My Tao Te Ching — 2
(This is part of a series I’m writing on the Tao Te Ching)
Here’s Stephen Mitchell’s translation:
When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.
It’s not clear to me if this is suggesting we not see things as beautiful or if it’s simply pointing a thing out. It might follow from the first couple of statements that if you want to avoid seeing ugliness, let go of beauty. However, the next set of statements is about the necessity of opposites.
There’s a lot packed into the next section. A big theme for me in the Tao Te Ching is letting go. If there were an opposite of this behavior, I think it would be trying to control or dictate the events around you. Another translation (by John C. H. Wu) has the first couple of lines of this section as:
Therefore, the Sage manages his affairs without ado
Ado is defined by Google as “fuss, especially about something that is unimportant”. So letting go of our ideas and expectations of what events surround us, we can still manage our affairs, but in harmony with these events, rather than in defiance or opposition to them.
The Master described here has let go of attachment. She doesn’t possess. She acts without concern for consequence. I’ve heard this idea expressed as “you have a right to your actions, but no right to their consequence”. This seems related to motivation: does a person take right action because of an expectation of positive consequences, or do they do it because it’s right? It seems clear what Lao Tzu recommends.
When her work is done, she forgets it. It is enough to worry about what you’re doing right now. When it’s done, let it go. It’s interesting to consider a person set on building a legacy — when they do something, they want to make sure everyone sees that they did it. They can’t forget their work. They will make poor choices to maintain their perceived legacy. Letting go and forgetting one’s work, it is easier to make good choices based on what is true now, rather than focusing on what was (the work you can’t forget) or what you desire to be (your legacy).
This chapter has been titled “Duality” by at least one person. I’m not convinced that I agree that this is about duality. I feel like it’s pushing me away from assigning values like good and bad. What do you think?
