Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life Read online

  The wisdom of this verse of the Tao Te Ching prompts you to know that you have a choice. Do you want to be in a state of confusion or to have a tranquil inner landscape? It’s up to you! Armed with this insight, the Tao master doesn’t allow an external event to be a disturbance. Lao-tzu tells you that assigning blame for your lack of calmness will never bring you to the state of being that you’re striving to attain. Self-mastery only blossoms when you practice being aware of, and responsible for, what you’re feeling.

  This particular part of the Tao Te Ching is one that you’ll probably want to immerse yourself in repeatedly. After all, what could be better than the freedom of going through life without feeling that people and circumstances control you without your permission? Are you depressed? Irritated? Frustrated? Exhilarated? Ecstatically in love? Whatever your current state, if you believe that a changing economic picture or a tapestry of events taking place around you is responsible—and you then use these external factors to explain your inner state of mind—you’ve lost touch with your root. Why? Because you’re allowing yourself to be “blown to and fro” by the shifting winds of circumstance.

  The solution for a life of unrest is choosing stillness. The quiet of the Tao is oblivious to any turmoil in the world of the 10,000 things. Be like the Tao, advises Lao-tzu: “The still is the master of unrest.” You have a choice in every moment, so you can decide to be a host to God and carry around with you the calmness that is the Tao, or you can be a hostage to your ego, which insists that you can’t really help feeling disorderly when you’re in circumstances that resemble pandemonium.

  Here’s what Lao-tzu offers to you in this profoundly simple passage, from the profoundly simple life he chose 2,500 years before yours:

  Vow to seek a calm inner response to the circumstances of your life.

  In the midst of any kind of unrest—be it an argument, a traffic jam, a monetary crisis, or anything at all—make the immediate decision that you will find the calm center of yourself. By not thinking of what is taking place, and instead taking a few deep breaths in which you opt to empty your mind of judgments, it becomes impossible to mentally “flit about like a fool.” You have the innate ability to choose calmness in the face of situations that drive others to madness. Your willingness to do so, especially when chaos and anger have been your previous choices, puts you in touch with “the master of unrest.” There was a time when I thought this was impossible. Now I know that even in the most troublesome of times, my reaction is to choose stillness . . . the way of the Tao.

  Don’t lose touch with your root.

  With a written declaration or picture placed strategically in your home and workplace, remind yourself that no one can make you 26th Verse lose touch with your root without your consent. Affirm the following often: I have the ability to stay poised and centered, regardless of what goes before me. Then vow to put this new way of being into practice the next time a situation of unrest crops up. Do the mental work in advance and you’ll achieve the self-mastery that Lao-tzu refers to in this verse. More significantly, you’ll be in harmony with the Tao, which is your ultimate calling.

  Do the Tao Now

  Sit in a quiet place and picture the one person with whom you have some kind of long-standing conflict sitting there before you. Now say out loud, directly to him or her, “I forgive you. I surround you with love and light, and I do the same for myself.” This will put the message of the 26th verse of the Tao Te Ching to work for you by bringing about a sense of calm.

  27th Verse

  A knower of the truth

  travels without leaving a trace,

  speaks without causing harm,

  gives without keeping an account.

  The door he shuts, though having no lock,

  cannot be opened.

  The knot he ties, though using no cord,

  cannot be undone.

  Be wise and help all beings impartially,

  abandoning none.

  Waste no opportunities.

  This is called following the light.

  What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher?

  What is a bad man but a good man’s job?

  If the teacher is not respected

  and the student not cared for,

  confusion will arise, however clever one is.

  This is the great secret.

  Living by

  Your Inner Light

  For just a moment, imagine your most valuable possessions, including a large cache of money, on a table in your bedroom and in full view of anyone who might come in. Now further imagine that your pile of precious jewelry, cash, and important documents is completely safe—there’s no need for insurance, and no one could ever possibly steal your treasure. Is this state of complete trust possible? I think so, especially since it’s encouraged in this 27th verse of the Tao Te Ching: “The door . . . though having no lock, cannot be opened.”

  The “knower of the truth” lives by an inner light. This illumination shines on the fact that stealing isn’t the way of truth, so it’s unnecessary to lock anything up. Possessions are safe among those who live by an inner light, which reflects the perfection of the Tao. It’s the Source you’re encouraged to always carry with you and to consult when you feel the need for assistance or direction.

  Lao-tzu advises you to give without keeping an account or expecting something in return, for this is the nature of the Tao, and you are of the Tao. Giving is synonymous with receiving when you live by this illumination. Trust the inner light to guide you, for it is your heritage. Your origin is more from the Tao than from parents, culture, or country.

