Wen Tzu - Verse 6, Part III

from Verse Six

Human beings are tranquil at birth; this is the celestial nature. Sensing things, they act; this is natural desire. When things come to them, they respond; this is the action of knowledge. When knowledge and things interact, likes and dislikes arise. When likes and dislikes are formed, knowledge goes to externals and cannot be returned to the self; so the celestial design disappears.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

We're born pure without the encumbrances of values and judgments. We immediately come into contact with various stimuli and we react without thinking. However, little by little, we become socialized into the culture of our surroundings. We learn concepts like right and wrong, good and bad, love and hate. In time, we learn not to react to sensations, but to think them through. It is when the mind becomes ascendant over the spirit that we turn the corner away from Tao.

This is not some conspiratorial plot by an evil force. It's part and parcel of being human. Were we not to follow this kind of trajectory, we would find it impossible to live in a social environment.

If we can never hope to return to this "natural state", why does Lao Tzu harp on it so?

For me, the answer is simple: It's an ideal. It's the target we aim for with the realization that we can never hit it straight on. It's beyond our grasp.

The alternative is to set lower goals. This is problematic, however, because we humans have a penchant for underachievement. It's like an alcoholic who, instead of choosing not to drink at all, decides not to drink every third day. Yes, he may be clean and dry two days per week, but he's smashed beyond belief on all the other days.

He would be much better off trying not to drink at all because, while he might slip up here and there, most days he would be sober and cogent.

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