What can one do about it?

Therefor the sage keeps his half of the bargain

But does not exact his due

A man of Virtue performs his part,

But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfill their obligations.

The Tao of heaven is impartial

It stays with good men all the time

Water can be like a sweet caress and it can be a strong force, destroying all in its way. It can carry enormous vessels as well as sink them. You can’t grasp water, it will flow through your fingers. Water is the strongest, yet the softest element and everywhere we see the traces of water; from the meandering tiny stream in the forest till the huge dried out riverbeds in Luxembourg. (Where did all the water go?) Water can, drop by drop, wear down the hardest rock and it always returns to itself. Without water the world dies, water is life.

Living like water is applying strength when needed and at other times yielding. When we run into an obstacle we need to find our way over, under, through or around, just as water does. Take a deep breath and flow like water…

Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better

It has no equal.

The weak can overcome the strong

The supple can overcome the stiff

Under heaven everyone knows this

Yet no one puts it into practice.

Therefore the sage says:

He who takes upon himself the humiliation of the people is fit to rule them.

He who takes upon himself the country’s disasters deserves to be king of the universe.

The truth often sounds paradoxical

What is interesting is that those who have little seem more ready to give or share that which they have, no matter how little it is, while in “society” the ones who have much usually don’t give at all. Those who do share are called “philanthropists” and are highly revered by others.

If you have more than you use, you have too much. How full is your attic? Do you know what is in the back of your closet? Maybe now would be a good time to share your excess, all that which you don’t need or want? Most of my friends have stuff squirreled away, stuff that they will never use but still drag (at great expense and work) from place to place. Liberate yourself from that load and do a good deed in the process! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

The high is lowered, and the low is raised

If the string is too long, it is shortened

I there is not enough, it is made longer.

The Tao of heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who do not have enough.

Man’s way is different,

He takes from those who do not have enough, to give to those who already have too much

What man has more than enough and give it to the world?

Only the man of Tao.

Therefore the sage works without recognition

He achieves what has to be done without dwelling on it

He does not try to show his knowledge.

This is true also on a physical level; when we stay strong and supple our bodies might bruise but not break when we fall. A yielding outlook in a supple body is the way to go!

At his death he is hard and stiff

Green plants are tender and filled with sap

At their death they are withered and dry

Therefore the stiff and unbending is the discipline of death

The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life

Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle

A tree that is unbending is easily broken

The hard and strong will fall

The soft and weak will overcome

(pic from: http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/4700/4782/king_16.htm)

This verse was directed at the leaders of countries, but it is accurate also for the rest of us as we are all “leaders” of somebody. Ironically  the first 3 lines are prophetic of the stress we are surrounded by today; when we overtax ourselves, we’ll wear ourselves out and when we overtax others, we wear them out.

When we guide somebody; a child, co-worker or by any kind of teaching, we need to allow space for mistakes, growth and understanding. The people we are responsible for should, under our guidance, become strong and independent. If they don’t, we have failed. Demanding more or better is often not productive, as it creates a stressful situation effectively shutting down creativity and lust. Sometimes the trick is to step back and communicate, finding the best solution possible. Then our “charges” will find the best in themselves – this always comes from feeling trusted. When people feel confident and excited about themselves they will also feel excited about life and the work they are doing, making them want to excel. This is human nature.

Because the rulers eat up the money in taxes,

Therefore the people are starving.

Why are the people rebellious?

Because the rulers interfere too much,

Therefore they are rebellious.

Why do the people think so little of death?

Because the rulers demand too much of life,

Therefore the people take death lightly.

Having little to live on, one knows better than to value life too much

When we release the fears we can start enjoying; changes are always interesting in that they happen to me, the Self. It is evolution and it is new teachings. The more we accept the fact of change, the easier we will let go of that which is no longer needed. There is really no point holding on to anything unless it stays from its own accord. Don’t waste time and energy, let it go and open space for that which will bring you forward. Don’t fear death, live in spite of it. And the day death comes for a visit is the first day of a new experience, just because we don’t know what happens once we die doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s like winter; beneath all that cold ice and snow covering a dead landscape, there are seeds awaiting the bright warm life-giving rays of the sun.