MEDITATIONS: TAO TE CHING CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

think of yourself as an empire
to govern, explore, work, and live in

a man stretched between heaven and earth
governs the totality of the self
with ritual action and intent

a man stretched between heaven and earth
resolves conflicts within his borders
with surprise, creativity, and the unusual

a man stretched between heaven and earth
embraces the universe
by not interfering with it at all

it is a matter of degree
to see yourself as a ruler who governs
according to a definite plan
reacting creatively to the unexpected
while also
allowing your kingdom to unfold naturally

the ancient child asks
where is this kingdom

the kingdom is within me
within each of us

too many taxes
too many laws
and the kingdom will never be right

make just the precise amount of demands
upon the kingdom of the self
and you will be happy and abundant
righted between heaven and earth

too many taxes
too many laws
and the kingdom will be in chaos
it will act out of scarcity
it will breed many thieves robbing their countrymen
as the populace arms itself for survival
for survival instead of living

the ancient child asks
how do you remedy the situation

do things without appearing to do things
act spontaneously within the limits of the moment
touch the kingdom with a gentle hand
embrace peace and cultivate stillness
shape your intention and let it overflow
allow good things to happen without meddling
allow your bodymind to order itself

cultivate for the sheer joy of cultivation alone

stretch yourself between heaven and earth
mindfully chip away at your life
to see
what is inside

do everything
by
doing nothing

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

While Confucianism describes the roles and responsibilities of the state by comparing it to the family, here the Tao Te Ching compares the roles and responsibilities we have to ourselves to those a king has to his citizens. The implication is Jungian: we are not simple a single conscious mind operating a body as if it were passive machine. We are a multitude of instinctual drives embodied by our evolved biology as well as a conscious beings who must attempt to guide these unconscious forces. In other words, we are each princes, inheritors of our animal selves, tasked with governing our thoughts, impulses, desires, and behaviors as to bring about prosperity and internal cooperation.

We rule our inner kingdoms with ritual—that is, habit, tradition, and custom. If you wish to know the laws of your own soul, merely observe yourself and see what you do. Which actions lead to inner peace? Which actions lead to feelings of shame and guilt? And how do we know if the laws of our soul are good and not the will of an internalized despot or subversion by weak and bitter saboteurs? Lao-tzu tells us that good laws—laws that are constituted morally and of virtue—will surprise you, will be creative and unusual (read as: particular; not belonging to another, but generated through mixing the self and circumstance with various notions in order to make something new). And it is worth repeating, these are laws which govern the kingdom internal. As for the universe . . . it is independent of us and therefore none of our concern.

But know that no man can be a perfect king, even over the kingdom that is himself. Degree by degree, we learn and practice balancing our vision of how things ought to be with the need to creatively revise that vision as to map fruitfully onto our internal nature. Balance is key. We cannot force ourselves to be something that is outside of our potential, and we don’t decide what the bounds of our potentials are. If we tax our abilities and resources and impose discipline to ourselves in the correct amount, than we grow in strength, will, and determination—we become motivated, happy, and accepting of ourselves. If we, however, ask from ourselves more than we can sustainably give; if we place a yoke onto our own necks and suppress our natural proclivities and impulses under the cruel whip of the conscious task master, then the instincts become rebellious and desperate. They steal opportunities from one another, and they wage guerrilla war against our conscious intent. They do this out of resentment, preferring civil war and strife to powerless domination. After all, they do not acknowledge the consciousness as king and therefore do not see one another as fellow countrymen.

So then, what is the “right amount” of law and taxation we should impose on ourselves. Lao-tzu tells us this also. The right amount is small enough to make a difference without feeling like an unjust imposition. These are laws imposed moment to moment. We do not punish ourselves for crimes priorly committed. We cannot change what has already transpired. Likewise, we do not lord over ourselves about whether we will obey laws in the future. The future is immaterial and unknowable. Instead, it is in the moment in which the minimal tax is charged and the simple law imposed—a tax small enough that the self is willing, perhaps eager to pay it; a law simple enough that the self can follow it with ease. We are setting the bar low so that we are able to succeed, gaining trust and confidence in our conscious intention that the king may lead by example over citizens who follow him voluntarily.