Wen Tzu - Verse 32, Part II

from Verse Thirty-Two

Perfected people lean on a pillar that is never shaken, travel a road that is never blocked, are endowed from a resource that is never exhausted, and learn from a teacher that never dies. They are successful in whatever they undertake, and arrive wherever they go.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

How can a person be successful at whatever they undertake? We all know that unforeseen circumstances arise all the time -- the weather can change or somebody doesn't come through or, for reasons we can't understand, something that should have worked to perfection simply does not. There are very few times in our lives when we plan something and it goes exactly as we envisioned it.

Lao Tzu isn't suggesting that Taoist sages are able to defy the complexities and inexplicable nature of life. They run into the same sorts of hurdles that the rest of us do. What's different is they don't view hurdles as obstacles. They don't see supposed roadblocks as a thwarting of the chosen objective.

This is where the metaphor of water and "going with the flow" will aid us in understanding Lao Tzu's point. When we take life as it comes -- with no valuation -- we adapt to changing circumstances. Consequently, no matter what life dishes out, we move with the contours of the situation. By being flexible, nothing can block our path because our path is not fixed and rigid.

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