  It’s also important that you live more spontaneously—you don’t need to neatly wrap up each detail of your life. Understand this and you can travel without being attached to a plan that covers every possible scenario. Your inner light is more trustworthy than any guidebook, and it will point you in the direction that’s most beneficial to you and everyone you encounter. When you develop a trust in the Tao, you’ll change the way you look at life. You’ll marvel at the brilliance and clarity of what you begin to see: Fear, anxiety, stress, and unrest will simply become facets of yourself seen in the glow of the Tao, like candles marking your way and helping you love everyone as a piece of yourself.

  Lao-tzu advises you to “be wise and help all beings impartially, abandoning none”—that is, you don’t need anyone else’s rules in order to reach out to others. Giving of yourself becomes your natural response because you’re following the inner light of the Tao. You and giving are one; you and receiving are one. In such an arrangement, there is no one who is not you.

  The most revealing lines of this verse remind you that a good man is but a bad man’s teacher, and a bad man is but a good man’s job. This is an extremely empowering way to see life and eliminate stress and anger: If you perceive yourself to be a “good” person, then those whom you call “bad”—including convicted felons or enemies on the other side of the world—are your job! Try on the view that you’re here to teach yourself and others in some way, and that the work is to raise the collective energy of our entire universe. Cultivate your awareness of the inner light that’s within all. Be the Tao!

  Virtually every translation of the Tao Te Ching I’ve examined refers to all of us being one, and all of us needing to be there for each other. The great secret is this: Waste no opportunity, abandon no one, respect the teachers, and care for the student. Twenty-five hundred years later, the Tao remains elusive to most of us because it’s so infrequently practiced. Nevertheless, it must be instilled within us if we’re to ever truly walk in the luminosity of the Great Way.

  Become “a knower of the truth,” as Lao-tzu advises, by forgetting the locks, chains, maps, and plans. Travel without leaving a trace, trust in the goodness that is the root of all, and rather than curse the darkness that seems so rampant, reach out with that inner light and let it shine on those who aren’t seeing their own legacy in the Tao.

  From his anci
ent spiritual throne, Lao-tzu is telling you to practice in these new ways:

  Trust in yourself.

  Develop an inner code of conduct that’s based exclusively on your irreversible connection to the Tao. When you trust this wisdom that created you, you’re trusting yourself. Know that nothing could ever dissuade you from your internal code of honesty, and live by this standard. If you encounter an easy opportunity to cheat, perhaps because you’ve been handed too much change by a hurried cashier, make the decision to be down-to-the-penny honest. Furthermore, have faith in yourself to go on a trip with a minimal amount of planning. Allow yourself to trust in the energy of the Tao to guide you, rather than relying upon fixed plans arranged by someone else.

  Don’t judge yourself or others.

  Don’t criticize the behavior or appearance of those you’ve assessed to be “bad people.” Instead, switch your thoughts to something along these lines: I am my own student and have this opportunity to learn that I’m instructing rather than judging. I will now cease critiquing myself or any other, and teach by being the Tao. If the entire world of the 10,000 things knew the simple truth that we are all one, then in my opinion war, hostilities, confusion, and even illness would cease to exist.

  Why not be one individual who chooses to respect yourself and all others as teachers and as students? When you see the world as full of opportunities to help, one thought and one action at a time, you’ll be living by your inner light.

  The great Sufi poet Hafiz speaks of this in his poem “No More Leaving”:

  At

  Some point

  Your relationship

  With God

  Will

  Become like this:

  Next time you meet Him in the forest

  Or on a crowded city street

  There won’t be anymore

  “Leaving.”

  That is,

  God will climb into

  Your pocket.

  You will simply just take

  Yourself

  Along!

  Do the Tao Now

  Find one person labeled “bad,” and use that opportunity to do your job. Be a teacher by reaching out and sending a loving message to him or her—perhaps you could pass along a book, write an e-mail or letter, or make a phone call. Just do one thing as a “good” person today, even if it’s for a stranger living in a prison cell. He or she is your assignment right now.

  28th Verse

  Know the strength of man,

  but keep a woman’s care!

  Be a valley under heaven;

  if you do, the constant virtue

  will not fade away.

  One will become like a child again.

  Know the white,

  keep to the black,

  and be the pattern of the world.

  To be the pattern of the world is

  to move constantly in the path of virtue

  without erring a single step,

  and to return again to the infinite.

  One who understands splendor

  while holding to humility

  acts in accord with eternal power.

  To be the fountain of the world is

  to live the abundant life of virtue.

  When the unformed is formed into objects,

  its original qualities are lost.

  If you preserve your original qualities,

  you can govern anything.

  Truly, the best governor governs least.

