MEDITATIONS: TAO TE CHING CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

to be firmly rooted in the tao way of life
a bodymind must stand upright
placing a portion of itself beneath the surface
of the planet

standing naturally in this way
enlivens the spirit
preventing confusion and disturbance

the ancient child asks
what are the watchwords for standing rooted in the tao

balanced         poised              equilibrium
ease                 relaxation        naturalness
loose                playful             embrace

hold these nine stand

you will not be shaken

your thoughts and their offspring
will become ordered and finely tuned
possessed of an endless clarity
ritualistically conforming to the flux and flow of the seasons

this is authenticity born of higher intuition
resting on the shoulders of one
truly alive

when a person holds the nine
he becomes genuine
influencing his family

when a family holds the nine
they manifest abundance
influencing their town and immediate locality

when a town and immediate locality hold the nine
they are filled with inner strength and wise force
influencing the entire country

when a country holds the nine
it extends its blessings worldwide
cultivating pervasive goodness everywhere

can you see it

a single person standing in the tao way of life
brings the life of the tao way to the world

for each of you

guided by higher intuition and taoist sight
identify every one you meet as part of your self
identify every thing you meet as part of your self

then you will see deeply
into truth of your self
as you see deeply into the truth of others

—Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching; An authentic Taoist translation. translated by John Bright-Fey

Virtue begins with the self. While it is easier to point to the sins of others or to advocate for someone else to solve yet another person’s problems—and seemingly easier still to advocate that others use force on your behalf in order to coerce or else outright purge dissidents from &/or of their sinful thoughts behavior—it is not virtue. It is not good, merely an exercise of power in an attempt to force externals to conform to your desire. When you engage in this sort of thought and behavior, you turn away from the Tao, away from living a life which affirms and sustains life as it is. Inevitably, you will act as to take revenge on the world and eventually yourself, for no matter how much force you apply to someone or something else, you cannot make it assent to your will. All you can do is crush it in your grasps.

So if you want to make the world a better place, start with that which you actually have control over. Begin with yourself. Like water, seek balance by sinking down to your lowest point. See who you are in the depths where you have buried all those things that you reject and that have resulted in your rejection. Only once your feet have reached the firm bed of this inner lake can you stand sturdy enough to cultivate the nine virtues:

balanced         poised               equilibrium
ease                 relaxation        naturalness
loose                playful             embrace (Lao-tzu)

Cultivate balance so that you have the courage to stand against temptation and trauma.
Cultivate poise so that you have the strength to withstand those same temptations and traumas.
Cultivate equilibrium so that internal conflict can be put to rest.

Cultivate ease and skill so that your actions are no longer constant struggle.
Cultivate relaxation so that fears and anxieties abates as you get out of your own way
Cultivate naturalness, a trusts in your body and instincts that quells doubt and opens potential

Cultivate looseness, an attitude of acceptance and letting go of expectations and desires.
Cultivate playfulness instead; the destination comes second to the joy of the journey.
And embrace what comes. It is your way of life—your choices—which determine your virtue, not the outcome which is and forever will be something outside of your control.

Do these things, cultivate these attributes of character, and you will become like a ripple on the surface of a pond. Your virtue will bring you peace and movement toward your potential. Others, seeing you, may follow in your example, desiring such peace and potential for themselves. You, a single ripple, will cascade. Others around you, such as those closest—your family—will begin to live more in accord with the Tao way of life. In turn, the same will spread from them to those closest, then to others, then to others. This is how virtue is brought about, is made manifest throughout the world. It begins in the cultivation of individual character.

Lao-tzu. “Chapter Fifty-Four”. Tao Te Ching; An Authentic Taoist Translation, translated by John Bright-Fey, Sweetwater Press, 2014. pp.107-08