Wen Tzu - Verse 141

from Verse One Hundred Forty-One

When debts are small, it's easy to repay them; when tasks are few, it is easy to take care of them; when responsibilities are light, it is easy to handle them.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

As we've traveled through the Wen Tzu, one theme is mentioned again and again: simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. This passage highlights a few of the reasons why simplicity is so valued.

When your life is represented by a huge boulder, it's hard to move and it wears you out. The most mundane tasks become fraught with complexity and difficulty.

When your life is represented by a small pebble, it's easy to move and it doesn't wear you out. When you need to act, you are light on your feet and you finish the job with time and energy to spare.

We begin life with the smallest of pebbles. As we grow and mature, we collect layer upon layer of debris. By adulthood, our little pebble looks like Mount Rushmore. As we continue with our harried lives, soon the weight of our ever growing mountain weighs us down.

Lao Tzu suggests we dig ourselves out of our self-imposed rubble and return to the way of the small pebble.

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