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Chapter of the Week: #63
I am very grateful for this dialogue!
We just reach the core of our discussion: the nature of wanting. We agree both in: wanting is something we can't redeem - it is nature. Your solution is: get "wanting" and "having" in balance. But what is balance in this regard?
Is this not exactly what humanity already tries thousands of years until now? Politics, sociology, ecomomics, psychology all come into play to get that thing balances - and they failed! Ethics and morality are developed out of that - are they successful?
You argue: it is because humanity falls out of natural instinct. But why should humanity do so? What is the cause of this? What do we gain from this? Is it for purpose too? You remember I statet: we don't do anything without getting something out from that - that is the purposeful nature of humans. And that is a purposeful difference to the rest of all creatures. But what purpose is it?
Until know you delay some answer on my statement: there is porposefulness off these things - of all things. Do you agree or not?
According old wisdom there is a order of needs in nature - and the wisdom is older than pawlows pyramid!
food, sex and family (this we share on instinctive base with animals)
But now special human needs in special order arose:
wealth
power
honer
wisdom
This needs need human environment - you can't get it without fellowers of the same species.
this needs are stimulated (and have to be) by the environment. This is natures program for humanity and not by accident. It is a law of evolution (from our sight - from the end it is perfect already!).
So nature does not wan't from humanity to fall back into the instictive, simple mechanics of balance (remember: nature wants men to get to the top of enjoyment) - nature forces men to develope a system by his own (only to avoid shame, because "he who eats ones bread can't see in ones eyes") which is in balance with nature. But what is nature then demanding from humans? What really is balance - balance in what?
If we take a look at todays situation we find nature forcing us into globalisation: no individuum, no nation, no anything can do calcultations by its own - it all will be felt negatively by all individuals on earth if we don't think globaly from now on.
The famous kabbalist Baal HaSulam (Rabbi Jehuda Ashlag) statet: the law for humans is: "love their neigbour as theyself" which leads to another practical law:
everyone only gets by his needs (from collective) and gives by his possibilities (to the collective).
This collectiv force that humans have to develope is called ARVUT (mutual garantee) - everyone taks care only for the needs of the others.
But: why should human nature ever be willing to agree with this law? Never ever - it seems (you may remember from the bible: "God" don't find a nation to take that law...).
So kabalists statet that humanity will be forced by nature to come to this agreement which is called the way of suffering. The other way is to understand this force and come in balance with it before suffering.
So intelligence as you statet is not the cause of falling out of the instinctiv balance - intelligence itself is a consequence of growing wantings: because I want to have more I have to develope more intelligence to get it.
This on the other hand leads to an intellectual elite which is demanding more and morre reward from community for their efforts - this is in contrast to "give what you are able to give - take only what you need.
The result can be observed in todays crises. Because of that until now humans failed natures law - which we feel as suffering.
So our problem is not intelligence - our problem is the kind of needs we like to use it for (selfish or not).
The anchestors of kabbala gave a methode to develope this force of ARVUT (develope the giving force).
There thousands of words to add -but I will stop here now!
All the best
Reiner
We just reach the core of our discussion: the nature of wanting. We agree both in: wanting is something we can't redeem - it is nature. Your solution is: get "wanting" and "having" in balance. But what is balance in this regard?
Is this not exactly what humanity already tries thousands of years until now? Politics, sociology, ecomomics, psychology all come into play to get that thing balances - and they failed! Ethics and morality are developed out of that - are they successful?
You argue: it is because humanity falls out of natural instinct. But why should humanity do so? What is the cause of this? What do we gain from this? Is it for purpose too? You remember I statet: we don't do anything without getting something out from that - that is the purposeful nature of humans. And that is a purposeful difference to the rest of all creatures. But what purpose is it?
Until know you delay some answer on my statement: there is porposefulness off these things - of all things. Do you agree or not?
