Tao Te Wednesday

3/7/2012

If you overesteem great men, people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal.

The Master leads by emptying people's minds and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion in those who think that they know.

Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.

Verse 3. (This one in honor of Julianne Moore's upcoming film!)

mistah charley, ph.d. link

3/7/2012 01:31:27 am

John Heider's interpretation:

The wise leader does not make a show of holiness or pass out grades for good performance. That would create a climate of success and failure. Competition and jealousy follow.

Emphasizing material success is the same: those who have a lot become greedy, and those who have little become thieves.

When you reinforce appearances, people scramble to please.

The wise leader pays respectful attention to all behaviour. Thus the group becomes open to more and more possibilities of behaviour. People learn a great deal when they are open to everything and not just figuring out what pleases the teacher.

The leader shows that style is no substitute for substance, that knowing certain facts is not more powerful than simple wisdom, that creating an impression is not more potent than acting from one's center.

The students learn that effective action arises out of silence and a clear sense of being. In this they find a source of peace. They discover that the person who is down-to-earth can do what needs doing more effectively than the person who is merely busy.

Laura Novak

3/7/2012 01:48:09 am

Yup, Mistah Charley, this passage DOES indeed remind me of a particular politician, or rather how it does not apply to her. You know what I mean. That "merely busy" has created a lot of tension and division in this country. And I regret that. I guess the movie promos have me having "it" on the brain. Thank you for providing us with this translation!!

grannyj

3/7/2012 08:53:02 am

This reminds me of educator Alfie Kohn- especially his article, "Punished by Rewards." It is something I tried to live by when I was teaching. He is one of my heroes.

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Laura Novak

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