Tao Te Ching

The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words
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Showing 141-160 of 249 items.
Chapter NumberContent
71

To know without believing we know is best.
Believing we know creates mental illness.
When we recognize belief as sickness,
Healing begins.
Because the wise are sick of this illness,
They aren’t sick.

71

Although inevitable, change need not undermine reliability. When not capricious but instead based on sound reasoning, change doesn't confuse people making them doubt our reliability. When personal change arises because of consistently responding to externally changing situations and events, reputations for dependability remain solid. However, when conduct frequently vacillates out of boredom for no reason other than novelty, we destroy our credibility, our reputation, and our ability to accomplish and succeed. Heart and vision can remain consistent and dependable while external action and strategy quickly change with the changing circumstances.

72

When we don’t fear the fearful,
Confusion and great suffering arise.
Therefore fear a constricted life,
Fear wasting your time with a meaningless career.
If we don’t accept superficial values,
We won’t act in superficial ways.

And so the wise know themselves
But don’t show themselves,
Take care of and appreciate
But don’t puff up and exaggerate.
They let go of that
And choose this.

72

Like the potentially destructive power of water increasing when dammed, doing a careless, bad job on a project creates less harm than lack of determination—not carefully considering, looking ahead, and strategizing that same plan. Most don't see clearly and get stuck. Mired in indecision, they become mindless followers. Some see the problems and ways forward but lack the resolution and determination to accomplish anything. Wise and true leaders not only see the problems and solutions clearly, they also skillfully and without hesitation apply the solution to the problem accomplishing successful outcomes and quickly moving on to the next challenge.

73

Those with outer courage
Dare to act and take life.
Those with inner courage
Dare to not act and give life.
Both of these are sometimes good,
sometimes harmful
When one best, when the other?
Even the most wise don’t know for sure.

The Way of Heaven
Doesn’t compete but easily wins,
Doesn’t speak but answers completely,
Doesn’t request but attracts all it needs,
Doesn’t stress but impeccably acts.

Heaven’s Net catches everything,
The mesh is wide yet nothing slips through.

73

Complicated, confusing, and dangerous difficulties easily becomes worse after an ill-considered remark or gesture. The wise instead extricate themselves with skillful evasions, elegant jokes, witty remarks, warm smiles, changing the subject, or pretending to not understand. Potentially serious conflicts submerge when intriguing diversions arise. These methods can also skillfully ease the pain of refusals. Sometimes the most clear understanding leads to acting like we don't understand.

74

When people don’t appreciate living,
And so aren’t afraid of dying,
What good is threatening them with the death penalty?
When they appreciate and love life,
They fear heaven’s executioner,
They naturally love and take care of their lives.

But even if having a human executioner
Would make people change for the better,
Who could justly take on this role?
Only the karmic Net of Heaven can do that.
Anyone usurping this role of heaven,
Only causes great harm to themselves.

74

Don't let a higher position or new level of approval change your attitude and approach to others. Often people win more authority with obsequious deceit; and when they assume the new role go to the opposite extreme with surly, irritating, unapproachable arrogance. They get revenge for having to please everyone by making everyone irritated and angry. The more power we receive, the more approachable we should become. Being unapproachable communicates a deep lack of self-knowledge, and self-confidence; a judgment that we don't deserve the position.

75

When the rich spend taxes on making themselves richer,
The people starve.
Thieves and robbers arise from cold and hunger.
When the people don’t have enough,
Why should the rich have too much?

When the rich oppress,
The people rebel.
When the government is too intrusive,
The people are hard to govern.
The more laws they make,
The more criminals appear.

When the powerful make too much of life,
The people make light of death.
Those not seduced by fortune and fame
Are worth so much more than these wealth-seekers.
Only a leader not focused on personal gain
Can wisely govern.

75

Although imitation traps us in boxes of conformity, a wealth of creative inspiration can arise from watching an heroic model. Find and study examples of greatness—not to mindlessly follow but to spark more creative energy. While awareness of others' success inflames jealousy, competition, and envy in the foolish; it kindles dedication, confidence, and noble deeds in the wise.

76

When first born, we’re small and weak;
The living are soft and flexible.
When we die, we become hard and stiff;
The dead are rigid, unmoving.
The greenery - grasses, plants and trees
Growing are tender and supple,
Dead are dry and brittle.
And so the strong and hard
Go along with dying;
The open to change and flexible with living.

When an army becomes inflexible,
It suffers defeat.
A tree that won’t bend
Easily breaks in storms.
The hard and strong will fail,
The open-hearted prevail.

76

A good sense of humor has an important but small place in life. Too much joking undermines credibility and—while it may create a reputation for good wit—prevents people from taking us seriously. Joking and lying share many similarities and both make people not know when they can and when they can't believe us. When we have an important and serious point to make, people at first expect that we're just joking again and any influence the point might have quickly dissolves.

77

Following the Tao
Is like stringing a bow:
The high are brought down,
The low are lifted up.

Pull yourself down when too high,
Lift yourself up when too down.
Take from what has too much,
Give to what doesn’t have enough,
This is the way of heaven.
The way of confusion though
Takes from those who have not,
Gives to those who already have too much.

And so the wise
Help without taking credit,
Act without expectation,
Do their work without setting any store by it.
They don’t want their goodness to be seen,
They don’t want to look like they’re better than others,
They don’t sell the value of their good deeds for praise,
They won’t trade their treasure for trinkets.

77

What separates us often seems so huge while in actuality remaining quite tiny. We can almost always find a quality within ourselves that can harmonize and connect the people we communicate with—a little philosophy with the philosophers, a little humor with the jovial, seriousness with the scientific, saintly with the saints, street-smart with the hustlers. The good will and support of others determines so much of success in life and not much creates good will more than listening, noticing moods, understanding, and corresponding to each unique, personal interaction.

78

Water seems so soft, weak, yielding
Yet easily overcomes the hard and strong.
It has no equal.
The soft overcomes the hard,
The weak overcomes the strong.
This is easy to understand
But rarely put into practice.

And so the wise teach:
Only leaders who take responsibility
For people’s disgrace;
Only leaders who take on people’s misfortunes
Are worthy of leadership.
The truest words always sound wrong.

78The foolish often ignore advice and strategy but appear brave while heedlessly rushing into danger. Many equate a premature rush into action on impulse without consideration as freedom. When met with the almost inevitable failure, this same ill-considered foolishness projects, blames, and ignores the unfortunate consequences. The wise instead plumb the depths and the deeper the waters, the more slowly they go forward. The more complicated the situation or relationship, the more carefulness required. Caution dilutes danger.
79

If the resolution of a conflict
Leaves resentment and enmity,
How can it be called resolved?
And so the wise
Carefully fulfill their obligations
But aren’t concerned if others do or not.
They play no favorites
And only hold fast to the good.

79

In excess a vice, in timely moderation a virtue; jovial humor can either degrade integrity or add a pleasant spice to situations. Often the encounters most beneficially taken lightly are the same ones most take too seriously. The wise join in the fun to an extent but never go beyond the boundaries of decorum, rectitude, or decency. Humorous wit can extract us from difficult, socially dangerous encounters as well as amplify the good feelings arising from positive experience. The wise use it judiciously.

80

Imagine a small country without many people.
They have advanced technology
But they aren’t mesmerized by their tools,
Hypnotized by their computers,
Enslaved by their inventions.

Mindful of death and appreciating where they are,
They have no need for long journeys.
They have good transportation systems
But no place people would rather be.
They have defensive weapons
But don’t have to display or use them.
They keep things simple
And are happy with the way things are.

They savor their food,
Enjoy wearing their clothes,
Cherish their homes,
And delight in their customs.
The next country could be close enough
To hear their dogs barking,
Their roosters crowing
But people could get old and die
Without ever making a visit.

80

Truth is most often seen, rarely heard. Lies flood our ears but avoid our eyes. Conflicts of interest abound; but, deeply buried, become difficult to see. Psychologists have become highly paid advertising executives playing on our emotions and vulnerabilities. Since we live and act based on our trust in the information we receive, some of the most important skills include testing for exaggeration and falsehood. Information inevitably comes to us tinged by the desires and emotions of the people who share it with us, understanding the intentions of our sources can supersede the content. Maintain more skepticism and caution with those who praise than with those who criticize.