium crumbles,
creatur es become extinct.
_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
loves and nourishes all things but does not lord it over them. ” The T ao is the
informing principle of God, not nature’ s lord and master. A power -hungry
and ego-dominated control freak it’s not. Feeling superior is a human
creation. The Tao doesn’ t act as boss, forcing itself on you or anyone. It
simply allows all of creation to reveal itself with perfect timing. and all
that is revealed is sacred because it’ s a piece of the ego-free T ao. I sugges t that you create some quiet time to reread this verse and reflect
on the sacred nature of everything in your life. Include past experiences that
you’ve blamed for preventing you from having the abundance, health, or
happiness that you’ve wanted and even expected. Ponder the advice that
there’ s a time for it all: Just as you must breathe in to breathe out, you may
experience what it is to be ahead by also having a “being-behind
experience. ” All of those times that you felt betrayed, abandoned, abused,
frightened, anxious, or incomp lete—they all came about according to a
natural law that also led you to feel cared for, protected, loved, comforted,
and whole. There’ s a time for everything, including what you’re
experiencing today. Begin recognizi ng that every moment of your life is in accordance with
the Divine Tao. By doing so, you’ll shift from judgment (and perhaps
anger) to gratefulness for being able to feel both exhausted and rested,
scared and safe, unloved and cared for. All of it is a part of the natural law. Your “ego-mind” tries to protect you from pain by insisting that you can
learn to eliminate some aspects 29th Verse of your life. However, the sage
within you desires to be more harmonious with the perfection  of the Tao. How do you allow this. Lao-tzu urges you to avoid the extremes, the
excesses, and the extravagant, and know that all is unfolding perfectly, even
if your thoughts tell you that it’s imperfect. Those thoughts must also have
their own time, and in the natural flow, they’ll be replaced by new ones. which will show up on time as well. Here’ s what I believe this verse from Lao-tzu offers you from its 2,500-
year-old perspective:Give up needing to contr ol. Begin a conscious program of surrendering, and allowing your world and
everyone in it to do as they are ordained to do. Surrendering is a mental
process: It involves taking a split second to stop yourself in your mode of
judgment or frustration and have a brief talk with yourself on the spot. Just
remind yourself  to step back and be a witness rather than a protagonist,
which you can do by providing a sanctuary for the feeling you’re judging. Invite Divine natural order in by simply allowing what you’re experiencing
to go forward without criticism  or control; in this way, you move to the
center. Think of the need to control as a signal to allow the Tao to flow
freely through your life. At first your ego-mind may loudly scoff at the idea
of the Tao being  responsible for the perfect unfolding of everything. It’s up
to you to recognize that your belief that ego can control life is an illusion. Practice r ecognizing that ther e’s a time for everything. When you’re in the middle of a tough moment, repeat the lines given to
you by Lao-tzu. I do this in yoga practice when I feel exhausted holding a
position for what seems like a too-lengthy period. I remind myself, There’s
a time for being  exhausted, and there’s a time for being vigor ous. This frees
me immediately  from my demanding ego, which is saying, You shouldn’ t be
feeling this tired. You can do the same in any moment in your life. Experiences of pain, loss, fear, anger, and even hatred seem to vanish when
you remember that this is a part of the perfect blossoming of natural law;
and there will soon be a time for comfort, peace, and love. Apply this verse of the Tao Te Ching by creating your personalized
statement when you observe things such as crime, AIDS, hunger, and war. Try something like, Yes, there seems  to be a time for such things, and I
choose not to remain in extremes of resentment and anger. But there is also
my desir e to do something about these cir cumstances— that feeling is also a
part of the natural law unfolding. I choose to act on my inner desir e to
rectify these conditions. By remaining internally peaceful and avoiding the
extremes, I will impact the world in the same loving way that the Tao
eternally manifests fr om love and kindness. It’s not what you see around you that keeps you connected to the Tao; it’s
understanding how this eternal flow works. As Ralph Waldo Emerson putit, “By atoms, by trifles, by sots, heaven operates. The needles are nothing,
the magnetism is all. ”
Do the T ao Now
Find a place where control is all-consuming and relinquish it today. Stifle
your inclination to interfere, reminding yourself as you do so that there’ s a
time for everything and you’re becoming more adept at observing
peacefully rather than taking over. Post this advice by Naomi Long Madgett where you can read it, and be
constantly reminded of your desire to live naturally:
I wouldn’ t coax the plant if I wer e you. Such watchful nurturing may do it harm. Let the soil r est fr om so much digging
And wait until it’ s dry befor e you water it. The leaf ’s inclined to find its own dir ection;
Give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself. Much gr owth is stunted by too much pr odding,
Too eager tenderness. The things we love we have to learn to leave alone. OceanofPDF. comOceanofPDF. com30th Verse
One who would guide a leader of men in the uses of life
will warn him against the use of arms for conquest. Weapons often turn upon the wielder. Wher e armies settle,
natur e offers nothing but briars and thorns. After a gr eat battle has been fought,
the land is cursed, the cr ops fail,
the earth lies stripped of its Mother hood. After you have attained your purpose,
you must not parade your success,
you must not boast of your ability,
you must not feel pr oud;
you must rather r egret that you had not been
able to pr event the war. You must never think of conquering others by for ce. Whatever strains with for ce
will soon decay. It is not attuned to the W ay. Not being attuned to the W ay,
its end comes all too soon.
The Tao does not lord it over anything, but rather allows all creation to reveal itself with perfect timing.
According to the passage, what is the nature of the Tao?
The author recommends surrendering and allowing the natural flow of the Tao, rather than trying to control or manipulate situations.
What is the author suggesting as an alternative to force and control?
The key is to recognize that the Tao is not a power-hungry and ego-dominated control freak, and instead, focus on allowing and surrendering.
What is the key to living in harmony with the Tao?
The author suggests that true greatness is not about achieving worldly success or recognition, but rather about aligning with the Tao and living in harmony with nature.
What is the author's perspective on the concept of greatness?
The author advises to recognize that the Tao is always at work, and to instead focus on allowing and surrendering, rather than trying to control or manipulate situations.
What is the author's advice on how to live in accordance with the Tao?