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Translation and Commentary by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 45 A great accomplishment might seem to be lacking - its usefulness hasn't declined. A great fullness might seem to be washed away in an instant - its usefulness hasn't ended. Great skill might seem to be awkward. Great gains might seem like retreats. Great straightforwardness might seem distorted. Moving quickly overcomes the cold. Keeping still overcomes the heat. A clarifying stillness occurs when everything in the world has been settled. Commentary: 45 ~ Anticipation and Disappointment There are many times in life that we look forward to something spectacular that's going to happen - getting a job promotion, going on a trip, receiving a gift, obtaining love from someone. It might seem as though the aniticipation itself is worrisome, but at least it gives us a goal to look forward to. There's a sense of exhilaration when we finally achieve our goal - and then what? After reaching the goal, there can be a feeling of being let down. All the adrenalin has suddenly been used up, and when we look at what we've achieved it seems to be less than what we expected it to be. -A great accomplishment might seem to be lacking - its usefulness hasn't declined. For some reason, people tend to try to find fault with their accomplishments. There might be a sense of fulfillment for a little while, especially if others give accolades and praise, but then it can turn into a hollow victory. You might wonder if you're any better off after you've accomplished your goal, or if you even deserve what you've received. Or you might feel a heavy sense of responsibility for your new "position." The mind can come up with so many ways to create doubt. One thing to remember if you're going through that kind of self-doubt is that whatever it is you've accomplished hasn't lost its usefulness to you. Maybe you're just seeing it through different eyes. -A great fullness might seem to be washed away in an instant - its usefulness hasn't ended. One minute you might feel like you're walking on air - filled with everything you could ever think you wanted. Then suddenly the carpet's pulled out from under you. What just happened? How can emotions turn so rapidly from a sense of fullness to a sense of utter emptiness? One thing to remember during those times of despair is that both the fullness and the emptiness are useful. -Great skill might seem to be awkward. As you move forward in life, tending to mundane tasks or developing your self-cultivation, you might feel like you're not doing things in the correct way. -Great gains might seem like retreats. Every step forward might seem like a bigger step back. -Great straightforwardness might seem distorted. Being honest and sincere, you might wonder if you're really speaking from your heart. -Moving quickly overcomes the cold. -Keeping still overcomes the heat. There's a time for everything, and nothing can be forced. Learning when to move and when to keep still is one of the wonderful enlightenments of life. If you pay attention to what's going on around you, you'll know that whatever you do, you've done it to the best of your ability at this moment in your life. -A clarifying stillness occurs when everything in the world has been settled. If you accept the adrenalin of the anticipation, the exhilaration of the accomplishment, and the disappointment that might follow - then you've reached a type of stillness. Stillness doesn't mean not experiencing. It means accepting the experience and knowing that it's just another wave on the ocean. The world is settled because you stop trying to make it anything other than what it is. Dao Is Open Site Map \| BY: Nina \| Guodian Laozi \| DDJ Concordance \| Comparisons \| From the DIO Forum \| BY: Bao Pu \| By: Joshua \| Who was Laozi \| \| Return Home \| Laozi's Dao De Jing \| Your Dao De Jing \| Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) \| Links \| Meditation \| Dao (Tao) is Open Forum \| Book List \| Other Stuff \|