Verse 59: Restraint

Verse Fifty-Nine
In caring for others and serving heaven,
There is nothing like using restraint.
Restraint begins with giving up one's own ideas.
This depends on Virtue gathered in the past.
If there is a good store of Virtue, then nothing is impossible.
If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.
If a man knows no limits, then he is fit to be a ruler.
The mother principle of ruling holds good for a long time.
This is called having deep roots and a firm foundation,
The Tao of long life and eternal vision.
~ Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English translation ~

Ooh, another verse that teases out ideas with the use of paradox and seeming contradiction! On the one hand, we're advised to restrain ourselves, yet, through restraint, our horizons will be limitless.

Roger Ames & David Hall see this verse as speaking to us on two distinct levels.

Repeatedly the Daodejing enjoins its readers to conserve and nourish their quantum of vital energy in both their human and natural environments. We should never force life either in attempting to add to it or in allowing it to be unnecessarily squandered. Building effective character and spending it as we go, we are able to survey the land and participate fully in constructing the way for our place and time. We secure our role and make the most of our creative energies by expending them judiciously, always staying in step in the dance of life.

This chapter works on two levels. On one plane, it focuses on a regimen of self-cultivation and the nourishing of one's life-force. There is much in the text that might well be construed as formal meditative practices. On the other hand, the text uses a political vocabulary to suggest that on a second plane, such a personal regimen prepares one to take a leading role in establishing a vision for the human community, and in bringing this vision to fruition.

Compare this kind of advice with how leaders are "crowned" in our society. Those who ascend to the throne typically do so through rabid self-promotion. They pound on lecterns and stand on soapboxes. They spend more time telling us why their opponents are dirty dogs than providing us with substantive ideas. Glib sound bytes rule the day.

In essence, they thrust their names before us and try to woo us with rhetoric and sophistry. Their ascension is completely artificial and manufactured. More importantly, most of these so-called public servants are more interested in serving their own egos than anything else. What they desire most is power, recognition, money and status.

I realize it's very pollyanna, but it would be so nice if leaders rose through the ranks in an organic manner. Instead of the leaders trying to crown themselves, the masses would elevate those individuals who exemplified great wisdom and virtue to serve the public. There would be no need for slick and glitzy campaign machines. People would simply know by a person's character if they believed that she or he was the best one for the job.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.