Daodejing Reflections on the Tao Te Ching

¶ … Daodejing

Reflections on the Tao Te Ching

This first passage invokes the idea of being quiet and still so that you are able really take in what is all around you. In my own life, I do this by getting out into nature and avoiding the TV and the Internet for a little while. It helps me to feel more focused and connected, and when I feel like I am part of nature I realize I am much more peaceful and much happier than when I am busy with all the things the world seems to throw at me each day. People need to learn more about how to be quiet and listen to all the wonderful things that can be found in the silence.

The second passage reminds me that gluttony and excess are not the ways to do things. It also makes me think that it is important to work hard but not to overdo things. I try to remember that. When I finish something for the day, I close the computer and go do something else. Tomorrow will be time enough to work on more things, but I cannot always be about work, just as I cannot always be about play. Sometimes, people do not realize that there has to be a balance in life. I try very hard to find that balance so that I can have more joy and peace throughout my lifetime.

Passage number three is also important. It is about the value of knowing who you are and having the strength to be who you know you are inside. Being yourself is not always a popular thing to do, but that does not mean you should ignore who you are in favor of taking the easy way out. At the same time, you should also allow others to be who they are. If you are willing to accept yourself, why would you not be willing to accept others without trying to change them? I have worked on this a lot lately, because I used to try to be who others wanted me to be. I also used to try to change others. It is difficult, but I try to be true to myself now, as well as being more accepting of people who are also being true to who they are. Encouragement goes much farther than criticism.

The Tao Te Ching characterizes Daoist teachers as being very in-tune with life and with themselves. It is important to realize that the Dao was a way of life (Feng & English, 1972). Many people try to turn the Dao into a religion, but it is really not. Instead, it is something for all people to consider. The Daoist teachers are wise people, but they are not gods or prophets (Boltz, 1993). Still, they are people who are focused on the wisdom of life, which has nothing to do with how much money a person has or whether he or she has an important position at some company or a new car. The Daoist teachers realized that none of those things were important to them, and that there would be more peace in the world if none of those things were important to other people, either. Unfortunately, most people are still very committed to the materialistic lifestyle that is so prevalent today. In order to adjust that for those who are committed to changing, the Daoist teachers provided many phrases and passages that could be used to invoke deeper thought and understanding.