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Each week we address one chapter of the Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching can be obscure, especially if you think you're supposed to understand what it's saying! We find it easier and more instructive to simply contemplate how the chapter resonates with your personal experience. Becoming more aware at this fundamental level simplifies life. This approach conforms to the view that true knowing lies within ourselves. Thus, when a passage in the scripture resonates, you've found your inner truth. The same applies for when it evokes a question; questions are the grist for self realization.
Chapter 57
Govern the state by being straightforward; wage war by being crafty; but win
the empire by not being meddlesome.How do I know that it is like that? By means of this.
The more taboos there are in the empire
The poorer the people;
The more sharpened tools the people have
The more benighted the state;
The more skills the people have
The further novelties multiply;
The better known the laws and edicts
The more thieves and robbers there are.Hence the sage says,
I take no action and the people are transformed of themselves;
I prefer stillness and the people are rectified of themselves;
I am not meddlesome and the people prosper of themselves;
I am free from desire and the people of themselves become simple like the uncarved block.Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
Read notes on translations
Now, do it too at Wengu! -
[Note: I italicize phrases I borrow from the chapter, and link to phrases I borrow from other chapters to help tie chapters together. While making it more tedious to read,
the Tao Te Ching is best pondered in the context of the whole.]Take no action and everything will work out alright, eh? Do nothing is a difficult pill to swallow given our culture’s love of action. On the other side we do have sayings like, 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. The Taoist version is more like 'even if it is broke, don't fix it'. I interpret this as a precaution; we need to more carefully evaluate circumstances. After all 'broken' and 'not-broken' are relative value judgments. These just tend to pave the road to hell with good intentions.
All in all, much of what I deem 'broken' is more a reflection of what I desire and my idealistic version of life in a perfect world . Moving away from the edge of that judgmental precipice brings contentment; I do less and less which frees me up to notice and deal with things while they are still nothing. Yes, the unintended consequence of being meddlesome and poking into things that don't need fixing distracts me from watching out for that which really does and to deal with it before symptoms develop. The model for me is nature. What is 'broken' about nature? Nothing. Although, fortunately my dispassion leaves the moment I break a leg. Then me and my body will do all we can to fix it.
This is how the literal looks to me today
Take honesty to maintain order,
Take surprise when using force,
Take no responsibility when adopting all under heaven.How do I know so? Because of this.
The wider spread the taboos, the poorer the people.
The sharper their tools, the more confusion grows.
The more clever they are, the more strange things appear.
The more law multiply, the more conspicuous the robbers.For this reason, the holy person says,
I do nothing and the people transform themselves.
I love stillness and the people straighten themselves.
I am without responsibility and people thrive themselves.
I am without desire and the people simplify themselves.Literally the literal:
use (take, because of) straight (upright, main, honest) rule (manage, order) country,
use (take, because of) strange (rare, surprise, wonder) use military forces,
use (take, because of) without matter (affair, thing, responsibility, business) take (seek, adopt, choose) heaven under.
we (I) why know its right (like that, so)? use (because of, take) this.
heaven under many taboo and(as well as) people full (overflowing, more) poor (deficient).
people many sharp tools country grow (more, multiply, burst) dusk (dim, confused).
people many ability clever strange (rare, surprise, astonish) things drip (trickle) arise (appear, pull, get up).
laws (decrees) multiply (grow, more) clear (evident, conspicuous) robbers many (more, too many) have.
reason (hence, cause) holy (sage, saint) says,
I nothing do (act, be, serve as) and people self change (turn, transform, convert, influence)
I like (love, be fond of, be liable to) still (calm, quiet) and people self straight (upright, main, honest)
I without matter (affair, thing, responsibility, business) and people self rich (wealthy, abundant, prosperous)
I without desire (wish, want) and people self simple (plain).
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