In being who and what you are,
Can you live with panoramic awareness?
Riding your energy like a new-born child,
Seeing with mirror-like, clear vision;
Can you journey without goal,
Serve without seeking reward,
Govern without gaining ideas,
Teach the wisdom beyond words?
Can you give birth and develop –
Create without attachment,
Nurture without domineering?
This is the Power of Goodness.

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.

Imagination can bring contentment, make happiness possible, and balance reason. It can also tyrannize and dominate our lives, burden our mind and body by leading us to folly in blissful delusion. For some, it exaggerates dangers and prevents action; for others, it spurs on foolish action by promising unrealistic adventure and happiness. For these reasons, understanding and influencing our imaginations with prudent self-control remains essential for a good life. Sometimes we need to hold it in check, other times better to galvanize and encourage.

If you don’t stop pouring,
The cup will spill over.
If you sharpen a blade too much,
It will soon dull.
If you keep accumulating wealth,
You won’t be able to protect it.

Fame, fortune, pleasure and power
All lead to their own downfall.
The vanity of success
Only brings to harvest
A crop of calamities.

The best recipe for a good life:
Know when to stop.

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.

Honor and disgrace only trap and confuse us.
Painful because we hope to gain, fear to lose;
Misfortune and high status hurt like our bodies do.
Because favor turns into disfavor, misfortune into fortune;
Welcome them both.

Believing in a separate self
Creates great suffering.
Without a self,
How can there be suffering?
Only those who realize egolessness
Can safely be entrusted with political positions.
Only those not seduced and controlled by something external
Will remain unmanipulated by crises
And not become corrupted by power.

Heaven is eternal and earth will endure
Because they don’t live for themselves
Or nurture an independent self.
In this way the wise put themselves in the background
And end up in front
Put themselves outside
And find themselves safe and centered.
Because they don’t strive for personal goals,
They find fulfillment.

Heaven and Earth aren’t humane
Treating the 10,000 things like Christmas trees.
Sages are heartless too
Treating people like Christmas trees.
The space between heaven and earth is like a bellows,
Empty yet inexhaustibly giving,
Responding with what fits.
The more talk, the less understanding,
The more words, the less truth.
The external disguises the eternal.

Happiness requires a middle way path that includes both mind and spirit, intellect and feeling, strategy and emotion, reason and intuition, character and practical action. One without the other only creates unhappiness and failure.

Good walking leaves no footprints,
Good talking leaves no confusion,
Good action leaves no trace.
The best door has no lock
Yet can’t be opened.
The best binding has no knots
Yet can’t be untied.

In this way, the wise
Take care of everything;
Rejecting no one,
Abandoning nothing,
They always follow
Their inner light
Teaching asleep, confused people
Who are the beginnings of the good.

Those who don’t respect and honor teachers,
Who don’t cherish and care for students,
No matter how clever and learned
Only go astray creating more confusion.

Understanding this and leaving no trace,
The wise alone are perfectly blind
Seeing clearly into the distance.

Good relationships multiply the sweetness of life and divide its sourness. The best prevention and remedy against misfortune, there is no wasteland or desert like living without friends. Few know how to choose them wisely and not many can become good friends. It takes skill and discretion to wisely engage their support. Some thrive best when at a distance, some when close by. Some communicate best in person, some with correspondence. Old, tested, and well-salted relationships become like a breath of fresh air for the soul and keeping them becomes much more important than finding new ones.

From the Way came the one
From the one, yin and yang
From yin and yang, heaven & earth & man
From heaven, earth, and man
The 10,000 things.

The 10,000 things with yin at their backs,
With yang embraced
Find harmony joining heaven, earth, & man.
Heaven gives, earth transforms, and man nurtures.

Although all the world hates
Being orphaned, widowed, divorced, destitute;
The most successful people
Identify with these states.
Since we gain by losing,
And we lose by gaining,
These teachings of old continue:
Those who love victory make enemies,
Violence and aggression destroy themselves.

From moment to moment, the most appropriate response changes but most only see what is past or what they hope will occur in the future, not noticing opportunities in the present. Most possibilities slide past us into oblivion because we ignore them or because we are afraid of the risks. Most never find success simply because they don't make the attempt. Often a close friend has a more clear awareness of this kind of achievability than the friend themselves. When giving this kind of advice however, subtlety and reticence become key to communication that inspires without controlling manipulation. Don't say more than necessary and add further bits of confidence-building only if necessary.

Frequently, the people circumstances force us to deal with become the ones we would prefer to stay as far away from as possible. A quandary arises between what we need and what we detest. Tolerating unavoidable irritations and failings from those we depend on often determines our success in life. Achievement and success grants the luxury of avoiding these encounters; but, when in a subordinate position, we lack this choice. Best therefore to gradually get used to and learn to tolerate people like this before they trigger in us a reaction that undermines our position.

Fortune is fickle but nurtures this life, shields against envy, and can increase with effort and desire. Fame—the shadow of giants—must be earned with constant effort; and, if gained, guards against oblivion by more easily enduring and influencing the lives of future generations. Fame however knows little middle ground and mainly follows either the great or the evil, inspires either hate or love. Working for fame after death instead of a more immediate reward demonstrates an uncommon and deep integrity.

For those who think ahead, most dangers become small problems with no mischances, bad luck, or narrow escapes. Mature reflection can often transform even the most serious challenges into profitable opportunities. Many act first and only consider the consequences after they are already experiencing them and can now only think about excuses. Often people don’t think either before or after. Instead, think both before and after—let your whole life become a continuous process of anticipation, evaluation, reflection, foresight, and searching for the best path.

For the wise, the greatest advantage of power, wealth, and fame becomes the ability to do more good than others. This creates a powerful reputation for graciousness and opportunities to conquer with universal good will. Making friends arises from being a friend and engaging in friendly activity. Those who corrupt their advantages with a lack of graciousness, with indulged nastiness and bad disposition can expect no true friends or authentic support.

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.

Find and work with people and organizations that follow up good words with good deeds. Bad words without bad deeds create enough badness; but, good words followed by bad deeds bring about worse situations. We can't eat empty-like-the-wind words and only the very foolish accept them as payment. Like the difference between a friend who values us because of who we are compared to someone who values us because of our wealth or title or position, we can distinguish polite or deceptive words with no likely action from words based on sincerity and commitment.

Few see things clearly, as they are. Most become easily duped by external and superficial appearances. Deceit rules, frauds proliferate, advertisers brainwash, and delusion sways more than truth. Without attention to our image however; to the presentation of our abilities and accomplishments, little is gained or influenced. The invisible and the non-existent share a similar regard. To achieve and accomplish and to be positively seen achieving and accomplishing doubles or triples the impact.