nothing is really known about Lao Tzu but his name has become synonymous with the Tao Te Ching
he may have been born in hunan on the 24th of march in the year 604 bc.
these excerpts with commentary and insight are meant to helpfully guide you with the essence and energy of the Tao Te Ching
and ultimately the ideals of Lao Tzu.
the true person acts without striving and teaches without words in these words the idea is that a true person.
which we will take to mean as the idealized being we should strive to be is humble and teaches by example
the actions speak for themselves deny nothing to the ten thousand things nourish them without claiming authority
benefit them without demanding gratitude do the work then move on and the fruits of your labor will last forever.
here he espouses the ideals of non-attachment the journey towards the goal is sometimes more of the lesson than the
actual destination you stand to learn and grow in the process or journey rather than the end goal the true person governs by emptying the
heart of desire and filling the belly with food weakening ambitions and strengthening bones if the people are simple and free from
desire then the clever ones never dare to interfere.
here he shows that the right action is sometimes not what the ego desires on a spiritual path we tend to give up the material desires in this way the less we crave material
benefits the less those who control the distribution of material gains can take advantage of us.
the highest good is like water for water benefits the ten thousand things without striving it settles in places that people avoid and so is like the tao
bruce lee is once quoted by saying ābe like water my friendā you can apply this to a wide variety of situations in life learn everything even the things left behind by others
like water if you can flow into those places discarded by others then you can also flow and settle in the exalted positions which are harder to reach.
help the people live
nourish the people
help them live yet lay no claim to them
benefit them
yet seek no gratitude
guide them
yet do not control them
this is called the hidden virtue
here the ideal person is shown to be an ideal leader who cares about the people around him
and does not control them the ideal person guides and sets an example by the very actions performed
both favor and disgrace bring fear great trouble comes from having a body
what is meant by
both favor and disgrace bring fear
favor leads to a fear of losing it
and disgrace leads to a fear of greater trouble
what is meant by
great trouble comes from having a body
the reason you have trouble is that you
are self-conscious
no trouble can befall a self-free person
therefore
surrender your self-interest
love others as much as you love yourself then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven.
this here is pretty self-explanatory and shows the ideal approach and mindset in the journey of understanding
empty everything out hold fast to your stillness even though all things are stirring together watch for the movement of return
the ten thousand things flourish and then each returns to the root from which it came returning to the root is stillness
through stillness each fulfills its destiny that which has fulfilled its destiny becomes part of the always so
to be aware of the always so is to awaken here stillness of the mind in meditation can help you connect and reach the always so state by curbing the ego in meditational
stillness we can really discover our own true purposes
the best leader is one whose existence is barely known by the people
next comes one whom they love and praise
next comes one they fear
next comes one they defy
here he espouses what an ideal leader
should be a person who isnāt in it for the fame
and glory but rather the upliftments of the people
if you do not trust enough you will not be trusted
a very simple line but profound
to gain trust you must also give trust
nothing under heaven is softer or more yielding than water
yet it has no equal for attacking things that are hard and stiff
nothing can withstand it everyone knows that the yielding
overcomes the stiff
and the soft
overcomes the hard
yet no one applies this knowledge
usually in general day-to-day life what happens when someone verbally attacks us the logical thing is to defend yourself
and yell back but trying to stop violence with violence is impossible
there is no winner in that situation
just ego satisfaction
but with great cost
a kind or understanding approach can
often defuse a situation
these words are some of the wisdom offered by lao tzu as he retired into the solitude of the mountains
leaving behind his ideas and teachings a legacy to guide us in our journey of understanding the tao
these words and ideas can help shape us into becoming a better person or rather a better version of ourselves
while it is commonly said nothing is perfect the constant refinement of our being helps to guide us towards something closer to that concept of perfection
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(on low volume).
