Wen Tzu - Verse 4, Part II

from Verse Four

Real people know how to deem the self great and the world small; they esteem self-government and disdain governing others. They do not let things disturb their harmony, they do not let desires derange their feelings. Concealing their names, they hide when the Way is in effect and appear when it is not. They act without contrivance, work without striving, and know without intellectualizing.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

If we're honest with ourselves, a good deal of our lives are spent in the vain pursuit of trying to manipulate others and situations to satisfy our egos. We want life to go our way and, when it doesn't, most of us try to employ a wide assortment of behaviors to try to force the results we desire. Of course, since everybody is doing the same thing, what we end up with is a donnybrook of competing egos!

With so many of us pulling in different directions simultaneously, it's not any wonder at all that our lives are a mishmash of circumstances. When we get what we want, we're quick to pat ourselves on the back. However, when life seems to be pitted against us, then we're just as quick to blame a myriad of external forces.

The true Tao person refuses to play this game of truth or dare. Instead of competing with others and/or trying to manipulate circumstances, the person of Tao takes life as it comes and moves with it, not against it. The Tao person is centered, so external forces have no power.

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