Tao gives life to all things
Te fosters them, makes them grow, develops them
Gives them shelter — a place to dwell in peace
Nourishes them and protects them
Tao gives life without possession
Te acts without claiming credit
Guides without imposition
This is the Mystic Virtue.
The Tao virtues view people in a positive light, seeing all of us as capable of just about anything. It is time to recapture the essence of this vision. In Chinese, humaneness or humanized thinking actually means reasonable, truthful, virtuous thinking in accordance with human nature. Anything that departs from such nature cannot be regarded as truth. To be unreasonable is to be self-righteous, while to be reasonable or human is to entertain the possibility of not being right.
As I watch the world these last few days, and follow conversations, there is a lot of talk about who is right, who is wrong, who started the troubles, who should act to end them.
Perhaps the place to start is to let in that bit of doubt – maybe we are not right. Maybe it is not right to let thousands languish in jails, without trials, including women and children. Maybe it is not right to act by force to try to take what we want. Maybe it is not right to respond to that force with force in kind. Perhaps it is better to let in some doubt, to take the step back, to see where our own actions are going against the true forces of human nature. If we lash out at others, won’t they just lash back at us? If we force our will on others, aren’t they naturally going to resent it?
Tao gives us all life, Te sustains us. If we stop accepting the Te force in our lives, making our will and our needs more important than anyone else’s, than we are cutting off the sustaining forces of life, and our lives will become more difficult, more of a struggle. If we can accept that our needs will be fulfilled, and work to fulfill those of others, than more of what we need will come into our lives naturally.
Be willing to say, “I changed my mind,” or “I was wrong”, and open the door to another’s point of view.
With an attitude of unassuming modesty
you offer no danger or threat to those around you
Sincere modesty
invites loyal alignment with others.
Do not boast and glare overtly.
Keep the jade and treasures
subtly reserved within the bosom.
A posture of humble heart and
genuine respect for the wise
will bring blessings from all directions.
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