Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
doesn’t try to force issues
or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force there is a counterforce.
Violence, even well intentioned,
always rebounds upon oneself.
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Force when applied by humans does seem to be a problem, yet when I look at nature, force seems to be a natural way. Hurricane, Tornado, Flood, Earthquake and so on. These very violent and forceful occurrences are not necessarily good or bad, they just happen. But myself when using force or threatening the use of force find this passage to be true.
ReplyDeleteYet there are times when force is required not because we want to but because it is necessary for the benefit of another. Sometimes being angry or upset wakes up the annoying person to their own negative actions. Where silence allows them to continue with actions that will ultimately not benefit them.
I like the part of "he accepts himself, the whole world accepts him" So many times I see people trying to imitate someone famous, instead of being themselves.
Small Fish
“The Master does his job and then stops.”
ReplyDeleteSometimes, the job stinks. Perhaps, WWII or protecting your family against intruders or declaring war on global warming. I filed a lawsuit against my employer and that felt like a personal war of Me v. Them. What chapter 30 says to me is that if I live the lessons of the Tao I do my job and stop. When the Tao is lived we gain a belief in ourselves and don’t have to convince others; we gain contentment within ourselves and don’t need the approval of others; we learn to accept ourselves as we are and don’t look to others for acceptance; we have learned that violence always rebounds on itself; war always brings sorrow and defeat. We live in a world out of control and sometimes step into a socially active definition of “doing our job.” If we are complete within ourselves, we stop when the job is done. The toppling of Saddam and my lawsuit are over. It is time to stop for we are complete within ourselves and have nothing to prove to the world.