A fellow came to our Sunday meeting a few weeks ago who knew the Tao Te Ching, chapter and verse, inside out. Not surprisingly he uses it as a guide for living. Toward the end of the meeting he spoke of the difficulty he has at times living in conformity with the 'Tao'.

My sense is that we can't - at least in a way we think we should. First, we are animals with survival instincts that run counter to impartiality - the way of balance, the way of heaven. Frankly, we didn't evolve to know, or practice, nature's way. Rather, nature hoodwinks us a bit into 'intuitively knowing' that more is better, sweet is healthy, or that life is good, for example. In the wild this bias would invariably promote survival and good health. Not always so under the civilized conditions in which we find ourselves. Second of course, The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way, so we must be extremely tentative about whatever we think that we know. The way we think we should follow may in fact not be the way, but a by-path instead.

The easiest way I have found around this obvious difficulty is to regard the Tao Te Ching as a good faith attempt to point out, though indistinct and shadowy, how nature actually works. Understanding this mysterious female means often over-riding biological 'common sense', especially in the beginning. The more I know I am being hoodwinked, the less my 'common sense' impedes my impartiality.

All life is obviously set up with a strong bias to survive. Nature, on the other hand, is founded in balance which is something we yearn deeply for, but fail to achieve. In fact this yearning we feel is part and parcel of Nature's hoodwink, i.e., the illusion that satiating desire will bring balance and contentment. I've found that understanding this, to whatever extent possible, is all that I need. With deeper understanding, action follows in due course naturally. I can't help but follow the way. No effort is needed - our biology is the 'enemy', and one who excels in defeating his enemy does not join issue.

In summary: trying to follow the 'way' is futile in the long run, even though we may think we're making progress for awhile. Rather, settling down opens self awareness up to understanding and doing that which is naturally so. In a sense, what we think is so, what we believe is so, only serves to blind us to what may be so. Chapter 71 sums it up well: To know yet to think that one does not know is best. On the other hand, not to know yet to think that one knows (i.e., belief) quells deeper understanding. Thus, simply put, a man of the highest virtue does not keep to virtue and that is why he has virtue. Ironically, all this is very easy to put into practice if we just stay our of our own way. ops: