Wen Tzu - Verse 69, Part II

from Verse Sixty-Nine

When the disposition is harmonious, one sacrifices oneself to serve others. When the disposition is rebellious, one sacrifices others to serve oneself.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

When we're angry or frustrated, it's really hard to connect with anyone else. Rage has a tendency to focus all of our mental resources on our own ego. We want to strike out at the world or whomever is close at hand. In a manner of speaking, we can be very self-indulgent as we indulge our ego in vitriolic self-righteousness and piety.

To soothe our ruffled feathers, we often demand that others conform to our will. As Lao Tzu indicates above, we sacrifice others to serve the whiles and whims of our ego-based self.

However, when we are content, we are more likely to see the connections between ourselves and others. We want to help nurture and support everyone because, if we are each connected to the One, helping one or more individuals helps the whole.

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