#THAT'S BAD ADVICE. the eraser exists for a reason. focusing on not erasing CAN lead to improvements

[emdotcom]

I really hate art advice that treats itself as universal. Yes, using less sketchy lines CAN improve your skills. But you do not need to give up sketchy lines forever, because they are useful in certain situations -- like, for instance, sketchwork where you need to draw a subject very quickly. They can also just gel better with certain artists, tbh.

I am doing what works for me. You are probably doing what works for you, & every artist who swears by never erasing & only using continuous lines is doing what works for them. They are assuming that what works for them & makes their art good will, of course, work for everyone else -- but they don't know that, & they don't know you. You know you.

No advice is universal. Do not fall into the smoothness trap. Yes, do branch out on occasion -- but, mostly, do what works best for you.

[writingwithcolor]

Jewish author writing about antisemitism; should I include racism too?

anonymous asked:

Hi! I'm a white Jewish person who's writing a story set in a fantasy world with a Jewish-coded culture. It's important to me to explore antisemitism in this distanced setting, and explore what the Jewish diaspora means to me. I have a lot of people of color in my story as well. I don't know whether I, as a white person, should include racism in a story if it isn't necessary, but I also don't want to erase the aspects of many mildly/moderately assimilated cultures that are affected by racism, and I also don't want to imply somehow that antisemitism is a more serious issue than racism, which is obviously not the case. I was thinking that bigotry might be more culture-based rather than ethnically or racially based, but again, I'm not sure how or whether to write about bigotry against cultures + groups based on cultures + groups that I'm not a part of, and people of color in the story would obviously have their own cultural elements. Is acknowledging bigotry necessary?

It's okay to focus on antisemitism

Other mods have important advice on what exactly might be helpful or applicable to include in your story and how. I want to take a moment with the anxiety you express that focusing on antisemitism and not talking about other types of xenophobia will imply to your readers that you think antisemitism is “more serious” than other forms of bigotry. I hear and honor that anxiety, especially since “Jews only care about Jews” is a stereotype that never seems to go away, so I’m going to say something revolutionary:

It’s okay to center Jews in a story about antisemitism.

There, I said it. But I’m not making the case that you shouldn’t include references to or depictions of other types of bigotry in your story. There are a lot of great reasons why you should, because of what it can do for the complexity of your characters, the depth of your worldbuilding, or the strength of your message about the nature of xenophobia, diaspora, etc.

- How your non-Jewish-coded characters react to the things they experience can affect whether they sympathize over or contribute to the antisemitism at the heart of your story.

- How other types of xenophobia do and don’t manifest in your world can help explain why your world has antisemitism in the first place, and what antisemitism consists of in a world that also contains other minorities outside of the fantasy mainstream culture.

- Including other real-world xenophobia can help you set your antisemitism in context and contrast to help explain what you want to say about it.

Both your story and your message might be strengthened by adding these details. But if you feel the structure of your story doesn’t have room for you to show other characters’ experiences and you’re only considering doing it because you’re afraid you’ll be upholding a negative stereotype of yourself if you don’t, then it might help to realize that if someone is already thinking that, nothing you do is going to change their mind. You can explore antisemitism in your story, but you don’t have the power to solve it, and since you don’t have that power you also don’t have that responsibility. I think adding more facets to your story has the potential to make it great, but leaving it out doesn’t make you evil.

- Meir

Portraying xenophobia

As someone living in Korea and therefore usually on the outside looking in, I feel that a lot of people in Western countries tend to conflate racism and xenophobia. Which does make sense since bigots tend to not exactly care about differences between the two but simply act prejudiced against the “other”. Sci also makes a point below about racialized xenophobia. I feel these are factors contributing to your confusion regarding issues of bigotry in your story.

Xenophobia, as defined by Dictionary.com, is “an aversion or hostility to, disdain for, or fear of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers”. You mention “thinking that bigotry might be more culture-based”, and this description fits xenophobia better than most other forms of bigotry. Xenophobia can be seen as an umbrella term including antisemitism, so you are technically including one form of xenophobia through your exploration of antisemitism.

I understand your wariness of writing racism when it doesn’t add to the plot, especially as a white writer. Your concerns that you might “erase the aspects of many mildly/moderately assimilated cultures that are affected by racism” is valid and in fact accurate, since exclusion of racism will of course lead to lack of portrayals of the intersections between racism and xenophobia. I want to reassure you that this is not a bad thing, just a choice you can make. No one story (or at least, no story that can fit into one book) can include all the different forms of oppression in the world. Focusing on one particular form of oppression, particularly one you have personal experience with, is a valid and important form of representation.

You also comment that you “don't want to imply somehow that antisemitism is a more serious issue than racism”, but I honestly feel that doesn’t need too much concern. Much like how queerness and disability are two separate issues with intersections, racism and xenophobia form a Venn diagram, with large intersections but neither completely including the other. A story focusing on autistic characters that doesn’t also have queer rep doesn’t imply queer issues are less serious. Likewise, a story focusing on antisemitism doesn’t imply racism is less serious.

I am slightly more concerned that there might be an accidental implication of antisemitism being a more serious issue compared to other forms of xenophobia. Of course, exploring antisemitism alone is completely valid representation, and there’s no need to go out of your way to try and portray other forms of xenophobia. A microaggression or two, or maybe a mutual bitch out session with a gentile but marginalized friend should be enough to show that antisemitism isn’t more (or less) serious compared to other forms of xenophobia.

-Rune

Avoiding racialized xenophobia

I think one thing you have to be careful with here is racialized xenophobia. Are your characters of color getting disproportionately more xenophobia than your white characters? You might be falling into the trap of racialized xenophobia, which falls under racism, which you want to avoid. An example would be “all Chinese scientists are untrustworthy, but not you, you’re one of the ‘good ones.’” Although this is technically xenophobia, it is also racism.

