Verse Thirty-eight

To give without seeking reward, to help without thinking it is virtuous--therein lies great virtue. To keep account of your actions, to help with the hope of gaining merit--therein lies no virtue.

- Do things for the present, not for the future
- Always give and help when you can without thought of reward or disadvantage

Application: This is tremendously difficult for me at times. Sometimes I can do while others I cannot. It's a mood thing. Somedays I feel more helpful than others. I need to find out how to stay in that helpful mood. Another is helping "takers," people who never or rarely give in return. Nature has a way of always giving in return, I must remind myself. It may not be directly from the "takers." Then there's that argument that I'm being taken advantage of. Where did that argument originate? Is it cultural?

The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self. The highest kindness is to give without condition. The highest justice is to see without preferences.

- Lack of labeling other individuals is virtuous
- Seeing all as on helps to benefit all

Application: Here's the solution to my problem. I'm being selfish when not wanting to help or expecting something in return. I am just part of the whole scheme of things. Helping is always more important than what I am doing unless it's helping another person in greater need. I can do this when I'm employed, but I need to do it more often when I'm working. I have to change my perception of "not working." I'm obligated to help at work under contract. But I'm also obligated to help in life under nature. There are rewards for both.

When Tao is lost, one must learn the rules of virtue. When virtue is lost, the rules of kindness. When kindness is lost, the rules of justice. When justice is lost, the rules of conduct. And when the high-blown rules of conduct are not followed, people are seized by the arm and it is forced on them. The rules of conduct are just an outer show of devotion and loyalty--quite confusing to the heart. And when men rely on these rules for guidance--Oh, what ignorance abounds!

- Rules are for those without Tao, a sense of virtue, kindness, and justice.
- Blindly following rules does not make one virtuous, kind, or just.
- Rules attempt to force individuals as one
- External motivation towards unity is fruitless

Application: Doing the right thing according to nature is something that is found within. The wisest and most virtuous person is internally motivated to do good. Most people can distinguish good laws from bad laws, but we must follow them both. But when are faced with a conflict of breaking the law to do something good or obeying the law to allow something bad, then we must define "good" and "bad." For me, doing something good is doing something selfless and doing something bad is doing something selfish. The more people that benefit from my actions the greater the deed and the more people that lose from my actions the worse the deed. I feel as if I could go on forever, but I prefer to do in person as a debate or argument.

The great master follows his own nature and not the trappings of life. It is said, "He stays with the fruit and not the fluff. He stays with the firm and not the flimsy. He stays with the true and not the false."

- Following nature of unity is superior to following the rules of people
- Harmony is found when they do not conflict

Application: Purposely breaking the rules of people causes more problems than solutions. I'm not one who often breaks rules, but I would if the rules conflicted with my own morality. To give details would require me to give political examples, but I will refrain as this is a more spiritual platform. A book that I'm currently reading that does a good job describing this matter is Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God is Within You. That book falls in line with the Tao in many ways.