  Living Virtuously

  In this verse, the word virtue is synonymous with “nature” or “the Tao.” By being one with nature, the sage is in concert with the Tao and is a virtuous person in daily life. Here, Lao-tzu speaks about your personal path, and also a Tao-oriented way of governing others. These others could be your family members, fellow employees, business associates, friends, and even the entire process of government if you’re in a political position. In fact, much of the Tao Te Ching is focused on teaching all of us how to create an administration that is in accord with these highest principles of the Tao. It is my most fervent intention to spread these teachings throughout the world in such a way as to facilitate a transformation of all those who call themselves “leaders” and are destined for, or presently in, positions of power.

  Every person has the inherent capacity to spark massive changes that can lead to the tranquility, harmony, and peace that are our heritage. Lao-tzu calls this preserving our “original qualities.” Such qualities require the least amount of government, so it seems natural to see that we rule best by allowing our Tao nature, which rules the least, to flourish!

  Living virtuously is what you do when you’re permitting the Tao to guide you. The advice Lao-tzu gives for doing this is contained in four distinct images in this verse:

  1. “Be a valley under heaven” is number one. Let the river of life flow through you. As a valley beneath heaven, you’re a fertile place of grace where everything is received and allowed. You might see it as the lowest area in the spectrum of the 10,000 things, or as the point where you can see all things flowing above you. In this place of humility, the constant virtue of the Tao will never fade away. For me, this means living from radical humility. So get down (if you can) to the eye level of a small child. Looking up, see if “original qualities” are more visible. Be like the valley under heaven, ready to embrace and tend the seeds that blow your way.

  2. “Be the pattern of the world” is the second image that invites you to live virtuously. See nature unspoiled by culture, as in the perfection of the uncarved block of wood. The pattern of the world, untouched by humans, is a design of the Tao. So rather than insisting on changing or resisting, you’re encouraged to row your boat, and your life, gently down the stream. Trust the perfection of the Tao to take you merrily back to your perfect place of origination. Lao-tzu is basically saying to let go and let the Tao. Dismiss ego, which you’ve created, and allow yourself to be in the world by changing how you look at the world.

  3. “[Act] in accord with eternal power” is the third image for living virtuously. Just contemplate for a moment the idea of a fountain of the world, which never fades, never ends, and is there beyond the comings and goings of the 10,000 things. This kind of power is the one to create and then retreat, to form and then to render formless. It is always there, an endless geyser gushing forth the abundant life of virtue.

  You are in accord with eternal power when you suspend your ego and become conscious of the Tao flowing in this fountain of you. Picture yourself pouring forth, not from your ideas of self-importance and your need for external power over others, but from a ceaseless Source of good and virtue that’s in harmony with your infinite nature. Change the image of yourself to a being who’s in accord with eternal power, and the virtuous life you want to see will be visible.

  4. “Preserve your original qualities” is the fourth image of living virtuously, and one that I happen to love. Your original qualities are those that were you before there was a you! This is what Jesus meant by “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5). Imagine if you can what is meant by “before the world began.” The original qualities Lao-tzu speaks of are the love, kindness, and beauty that defined your essence before you were formed into a particle and then a human being. In other words, living virtuously has nothing to do with obeying laws, being a good citizen, or fulfilling some externally inspired idea of who you’re meant to become.

  This insightful verse of the Tao Te Ching tells you how to live virtuously. Be a valley under heaven by being humble and allowing seeming opposites to flow through you. Be the pattern of the world by seeing the pattern of your world and living in harmony without imposing ego on others. In accord with eternal power, be a fountain of the planet by consciously pouring forth from the endless ocean of goodness and virtue that’s your birthright. Preserve your original qualities by reclaiming and reacquainting yourself with the Tao’s essence, which preceded your bir
th into form and is your original quality.

  Here’s what Lao-tzu offers you from his 2,500-year-old perspective in this 28th verse of the Tao Te Ching:

  Entertain the exact opposite of what you’ve been conditioned to believe.

  Instead of striving to see yourself as superior to others, perhaps choose the self-image of a valley. From this grounded, fertile, and receptive position, be willing to hear and receive. Listen intently when you’re inclined to offer advice. Be a humble earth source rather than a lofty ego-inspired person. In the last line of the 28th verse, Lao-tzu is clear on this: “Truly, the best governor governs least.” This isn’t advice to lower your opinion of yourself, but rather to see yourself as so strongly connected to your Source of being that you know and trust that you’re a piece of it.

  Replace all negativity with love.

  Kahlil Gibran, the spiritual Lebanese poet, once advised that “if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” Actively begin the process of preserving your original qualities by being an instrument of Spirit, particularly in places where you find it easy to forget your own true virtuous self.

  Do the Tao Now

  Be childlike at least once a day. Deliberately select a typically stressful situation and become a valley of heaven. Play rather than work, even while you’re at your job! Giggle rather than maintaining a solemn air. Be in awe for a moment or two. For example, find a spider-web and just gaze at the miracle before you: a tiny little creature spinning a perfect net bigger than it is in order to catch airborne bugs for dinner . . . wow!