--Mod Sci

In the case you choose to include even small snippets of other forms of xenophobia in your story, attempting to portray xenophobia without the complications of racism can be a difficult process when they often go hand in hand (especially to a Western audience). So here are a couple of suggestions I have of portraying xenophobia without racism.

First and the simplest method is portraying xenophobia between people of the same race. For example, there is definitely xenophobia against Chinese and Japanese people in Korea, but it would be difficult to claim there is a racial component when all of us are East Asian. (Something you might want to be aware of here is intersections with colorism, where even within the same race, lighter skin and other more westernized features are considered more desirable. I suggest looking through our colorism tag for more details)

Another idea is to include microaggressions for specific cultures rather than something more broad. For example, calling Korean food stinky because kimchi has a strong scent is specifically xenophobic against Koreans, while commenting on small eyes can be directed against Asians in general.

Finally, while antisemitism is a form of ethnicity-based xenophobia, it is also a form of religion-based xenophobia. Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus can absolutely be xenophobic against each other with no racism involved. Should you choose this method, particularly if religious xenophobia is only shown in a shorter scene, I suggest you try and avoid portraying any of the above religions as the Bad or Oppressive ones. As a Christian I will unironically tell you that Christianity is a safe choice for a religiously xenophobic character, as we’re far less likely to face backlash compared to any other religion, and inspiration should unfortunately be overflowing in real life.

-Rune

Other forms of ethno-religious oppression

Here is my TCK perspective as someone brought up in diverse environments where there are often other axes of oppression including religion, ethnicity and class:

Racism and xenophobia can definitely be apples to oranges, so creating a universe where racism no longer exists or has never existed seems doable to me. Perhaps in your fantasy world, structures that buttress racism, such as colonization, slavery and imperialism, are not issues. That still won’t stop people from creating “Us versus Them” divisions, and you can certainly make anti-semitism one of the many forms of xenophobia that exists in this your story. Meir has hinted that your reluctance to declaratively show the harm of anti-semitism indicates a level of anxiety around the topic, and, as someone non-Jewish but also not Christian or Muslim, my perspective is as follows: I’ve always viewed anti-semitism as a particularly virulent form of ethno-religious xenophobia, and while it is a unique experience, it is not the only unique experience when it comes to ethno-religious xenophobia. I think because the 3-way interaction between the Abrahamic religions dominates much of Western geopolitics, that can be how it looks, but the world is a big place (See Rune’s comments for specific examples).

To that effect, I recommend prioritizing anti-semitism alongside other non-racialized forms of xenophobia along ideological, cultural and class-based lines for both POC and non-POC characters. Show how these differences can drive those in power to treat other groups poorly. I conclude by encouraging you to slowly trace your logic when depicting xenophobia towards POC characters in particular. Emphasize bigotry along axes of class and ideology, rather than traits linked to assumed biologically intrinsic features. Ultimately, I think recognizing commonalities between forms of ethno-religious oppression as a whole will help make you more comfortable in depicting anti-semitism with the seriousness it deserves without feeling as though you are trivializing the experiences of other groups.

- Marika

Worldbuilding ethnically and racially diverse cultures

As has been mentioned by other mods, I think it’s completely fine to focus your story on antisemitism and not portray other forms of bigotry if that’s the focus and scope of the story you want to tell. My fellow mods have also offered several valuable suggestions for writing about “culture-based bigotry” in general if that’s what you want to do, while making sure it’s not coming off as racially based. One element I can add is that from a worldbuilding standpoint, it will also help to have your fantasy cultural groups be ethnically and racially diverse. After all, this was common historically in several parts of the world, and depending on which cultures you’re basing your coding on, you could absolutely have fantasy cultures in your world that include characters we would read (according to our modern-day standards) as white, and others that we would read as people of color, within the same fantasy culture. All these characters would face the same culture-based bigotry (such as xenophobia or religious oppression), even though they are read by a modern audience as different races.

As a note, the reason I say “read as” and “according to our modern-day standards” is that the entire concept of whiteness as we know it is very specific to our current cultural context. Who is and isn’t considered white has changed quite a lot over time, and is still the subject of debate today in some cases. Your work will be read by a modern audience, so of course, you need to take into account our current understanding of race and the dynamics surrounding it. However, it’s also helpful to remember that our modern racial categories are fairly new in the context of the many millennia of history of humankind, and that they are certainly not inevitable. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking a fantasy culture has to align itself entirely with modern-day racial categories.

- Niki

[saudade-mayari]

I don’t blame people who says Aizawa is a bad teacher or a hypocrite, but you’re an account that I am comfortable sharing this because you also love eraser head. (It’s okay if you don’t want to post it)

Even Aizawa admitted to himself that he is a terrible teacher and mostly forced to teach as based on the vigilantes manga where Nemuri recommended Shota to be a teacher, but what he did to DEKU is somehow relevant for me.

Yes it is true that during the first part he hated Izuku’s guts and regarded him as having no potential but Aizawa was also testing the kid because whichever way watchers should know, Aizawa is right on the fact that Izuku just can’t attack recklessly and impulsively after having such destructive quirk. He did not disregard Izuku’s quirk, he is merely testing the kid to find his other resolve. As for Bakugo’s case Aizawa truly had a hard time disciplining him but he is watching him closely like what Mitsuki (Bakugo’s mom) said, so when All Might took tutelage of Midoriya (and Bakugo) he had no objections because as a HOMEROOM teacher, All Might is the best training for Izuku’s quirk (which is relatively passed onto him)

He is never a hypocrite for teaching Shinso. I don’t see anything wrong about that because I really understand that some training teachers have their own prodigy and he’s a homeroom teacher all he is accountable off is the overlooking at the their hero training which he did well because he focused on the student individual’s strength in the summer camp.

