In one of the later verses of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu opines that his message is a simple one, but no one seems able to follow it! I guess that is because simple truths aren't as simple when it comes to application.
One of these truths that has occupied my thought as of late comes from Verse 49 amidst the discussion of supreme virtue.
The second part of Lao Tzu's prescription is where we run into trouble. When people are mean to us, we don't want to be nice in return -- no, we want to reciprocate in kind! When others insult us, the last thing we want to do is compliment them. When others seem only interested in taking, we find it near impossible to give to them.
But, when we mete out an eye for an eye, we lose the moral high ground. I don't mean we lose the ability to say, "Nah, Nah, Nah, I'm better than you" -- that is self-righteous ego speaking -- but we lose the ability to be a positive force in human society. We end up being no more enlightened than those we castigate and criticize.
Imagine how the world, in general, and our own little corner of it, in specific, would be different if more people took Lao Tzu's simple measure to heart. It would like heaven on earth or reaching nirvana.
So, why don't we ourselves put this notion into practice? Too often, I think the primary reason is that we want someone else to take that first step! We reason that, if someone else only would get the ball rolling, then we would happily jump on!
But there is an inherent problem with this formulation. If we wait for others to put this idea into practice before we act, then we end up being good to those who are good to us. In order for the act to be truly selfless, WE -- not someone else -- must be good to those who are not good.
That is the part that represents our stumbling block.
One of these truths that has occupied my thought as of late comes from Verse 49 amidst the discussion of supreme virtue.
I am good to people who are good.The first part of the equation is the one we tend to follow. It is so easy to be nice to people who are nice to us. It is easy to compliment people who compliment us. It is easy to give to people who give to us. In essence, it easy to like people who are like us.
I am also good to people who are not good.
The second part of Lao Tzu's prescription is where we run into trouble. When people are mean to us, we don't want to be nice in return -- no, we want to reciprocate in kind! When others insult us, the last thing we want to do is compliment them. When others seem only interested in taking, we find it near impossible to give to them.
But, when we mete out an eye for an eye, we lose the moral high ground. I don't mean we lose the ability to say, "Nah, Nah, Nah, I'm better than you" -- that is self-righteous ego speaking -- but we lose the ability to be a positive force in human society. We end up being no more enlightened than those we castigate and criticize.
Imagine how the world, in general, and our own little corner of it, in specific, would be different if more people took Lao Tzu's simple measure to heart. It would like heaven on earth or reaching nirvana.
So, why don't we ourselves put this notion into practice? Too often, I think the primary reason is that we want someone else to take that first step! We reason that, if someone else only would get the ball rolling, then we would happily jump on!
But there is an inherent problem with this formulation. If we wait for others to put this idea into practice before we act, then we end up being good to those who are good to us. In order for the act to be truly selfless, WE -- not someone else -- must be good to those who are not good.
That is the part that represents our stumbling block.
As I have said before, true trust is trusting those who are not trustworthy. True love is loving the unlovable. True giving is giving to people not caring what they do with the gift.
ReplyDeleteAnd who was it that said "love your enemy?"
ReplyDeleteAnd as Taoists, flowing around that stumbling block is what we try to do every day.
ReplyDeleteThat sort of reciprocation really is everywhere. People wish ill on those who do ill, but injecting more of the same--well, Ghandi said it better than I can.
ReplyDelete"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."