"He who knows how to guide a ruler in the path of Tao does not try to override the world with force of arms.
It is in the nature of a military weapon to turn against its wielder.
Wherever armies are stationed, thorny bushes grow.
After a great war, bad years invariably follow.
What you want is to protect efficiently your own state,
But not to aim at self-aggrandisement.
After you have attained your purpose,
You must not parade your success,
You must not boast of your ability,
You must not feel proud,
You must rather regret that you had not been able to prevent the war.
You must never think of conquering other by force.
For to be over-developed is to hasten decay,
And this is again Tao,
And what is against Tao will soon cease to be."
Simply amazing! Our government and their imperial hubris is leading us against the Tao, if you will, and will eventually lead us down the path of destruction. Such inspiring words that still hold true today. Thoughts?
I first read the Tao Teh Ching in a small cave hiding from the blistering desert sun. I have strayed from the path and need to revisit Lao's words. Thanks for the reminder. I remember finding that it hits home all the time. I also remember finding it a bit maddening that someone figured it all out so long ago and yet we still have such a mess on our hands. It all seemed so simple so elegant...so easy. Especially while hiding in a cave high on the weed.
ReplyDeleteJeff I am not sure if you are joking with this or genuinly trying to be deep...there is not mention of true evil in there....it exists in the world...its out there...and sometimes it needs to be stopped, plus the protection of your own boarders might have been a solid Idea in the past but as technologies grow and the world grows "smaller" sometimes evil must be sought out and must be battled on the field of there choosing. T W
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