Aizawa also mentioned in a chapter in manga (254) why he expelled students in the past. He knew his capability as a homeroom teacher and he himself knows that he is a terrible teacher hence, re-enrolled them to other school where they would work with a new homeroom teacher. Some may see it as escaping of “escaping duties” but I really think during that time, Aizawa was just thinking what he thinks is best for the students. Afterall, he had proven himself good in manga as someone who really cares for ALL THE STUDENTS.

Blaming Aizawa for the events in 1A is practically uncalled and irrelevant, might as well just say the entire UA should be held accountable. He just had a poor decision making most especially when the truth about Kurogiri is revealed. However, even though he is not the best teacher, I can safely say that Aizawa is a decent and good teacher.

v v v long post ahead

yes anon!!!!. not my biased self speaking... he is not as great as other teachers, but saying shouta is a terrible teacher is uncalled for. he is a decent prof for me. made some mistakes, helps his students. it’s decent.

i firmly believe aizawa and all might are better example as a pro hero than teachers.

(Gonna point some of his mistakes in my perspective as a former teacher under the cut)

he was strict for a reason but he showed his care for all the students during the fight in manga (not gonna say since its spoiler) even aizawa himself knows he is terrible at teaching but at least he is trying😂

i also heard fans saying that because momo, tenya and todoroki are from rich and well known prohero family aizawa never bothered to scold at them. AGAIN IT IS WRONG TO SAY THAT.

momo, iida and todoroki...yes rich and families are known for being heroes but they practically never did anything to trouble aizawa so why else bother them? during their test, aizawa gave advice for todoroki and momo which considerably helped them.

aizawa’s way of teaching is to give harsh critiques and let the student have their own resolve. but as a former student and teacher speaking, it is both right and wrong to have that approach.

it’s definitely okay to let them figure out their own resolve (HAPPENS A LOT IN MED SCHOOL PROFS ARE HARSH HUHU) but it is important to somehow give them base and foundation before actually figuring out their so-called own resolves. i think it’s what aizawa lacks the most AS A TEACHER. but then again his entire character build up clearly says he’s not for teaching.

he was also called a hypocrite for teaching shinso but they aren’t picking on all might for mostly focusing on deku nor endeavor only wanting to focus on shoto. it’s not wrong to have their own prodigies because at the very least aizawa helped overlook his students like what he did in the summer camp and like what all might did in student practicals.

not just aizawa but all might, endeavor, nighteye and even gran torino have personal decisions on closely training those selected kids

aizawa WAS the only teacher who called the entrance/admission test irrelevant for non-physical quirks. HE KNEW IT WAS A PROBLEM SO HE HELPED SHINSO TO BE ON HERO DEPARTMENT bc he know the kid’s opportunity to be a pro hero in the future. he experienced that himself, although his quirk is powerful it was completely non-physical that is why his and shinso’s ability are less likely to be recognized. coz i agree the quirk admission test was somehow iffy... there should have been psychological quirk test too but i understand the point where fans tell that “it’s a student’s job to take advantage of their quirk rather than complain in the disadvantages of having a non-physical quirk.”

I agree on that statement but as a former student myself, i think reconsiderations should have existed coz there are probably lots of great students in general course department (like shinsou).

—and tbh... aizawa and kakashi are often the teachers who are regarded as ‘terrible ones’ but i don’t think so.

im not gonna point out kakashi’s but im gonna say aizawa’s role as a homeroom teacher. back in highschool, ive homeschooled in japan for 2 yrs due to personal reasons and i can say that based on their culture in japan and asia countries in general have a different approach on homeroom teachers.

homeroom teachers in japan are technically the ones who overlook the students, ppl who argued that aizawa should train them is irrelevant because all might is their combat and hero training teacher. aizawa is not meant to teach, but rather supervise.

which is why aizawa (as the homeroom teacher) and all might (the hero training teacher) are the ones who had council with parents because technically, aizawa is responsible for the students safety. HOWEVER....

manga spoilers on the cut

some anti aizawa fans are totally wrong to blame everything in him for 1A always being in dangerous circumstances because after reading the on going manga, they have no damned idea AT FIRST who the league of villains is responsible of. THE ENTIRE UA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, not just aizawa I agree on that anon.

for aizawa and the rest it is still a puzzle in the early, i repeat early chapters of the manga what the league is really after aside from killing all might and changing the system of pro heroes.

yes. I agree he had bad decisions on the victims, mainly Kurogiri because he knew it was his friend. He regarded Kurogiri as a ‘victim’ but somehow disregarded the casualties it caused. It was irrational for aizawa to say it like that coz it was obviously a word out of his feelings in the past. can’t blame him (imo) but it was truly irrational and irrelevant for him to say it like that.

there are times aizawa as a teacher just harshly criticized them and let them have their own resolve which is in fact, pretty harsh for a bunch of 15 year olds. but i think aizawa only wants them to have their own resolve since its what aizawa has been doing since episode 5.

i think it was bad for aizawa to let iida go where his brother was attacked, he should have acted upon it as a homeroom teacher to secure iida’s safety but then again, ITS FOR THE SAKE OF PLOT😂

im going to say this again... as a former teacher speaking, it is bad for aizawa just to give the students harsh critiques and letting them figure their own resolves.

it’s not a bad teaching approach BUT that kind of approach doesn’t work ALL THE TIME. sometimes, aizawa needs to teach the basics, base and foundation so the students would have an easier time to HAVE AN ACTUAL SOLUTION

because as a student for 9 years in pre and med school, it is definitely hard to make critical decisions WITHOUT being taught the foundation and base first.

it’s like aizawa not teaching an intern general surgery but letting them have their own decisions if the intern is gonna decide whether to lead the surgery or not.

