If nothing else, it would be the grandest of experiments -- a nation in which the elected leaders governed in a transparent, just and virtuous manner.
In response, Donna at DQ's Windmill stated, "which brings us to the next problem; it takes one to elect one, and we haven't got many." It seems that Donna anticipated the subject of this blog post!! :)
One thing we must always keep in mind when reading any of the works of Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu or any of the other classic Taoists sages is that each is discussing two different tracks simultaneously -- the collective and the personal. Any time reference is made to leaders, the reference or suggestion also has to do with each of us on a personal level.
The chief point I addressed re Verse 22 was the human penchant for rewarding good behavior/thoughts and punishing bad behavior/thoughts. I'm fairly certain we each do this in terms of ourselves several times per day. Who hasn't allowed themselves a special treat (e.g., ice cream, candy, sleeping in an extra hour, etc.) when we feel we've accomplished a difficult task or done a good deed? On the flip side, who among us hasn't beaten themselves up for telling a lie or mishandling a situation due to selfishness?
The difficulty we run into is that -- just as with society -- the reward and punishment system begets its own set of problems. When we feel "we dun good," we have a tendency to become over bloated with self-pride and, sometimes, we convince ourselves that we're better than everybody else. When we feel "we dun wrong," we have a tendency toward self-abuse and, sometimes, we work ourselves into a deep depression or funk.
So how does Lao Tzu suggest we stop the pendulum from swinging wildly from one end to the other? By transcending our egos and understanding the transient nature of all things. And how do we do this? Many of the possible answers are contained in the Tao Te Ching, Hua Hu Ching, Chuang Tzu and Wen Tzu (which is why we're going through each one verse by verse).
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
The chief point I addressed re Verse 22 was the human penchant for rewarding good behavior/thoughts and punishing bad behavior/thoughts. I'm fairly certain we each do this in terms of ourselves several times per day. Who hasn't allowed themselves a special treat (e.g., ice cream, candy, sleeping in an extra hour, etc.) when we feel we've accomplished a difficult task or done a good deed? On the flip side, who among us hasn't beaten themselves up for telling a lie or mishandling a situation due to selfishness?
The difficulty we run into is that -- just as with society -- the reward and punishment system begets its own set of problems. When we feel "we dun good," we have a tendency to become over bloated with self-pride and, sometimes, we convince ourselves that we're better than everybody else. When we feel "we dun wrong," we have a tendency toward self-abuse and, sometimes, we work ourselves into a deep depression or funk.
So how does Lao Tzu suggest we stop the pendulum from swinging wildly from one end to the other? By transcending our egos and understanding the transient nature of all things. And how do we do this? Many of the possible answers are contained in the Tao Te Ching, Hua Hu Ching, Chuang Tzu and Wen Tzu (which is why we're going through each one verse by verse).
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
Ah, if only I were in charge...:).
ReplyDeleteI'd vote for ya!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll vote for you! I'll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours! (Zimmie again.)
ReplyDelete