Do the Tao Now
Give yourself an assignment to be as much in the background as you can for an entire day. Stifle inclinations to compare yourself to anyone else or to draw attention to yourself. You can accomplish this by making a commitment to be interested in others today, substituting the pronoun I for you. So instead of saying, “I did this kind of work for years; let me tell you how you should proceed,” remark, “You seem to be doing so well with your new business.” In the language of the Tao, stay soft and gentle and you will endure.
37th Verse
The Tao does nothing,
but leaves nothing undone.
If powerful men
could center themselves in it,
the whole world would be transformed
by itself, in its natural rhythms.
When life is simple,
pretenses fall away;
our essential natures shine through.
By not wanting, there is calm,
and the world will straighten itself.
When there is silence,
one finds the anchor of the universe within oneself.
Living in Simplicity
I call this the “Bite your tongue, zip your lips” verse of the Tao Te Ching. The paradox inherent in the two opening lines intrigues me enormously: “The Tao does nothing, but leaves nothing undone.” Just imagine what we’re being told to consider in this verse—do nothing and everything gets done. It obviously contradicts all that you and I have been taught. Doing nothing in our culture suggests a lazy, unsuccessful, and quite possibly worthless individual. So for a moment, let’s modify the way we think about living simply and doing nothing.
Of all the troubles that are reported in the media—including wars, terrorism, famine, hatred, crime, and disease—how many are the result of interfering with the natural unfolding of creation? How much of the essential nature of ourselves and our planet is able to shine through? What would Earth be like if governments didn’t meddle in everyone’s lives? What if no one could be perceived as an enemy? Could there be a world where groups of people never got together to control others or to invade or conquer—how about where oceans, mountains, natural resources, air, plants, and animals were respected and allowed to flourish without any interference? Suppose that such a place of simplicity and lack of interference existed . . . it would be acting exactly as the Tao does, doing nothing and yet leaving nothing undone.
Now shift out of this highly imaginative scenario and begin to reconsider what’s meant in this passage by the concept of powerful individuals transforming the world. When they’re interfering with natural rhythms, they ultimately create difficulties that are inconsistent with the Tao. Try to visualize great leaders who are instead centered in the Tao—they bite their tongues and zip their lips rather than act in a hostile way, and they refuse to participate in activities that cause harm to anything on the planet. Yes, this may be a fantasy, but it’s not an impossibility when you think like a sage and are centered in the Tao.
The 37th verse of the Tao Te Ching can also help you change the way you look at yourself. Let’s say that you’re accustomed to equating the idea of success with a take-charge kind of person. You believe that this individual allocates responsibilities to others because he or she is a leader who’s willing and able to tell others what to do and how to do it. Well, this view is completely out of harmony with the Tao, which “does nothing” and “leaves nothing undone.” As you alter the way you look at your own power and success, you’ll begin to replace strong desires with calm contentment. When you start to allow your true nature—which is the anchor of the universe—to shine through, you’ll recognize that the way you look at things has absolutely changed.
I’ve used this simplicity lesson in dealing with all of my children. When I step in and tell them “how,” I create resistance. But when I bite my tongue, zip my lips, and retreat into silence, they not only figure it out themselves, but a calm energy replaces their frustration. I’ve learned that my kids know how to be: They too have the anchor of the universe within them. They too are centered in the do-nothing, get-everything-done Tao. They too have an essential nature that they’re listening to. As I’ve gotten more adept at trusting this—not only for my children, but for everyone I encounter—I’m more peaceful. And guess what? More, not less, seems to get accomplished—on time and without problems that used to surface because of my interference.
Change the way you think about the entire idea of success and power, for this isn’t the result of obsessive accomplishment and continually following directions. Start living in a world that you know 37th Verse works far better with less meddling. You understand that not everyone will stop instructing others and just allow the Tao to unfold, but you can be an observer, watching others tap into their power by centering themselves.
Here’s what Lao-tzu suggests for making this verse become your daily reality:
Cultivate your unique, natural self.
Practice allowing your essential nature to shine by not enforcing judgments on yourself that were imposed by others. Remind yourself that you don’t have to do anything: You don’t have to be better than anyone else. You don’t have to win. You don’t have to be number 1 or number 27 or any other number. Give yourself permission to just be. Stop interfering with your unique natural being. Lighten the burden you carry to
