Contrast this bleak picture of pleasure, which Lao-tzu calls “bland and insipid,” with the ecstasy of the Tao. Just for a moment, imagine having the perspective of the Tao as you read this verse, and see if you can change the way you look at this idea of pleasure. The benefits of having a concept that harmonizes with the Tao are outlined in the opening lines: All people will flock to you, and they’ll find peace, security, and happiness when they do. The reason why they’ll discover these three jewels is because you exude such qualities. Your emphasis is on the Tao—it’s who you are and therefore what you have to give away.
You are now changing the way you look at things, so your idea of pleasure shifts beyond the worldly nudges of your senses. You taste your food, but you’re in awe of the magic that produced the delectables you’re eating, as well as the perfection of this incredible cycle that continues in the elimination and reuse of what you’ve consumed. The constant behind this ever-changing world becomes your new Source of pleasure, expressed in the wonder and bewilderment you feel. Yes, of course you continue to enjoy your meals, but your pleasure is in being at one with what allows it all to transpire.
You know that you can’t find, hear, see, or touch the Source, yet it’s always available and can never be depleted. The music that you hear isn’t the Tao; the Tao is the invisible energy that fills the empty spaces that give you so much joy. And that happiness you feel is the eternally available and longed-for pleasure of transcending the physical limitations of a human body. Touching the Tao is way beyond any of the sensory pleasures that we somehow believe will satisfy that longing for transcendence.
Addictions become impossible because you no longer try to get worldly pursuits to satisfy you. It’s like realizing that you can fly when you’ve been walking faster and faster, but never getting enough speed or altitude—you kept trying to satisfy a natural longing to be aloft through the pleasure of rapid walking. Now you observe the way nature flows: You clearly see it never asking for more, never using up more, and absolutely never demanding that it be provided with more than is necessary to maintain a perfect balance. The realm of passing pleasures is no longer your central place of 35th Verse self-identification. You’re at peace, feeling secure and happy because you’ve changed your worldview to include the infinite Tao . . . how could addictions ever compare?
Imagine a heroin addict believing that peace, security, and happiness are available with an inexhaustible supply of opiates. That scenario is impossible because the pleasure that drugs bring lasts but a few seconds, and then the opposite of peace, security, and happiness clicks in. The addict keeps trying to fly by running faster—ultimately he comes to despise his life and destroy himself in the process. Such is the destiny of those who seek the pleasures of the world of the senses to fulfill their longing and natural ability to transcend the physical plane.
Here’s what Lao-tzu is offering you in this profound verse of the Tao Te Ching:
Notice the eternal bliss that’s always with you—even when the delicacies are out of sight!
Change your way of thinking of yourself as a totally physical being. Instead, recognize that worldly pleasures that tend to be overdone are attempts to transcend the physical, which isn’t going to happen without tapping into your natural connection to the Tao. Stop equating sensory delight with the Tao-inspired bliss that’s available to you. Enjoy all that you experience through the senses: Love your fine dining, bask in the melodies of your favorite music, and be appreciative of the excitement of sexual energy. But notice that this is all coming from your sensory self, which is happily adaptable to this world. Then seek your “Tao self,” which transcends the physical, and explore its pleasures.
Reexamine what true, lasting, enjoyment is. Even though the effects of the Tao may initially have no appeal to your seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling faculties, they’ll fulfill the longing you’re trying to sate with worldly pursuits. When you’re chasing any passing fancy, begin recognizing its value in the here and now, but stop trying to get it to satisfy a greater longing.
Introduce transcendent thankfulness to your everyday life.
Make it a daily practice to give thanks for the presence of the eternal Tao that’s always with you. From an appreciative viewpoint, the world that you formerly desired will begin to look different. In the grateful Tao awareness, feelings of being incomplete when worldly pleasures are unavailable are replaced with a transcendent thankfulness. What used to be a need for a worldly delight is replaced with gratitude and contentment for being aware of the aspect of you that is the Tao, free of physical and earthly limitations and confinement. Living with conscious appreciation of the Tao will attract more people and experiences, enriching your balance of mortal and eternal awareness. Open
