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Tao Te Ching: Expectation and disappointment March 22, 2016

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Tao Te Ching.
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By Dennis Mellersh

The Tao Te Ching tells us that we will be at peace if we become perfectly at-one with the Way of the Tao.

Consider this passage from section 55 as interpreted/translated by Stephen Mitchell*, which describes the power of the Tao Master:

He lets all things come and go
effortlessly, without desire.
He never expects results;
thus he is never disappointed.
He is never disappointed;
thus his spirit never grows old.

The pursuit of achieving a mindfulness which is without expectation is part of the overall message of the Tao Te Ching, and it reinforces this concept throughout its pages.

It does this in various ways, including this passage from section 9, that illustrates the paradox of logical expectation producing unintended or unforeseen negative results:

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.

The remedy?

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity

Note: In this short post I have quoted a source more extensively than I would normally in order to give readers an idea of the simplicity or elegance of Mitchell’s translation and its ability to succinctly present complex ideas. It’s a book that can be referred to again and again to bring fresh clarity in understanding the way of the Tao.

* Tao Te Ching,  A New English Version, Stephen Mitchell, HarperPerennial, 1991

Personal growth: Developing the spirit of generosity May 11, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Concept of personal development, Tao Te Ching.
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One of the precepts that we soon come across in a serious study of personal growth and development is what we might call an attitudinal + action version of the Law of Reciprocation.

In the case of bringing the concept of generosity into our self-improvement program, the law is straightforward: give and you will receive.

As we increase our self-awareness, and our knowledge of the principles of personal growth as it applies to our attitudes, emotions, and behaviour patterns, we discover how generosity can benefit us in many ways; in addition to helping the recipients of our generosity.

Although the true spirit of generosity requires that our actions be done without expectation of reward, nevertheless we gain as much, and possibly more, than those we are generous towards.

We can be generous with our time, our resources, our knowledge and skills, our understanding, our acceptance, and more.

The ancient Chinese wisdom writer Lao Tzu stated the concept concisely in this excerpt from chapter 81 of the Tao Te Ching:

A sage never hoards:
the more you do for others,
the more plenty is yours,
and the more you give to others,
the more abundance is yours. (1)

(1) Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching, as translated by David Hinton in his book, The Four Chinese Classics