his teaching approach is not bad but it doesn’t work all the time. as a teacher, pro hero and adult he needs to imply his own experience as well which where the erasure hero lacks. But then again it’s plot and aizawa’s introvert character build up so we can’t really blame him because they need the plot to keep going.

personally, aizawa’s main mistake is not knowing what to teach for the answers to questions the students are not expected to know from teaching answers to questions the students are expected to know.

if aizawa’s gonna be that perfect teacher and all, the show would have been boring😂

though aizawa did assessed on their quirks during summer training arc but i think it was not enough for the fans.

aizawa is much more better as a pro hero alone. he does his job perfectly as pro hero.

so in conclusion, i think aizawa needs to have seminar with me 🤪 im gonna teach my man the proper and basics of teaching. HAHAHAHA KIDDING 🤪 (lowkey not kidding)

[hwallmart]

9 Signs Your Bahá’í Community is Actively Involved in Race Unity Work

Note: This was written for a Bahá’í blog, which I edit and contribute to, focused on issues of social justice.

In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi in 1931 we read that, “He was especially glad to hear that the activities of the friends in eliminating racial differences is daily increasing… Shoghi Effendi hopes that the Bahá’ís will gradually be considered the leading religious movement working for this aim. This forms an important element in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu’l-Bahá and the world at large should know that it is so.” 87 years later it seems fair to ask, are we considered the leading religious movement in eliminating racial differences? What would it look like to be at the forefront? Here are 9 signs your community is getting there.

1 There are Advent of Divine Justice Study Groups

This letter from Shoghi Effendi to the North American Bahá’í community is essentially the handbook for American Bahá’ís looking to address the problem of racism in a Bahá’í context. In a community dedicated to addressing racism there are study groups, references to it at Feast, Assembly meetings and reflection gatherings. It’s a constant presence, not just a one and done deepening. These deepening sessions also go deep into his words. How many times have you heard people quote the concept of “inherent superiority”? But how many times have you heard white folks ask themselves what that looks like at Feast, in Assembly meetings, or in the core activities? Or what “supreme effort” actually looks like in practice?

2 Core Activities Address Race

The core activities are a powerful tool to systematically develop our capacity to build communities characterized by prayerful action. While eradicating racism and achieving oneness is an inherent part of community development, it has to be done consciously and purposefully. How often is racism discussed in our study circles? In children’s classes and junior youth groups? While it’s not mentioned in the materials, it is a fundamental part of community development. The Universal House of Justice wrote, “Unfortunately, sometimes when approaching such important and deeply felt matters, the friends can create dichotomies where none exist. Thus, for example, it is contended that one must choose between either non-involvement in politics or social action; either teaching the Faith or involvement with society; either the institute process and the community-building activities it fosters or a program for race unity; and so on. Such apparent conflicts can be greatly dissipated by keeping in mind Shoghi Effendi’s advice, conveyed in a letter written on his behalf, to conceive of the teachings as one great whole with many facets. ‘Truth may, in covering different subjects, appear to be contradictory,’ the same letter indicated, ‘and yet it is all one if you carry the thought through to the end.’ A careful reading of the Bahá’í writings and the guidance of the House of Justice can clarify how two matters that appear to be in tension with one another are coherent once the concepts and principles that connect them are understood.” (April 17, 2017)

3 Community Members Are Active in Like-Minded Organizations

It’s easy to be in a Bahá’í bubble, to think we have all the answers. We don’t. There are a lot of things being learned by other organizations and religious communities on how to dismantle systems of oppression. We can learn from them. In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi we learn that,  “Much as the friends must guard against in any way ever seeming to identify themselves or the Cause with any political party, they must also guard against the other extreme of never taking part with other progressive groups, in conferences or committees designed to promote some activity in entire accord with our teachings – such as, for instance, better race relations.” (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi November 21, 1948) Are members of the community involved in Black Lives Matter? Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women? Pipeline camps? The NAACP? Or is it mostly interfaith groups?

4 Experiences of Racism are Believed

The single greatest thing you can do to begin the process of race unity work is to believe people experiencing oppression that their experiences are true. Just as with a friend who tells you about a painful experience, you believe them. Imagine a friend who confides that they have cancer and the response is, well I don’t have cancer so you can’t, or, is there something you could have done to prevent it, or, you always think it’s cancer. These are all examples of denial and gaslighting and are very common responses in the Bahá’í community. Why would people of color continue to explore being a part of the Bahá’í community if their fundamental, lived experience is thought to be made up  or as being overly sensitive? This is a crucial reason we don’t see Bahá’ís of color at community events.

5 White Feelings are Not Centered

A primary function of white supremacy is to make whiteness the norm, to make white ways of interacting, thinking, seeing the world, language use, and customs the center around which all other cultures and ways of being revolve. This extends of all forms of community life, from the meaning of ‘reverent’ to the disdain for ‘passionate’ discourse. For our communities to grow, however, we need to change this dynamic and imagine what it would be like to have different cultural expressions shape our community life. This can only happen by physically displacing whiteness from the center. In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi we are told, “He feels it is time that the Bahá’í stopped worrying entirely about the white element in a community, and that they should concentrate on showing the negro element that this is a Faith which produces full equality and which loves and wants minorities.”

6 Community Members See Color

It was, and still is in some places, en vogue to declare one’s self ‘color blind’. This is both untrue and unhelpful. Skin color is an objective reality. We don’t need to erase aspects of the world or people’s identities to achieve justice. Furthermore, the example for all Bahá’ís, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, consciously saw color and used His privilege to elevate people of color, from the story of the black rose to seating Louis Gregory in the place of honor. That is the example for all white folks.

