Friday, August 11, 2006

Verse Thirty-four

The great Tao flows everywhere. It fills everything to the left and to the right. All things owe their existence to it and it cannot deny any one of them.

- We are all part of unity.
- There is no escaping it.

Application: I know this.

Tao is eternal. It does not favor one over the other. It brings all things to completion without their even knowing it.

- All are treated equally.
- Things get done whether or not individuals participate.

Application: I know all are treated equally, but sometimes I forget that things will get done whether I do something or not. Sometimes things get done without me even trying. On the other hand, sometimes things never get done when I try my hardest.

Tao nourishes and protects all creatures yet does not claim lordship over them. So we class it with the most humble. Tao is the home to which all things return yet it wants nothing in return. So we call it "The Greatest."

- It is the self-sustaining source
- Everyone is protected because we are all one

Application: I know this yet I worry about the planet. Nature takes care of herself. If something gets out of hand, she deals with it. We don't have to intervene unless we thing we are part of the problem, which nature will deal with.

The Sage is the same way--He does not claim greatness over anything. He's not even aware of his own greatness. Tell me, what could be greater than this?

- Humility is greatness
- One should use his greatness passively

Application: I try to be humble, but am I trying to be humble to be great? I shouldn't. These past few months have been a very humbling experience, so at this moment in my life I can say that I claim greatness over nothing. But I do not think myself as a sage.

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