Wen Tzu - Verse 21, Part I

from Verse Twenty-One

All beings resort to the light of the winter sun and the shade of the summer sun, without anyone coercing them to do so. In an extremely natural way, by the sensitivity of ultimate vitality, they come without being called and go without being sent. It is a profound mystery, and no one knows what does it, but the effects develop spontaneously.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

There are some acts or behaviors that various creatures simply know to do. In animals, we label this ability instinct. In humans, it could be called commonsense or the collective consciousness. We might be able to describe the phenomena and show its evolutionary trail, but none of us truly understands what first caused we creatures to be this way.

There are many belief systems in the world today that posit that humankind is inherently flawed and sinful. We need to be led around by the nose or we will fall prey to our natural foibles of selfishness, greed and violence. If strong external rules -- morals -- are not established, then life would be brutal and dangerous.

Lao Tzu looks at the human equation far differently. In our natural state -- one free of externalities -- we seek peace and harmony. We live a life of spontaneity and walk hand in hand with Tao. It is only through the socialization process of the external world that we lose sight of our original nature and spend the rest of our lives in vainly trying to get it back.

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