37
The Tao is constant in non-action
Yet there is nothing it does not do
If the sovereign can hold on to this
All things shall transform themselves
Transformed, yet wishing to achieve
I shall restrain them with the simplicity of the nameless
The simplicity of the nameless
They shall be without desire
Without desire, using stillness
The world shall steady itself
The Tao is the eternal, unchanging principle of effortless achievements. Within the workings of the Tao there is no strife and no struggle.
The Tao is both eternally devoid of action and the ultimate cause of all actions. The Tao makes no attempt to achieve, and yet nothing is beyond its powers to achieve. The Tao doesn't try to do anything; it simply does everything.
If a ruler (anything from the leader of a nation to the master of one's own self) is able to hold on to this principle and embody it, then everything around him or her (people, circumstances, relationships) will naturally transform themselves into alignment with him or her.
Once transformed in this manner and aligned with the ruler, the people may want to move ahead with action which, if unchecked, can lead to chaos. Similarly, those who become allies in our cause may do more harm than good out of zeal, or a strong desire to take some sort of action. Our own thoughts and emotions, once aligned with a personal goal, may also get away from us out of sheer enthusiasm.
In these situations, we can restore balance by applying the concept of p'u, or the principle of plainness and simplicity. The fundamental nature of the nameless Tao is plain and simple. This total absence of contrivance and complexity, if understood, can lead to a lessening of the urge to overact. This moderating effect can in turn lead to stillness.
This stillness, quietness and tranquility will bring everything and everyone back into balance. Thus the environment becomes naturally settled and peaceful - in tune with the Tao.
38
High virtue is not virtuous
Therefore it has virtue
Low virtue never loses virtue
Therefore it has no virtue
High virtue takes no contrived action
And acts without agenda
Low virtue takes contrived action
And acts with agenda
High benevolence takes contrived action
And acts without agenda
High righteousness takes contrived action
And acts with agenda
High etiquette takes contrived action
And upon encountering no response
Uses arms to pull others
Therefore, the Tao is lost, and then virtue
Virtue is lost, and then benevolence
Benevolence is lost, and then righteousness
Righteousness is lost, and then etiquette
Those who have etiquette
Are a thin shell of loyalty and sincerity
And the beginning of chaos
Those with foreknowledge
Are the flowers of the Tao
And the beginning of ignorance
Therefore the great person:
Abides in substance, and does not dwell on the thin shell
Abides in the real, and does not dwell on the flower
Thus they discard that and take this
Those who possess the higher form of virtue are not intentionally virtuous. Their actions are natural and unforced. This is why we say they have true virtue.
There are also those who possess a lower kind of virtue. They never lose sight of virtue because they have to constantly remind themselves to be virtuous. This is why we say they have no true virtue.
Those who possess the higher form of virtue do not act with contrivance. Their actions are without ulterior movies. They act out of virtue because it is natural, not because they want to "look good" doing it.
Those with the lower form of virtue are the opposite. When they act in ways that seem virtuous, they do so for a specific personal agenda - perhaps improving their image, assuaging guilty feelings, etc.
Those who possess a higher form of benevolence are a bit different. They contrive to act in benevolent ways, but because they do so out of love and compassion for others, their actions are free of personal agenda.
Those who possess the higher form righteousness are similar to those who possess the lower form of virtue in that they also take contrived actions. They do so out of a powerful sense of self-righteousness, and because they feel so strongly justified in themselves, their actions always reflect their own motives.
Those who posses the higher form of etiquette are yet another step down. They act with contrived politeness and propriety. They fall back on protocol and rules to mask their true intentions, and if they fail to elicit from others the response they are looking for, they will use physical means to force their views upon others aggressively.
From these observations, the sages conclude that when people lose the naturalness of the Tao, they resort to virtue. Virtuous practices allow people to approximate the goodness that flow naturally from the Tao.
If people lose their virtues, then the next best thing would be benevolence. If people can still hold on to the mindset of love, compassion and kindness, then they can at least treat one another in a way that is gentle and humane.
What if people lose their benevolence too? Then they will have no choice but to resort to righteousness. Their actions can no longer be guided by love, compassion and kindness. Instead, they will act, choose and decide based on correctness or a sense of justice. Everything becomes more muddled because right and wrong can often be so subjective.
Finally, what if people can no longer rely on righteousness? Then etiquette is all that's left. Following etiquette, customs and propriety may or may not be right, benevolent, or virtuous... but at least there is something to follow.
This sort of etiquette is artificial and disingenuous. Those who practice it are little more than thin shells without substance, pretending to be loyal and sincere while possessing neither quality. Such people are the source of chaos, discord and strife.
In a similar way, people who possess knowledge without righteousness, benevolence or virtue are also thin shells lacking substance. Like flowers, they give a pleasing appearance but possess none of the satisfying goodness of fruits. That's what we mean when we call them the flowers of the Tao. Such people may project a knowledgeable appearance, but are in fact ignorant in basic, fundamental ways.
To summarize, the truly great person would be the antithesis of the above. That is, they focus on substance instead of the thin veneer of superficiality. Their emphasis is on the real inner self, and not on the facade of external appearance. They discard the fakery of etiquette and knowledge, and reach for benevolence, justice, virtues... and finally the Tao.
39
Those that attained oneness since ancient times:
The sky attained oneness and thus clarity
The earth attained oneness and thus tranquility
The gods attained oneness and thus divinity
The valley attained oneness and thus abundance
The myriad things attained oneness and thus life
The rulers attained oneness and became the standard for the world
These are all from oneness
The sky, lacking clarity, would break apart
The earth, lacking tranquility, would erupt
The gods, lacking divinity, would vanish
The valley, lacking abundance, would wither
Myriad things, lacking life, would be extinct
The rulers, lacking standard, would be toppled
Therefore, the honored uses the lowly as basis
The higher uses the lower as foundation
Thus the rulers call themselves alone, bereft, and unworthy
Is this not using the lowly as basis? Is it not so?