7 Community Members are Accomplices

The Bahá’í writings are full of calls to action, even to voluntarily suffering for each other. “With reference to your question as to whether individuals can help each other by accepting to suffer for each other’s sake. Surely such sacrifice for our fellow-humans can have helpful results. This law of sacrifice operates in our own lives, as well as in the lives of the Divine Manifestations.” (A letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 31, 1938) This concept is what it means to be an accomplice, a step beyond being an ally. It means moving from the sidelines to being directly involved with struggles by Black, Brown and Indigenous people and taking their lead. It means not just saying you feel sorry or bad about injustice, but risking your comfort and life to achieve justice.

8 Understand That Talking About Racism, and Doing so Passionately, is not Disunifying

The Bahá’í writings and recent guidance are full of references to racism as a cancer and an illness. No doctor would counsel you to ignore a cancer you have been diagnosed with. Why would we do the same with social illnesses? Similarly, upon learning that you have cancer, would the doctor refuse to talk with you until you calmed down or would she listen to your fears, worries, and even anger? It’s the same with conversations about racism. White folks, often operating from an “unconscious sense of superiority”, refuse to engage in conversations about racism that come from a place of pain and hurt. In Advent of Divine Justice white folks are told to “master their impatience of any lack of responsiveness on the part of a people who have received, for so long a period, such grievous and slow-healing wounds.” In another letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi we read, “Nothing will so deeply affect the hearts of people who have been hurt and offended by the attitude of white supremacy as to consort with them as full equals-as indeed they are….” These concepts are foundational to these conversations – grievous, slow-healing wounds, hurt and offense, equals talking with each other about injustice. People of color have been subjected to hundreds of years of genocide, slavery, injustice and abuse that is still going on. What right could white folks possibly have to now demand that they convey that pain politely and in a way that makes them feel comfortable? None.

9 Deeds, Not Words

The most important element is action. Make an effort. It won’t be perfect. You will make mistakes. You will likely be called out on things you didn’t know you were doing, as individuals and as a community. Reflect, then act. In a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice we are told, “Action is what is needed. The House of Justice is confident that, as the friends arise, guided by the Writings and the instructions of the beloved Guardian, this enduring, seemingly intractable problem will be ameliorated.” (1/20/94)

[massistocchifontana]

When you lose motivation for life… the ending and stepping back... Order in the midst of chaos 

 When you lose motivation for life… the ending and stepping back : Order in the midst of chaos 

 We are born to a world where we experience good and bad. However, our social world is structured by being constantly stimulated by the negative song of the news and negative influence of people around us. It is essential to realise that life is a matter of perception where we can look at any marvel that life offers us to instill us with hope and determination to grow as human beings. This growth in essence is to move us to a plain of becoming free thinkers and following our own life philosophy so that our life truly is OUR life and not just a blueprint of someone else’s impositions. 

 Making the transition and not engaging with negative stimulus daily is a horrendously difficult task in itself. As a test, delete your social media for a month and observe the manner in which you relate to the world around you. It wont be easy this can be assured. The key here is that we engage too deeply with this stimulus and instead of having some perspective on life where we can stand back and observe in a unaffected manner with a clear and rational mind, we are caught being too close to the experience and engulfed in a manner that prevents us from having any foresight or ability to reflect. We become sheep. We become voyeurs and are more interested in others and their successes than taking the time we have and investing it into our own growth. 

 By investing our energies into this manner of relating to the world, we soon become slaves to our lives and its many masters (the people we observe) rather than taking ownership of our lives and making informed decisions to change today.  The mere act of reflecting on oneself has been lost, and it would be easier to follow the advice of someone else than making your own informed decision and see where your path takes you. 

 I often wonder how the real adventurer’s and explorers of the world managed to hold it together and not be impacted by their emotions to such a degree that they become incapacitated to push forward. Imagine Marco Polo on his quest for new lands waking up one morning and saying it’s raining and the weather is making me depressed. The likelihood of him living an extensive life as an explorer would in reality be short lived with that attitude. A reality of life is that no matter where you are in the world, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in there will always be a rain storm which will happen. The dilemma is whether you allow the rainstorm to remain outside of your head or whether you allow it to enter your head. The key is not allowing it to enter your head. 

 I believe that we have all at some point allowed this to happen and what follows is disastrous. I am always intrigued by those individuals who are able to process their emotions quickly so that they can get themselves back to a rational mindset which is functional and keeping them on the path of achieving their life purpose and creating the experiences they want to encounter. The question you need to ask yourself is what are the preventative measures that you need to implement or introduce into your life to stop you from allowing the rain to enter your head. How do you waterproof yourself in a metaphorical way of speaking?

 When we are too close and enmeshed in our experience, we encounter the saying “I cant see the wood between the trees”. We have no perspective. We have no objective view of the world or our situation which leads to stuckness and with continued reinforcement eventually depression.  Depression is the continual choice of focusing on past experiences we have had no power to change and we ruminate until we slow ourselves down to such a degree that our body actually ceases to function at a normal rate. 

 This is not normal functioning. The worst aspect of this is that we stay focused on the depression and lack of movement for such extended periods of time that we completely stagnate. Then to make matters worse we allow ourselves to believe that this is how it is and we lose sight of how we once were. 

 A key solution is KEEP MOVING! Keep reading, keep exploring, keep asking the necessary questions, keep getting out of bed and facing the day, keep looking for all the nuances in life that instill gratitude, keep being appreciative, keep reinforcing that you have a choice, keep introducing stories that keep you inspired, keep deleting any negative or aspects that do not bring value or function to your life, keep realizing the value you bring to world, if there is no value find it in every action you create, JUST DO IT, stop asking why and ask what would happen if I did, ask should I do it and what will change if I do, realize that there is nothing you cant do, its you wont because you're making a choice. 