According old wisdom there is a order of needs in nature - and the wisdom is older than pawlows pyramid!
food, sex and family (this we share on instinctive base with animals)
But now special human needs in special order arose:
wealth
power
honer
wisdom
This needs need human environment - you can't get it without fellowers of the same species.
this needs are stimulated (and have to be) by the environment. This is natures program for humanity and not by accident. It is a law of evolution (from our sight - from the end it is perfect already!).
So nature does not wan't from humanity to fall back into the instictive, simple mechanics of balance (remember: nature wants men to get to the top of enjoyment) - nature forces men to develope a system by his own (only to avoid shame, because "he who eats ones bread can't see in ones eyes") which is in balance with nature. But what is nature then demanding from humans? What really is balance - balance in what?
If we take a look at todays situation we find nature forcing us into globalisation: no individuum, no nation, no anything can do calcultations by its own - it all will be felt negatively by all individuals on earth if we don't think globaly from now on.
The famous kabbalist Baal HaSulam (Rabbi Jehuda Ashlag) statet: the law for humans is: "love their neigbour as theyself" which leads to another practical law:
everyone only gets by his needs (from collective) and gives by his possibilities (to the collective).
This collectiv force that humans have to develope is called ARVUT (mutual garantee) - everyone taks care only for the needs of the others.
But: why should human nature ever be willing to agree with this law? Never ever - it seems (you may remember from the bible: "God" don't find a nation to take that law...).
So kabalists statet that humanity will be forced by nature to come to this agreement which is called the way of suffering. The other way is to understand this force and come in balance with it before suffering.
So intelligence as you statet is not the cause of falling out of the instinctiv balance - intelligence itself is a consequence of growing wantings: because I want to have more I have to develope more intelligence to get it.
This on the other hand leads to an intellectual elite which is demanding more and morre reward from community for their efforts - this is in contrast to "give what you are able to give - take only what you need.
The result can be observed in todays crises. Because of that until now humans failed natures law - which we feel as suffering.
So our problem is not intelligence - our problem is the kind of needs we like to use it for (selfish or not).
The anchestors of kabbala gave a methode to develope this force of ARVUT (develope the giving force).
There thousands of words to add -but I will stop here now!
All the best
Reiner
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 needs have their beginnings in the easy;
big things must needs 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.
Read notes on translations
Now, do it too at Wengu!
It helps to contemplate the outskirts of meaning for the words by which I think. Nothing exemplifies this better than pondering the raw literal Chinese to get a sense of what the Tao Te Ching is ‘actually saying’. Although, the question is not what it is ‘actually saying’, but rather what I am ‘actually aware of’. In other words, what I understand by the words I read is simply a reflection of self understanding. Thus, better understanding hinges upon deeper self understanding. Unveiling deeper self understanding required some [chref=15]murky[/chref] digging, the effort of which just feels difficult. Why difficult?
Alas, much that is beneficial in life entails difficulty. Again, why? I reckon animals (you, me and the rest) instinctively seek easy and simple pleasures, and ‘no brainer’ answers. Perhaps this is nature’s way of ‘thinning the heard’. After all, individuals who make an extra effort usually survive better, e.g., remember "The Three Little Piggies" story. Mother nature, in her wisdom, made the experience of ‘doing better’ feel difficult. Otherwise, everyone and everything would always be eagerly ‘doing better’. That would just make natural selection less efficient, and nature is nothing if not [chref=67]frugal[/chref] and efficient. Survival goes to the fittest. Fitness comes to those who treat some things as difficult and then lay plans for the accomplishment of the difficult before it becomes difficult! Now, I’m not championing the theory of evolution per se. Simply said, nature appears to enforce a straightforward policy: pay now (and survive longer), or pay later (and perish early), but pay I will.
