Lao-tzu urges you to know when to stop driving yourself, advising you to instead jump into the oneness and avoid all manner of difficulties that he calls your “peril.” Flow with the Tao in everything you do. Give up the need to be in charge, which is just your ego working overtime. You cannot force the Tao . . . let it carry you by relaxing into it with trust and faith.
As you ride this glorious wave of the Tao, consider this advice from Alan Watts in Tao: The Watercourse Way:
Let your ears hear whatever they want to hear; let your eyes see whatever they want to see; let your mind think whatever it wants to think; let your lungs breathe in their own rhythm. Do not expect any special result, for in this wordless and idealess state, where can there be past or future, and where any notion of purpose?
Stop, look, and listen right now before you go on reading. Yes, get in the perfect goodness of the Tao right now—in your business, in your relationships, in your career, in your everything! Stop, listen for your passion, and then allow yourself be taken there by the ceaseless tide of all creation, which continues in spite of your ego’s opinions.
Here’s what Lao-tzu seems to be saying to you, through me, about implementing the idea of this 32nd verse of the Tao Te Ching:
Pay attention to the flow of your life.
Remind yourself that you don’t have to be in charge—that, in fact, it’s impossible for you to be in charge. The nameless force, which Lao-tzu calls the Tao, moves everything, so your continual argument with it only causes dissatisfaction. Each day, practice letting go and seeing where you’re directed. Take note of who shows up and when. Observe the “strange coincidences” that seem to collaborate with fate and in some way steer you in a new direction. Keep track of situations that occur spontaneously or out of the realm of your control.
Look for a new, joyous feeling within you.
As you move in the direction of “loosening the leash,” so to speak, you’ll become keenly aware of the exhilaration of the Tao flowing through you. Begin to see what passions are stirred up as you allow the ride to be directed by your Source rather than ego. These joyous feelings are clues that you’re beginning to harmonize with what Lao-tzu calls “[your] own goodness.” Your enthusiastic inner receptivity is your reminder that all is perfect, so trust that energy.
Do the Tao Now
Pick a time today, perhaps between noon and 4 p.m., to consciously free your mind from attempting to control the events of your life. Go for a walk and simply let yourself be carried along: Let your feet go where they will. Observe everything in your line of vision. Notice your breath, the sounds you hear, the wind, the cloud formations, the humidity, the temperature—everything. Simply let yourself be immersed and transported, and notice how it feels to just go with the flow. Now decide to let freedom be your guide. Realize that traffic, the people in your life, the stock exchange, the weather, the tides . . . all of it is taking place at its own pace in its own way. You can move with the eternal, perfect Tao as well. Be it . . . now.
33rd Verse
One who understands others has knowledge;
one who understands himself has wisdom.
Mastering others requires force;
mastering the self needs strength.
If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
One who gives himself to his position
surely lives long.
One who gives himself to the Tao
surely lives forever.
Living Self-Mastery
In our contemporary world, an educated person is generally thought of as someone with several diplomas who’s in a position to intelligently discuss all manner of topics, particularly in the academic field. In addition to amassing scholastic credits, highly learned people often understand and reach out to help others. In fact, they seem to possess the ability to effectively “read” other people. These individuals’ power and status tends to increase in proportion to the number of men and women they oversee, such as with the president of a university, a CEO of a business, or a general of an army.
In this 33rd verse of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu is asking you to change the way you look at these twin ideas of knowledge and power. You’re invited to evaluate your level of self-mastery by turning your gaze inward and seeing the world, and your place in it, in a new light. A Tao-oriented life focuses on understanding yourself, rather than on the thinking and behaviors of others. You shift from the acquisition of information and the pursuit of status symbols to understanding and mastering yourself in any and all situations. Power over others is replaced with an inner strength that empowers you to behave from a wisdom that is inherently the Tao.
As you modify your thinking, your world will undergo pleasantly dramatic changes. For example, as you realize that you are responsible for your reactions in any given moment, others will cease to have any power or control over you. Rather than worrying, Why is that person behaving that way and making me feel so upset? you can see the situation as an invitation to explore yourself from a new attitude of self-mastery.