 We are so lucky to be in a world saturated with information. If you want to learn it, it is there for the taking. The desire has to come from you to want to change something in yourself otherwise I guarantee you that depression will find its way into you. The reason is that depression is the polar opposite to happiness. They both exist in you and there is no running away from it. It’s a process of management and its only until you figure out your own life philosophy that’s when things will change. You will be directed to invest in yourself in any way shape and form to get the best out of yourself. 

 There is a natural flow to your thoughts. They are not as chaotic as you may think and it is only until you take the time to sit with your thoughts that some order to them will be established. The second we fight ourselves and our thoughts there is an inevitable chaos. The mind does not work in this way naturally. Imagine yourself on a deserted island after being the only survivor in a plane crash. Although you will be immediately panicked as to the magnitude of what happened to you, soon hunger will set in, and then thirst, and then the inevitable moment when you will move into survival mode. Once you have activated survival mode, your main thoughts will be focused on shelter, food, water and making yourself get through every moment as best you can. Gratitude sets in almost immediately when you’ve learnt how to make fire, a tool for cooking raw food… where even more gratitude sets in when you can actually cook something raw and feel warmth. 

 Can you see how simple this process is and how basically beautiful our mind is to simply get by in the most balanced fashion?

 Organizing thoughts is about going back to basics and not complicating things. The irony is that the solution to most of our thinking problems is usually the simplest of answers but we are almost always tied into the problem because of the emotions binding us to the experience. This is reinforced by a lack of flow and when we begin to question our judgment, gut, our perception and ourselves then we second-guess the real mechanism of knowing what is best for us. 

 What reinforces these thinking mechanisms and sabotages we create is through reinforcing them with our behaviours. By acting on thoughts we create experience, and it this experience that we create that erases past experiences both good and bad. This process is called “Experiential Deletion”, a term coined by Massimo Stocchi, explaining that any past experience will be deleted if the new experience has a larger than or equal emotional reaction. The emotional reaction or impact is what we remember and this is what either deters us from facing the situation and moving on or disables us from acting. When it is suggested that the emotional content needs processing, this is what actually needs to be processed, dissolved, eradicated. The simplest (not the easiest) route to follow is by creating new experiences constantly to press the Experiential Deletion into overdrive and instill new affective emotional content, which erases past thinking traps. This works! Test it out and it is guaranteed to work. 

 Your essence is what defines you. It is what needs to be nurtured and pressed to grow continuously. Without engagement with it, there will be constant boughts of stagnation and limited growth. I would openly suggest that you sit with this question “what does my true essence look like?”, and then decide what needs to be adjusted in your life. Sometimes the most drastic decisions are the ones that are the most beneficial, because they are simplistic yet the most emotionally challenging. Once you overcome the fear of making the choice, and then acting on this choice you have allowed yourself the opportunity to create yourself anew. 

Points to consider:

Depression

Reflecting on oneself 

Standing back and getting perspective 

Ordering your thoughts 

Ordering your behaviour 

What motivates you 

Going back to basics 

The essence of what you are 

The love of your family 

Allowing yourself to be open to the change and ending 

Via Con Dios

[salonduthe]

The Tao Te Ching: a modern interpretation of Lao Tzu perpetrated by Ron Hogan copyright 2002, 2004

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial License.

Basically, you can distribute this text all over the place, as long as you always attribute it to me, you don't change a word, and you never charge anybody anything to receive it. But read the license for the full details.

-----

FOREWORD

"Ancient Chinese Secret, Huh?"

In the spring of 1994, I was handed a master's degree in film studies and politely invited not to return to graduate school in the fall. So I went to work at Dutton's, a fantastic indie bookstore in Brentwood, less than a mile from the Simpson condo, but that's another story. Doug, the owner, lets his employees borrow books from the inventory, on the principle that you can sell books better if you know them better, and that's how I discovered the Tao Te Ching (or TTC, as I'll abbreviate it from now on).

Oh, I knew about the book beforehand. I knew it existed, anyway, and I knew it was a classic of Eastern philosophy. But that's all I knew. Not that there's that much to know after that, about all anybody can really say about Lao Tzu is that according to legend, about six centuries before Christ, he got fed up with the royal court's inability to take his advice and decided to leave. Then, the story goes, he was stopped at the Great Wall by a guard who begged him to write down some of his teachings for posterity, and the result was this slim volume. Once I actually started to read the thing, I was hooked. Here was a book that managed to say with clarity what I'd been struggling to figure out about spirituality for several years.

The TTC I found at Dutton's was written by Stephen Mitchell, a version which remains popular nearly twenty years after its original composition. Having read a couple dozen translations since, it's still one of the most accessible versions I've seen, but even then, I found his style a bit too refined, too full of a certain "wisdom of the ancients" flavor. For example, here's how Mitchell starts the first chapter:

"The Tao that can be named

is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named

is not the eternal Name."

At the time, I was newly infatuated with the writing of Quentin Tarantino and David Mamet, so my dream version of a TTC reflected the simplicity and grit of their dialogue:

"If you can talk about it, it ain't Tao.

If it has a name, it's just another thing."

Anyway, I grabbed a couple other translations and started looking at the different ways they expressed the same sentiments--or, as I quickly discovered, how much poetic license Mitchell and other translators were willing to take with the original text. I don't think this necessarily matters all that much; many current English- language versions are by people who don't know Chinese well, if at all, and I can't read or speak it myself. To that extent, then, we're *all* (unless we're fluent in Chinese, that is) at the mercy of, at best, a secondhand understanding of what Lao Tzu said.

Once I thought I had a rough idea what was behind the words, though, I went about rephrasing the chapters in my own voice. My guiding principle was to take out as much of the "poetry" as possible, to make the text sound like dialogue, so the reader could imagine someone telling him or her what Tao's all about. You can't take the "poetry" out completely, because the TTC is always going to have those lines about Tao being an "eternal mystery" and whatnot.