Therefore, the ultimate honor is no honor
Do not wish to be shiny like jade
Be dull like rocks
The Tao is the central principle at the core of everything between Heaven and Earth. "Oneness" is where the Tao resides; it can also be a synonym for the Tao. This oneness manifests itself in many different ways: clarity, tranquility, divinity, life, and more.
Oneness manifests clarity in Heaven, tranquility on Earth, divinity in gods, and abundant life in all living things. In the same way, when we connect with the Tao described by Lao Tzu, we gain clarity in the mind, tranquility in the heart, divine power in spirituality, and abundant energy to live life to the fullest. Those who wish to lead must have this oneness in order to establish the standard of leadership.
Conversely, when we lack that connection, our experience is quite the opposite. We struggle with confusion in the mind; we feel unsettled and ill at ease; the spiritual strength we enjoyed before has become an empty void; we are tired, listless, and unable to stir ourselves into action. Whatever leadership we may want to establish collapses with nothing to hold it up.
How can we gain this oneness? How can we lead with the Tao, if called upon to lead? The clues are everywhere. Nature shows us that the high must be built upon the low. Tall trees grew from short saplings; in a mountain, its lower half supports the higher half, and most of the mountain supports its majestic peak. It is the same in life: the highest honor must be built upon low-profile, sincere humility.
This is why the sages never wish to shine brightly like expensive jewelry. Instead, they prefer to be more like plain rocks, with only steadfast, solid consistency, and no dazzling brilliance whatsoever. This is also why the rulers of ancient China tended to use the lowliest terms to refer to themselves. Over time, the practice lost its meaning, but its original intent was very much congruent with the Tao.
Notes
The concept of establishing a personal connection to the Tao, and thereby attain the power and energy of oneness is one that can cause much confusion. Isn't the Tao already in everything? How can one connect to it if one is never disconnected from it in the first place?
The Tao that we are inseparably part of is the all-encompassing Tao. It contains everything, with no distinctions whatsoever. In human beings, it is represented as the ambivalent, indeterminate state before any choices are made. In that state, the potential for every possible outcome exists - fulfilling, satisfying outcomes as well as disastrous, miserable outcomes.
The Tao of which Lao Tzu speaks is a particular path through this wealth of options. This path is quite specific. It is the path of silence, calmness, kindness and humility. It is not the path of cacophony, agitation, cruelty and arrogance. Both paths are part of the overall Tao that includes everything, but Lao Tzu points to one of them as the path that will best lead us to happiness and fulfillment.
40
The returning is the movement of the Tao
The weak is the utilization of the Tao
The myriad things of the world are born of being
Being is born of non-being
That which reverses course, reflects back, or returns to its point of origin characterizes the cyclical motions of the Tao. Because the Tao process underlies everything in existence, we observe its cycles reflected everywhere in the universe.
That which exhibits weakness, a soft touch, or a yielding nature characterizes the function and utilization of the Tao. This is because the Tao drives life forward endlessly, and the living is always pliant and flexible while death is invariably stiff and unyielding.
The above applies to the mind as well. An awareness that is in tune with the Tao is open to possibilities and adaptable to new ways of thinking. In contrast, a mind that stubbornly clings to preconceptions and automatically rejects anything different is, in a real sense, already dead.
41
Higher people hear of the Tao
They diligently practice it
Average people hear of the Tao
They sometimes keep it and sometimes lose it
Lower people hear of the Tao
They laugh loudly at it
If they do not laugh, it would not be the Tao
Therefore a proverb has the following:
The clear Tao appears unclear
The advancing Tao appears to retreat
The smooth Tao appears uneven
High virtue appears like a valley
Great integrity appears like disgrace
Encompassing virtue appears insufficient
Building virtue appears inactive
True substance appears inconstant
The great square has no corners
The great vessel is late in completion
The great music is imperceptible in sound
The great image has no form
The Tao is hidden and nameless
Yet it is only the Tao
That excels in giving and completing everything
But "not laughing" in itself is not sufficient to be called the Tao,
and therefore it is said:
The sparkling Tao seems dark
Advancing in the Tao seems like regression.
Settling into the Tao seems rough.
True virtue is like a valley.
The immaculate seems humble.
Extensive virtue seems insufficient.
Established virtue seems deceptive.
The face of reality seems to change.
The great square has no corners.
Great ability takes a long time to perfect.
Great sound is hard to hear.
The great form has no shape.
The Tao is hidden and nameless.
This is exactly why the Tao is good at developing and perfecting.
The true student hears of the Tao; h is diligent and practices it.
The average student hears of it; sometimes he appears to be attentive, then again he is inattentive.
The half hearted student hears of it; he loudly derides it. If it did not provoke ridicule it would not be worthy the name-Tao.
Again there are those whose only care is phraseology.
The brilliancy of the Tao is as obscurity; the advance of the Tao is as a retreat; the equality of the Tao is as inequality; the higher energy is as cosmic space; the greatest purity is as uncleanness; the widest virtue is as if insufficient; established virtue is as if furtive; the truest essence is as imperfection; the most perfect square is cornerless; the largest vessel is last completed; the loudest sound has fewest tones; the grandest conception is formless.
The Tao is concealed and nameless, yet it is the Tao alone which excels in imparting and completing.
42
Tao produces one
One produces two
Two produce three
Three produce myriad things
Myriad things, backed by yin and embracing yang
Achieve harmony by integrating their energy
What the people dislike
Are alone, bereft, and unworthy
But the rulers call themselves with these terms
So with all things
Appear to take loss but benefit
