Tao te ching_ annotated & explained - Derek Lin [28]
6 Being opaque means these masters never put themselves on display, despite their spiritual refinements. They had no interest in showing off their brilliance. (back to text)
7 The image of muddy water becoming clear refers to the gradual revelation of a master’s inner qualities. The masters had tremendous depth, so it would take time for people to really know them. (back to text)
8 The serenity of a sage can be mistaken for passivity or apathy. It may be difficult for people to understand how anyone can embody tranquility and dynamism simultaneously. (back to text)
9 The ancient masters were therefore never full of themselves. Like them, we can cultivate quietly, preserving a sense of calmness without drawing attention to ourselves or creating a disturbance. (back to text)
16 Annotations
1 Everything in nature exhibits a cyclic pattern: the changing seasons, the tides, the sun, the moon. All living things flourish and eventually return to their origin in the recurrent cycles of life. When we quiet the internal chatter and bear silent witness to the miraculous natural processes at work, we strengthen our connection with the empty, yet incredibly prolific, creativity of the Tao. (back to text)
2 This is a precise description of what happens when we feel our essential oneness with nature. In that oneness, we find the gift of tranquility. We discover that nature is not merely all around us but also inside of us. Human nature is but a microcosm of the greater nature. The realization of this constant, unchanging principle brings us spiritual clarity. This clarity cannot be described in words and must be experienced firsthand. (back to text)
3 Tao cultivators accept reality as it is, rather than as they wish it to be. The troubles we encounter in life and the pain associated with them are caused by the disparity between our expectations and the way things are. The more stubbornly we refuse to accept, the more we suffer. (back to text)
4 To be sovereign is to possess authentic power—not power over other people, but power over oneself. It is the profound realization that we are ultimately responsible for creating our own reality. We have the ultimate authority over our own destiny. Our sacred task in life is to learn how to exercise this sovereign power wisely. (back to text)
17 Annotations
1 The most skillful rulers work behind the scene. They know how to achieve their objectives quickly and quietly. They use a light touch and produce seamless results. They are so good at what they do that people are hardly aware of their existence.
Note: The original Chinese is not gender specific in referring to the ruler and does not assert that the ruler must be male. Most translators arbitrarily force the gender to be either male or female, which distorts the original meaning. (back to text)
2 Below the level of ideal leadership, we have rulers who act in benevolent ways, so people love them; rulers who use intimidation, so people fear them; and rulers who are incompetent, so people despise them. (back to text)
3 The ideal way is to govern in an unhurried manner, where rulers are bound by their words, and therefore never speak lightly. Such rulers tend to do more and talk less. This, in turn, means the affairs of the state are conducted in a nondisruptive way. The people, unaware of all the work that goes into governing, assume that they did it themselves.
Like several other passages from the Tao Te Ching, this chapter seems to be aimed at the ancient kings of China. How can such passages apply to us?
Do not think of ruling in the literal sense of leading a nation. Look at your own life and note all the circumstances where leadership plays a role. Most of us will, at some point, be called upon to play a leading role in social settings, community activities, or the workplace.
The Tao of leadership remains constant in any context. Whether you find yourself having to deal with children, neighbors, or coworkers, you will find the distinctions in this chapter a useful guide. (back to text)
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