Tao Pop Quiz v.37: The Tao does nothing

[MikeInfinity]

The Tao does nothing,
yet leaves nothing undone.

If powerful men and women
could centre themselves in it,
the whole world would be transformed
by itself, in its natural rhythms.
People would be content
with their simple, everyday lives,
in harmony, and free of desire.
When life is simple,
pretenses fall away;
our essential nature shines through.

When there is no desire,
all things are at peace.
When there is silence,
one finds the anchor of the universe
within oneself. -Tao v.37-

There was a writer who sought to publish his new self-help book. The tedious process of preparing a book for sale kept him from writing the book that would change the course of philosophy. And his running of to and fro promoting his book caused him to miss that one experience that would have taken place if he were writing continually with no desire for acclaim. "The virtuous man does something yet leaves many things undone."


There was an inventor who mapped out 3D space and comprehended the uncharted worlds of the 4th dimension. A professor suggested that he make some sort of a puzzle out of the principals of his diagram, so that he could make money out of it. He created a puzzle that resembled a triangular Rubicks cube. He bombarded his brilliant mind with ways of producing a prototype and contacting a toy broker. He abandoned his post as a creator to occupy the place of a merchant. Had he followed the thread of creativity, he would have recreated the world's power and transportation infrastructure through a series of magnificent inventions. "Free from desire you realize the mystery, caught in desire you see only the manifestations."


There was a drug-addict who turned his life around through the gospel of Jesus Christ. And like a good steward he willed to start a ministry. The first chance to start his ministry came from the wages of a few days labor. He took this money and ran off to by some custom shirts with Jesus' name in blood red on the front, and as so did he continue serving the Lord. Had he buried his desire, his own will, his own plans, and taken his wages and went and gave them to the poor, then would he have had the stillness of mind needed to reach that high state of meditation- which would have led to his enlightenment- which would have transformed him into the patron of an entirely new and flourishing religion that would have lasted for several millennia unto ultimately changing the world. "Not my will father, but thy will be done"


These are all hypothetical possibilities of doing things yet leaving more important things undone.



POP QUIZ



See if you can recognize the difference between 'doing something' and 'not leaving something undone'.


1) Reading a book
2) Doing the laundry
3) Job hunting
4) Smoking a cigarette
5) Buying a flat screen TV
6) Paying the light bill

Now try these...

7)Starting a non-profit organization
8) Giving a bum some change
9) Cooking a meal
10) Eating a meal
11)Thinking of your ex
12) Joining eHarmony.com
13) Exercising
14) Eating right


CHEAT SHEET


Key: DS = Doing something

NLSUD = Not Leaving something undone


1) D
2) NLSUD
3)D
4) NLSUD
5)D
6)NLSUD

7) D
8) NLSUD
9) D
10)NLSUD
11) NLSUD
12) D
13) D
14) D