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My own opinions have caused me to have a limited understanding of the operations of how far-reaching Dao operates. It's only going astray from what's right that I dread the most. The way of far-reaching Dao is so smooth, but people prefer to take the most difficult route. They keep the palaces and courts so clean, yet the fields are overgrown with weeds and the granaries are totally empty. They wear fashionable clothing, carry sharp weapons to protect their property, eat until they are glutted, and make sure they all have equal amounts of valuable possessions - more than they could possibly use. Of course there will be thieves! Stealing is in opposition to Dao.  Commentary: 53 ~ Keeping Up Appearances -My own opinions have caused me to have a limited understanding of how far-reaching Dao operates. -It's only going astray from what's right that I dread the most. We sure seem to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what's the "right" thing to do. That's the way we come up with so many opinions, not realizing that those opinions take us further from understanding the way Dao moves. We're so afraid of making a mistake that we have to come to a final decision that what we're feeling and thinking is proper, acceptable and beyond reproach. Of course that would limit any understanding we might have about how far reaching Dao is.  -The way of far-reaching Dao is so smooth, but people prefer to take the most difficult route. The way Dao moves doesn't require second-guessing. It doesn't limit or restrict itself, psychoanalyze itself, or map out what course would be the proper one to take. It flows freely through and around all things. People don't do that. People try to make things much more complex than they really are. -They keep the palaces and courts so clean, yet the fields are overgrown with weeds and the granaries are totally empty. -They wear fashionable clothing, carry sharp weapons to protect their property, eat until they are glutted, and make sure they all have equal amounts of valuable possessions - more than they could possibly use. -Of course there will be thieves! Many people try to retain an outward appearance of abundance and wealth. The face they show the rest of the world is so veiled with superficial adornments that they don't even realize that their innermost selves are overgrown with weeds and lack any substance. They put so much effort into showing the rest of the world that they have treasures beyond the imagination that they lose the ability to show their true faces and just naturally be who they are. And the outcome of all that pretending is that other people think they have to pretend as well. -Stealing is in opposition to Dao. You can't steal another person's identity. You can't force yourself to be something you're not. Why would you want to do that? As long as you set up those kinds of ideals and goals, you're fighting against the process of Dao. Alternate translation: All the opinions I have stop me from understanding how the process of Dao can reach out to everything. So I keep trying to do what’s right, and that makes me crazy. Reaching out to everything without needing to think about opinions is really so easy, but most people make things harder than they are. They put lots of energy into keeping up appearances so other people will think they’re wonderful, but in their hearts they still think they have nothing. They make it seem like all their possessions are what’s the most important thing about them, but put no stock in their own humanity. Then they wonder why people try to steal the stuff they own! It might be best to let go of your opinions and the stuff you use to try to make you seem important. Dao Is Open Site Map | BY: Nina | Guodian Laozi | DDJ Concordance | Comparisons | 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 | |
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