2005-12-19
Tao Te Ching - 2
Tao Te Ching
by Lao-tzu
J. Legge, Translator
(Sacred Books of the East, Vol 39) [1891]
from: sacred-texts
2
All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing
this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill
of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the
want of skill is.
So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to
(the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the
idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the
figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from
the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and
tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and
that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and
conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show
itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership;
they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a
reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no
resting in it (as an achievement).
The work is done, but how no one can see;
'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.
My Thoughts:
I agree with this wholeheartedly.
I have always been of the opinion that the way we tend to see the World leads us towards envy, dissatisfaction, and even war.
We look at the World as made up of opposites - 'good and bad', 'rich and poor', 'right and wrong' are just a few of many examples. We define ourselves by comparing ourselves with 'others' and, depending on our view of ourselves, these 'others' are either 'better' or 'worse' than us. If we think they are 'better', we try to emulate them, or we may be jealous and resentful of them for having 'gifts' we think we should have also.
But worse than this is when we see these 'others' as 'threatening' because we see them as 'different' to us in some way. This is the nature of stereotyping, of bigotry and of victimisation. It was the thinking that generated the Holocaust. It is the thinking that makes 'us' set ourselves up as opponents on the World stage, in terms of cultures and religions. It is this thinking that makes us imagine that we have to hold on to what we see as 'ours'.
How much better it would be if we all stopped the process of having to 'label' everything and everyone. If we allowed everything to just be.
meyamind at 11:11 p.m.