But the beauty of the book isn't in its language, at least not for me--it's in the practical advice Lao Tzu offers us about how to live a productive, meaningful life on a day to day basis. What I wanted to do was to make that advice as clear to a modern American reader as it would have been to the guard who first asked Lao Tzu to write it down.

I worked through the first twenty chapters, then put the rough draft up on my website under a pseudonym I used online back in those days. A bunch of fan mail came in, so I kept plugging away at the text, then my hard drivecollapsed and all my files were completely erased. I was freelancing pretty steadily then, and what little free time I had I spent building my own website, so the TTC went on hold. I got an occasional email asking about the other chapters, and I developed a stock answer. When it was time for me to finish the job, I told people, I would.

Years went by. I'd left LA for San Francisco, then moved up to Seattle, chasing after big dotcom money. It was great for a while, but as Lao Tzu says, "If you give things too much value, you're going to get ripped off." In the middle of the worst of the frustration, I rediscovered the Tao Te Ching, and realized I needed to finish what I started.

I dug out all my old copies of the TTC and went shopping for more versions, some of which were even better than the ones I'd found the first time. Brian Browne Walker's translation comes close to the modern oral quality I was striving for, though his voice is still much more of an "Eastern sage" voice than mine. David Hinton is somewhat more poetic, but I think he does a wonderful job of capturing what Lao Tzu may have actually sounded like to his contemporaries. And Ursula K. LeGuin strikes a balance between the modern and classical voices that gave me a new perspective on Tao; her commentaries on several chapters are enlightening as well.

I wish I could say that I wrote the remaining sixty-one chapters in a hurried creative frenzy, but things took a little longer than I thought. I got distracted by the decision to move to New York City, and though I did get some work done on the book, it was a little over a year later, when (and, yes, I know how cliched this sounds) the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and I realized I'd still been wasting too much of my life on things that didn't pan out. Instead of talking about getting serious about my life, it was time to actually do it. (Living through the following two and a half years has also made me appreciate chapters 30 and 31 a lot more, for reasons that will become readily apparent.)

So here you are--with my own name attached, as thepseudonym has long since fallen away. From a scholar's point of view, this TTC is unfaithful to the original text on more than one occasion, if not in every single line. Case in point: in chapter 20, Lao Tzu didn't exactly say, "Don't spend too much time thinking about stupid shit." For all the liberties I've taken with his words, however, I've made every attempt to stay true to his message, and I hope you'll find something useful in my efforts.

--Ron Hogan

(tao@beatrice.com)

January 2004

-----

PART ONE

TAO (THE WAY)

-----

1.

If you can talk about it, it ain't Tao. If it has a name, it's just another thing.

Tao doesn't have a name. Names are for ordinary things.

Stop wanting stuff; it keeps you from seeing what's real. When you want stuff, all you see are things.

Those two sentences mean the same thing. Figure them out, and you've got it made.

2.

If something looks beautiful to you, something else must be ugly. If something seems good, something else must seem bad.

You can't have something without nothing. If no job is difficult, then no job is easy. Some things are up high because other things are down low. You know you're listening to music because it doesn't sound like noise. All that came first, so this must be next.

The Masters get the job done without moving a muscle and get their point across without saying a word.

When things around them fall apart, they stay cool. They don't own much, but they use whatever's at hand. They do the work without expecting any favors. When they're done, they move on to the next job.That's why their work is so damn good.

3.

If you toss compliments around freely, people will waste your time trying to impress you. If you give things too much value, you're going to get ripped off. If you try to please people, you'll just make them pissed.

The Master leads by clearing the crap out of people's heads and opening their hearts. He lowers their aspirations and makes them suck in their guts.

He shows you how to forget what you know and what you want, so nobody can push you around. If you think you've got the answers, he'll mess with your head.

Stop doing stuff all the time, and watch what happens.

4.

How much Tao is there? More than you'll ever need. Use all you want, there's plenty more where that came from.

You can't see Tao, but it's there. Damned if I know where it came from. It's just always been around.

5.

Tao's neutral: it doesn't worry about good or evil. The Masters are neutral: they treat everyone the same.

Lao Tzu said Tao is like a bellows: It's empty, but it could help set the world on fire. If you keep using Tao, it works better. If you keep talking about it, it won't make any sense.

Be cool.

6.

Tao is an eternal mystery, and everything starts with Tao.

Everybody has Tao in them. They just have to use it.

7.

Tao never stops. Why? Because it isn't trying to accomplish anything.

The Masters hang back. That's why they're ahead of the game.

They don't hang on to things. That's how they manage to keep them.

They don't worry about what they can't control. That's why they're always satisfied.

8.

"Doing the right thing" is like water. It's good for all living things,and flows without thinking about where it's going

...just like Tao.

Keep your feet on the ground. Remember what's important. Be there when people need you. Say what you mean. Be prepared for anything. Do whatever you can, whenever it needs doing.

If you don't compare yourself to others, nobody can compare to you.

9.

If you drink too much, you get drunk. The engine won't start if you're always tinkering with it.

If you hoard wealth, you fall into its clutches. If you crave success, you succumb to failure.

Do what you have to do, then walk away. Anything else will drive you nuts.

10.

Can you hold on to your ego and still stay focused on Tao?

Can you relax your mind and body and brace yourself for a new life?

Can you check yourself and see past what's in front of your eyes?

Can you be a leader and not try to prove you're in charge?

Can you deal with what's happening and let it happen?

Can you forget what you know and understand what's real?

Start a job and see it through. Have things without holding on to them. Do the job without expectation of reward. Lead people without giving orders. That's the way you do it.

11.

A wheel has spokes, but it rotates around a hollow center.

A pot is made out of clay or glass, but you keep things in the space inside.

