The fish in the water that is thirsty needs
serious professional counseling.
Do the Tao Now
Right this minute, let go of five items that you have in your possession, putting them in circulation so that others might find them. Next, pick something that has some particular value to you and give it away. It’s important that it be something you really like, for the more attachment you have to an item, the greater the joy you’ll feel as you let it go. This can become a practice of living a life of daily diminishing.
49th Verse
The sage has no fixed mind;
he is aware of the needs of others.
Those who are good he treats with goodness.
Those who are bad he also treats with goodness because the nature of his being is good.
He is kind to the kind.
He is also kind to the unkind
because the nature of his being is kindness.
He is faithful to the faithful;
he is also faithful to the unfaithful.
The sage lives in harmony with all below heaven.
He sees everything as his own self;
he loves everyone as his own child.
All people are drawn to him.
He behaves like a little child.
Living
Beyond Judgment
In this gently powerful verse, we’re encouraged to change the way we view virtually everyone on the planet. Lao-tzu saw the potential for existing harmoniously through living beyond judgment; thus, this 49th verse of the Tao Te Ching invites us to explore that peaceful world. It’s encouraging us to replace our idea of criticizing them with an acknowledgment of us without criticism. Imagine the possibilities for all of humanity if we simply eliminated prejudice and could live “in harmony with all below heaven.”
You can begin changing your view of judgment as a valuable or important activity by being aware of when you’re doing it to yourself. Then simply start substituting noticing for judging; from this perspective, you’ll realize pretty quickly that you prefer to observe what you’re doing or feeling rather than critiquing yourself. Calling your behavior “bad” or “good” just pits you against yourself and others by using competition, punishment, or dislike as your motivational markers—hatred, anger, and threats become necessary because love, acceptance, and kindness can’t be trusted.
As you move away from judging yourself, you’ll no longer need or want what Lao-tzu calls the “fixed mind”; thus, allegiances that pitted you against the people you thought of as them will begin to dissolve. The innumerable categories that helped you organize your labels become totally superfluous and unimportant when you change the way you look at their so-called value. In spite of having been conditioned by the country you were born in, the religion you were assigned at birth, the culture you were immersed in, or even the family who raised you, living beyond judgment becomes your preference. You exist in harmony with the Tao that excludes no one and has no conception of divisions and loyalties. The oneness of the Tao entices you away from any belief that others are separate.
This is the basic solution to wars and conflicts. You see, when you stop judging and instead begin to see yourself in others, you can’t help but love the uniqueness of everyone as though they were your own children. Then instead of exclusions and allegiances, the oneness of the Tao graces all, unimpeded. Rather than God bless America (or whatever country you happen to reside in), Allah save our people, or Krishna bless those who believe in you, there’s God bless humanity—let me do all that I can to treat everyone, without exception, with goodness and kindness, as all of those whom we revere as spiritual masters taught us by their example.
As your worldview changes, you’ll extend goodness to everyone you encounter. You’ll find that you can feel nonjudgmental compassion for the mistreated, even when their way of seeing things causes you and yours pain. You can send out kindness not only in response to kindness, but especially when you’re the recipient of cruelty. Why? Because, as Lao-tzu reminds you in this poignant verse, “the nature of [your] being is kindness.” It’s impossible to give to others what you are not, and you are not judgmental. You see yourself in everyone, without the need to criticize them or yourself.
Change your thoughts and live beyond judgment—and don’t see yourself as “bad” when you falter in this view or as “holy” when you succeed. Keep in mind that you’re a mix of infinite openness and finite limitation, as we all are. So sometimes you just need to notice yourself judging, without then judging yourself!
This is what I feel called by Lao-tzu to offer you from this 49th verse of the Tao Te Ching:
Change the way you look at yourself.
If you pride yourself on having a fixed mind, realize that it relies on conditioning that generally shows up as prejudice. Instead, see yourself as flexible, since being open is the higher virtue. Pride yourself on extending your goodness and kindness to all sides, even 49th Verse when they oppose your preprogrammed learning. Begin to see yourself as a person who notices instead of judges. Avoid taking one position and sticking to it no matter what the circumstances are; rather, be in harmony with all people, especially those whose opinions conflict with yours! And remember to include yourself when dispensing kindness and nonjudgment.
Change the way you look at other people.
One version of this verse says: “I trust men of their word, and I trust liars. If I am true enough, I feel the heartbeats of others above my own.” Whether you call it “judging” or “labeling,” notice
