Send us a text

Tao Te Ching Verse 15

Translated by Xiaolin Yang

People in the past who practiced the DAO understood the real essence of the world so deeply that the ordinary people could not appreciate them.
Because these people cannot be appreciated and understood,
I will try to give you a rough sketch of them.
They acted very cautiously, like walking on thin ice.
They behaved very carefully, like being watched by everybody.
They looked very dignified, like going to a banquet.
They were very warm and kind, like being able to melt ice.
They were very plain, like a block of uncarved wood.
They had a very big heart, like a deep valley.
They were very tolerant, like a flooding river that contains everything.
Who can get clear water from mud by letting the mud settle slowly?
Who can create new things gradually from stillness by taking the initiative?
These people who kept the DAO were never conceited.
Only because they were not conceited,
Were they able to create the future while preserving the past.

Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash

Practice means growth

So here’s the thing: I would think that being aware and conscious all the time would be an easy thing to do, since it involves doing nothing.  But as we discussed, I find it difficult to  not be acting on impulse all the time.  Maybe that’s my lizard brain that I need to constantly be overriding.  

Whatever the case may be, I know one thing:  that if I keep trying, I am in a much better position to be able to practice those things Lao Tzu stalks about - awareness, dignity, humility, authenticity, open mindedness, and clarity.

So if the first part of verse 15 is a look to the ideal, and the second part says to gain clarity as much as possible, the third part basically tells me that practice makes perfect.  OK, maybe not perfect, I don’t think there’s such a thing actually, but practice means growth - a pushing forward into richer life experiences, deeper love, and greater serenity.  Now, seeing that all I have to do to get those things is be still once in awhile,  the time is well spent, isn’t it?  I think so.

To me, Lao Tzu seems to be saying that look, you’re not always going to be aware of things - you should try for the ideals our ancestors exhibited.  It’s not reasonable to expect that you can manage keeping those great qualities we mentioned in an ‘always on’ state.  So instead, turn your thoughts and attitudes into harmony with the Tao and the Tao will do the rest.  

In the short time that I’ve been practicing, I have gained some wonderful gifts, some of which I’ll share now:

1. Meditation has grown more meaningful
2. The Tao has become more precious to me
3. Helping others is now my vehicle that puts me into harmony with the Tao, which means that I’m in much less worry, fear, and anger.  I actually experience more joy and calm now.
4. My automatic negative thinking has turned mostly into automatic positive thinking
5. I am aware of the positive impact that I can have on others, which helps that automatic positive thinking become more...automatic.

So I think I’ll keep practicing.  From what I can gather, moving into Harmony with the Tao never stops providing me with growth.