Twenty-Sixth Chapter: Tao-te Ching
Twenty-Sixth Chapter:
Tao-te Ching
The heavy is the root of the light.
The tranquility is the ruler of the haste.
Therefore the wise person is calm
In the midst of all activities.
Even at the sight of opulence,
He is not influenced.
Why should a ruler fidget like a fool?
If you fidget and flit, you lose touch with your root.
Haste does not make you the master of the Self.
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As I Understand it:
Carefully tend an inner landscape in which roots are firm and the surroundings peaceful. Be firmly centered. Luxuriate in the silence.
Your circumstances or surroundings, opulent or poor, should not rule over you. Stay calm regardless of what is happening around you. You have innate ability to choose calmness.
Next time you confront a situation that sways you or drives you crazy be firmly rooted. Practice stillness. Do this over and over again. With practice you will discover when you are in the middle of a chaotic situation you are in harmony with the Tao.
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Suggested Readings:
The Way of Lao Tzu, tr. Wing-Tsit Chan, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. 1963.
Dyer, Wayne W., Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of Tao. Hay House, Inc. 2007.