3. The third is by getting out in front of big problems. This means that you act before difficulties occur, sense disorder coming your way, and manage it in advance. This is the way of the Tao. “The small is easily scattered,” says Lao-tzu. So here you’re the acute observer who’s totally in tune with nature. With foresight, you anticipate an argument, play it out in your mind in a split second, and are able to neutralize the negative energy because you were in front of it. You’ve responded by not acting in your former problem-producing ways and are thus harmonized with the Tao. At this stage you prevent difficulties rather than solve them.
This verse invites you to master the third or Tao-centered method. Here are some suggestions for doing so: 64th Verse
Remind yourself of the inherent value in practicing the most enduring line from the entire Tao Te Ching: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Forget about the end result: When you arrive where you thought you wanted to be, you’ll just begin a new journey. So enjoy each step along the way and keep in mind that every goal is possible from here. Just do one thing, one day at a time.
Here’s an example of this from my own life: It has now been almost two decades since I’ve had a drink containing alcohol. Had I thought about not drinking for 20 years, it would have been overwhelming and really difficult—yet I’ve done it, one day at a time. I can’t speak for the next 20 years, but one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that today, and today alone, I will not be taking a drink. One step . . . one moment . . . one day at a time . . . is the Tao in action.
Become a master anticipator.
Decide that you’re perfectly capable of preventing trouble from cropping up in your life long before it manifests into your material world. Anticipate your own health, for instance. Become conscious of prevention rather than waiting for challenges to materialize. By taking care to be nutritiously sound as a way of life—such as by taking supplements that remove toxins from your body, cleansing your colon, eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer animal products, exercising, and meditating—you’re out in front of big problems. You’re foreseeing what you need to do while you’re capable of scattering the small, managing your health in harmony with the Tao long before there’s disorder. Find other areas of your life to practice being a master anticipator!
Do the Tao Now
Take one habit that you’d like to see removed from your life, such as something that you believe constitutes a weakness or perhaps even an addiction. Just for today, and with no promises about tomorrow or the future, take a single step to transcend this habit. Don’t smoke or drink caffeine, just today. Eat only veggies and fruit, just today. Speak warmly to hostile neighbors, just today. Notice at the end of this one day how you feel. Then, and only then, decide if tomorrow morning you wish to continue practicing the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, which was itself written one word and one day at a time, and has lasted for more than 25 centuries.
65th Verse
The ancient ones were simple-hearted
and blended with the common people.
They did not shine forth;
they did not rule with cleverness,
so the nation was blessed.
When they think that they know the answers,
people are difficult to guide.
When they know they do not know,
people can find their own way.
Not using cunning to govern a country
is good fortune for the country.
The simplest pattern is the clearest.
Content with an ordinary life,
you can show all people the way
back to their own true nature.
Living by Staying
Simple-hearted
If you are currently in the important position of ruling a country, I encourage you to take this wisdom especially to heart. If you’re not, I suggest studying this passage of the Tao Te Ching from the perspective of your personal life, which most likely involves leading others.
Supervising or parenting shouldn’t mean imposing bureaucratic rules or impressing others with your supposed intelligence and superiority. A truly influential person isn’t cunning, doesn’t “shine forth,” “rule with cleverness,” or instill fear in those he or she is designated to oversee. As Lao-tzu explains, “When they know they do not know, people can find their own way.” In other words, the effective leader guides others to their own nature.
The realization you’re invited to consider here is that your job is to help others know that they don’t know! If they believe that they do have knowledge, then they’ll never find their way back to their Tao nature. That’s because they’re relying on ego input, which tells them that their true essence is their identification with the physical or material world. One who lives according to the Tao knows that ego is a false master, drawing people away from knowing their true nature.
Implement the teachings of this verse by refusing to convey superiority or intellectual ingenuity. Instead, show others how to live from the Tao perspective by being willing to admit that you don’t know what’s best for them, nor do you even know with any degree of certainty how your
