Hua Hu Ching - Verse 10

Verse Ten

The ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle: Totally fascinated by the realm of the senses, it swings from one desire to the next, one conflict to the next, one self-centered idea to the next. If you threaten it, it actually fears for its life. Let this monkey go. Let the senses go. Let desires go. Let conflicts go. Let ideas go. Let the fiction of life and death go. Just remain in the center, watching. And then forget that you are there.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

While I'm certain the monkeys of the world are not pleased with the imagery utilized for this verse, it does paint an apt picture for we humans!

I was thinking how a monkey might write this verse using a human as the foil. I think it might go something like this:

The ego is a human rocketing through a shopping mall: Totally fascinated by the realm of the senses, it bounces from one store to the next, one meaningless purchase to the next, one self-indulgent bauble to the next. If you threaten to take away its credit card, it actually fears for its social life. Let this human go...

Whether we're using monkeys or humans as our illustration, for me, the message is quite clear. When we allow our egos to occupy the driver's seat, we bounce from one desire to another without ever achieving contentment. No matter how much we satiate one desire, there always is a new one waiting to be quenched.

In terms of real life, it's next too impossible to eliminate desire completely. As long as we're each conscious of self, desire and dreams will arise from within. As with all things Taoist, the underlying goal -- for lack of a better word -- is to find balance and harmony. So, we should aim to balance selfishness with selflessness, desire with compassion, and chaos with stillness.

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