Ironically, the more I cling to the easy way, the more difficult life becomes. It is a delicate balance whose scales are easily tipped off balance. Knowing, moment to moment, that [chref=2]the difficult and the easy complement each other[/chref] helps me profoundly. As with any active state of balance, being ‘awake now’ (paying now) is the only way to maintain balance. Making something big by starting with it when small boils down to just that, in my experience. Things feel more difficult when I bite off more than I can chew, either literally or imaginatively as my mind jumps ahead of ‘now’. The moral: don’t [chref=71]think[/chref], just nibble away steadily at the small easy beginnings and nothing more! Time takes care of the rest. This almost sounds a like having my cake and eating it too. Not really, for staying current with the small easy beginnings, is difficult. It is much ‘easier’ to jump ahead of myself toward what I [chref=37]desire[/chref]. Instead of traveling life’s journey [chref=64]from beneath one's feet[/chref] I hop hither and tither out of my mind half the time. Whew, well at least it's not all the time.
Note: The first line of this chapter (see literal below) is the widely quoted 'wei wu wei' (do nothing do). This is followed by 'shi wu shi' (matter nothing matter) and 'wei wu wei' (taste nothing taste). This later 'wei' has a falling tone as opposed to the rising tone of the former 'wei' - oh those countless homonyms in Chinese :? Pondering the other meanings of these statements (i.e., '___wu ___' ) helps broaden and deepen meaning by pulling meaning closer to the [chref=14]meaning that has no meaning[/chref] (to paraphrase chapter 14). Naturally pondering the outskirts of meaning holds for much of the Tao Te Ching in general. That is the benefit of contemplating the broader meaning of any and all words we use.
This is the nearly literal as it looks to me today:
Do without doing,
Be responsible without being responsible.
Taste without tasting.
Make the big small and the many few, Responding to resentment use kindness.
Plan difficulty from its easy.
Do the great from its delicate.
All difficulties under heaven must arise from the easy
All that is great under heaven must arise from the slight
Correctly so, the holy person ends without doing great,
For this reason he is able to become great.
The man that lightly promises, surely few trust.
The great easy, surely great difficult.
Correctly so, the holy person still within difficulty,
For this reason, he ends without difficulty.
These are the literal Chinese meanings, outskirts and all
do(act; serve as; be; mean) nothing(nil; not have; without; regardless of) do(act; serve as; be; mean),
matter(business; responsibility) nothing(nil; not have; without; regardless of) matter(business; trouble; responsibility),
taste(flavour; smell; odour; interest) nothing(nil; not have; without; regardless of) taste(flavour; smell; odour; interest).
big(great; major) small( little; petty; minor) many(more; excessive; too much) few(little, lack),
report(announce; reply; respond) resentment (blame; complain) use (take; because of) virtue(moral character; kindness).
picture(plan; attempt) difficult(troublesome; unpleasant) in (to, from, by) its (their) easy (amiable).
do(act; serve as; be; mean) big(great; major) in (to, from, by) its (their) thin (delicate; careful).
sky(heaven; nature) below(under) difficult(troublesome) matter(business; responsibility) must make(rise) in (to, from, by) easy (amiable).
sky(heaven; nature) below(under) big(great; major) matter(business; responsibility) must make(rise) in (to, from, by) thin (delicate)
correct(right; yes; this) use(take; according to; because of) sage(saint; holy; sacred) human being (man; person; people; adult)
end(finish; death; eventually; whole) not do(act; serve as; be; mean) big(large; great; major),
incident(reason; cause; hence) ability (skill, able) accomplish (succeed; become; turn into) its (his; her; their) big(large; great; major).
man light(not important; gently) promise certainly (surely; must) few (scant; tasteless) true (confidence; trust; believe).
big(great; major) easy(amiable) certainly (surely; must) big(great; major) difficult(troublesome; unpleasant).
correct (right; yes; this) use(take; according to; because of) sage(saint; holy; sacred) human being (man; person; people; adult)
like(still, just as) difficult(troublesome; unpleasant) of,
incident(reason; cause; hence) end(death; eventually; whole) nothing(without; regardless of) difficult(troublesome; unpleasant).