Watch for an opportunity today to notice that you’re planning on buying something. Choose to do the Tao and listen for guidance. Be grateful that you have the choice to make the purchase, then practice listening to yourself and not doing. Through your feelings, the Tao will reveal the way for you in that moment. Trust it. You might be guided to buy the item and savor it with gratitude, donate it, procure one for you and one for someone else, give the money to a charity instead of getting the item, or refrain from obtaining it altogether.
Practice doing the Tao in everyday situations and you’ll know contentment in a deeper sense. As this verse says, “When action is pure and selfless, everything settles into its own perfect place.” Now that’s my definition of contentment!
4th Verse
The Tao is empty
but inexhaustible,
bottomless,
the ancestor of it all.
Within it, the sharp edges become smooth;
the twisted knots loosen;
the sun is softened by a cloud;
the dust settles into place.
It is hidden but always present.
I do not know who gave birth to it.
It seems to be the common ancestor of all, the father of things.
Living Infinitely
The Tao is the Source of all life, yet it is empty and limitless and cannot be constrained, quantified, or measured. This life-giving energy of creation provides a profound Source of joy that’s accessible at all times. If you live from an infinite perspective, you’ll relinquish the idea that your only identity is the physical body in which you progress from birth to death. In your totality, you’re an infinite being disguised as a person existing in the world of “sharp edges” and “twisted knots” that this verse refers to. Coalescing within and around you at all times is the invisible life-giving force of the Tao. It is inexhaustible. It is bottomless. It cannot be depleted.
This 4th verse of the Tao invites you to consider rearranging your thoughts about who you are. It seems to be saying that cultivating an awareness of the infinite aspect of yourself is the way to tap into the limitless Source of creative energy that flows through you. For example, you may want to help less fortunate people improve their day-to-day existence, but you don’t believe that you have the time or energy to do so because of who you are and what you presently do. As you relax your hold on the idea of yourself as the job you do or the life you’re living and seek to acquaint yourself with the limitless creative energy that’s a part of you, the time and energy you require will appear.
Imagining yourself helping others, guided by the infinite aspect of yourself, will generate behavior and actions that complement your vision through the “common ancestor” of the Tao. Ultimately, you’ll cultivate an absolute knowing that whatever assistance you need is right here and right now—in front of, in back of, above, and below you. It is empty, yet very much present. It is, as Lao-tzu reminds you, “inexhaustible, bottomless, the ancestor of it all.”
Awareness of the omnipresence of the Tao means that thoughts of shortages or lack aren’t prevalent. Beliefs such as “There’s no way this will happen,” “It’s not my destiny,” or “With my luck, things could never work out,” cease to be entertained. Instead, you begin to expect that what you imagine for yourself is not only on its way—it’s already here! This new self-portrait based on the cooperative presence of the invisible Tao elevates you to living an inspired life—that is, one of being “in spirit” or in unending touch with the Tao. When you live infinitely, the rewards are a sense of peaceful joy because you know that all is in order.
This is what I imagine Lao-tzu’s ancient words mean in our modern era:
Consider all things that seem to be a problem
from the perspective of the eternal Tao.
Believing that there’s a shortage of prosperity is a signal to think in terms of the inexhaustible Source: the Tao. Just like everything else on our planet, money is available in limitless quantities. Know this and connect to the bottomless supply. Do it first in your thoughts by affirming: Everything I need now is here. Prosperity thoughts are energetic instructions to access your infinite self, so actions will follow them.
Take this same approach—staying in harmony with the Tao—to all of your problems, for there’s an all-encompassing supply of well-being to partner with. So rather than giving energy to illness and perceived misfortunes, stay with the Tao. Stay with what can never be used up. Stay with that which is the father of all things, the creative Source of all. It will work with and for you, as you have it in your thoughts, then in your feelings, and finally in your actions.
Be an infinite observer.
When acknowledged as a sign of change, worry is transitory—it’s simply part of the world of the changing. If you view your life from the vantage point of an infinite observer, concerns, anxieties, and struggles blend into the eternal mix. From this ageless perspective, picture how important the things you feel depressed about now will be in a hundred, a thousand, a million, or an uncountable number of years. Remember that you, like the infinite Tao from which you originated, are part of an eternal reality.
Rearrange your thoughts to practice thinking in alignment with the Tao. With the assistance of the eternal Tao, all of the sharp edges of life smooth out, the knots loosen, and the dust settles. Try it!
Do the Tao Now
Pick a situation today (any situation will
