Taoist Philosophy - Chapter 90

[Marblehead]

One Who Values Acting For Himself

 

To one who values acting for himself
Over acting on behalf of the world,
You can entrust the world.
And to one who in being parsimonious
Regards his person as equal to the world,
You can turn over the world.


The Perfect Man Is Selfless

A lake sparrow laughed, and said, “Pray, what may that creature be going to do? I rise but a few yards in the air and settle down again, after flying around among the reeds. That is as much as anyone would want to fly. Now, wherever can this creature be going to?”

Such, indeed, is the difference between small and great. Take, for instance, a man who creditably fills some small office, or whose influence spreads over a village, or whose character pleases a certain prince. His opinion of himself will be much the same as that lake sparrow’s. The great Sage would laugh at such a one. If the whole world flattered him, he would not be affected thereby, nor if the whole world blamed him would he be dissuaded from what he was doing. For he can distinguish between essence and superficialities, and understands what is true honor and shame. Such a man is rare in their generation.

Thus it is said, “The perfect man ignores self; the divine man ignores achievement; the true Sage ignores reputation.”

The doctrine of the great man is as fluid as shadow to form, as echo to sound. Ask and it responds, fulfilling its abilities as the help-mate of humanity. Noiseless in repose, objectless in motion, he brings you out of the confusion of your coming and going to wander in the Infinite. Formless in his movements, he is eternal with the Universe. In respect of his bodily existence, he conforms to the universal standards. Through conformance to the universal standards, he forgets his own individuality. But if he forgets his individuality, how can he regard his possessions as possessions? Those who regard not possessions as possessions are the friends of Heaven and Earth.

The Perfect Man is pure of soul. He feels neither the heat of the blazing brushlands nor the cold of the flooding waters; the lightning that splits the mountains and the tempest that stirs up the ocean cannot frighten him. The alternations of life and death do not concern him, much less the notions of good and evil.


Entrusting What Belongs To The Universe To The Whole Universe

A boat may be hidden in a creek, or concealed in a bog, which is generally considered safe. But at midnight a strong man may come and carry it away on his back. Those dull of understanding do not perceive that however you conceal small things in larger ones, there will always be a chance of losing them. But if you entrust that which belongs to the Universe to the whole Universe, from it there will be no escape. For this is the great law of things.

To have been cast in this human form is to us already a source of joy. How much greater joy beyond our conception to know that which is now in human form may undergo countless transitions, with only the infinite to look forward to? Therefore it is that the Sage rejoices in that which can never be lost, but endures always. For if we emulate those who can accept graciously long age or short life and the unpredictable changes of events, how much more that which informs all creation on which all changing phenomena depend?

Edited March 5, 2013 by Marblehead

[manitou]

The one who values acting for himself over acting on behalf of the world - at first this seems incongruous, as though selfishness is being elevated. But I think what it's really saying is that the man acts 'for himself' and doesn't worry about his reputation, or what the world thinks of him. To this man can things be entrusted. "Conventional wisdom", or what most people believe, is certainly not the way of the Tao; to be truly attuned to the Tao one must not worry too much about what people think of him - because nobody is going to understand his actions.

[Marblehead]

"Conventional wisdom", or what most people believe, is certainly not the way of the Tao; to be truly attuned to the Tao one must not worry too much about what people think of him - because nobody is going to understand his actions.

 

That's about the bottom line of it all. We should do the right thing because we know it is the right thing to do. (This does not include pleasing one's self or pleasing others necessarily.)