Emulate those whose greatest impact on humanity used the least violent methods.
There are many examples to be found for living by remaining low, replicating the example of stillness and yin energy. Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Saint Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and others of the highest spiritual persuasion serve as wonderful role models for us. By demonstrating the exact opposite of what has become known as power by force, they changed the course of human history. Furthermore, they are remembered with the highest esteem by all people.
You can become a similar leader of the Tao in your immediate environment, smiling inwardly as you see yourself as that low, patient ocean. All those who wish to tower above you in conquest will ultimately flow down to you.
Do the Tao Now
Each day as you grapple with how to be an effective leader in your family, in your country, and in the world, apply the following advice from Sai Baba. This is what he counsels readers to do whenever they question what action to take or how to think:
When head fast eyes are horrified
by the cruelties of life . . .
When your mouth is parched
and you can hardly speak,
The first sip of cool water
I am soothing you.
Think of me.
In a moment of crisis, silently say Think of me to your mental image of the person who won you over by stooping and remaining low. You’ll immediately find your way, as if that individual were directing you to overcome the struggle, addiction, or ego-dominated thoughts that seem to take you away from your feminine, Tao nature.
62nd Verse
The Tao is the treasure-house,
the true nature,
the secret Source of everything.
It is the treasure of the good man
and the refuge of the bad.
If a person seems wicked,
do not cast him away.
Awaken him with your words,
elevate him with your deeds,
repay his injury with your kindness.
Do not cast him away;
cast away his wickedness.
Thus when a new leader is chosen,
do not offer to help him
with your wealth or your expertise.
Help him to meditate on the principle;
offer instead to teach him about the Tao.
Why did the ancients make so much of the principle?
Is it not because it is the Source of all good,
and the remedy for all evil?
It is the most noble thing in the world.
Living in the
Treasure-house
of the Tao
Imagine having access to a very special place where we could retreat and commune with the sacred Source of everything. Here we’d find “the treasure of the good man” and a space where the bad man goes to be forgiven. This is where great rulers and the wisest among us would meditate for guidance to carry out awesome responsibilities, where we’d be given the secret for casting out all wickedness without personally needing to cast out anyone ourselves. In this wonderful locale, we would absolutely know the Source of good as well as the remedy for evil.
As I studied and contemplated this passage, I began calling it the “Count your blessings” verse. It reminds me that I can access a sacred treasure-house deep within me, as can you and all other conscious beings. It reminds me to change the way I see the appearance of darkness in our world today. It reminds me that within me is the wondrous wellspring of the Tao. It reminds me to be willing to change the way I view myself and my role here as one of the 10,000 things.
You can modify your conditioned way of viewing most things by looking at all that appears to be weighted with hatred, wickedness, and evil. According to Lao-tzu, no one is evil or wicked; rather, those who live in contradiction to the Tao’s teaching only appear to be so. Instead of casting them aside, you must reconnect them to the Great Way. So stay centered by thinking and behaving in ways that harmonize with the all-loving, all-knowing Tao, keeping in mind that this Source doesn’t inflict harm on, exclude, or judge anyone—it just gives life.
Where you perceive negativity, alter your view to see pure love and kindness that’s mistakenly being directed to seek a sacred place in the material world. That energy is powerful, and it’s moving away from its Source instead of returning and replenishing in the spiritual cycle that is its originating point. When you’ve succeeded in changing how you perceive so-called wickedness, invite others to see the difference as well. Thanks to your new point of view, you’ll be quite comfortable discussing the difference between material-world satisfactions and the riches of the Tao. And if requested, you’ll even be able to offer a map or path to the sacred treasure-house of the Tao.
In a translation of the Tao Te Ching by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, the 62nd verse concludes with the following words:
Why does everyone like the Tao so much at first?
Isn’t it because you find what you seek and are forgiven when you sin?
Therefore this is the greatest treasure of the universe.
Here’s what Lao-tzu offers you in this “Count your blessings” gem of a verse:
Practice seeing the door of the treasure-house opening to you.
See yourself as a Divine creation of the eternal Tao, with the entrance to a sacred space always available to you. Know that what you’ve thought of as negative can never be if it’s able to enter the treasure-filled
