Monday, December 14, 2009

Wen Tzu - Verse 74, Part IV

from Verse Seventy-Four
In a superior position be respectful yet dignified; in a subordinate position, be humble yet serious. Be deferential and yielding, act as the female of the world. Take your stand on not presuming, establish your faculties on not mastering. This is called courtesy.
~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
As I've indicated in the prior three portions of this verse, each of us is, in some cases, superior and, in others, subordinate. So, while it may appear that Lao Tzu is addressing two different types of people, he isn't. He's talking directly to each of us.

The middle path serves us well no matter the topic. When we fall prey to extremes, we leave behind the womb of balance. When we are out of balance, we cater to the whims of our egos. When our ego is the captain of our ship, we are certain to crash upon the rocks of misery and despair.

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

2 comments:

  1. Yeap, excellent thoughts. Hard to put into practice but it doesn't hurt to strive to achieve it.

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  2. AMERICAN TAOIST STARTS HIS TODAY AS MOST, COFFEE, THREE HOURS OF ME TIME AND THEN TO GO OUT INTO THE OTHER WORLD AND TRY TO HELP SOMEONE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES. TODAY I WILL HEAD TO PHILLY AND SPEND TIME WITH MY HOMELESS FRIENDS AND 80 YEAR OLD TENNIS PARTNER. HAVE A JOYOUS DAY.

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