As the great 14th-century Sufi poet Hafiz reminds all of us:
Just sit there right now
Don’t do a thing
Just rest.
For your separation from God,
From love,
Is the hardest work
In this
World.
When you reconnect to your Divine Mother, you’ll be living creatively. You will, in fact, be living the Tao!
Do the Tao Now
Today, notice babies and small children. Look for the mysterious feminine nature in little boys and girls who haven’t yet become so attuned to cultural and societal demands that their true selves are hidden. Can you see some whose inherent nature is intact? Notice what seems to be their natural character, or their gift from the Tao. Then try to recall yourself as a child, when the natural, Tao-given self was unaware of the ego-self—the time before you believed that acquisitions or power were important. Who were you? Who are you?
Yes, today spend a few moments with a young child and contemplate his or her connection to the Tao and how it unfolds perfectly without any interference.
7th Verse
Heaven is eternal—the earth endures.
Why do heaven and earth last forever?
They do not live for themselves only.
This is the secret of their durability.
For this reason the sage puts himself last
and so ends up ahead.
He stays a witness to life,
so he endures.
Serve the needs of others,
and all your own needs will be fulfilled.
Through selfless action, fulfillment is attained.
Living Beyond Ego
The opening line of this 7th verse of the Tao Te Ching is a reminder that the Tao, the Source of heaven and earth, is eternal. By extension, the original nature of life is everlasting and enduring. There is a quality that supports this durability, however, and that quality responds when we live from our Tao center, rather than from our worldly ego center. Identifying exclusively with the physicality of life—and basing our existence on acquiring and achieving things—disregards our infinite nature and limits our awareness of Taoness. In such a finite system, it therefore seems logical to strive for possessions and accomplishments.
Being civilized in most cultures primarily constitutes being consumed with attaining “success” in the acquisition of power and things, which supposedly will provide happiness and prevent unhappiness. The primary idea is of a self who’s a separate being in a separate body, with a name, and with cultural and biological data that are similar in values and patriotism to others. The Tao, particularly in this 7th verse, is suggesting that we update those notions and choose to exist for more than ourselves or our tribe—that is, to radically change our thoughts in order to change our lives.
Lao-tzu says the secret of the ineffable nature of the eternal Tao is that it isn’t identified with possessions or in asking anything of its endless creations. The Tao is a giving machine that never runs out of gifts to offer, yet it asks nothing in return. Because of this natural tendency to live for others, the Tao teaches that it can never die. Giving and immortality then go hand in hand.
The sage who grasps the everlasting nature of the Tao has gone beyond false identification with the ego, and instead has a living connection to the Tao. This person puts others first, asks nothing in return, and wholeheartedly serves. In this way, the sage lives the ultimate paradox of the Tao—by giving without asking, he attracts everything that he’s capable of handling or needing. By putting himself last, the sage ends up ahead. By putting others before himself, he endures just like the Tao. The sage emulates the natural philanthropy of the Tao, and all of his needs are fulfilled in the process.
The ego is a demanding force that’s never satisfied: It constantly requires that we seek more money, power, acquisitions, glory, and prestige to provide the fuel it thinks it must have. Living a Tao-centered life rather than an ego-centered one removes us from that rat race, as it offers inner peace and satisfying fulfillment.
This is what I believe the wisdom of this verse of the Tao Te Ching is saying for the 21st century:
Make an attempt to reverse ego’s hold on you by practicing the Tao’s teaching to “serve the needs of others, and all your own needs will be fulfilled.”
Generously thinking of and serving others will lead to matching your behaviors with the perpetual rhythm of the Tao—then its power will flow freely, leading to a fulfilling life. Ego wants the opposite, however, as it tells you to think of yourself first and “get yours” before someone else beats you to it. The main problem with listening to ego is that you’re always caught in the trap of striving and never arriving. Thus, you can never feel complete.
As you reach out in thoughts and behaviors, you activate loving energy, which is synonymous with giving. Put others ahead of you in as many ways as possible by affirming: I see the sacred invisible Source of all in its eternal state of giving and asking nothing in return. I vow to be this, too, in my thoughts and behaviors.
When you’re tempted to focus on your personal successes and defeats, shift your attention in that very moment to a less fortunate individual. You’ll feel more connected to life, as well
