Fifty-Third Chapter

Fifty-Third Chapter

Fifty-Third Chapter
Tao-te Ching

If I have even just a little sense,
I should walk in the Great Way,
my only fear would be getting off the road.

The Great Way is straight
but people prefer devious bypaths.
That is why the court is corrupt,
the fields are weedy,
the granaries are empty.

Magnificent dresses are worn,
sharp weapons are carried,
Foods and drinks are consumed in excess,
wealth and treasures are accumulated.

This pomp and show is robbery at the expense of others.
Is this the way of the Tao?
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As I Understand It:

The Great Way connects us all. But we continue to see ourselves as separate rather than one.

The path of the Tao is straight and smooth but we walk paths that have painful ends. Half the world experiences opulence, the other half starves. Weapons of destruction receive funding while millions live in poverty. We can’t survive too long if we do not see what is outside us as not “our problem.” If enough of us follow the straight path, the world will change.

Wallowing in sadness or feeling guilty does not change anything, having compassion and kindness does. When we are sensitive to others, our path is aligned with the Great Way of the Tao. Compassion and kindness changes the world for better.

Don’t support a candidate who denounces others as “evil” or “defective.” Support a candidate who embodies compassionate action. Rise above religious differences. Say a silent prayer for change. It takes “just a little sense.”
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Dyer, W. Wayne. Change Your Thought–Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao. Hay House, Inc. 2007.
The Way of Lao Tzu (Tao-te Ching), Translated, with introductory essays, comments, and notes by Chan, Wing-Tsit. The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. 1963.