Wen Tzu - Verse 53, Part V

from Verse Fifty-Three

Going along with the design of Nature, you do not plan ahead yet do no waste time or neglect opportunities. Placing your hopes on Nature, you do not seek to gain yet do not refuse good fortune.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

I can certainly understand why some people may have a bit of trouble wrapping their minds around the idea of not seeking gain. In the world of business -- regardless of the type of economic or political system -- gain or profit is needed to keep the enterprise going. The seller needs to make back more than the cost of production to safeguard against the cost of raw materials or workers increasing in the future and to invest in the enterprise itself to aid stability and growth.

This is why I repeat again and again that context is so vitally important. When we think about Lao Tzu's use of the word gain, we must concurrently view it in connection with the concept of enough.

Enough does not mean a bare subsistence level; it means a sufficient amount. Therefore, in today's world, one could easily reason that enough includes not only the direct costs but a reasonable profit. So, I would contend that what Lao Tzu is referring to in relation to his comments that we should not seek gain is that we should not seek unreasonable (or more than sufficient) profits.

When we seek to obtain more than we actually need, that's where we get ourselves in trouble. It leads to greed; always craving more and more. It becomes a desire that can never be quenched nor satisfied.

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