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Lessons from the Book of Chuang Tzu - Part 9

One should accept leaving the world open to its own way and not interfering.

Don't try to control the world.

Let the world be, fearful of spoiling its innate nature.

People have become restless, moving here, moving there, planning to no purpose, travelling for no good reason or result. The consequence is that humanity becomes concerned with mightly goals and plots, ambition and hatred.

People cannot therefore find time to rest quietly in the essential qualities of their innate nature.

Our society celebrates quibblers.

The world gets worse when humanity honours and values things like arts, rituals, famous people, wise people, heroes, music, morality, knowledge.

[It's all cause and effect. If we want peace and contentment we need to reduce the causes that we create eg. by watching the news or discussing politics, art, music, etc. so that we don't create the next effect. Peace is absence of constant effects.]

Actionless action is the best course. By non-action we can rest in the real substance of our nature and destiny.

If we are unconcerned and engaged in actionless ac tion our gentle spirit will draw all life to us.

People ask "How can you take care of people's hearts and minds?" Take care how you play with people's hearts. They should not be shoved up or pushed down. Yo-yoing up and down causes confusion and suffering. Crime and hurt lies in playing around with people's hearts.

People are numbed by words, [news, facts, arts, opinions] and become mentally feeble and insubstantial.

How should I manage my body in order to live a long life? [and How should I manage my mind in order to have a contented, peaceful, fulfilled life?]

Nothing seen, nothing heard. Embrance the spirit in quietness. Be still, be pure, do not make your body struggle, do not disturb your essence. All this will result in a long life.

Guard what is within, block that which is outside, for much knowledge is dangerous.

Take care of your body, then the rest takes care of itself.

"This" is inexhaustible but people still think it has an end; this is incomprehensible yet people feel they can encompass it.

I combine whatever is with me. What is apart from me, I ignore.

Disrupting the ways of Heaven creates havoc with all things. This causes the animals to disperse, the birds to sing throughout the night, misfortune to hit the crops and the woods, and disaster to blight the very insects themselves. Alas, all this is caused by the people's error of thinking they know how to rule. What should we do then? Strengthen your mind. Remain sure in actionless action, and all things will then transform themselves. Be calm as if without a soul.

The wise one lives in silence, acts nowhere, guides those who are rushing hither and thither in their fruitless searches. They have unity with the great All.

Those who do not follow the Tao cannot find any other fruitful path.

Non-action brings respect. This is Heaven's Tao.


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