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Chapter of the Week: #63 [Archive]
Each week we address one chapter of the Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching can be obscure, especially if you think you're supposed to understand what it's saying! We find it easier and more instructive to simply contemplate how the chapter resonates with your personal experience. Becoming more aware at this fundamental level simplifies life. This approach conforms to the view that true knowing lies within ourselves. Thus, when a passage in the scripture resonates, you've found your inner truth. The same applies for when it evokes a question; questions are the grist for self realization.
Chapter 74
When the people are not afraid of death, wherefore frighten them with death?
Were the people always afraid of death, and were I able to arrest and put to
death those who innovate, then who would dare? There is a regular executioner
whose charge it is to kill. To kill on behalf of the executioner is what is
described as chopping wood on behalf of the master carpenter. In chopping wood
on behalf of the master carpenter, there are few who escape hurting their own
hands instead.
Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
Chapter 74
When the people are not afraid of death, wherefore frighten them with death?
Were the people always afraid of death, and were I able to arrest and put to
death those who innovate, then who would dare? There is a regular executioner
whose charge it is to kill. To kill on behalf of the executioner is what is
described as chopping wood on behalf of the master carpenter. In chopping wood
on behalf of the master carpenter, there are few who escape hurting their own
hands instead.
Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
Comments
Chapter 63
Do that which consists in taking no action; pursue that which is not meddlesome;
savor that which has no flavor.
Make the small big and the few many; do good to him who has done you an injury.
Lay plans for the accomplishment of the difficult before it becomes difficult;
make something big by starting with it when small.
Difficult things in the world must, of necessity, have their beginnings in the easy;
big things must, of necessity, have their beginnings in the small.
Therefore it is because the sage never attempts to be great that he succeeds in
becoming great.
One who makes promises rashly rarely keeps good faith;
one who is in the habit of considering things easy meets with frequent difficulties.
Therefore even the sage treats some things as difficult.
That is why in the end no difficulties can get the better of him.
Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
Savor that which has no flavor parallels my motto for happiness: 'Don't do what you like, rather, like what you do'. I've felt this to be true ever since I can remember (which ain't saying much any more). Savor that which has no flavor implies a reverence for [chref=14]the shape that has no shape[/chref], and an invitation to savor it - to 'see, touch, taste, hear' it. How? Slow down, stop, and [chref=16]return[/chref]. It works!
Personally, this also brings to mind listening to the sound of silence, 'seeing' behind (without turning around), and so on. Sure, I suppose this may sound like a pointless little mind game, but it can help open [chref=6]the gateway[/chref].
Unlike the sage mentioned here, I tend to treat everything as difficult. However, this isn't as gruesome as it sounds. In fact it seems to make life easier almost to the point where in the end no difficulties can get the better of me. Well, I don't know about 'no difficulties', but few do. I find things are made 'difficult' when I rush them. Slowing down enough to remain at the beginning and nibbling away there is always 'easy'. As this chapter's companion puts it: [chref=64]A journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet. [/chref]
Difficult things in the world have their beginnings in the easy. We just are usually in too big of a hurry to pace ourselves properly. Our head's mind moves faster than our feet, and opps! Regarding everything as difficult puts a sober edge on life overall which slows me down a bit.
Finally, Some of Christ's core message echos 'do good to him who has done you an injury'. For example:"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you".
I suppose this is one reason I could never be a Christian. Even this 'do good to him who has done you an injury' goes against my biological grain. A teaching that is impossible to reach is just too impractical for my natural sensibilities. Just [chref=43]understanding[/chref] is sufficient. Knowing that we, like all animals, have no free will really helps me accept and 'forgive' everyone. That's as close to "love thy neighbor" as I'm going to get. As for lofty ideals, I love this one: [chref=5]Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs; the sage is ruthless, and treats the people as straw dogs[/chref]. Heck, I'm halfway there already!
I bought a book entitled "How to Want What you Have" because I loved the title. The title alone changed me. (I don't remember anything else about the book.) I like your motto even better, but it's kind of masculine, no? How about "don't try to be the way you'd like to be, like the way you are." Is that too new-agey?
This brings to mind "a stitch in time saves nine." But also, it reminds me that a complex task is done in steps, and all I have to do is mindfully do each step. That's how programming is done: if you try to solve the whole problem in one fell swoop you are doomed to be overwhelmed. It also reminds me of dealing with interpersonal problems: if you deal with it at its inception it's a alot easier than if you wait till it's compounded by time and resentment.
Quite a little sentence, that one.
This is something we learn in AA. Resentment is the number one thing that takes people out and so we learn to do the resentment prayer. I'm not a big prayer but this works. You pray for the person who is pissing you off and, even if you don't mean it (and you probably don't!), the resentment dissapates and the relationship with the person disentangles. It's truly amazing.