Some of the passages contain ideas that seem to be directed to political leaders—yet in all cases I keep the average reader in mind. In other words, I seek the wisdom for everyone, not just for those in positions of government or business.
I jot down a few notes, and for the next three days I think about what Lao-tzu is offering. I invite the Tao to be with me throughout the day in all my activities as a background to the title of this book. “Change your thoughts, Wayne,” I tell myself, “and watch how your life changes.” And my thoughts do change.
I feel the Tao with me, always there, always doing nothing, and always leaving absolutely nothing undone. As I’m now Seeing with a capital S, the landscape looks different. The people I See are godly creations who are ignoring their own nature, or even more poignantly, needily interfering in the affairs of others. I have a different perspective now: I feel more peaceful and patient. I keep being reminded of the cyclical nature of the world of the 10,000 things and have powerful insights that change what I see. I know that we humans are like the rest of the natural world and that sadness, fear, frustration, or any troubling feeling cannot last. Nature doesn’t create a storm that never ends. Within misfortune, good fortune hides.
Following my days of thinking and then applying the wisdom of a particular verse, I look into the eyes of Lao-tzu’s picture in the early morning, and I wonder, What did you mean? How does this apply here, today, to anyone who might want to live according to these majestic teachings?
What happens next is mind-blowing in that it simply comes. Through the ages, through the atmosphere, through my purple pen and onto the page, flows what I can only call automatic writing. I know I don’t own it. I know I can’t touch it, feel it, see it, or even name it, but the words arrive in the world of the 10,000 things. I am grateful, bewildered, astonished, and overjoyed. The next day I begin another four-day adventure with this wisdom a Chinese master recorded 2,500 years ago, feeling so blessed, honored, and completely awestruck by the profound impact these words have on me.
It’s my vision that in this 21st century, our world must recruit future leaders who are steeped in the importance of Lao-tzu’s words. Our survival may depend on understanding that the concepts of “enemy” and “war” can cease to exist through living Tao-centered lives. Government will need to retreat from regulating our personal lives, overly taxing our income, and invading our privacy.
Yet the lessons and truths of the Tao must be discovered and applied by individuals. In this way, it can bring you to the enormous wonder of your own being—yes, you are the Tao at work. Your Preface being came from, and will return to, nonbeing. So for maximum enjoyment and benefit, make reading this book a personal journey. First peruse one of the passages of the Tao Te Ching and the essay that follows it. Next, spend some time applying it, changing the way you’ve been conditioned to think and letting yourself open up to a new way of conceptualizing these ideas. Finally, individualize the verse by writing, recording, drawing, or expressing yourself in whatever way you’re called to. And move on to the next verse with a rhythm that suits your nature.
The following is from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Deng Ming Dao, which I love to turn to each day. Read this excerpt and see the Tao coming alive in you:
If you spend a long period of time in study and self-cultivation, you will enter Tao. By doing so, you also enter a world of extraordinary perceptions. You experience unimaginable things, receive thoughts and learning as if from nowhere, perceive things that could be classified as prescient. Yet if you try to communicate what you experience, there is no one to understand you, no one who will believe you. The more you walk this road, the farther you are from the ordinary ways of society. You may see the truth, but you will find that people would rather listen to politicians, performers, and charlatans.
If you are known as a follower of Tao, people may seek you out, but they are seldom the ones who will truly understand Tao. They are people who would exploit Tao as a crutch. To speak to them of the wonders you have seen is often to engage in a futile bout of miscommunication. That is why it is said that those who know do not speak.
Why not simply stay quiet? Enjoy Tao as you will. Let others think you are dumb. Inside yourself, you will know the joy of Tao’s mysteries. If you meet someone who can profit by your experience, you should share. But if you are merely a wanderer in a crowd of strangers, it is wisdom to be silent.
Perhaps the overriding message of the Tao Te Ching is to learn how to luxuriate in the simplicity of what you’re being told throughout this ancient sacred text. As you put its ideas into practice, you’ll discover how profound it all is—but then you’ll find yourself startled by its simplicity and naturalness. The advice of this ancient master is so easy to apply that you mustn’t try to complicate it. Simply allow yourself to stay in harmony with your nature, which can be trusted if you just listen and act accordingly.
I hope that you’ll feel joyously in love with Lao-tzu and his wondrous Tao