A house is made of wood or brick, but you live between the walls.

We work with something, but we use nothing.

12.

Sight obscures. Noise deafens.

Desire messes with your heart. The world messes with your mind.

A Master watches the world but keeps focused on what's real.

13.

Winning can be just as bad as losing. Confidence can mess you up just as much as fear.

What does "winning can be just as bad as losing" mean?

If you're down, you might be able to get up. But if you're up, you can get knocked down real fast. Don't worry about the score, just do what you have to do.

What does "confidence can mess you up just as much as fear" mean?

Fear can keep you from getting the job done, but confidence can get you in over your head.

Walk tall, but don't get cocky. Know your limits, and nothing can ever hold you back. Deal with what you can. The rest will follow.

14.

You can't see Tao, no matter how hard you look. You can't hear Tao, no matter how hard you listen. You can't hold on to Tao, no matter how hard you grab.

But it's there.

It's in you, and it's all around you.

Remember that.

15.

The ancient Masters were damn impressive. They were deep. Real deep. Words can't even begin to describe how deep they were. You can only talk about how they acted.

They were careful, like a man walking on thin ice. They were cautious, like a soldier behind enemy lines. They were polite, like a guest at a party. They moved quickly, like melting ice. They were as plain as a block of wood. Their minds were as wide as a valley, and their hearts as clear as spring water.

Can you wait for that kind of openness and clarity before you try to understand the world?

Can you hold still until events have unfolded before you do the right thing?

When you act without expectations, you can accomplish great things.

16.

Keep your head clear. Stay calm. Watch as everything happens around you.

Everything reverts to its original state, which was nothing. And when something becomes nothing, it gets right with Tao.

If you don't understand that, you're going to screw up somewhere down the line. If you figure it out, you'll always know what to do.

If you get right with Tao, you won't be afraid to die, because you know you will.

17.

When a Master takes charge, hardly anybody notices. The next best leader is obeyed out of love. After that, there's the leader obeyed out of fear. The worst leader is one who is hated.

Trust and respect people. That's how you earn their trust and respect.

The Masters don't give orders; they work with everybody else. When the job's done, people are amazed at what they accomplished.

18.

When people lose touch with Tao, they start talking about "righteousness" and "sanctity."

When people forget what's true, they start talking about "self-evident truths."

When people have no respect for one another, they start talking about "political correctness" and "family values."

When the nation is unstable, people start talking about "patriotism."

19.

Get rid of sanctity. People will understand the truth and be happier.

Get rid of morality. People will respect each other and do what's right.

Get rid of value and profit. People will not steal if they do not desire.

If that's not possible, go to Plan B: Be simple. Be real. Do your work as best you can. Don't think about what you get for it. Stay focused. Get rid of all your crap.

20.

Don't spend too much time thinking about stupid shit. Why should you care if people agree or disagree with you? Why should you care if others find you attractive or not? Why should you care about things that worry others? Call bullshit on all that.

Let other people get worked up and try to enjoy themselves. I'm not going to give myself away. A baby doesn't know how to smile, but it's still happy.

Let other people get excited about stuff. I'm not going to hang on to anything. I'm not going to fill my mind with ideas. I'm not going to get stuck in a rut, tied down to any one place.

Other people are clever; I guess I must be stupid. Other people have goals; I guess I must be aimless. Like the wind. Or the waves.

I'm not like other people. I'm getting right with Tao.

21.

A Master stays focused on Tao. Nothing else, just Tao.

But you can't pin Tao down-- you can't even see it! How are you supposed to focus on something like that?

Just remember what Lao Tzu said: The universe began as a void. The void fills with images. Images lead to the creation of objects. And every object has Tao at its core.

That's the way it's been, ever since the world began. How can I be so sure? I just know.

22.

Learn how to stand still if you want to go places. Get on your knees if you want to stand tall. If you want wisdom, empty your mind. If you want the world, renounce your riches. Push yourself until you're exhausted, and then you'll find your strength.

You can go far if you don't have anything to carry. The more you acquire, the less you can really see.

A Master takes this to heart and sets an example for everybody else.

She doesn't show offso people take notice. She's not out to prove anything so people take her at her word. She doesn't brag about herself but people know what she's done. She hasn't got an agenda but people know what she can do. She's not out to get anybody so nobody can get in her way.

"Learn how to stand still if you want to go places." That's not as crazy as it sounds. Get in touch with Tao, and you'll see what I mean.

23.

When you have nothing to say, you may as well keep your mouth shut. The wind and the rain don't go on forever. If nature knows enough to give it a rest sometimes, so should you.

If you're ready for Tao, you can live with Tao. If you're ready to succeed, you can live with success. If you're ready to fail, you can live with failure.

Trust your instincts, and others will trust you.

24.

Keep your feet firmly planted unless you want to fall on your face. Learn how to pace yourself if you want to get anywhere. Don't call attention to yourself if you want people to notice your work.

Nobody respects people who always have excuses. Nobody gives credit to people who always take it. People who hype themselves have nothing else to offer.

Think of being in touch with Tao like eating at a buffet: Take only what you need. Save some for everybody else.

25.

Something perfect has existed forever, even longer than the universe. It's a vast, unchanging void. There's nothing else like it. It goes on forever and never stops, and everything else came from it.

I don't know what else to call it so I'll call it Tao. What's it like? I can tell you this much: it's great.

So great that it endures. Something that endures goes a long way. And something that goes a long way always comes back to the beginning.

Tao's great. Heaven's great. Earth's great. And someone in touch with Tao is great, too. Those are the four greatest things in the universe.

Someone who's in touch with Tao is in touch with the earth. The earth is in touch with heaven. Heaven's in touch with Tao. Tao's in touch with the way things are.

26.

To be light on your feet, you need a steady mind. If your body is active, your mind should be relaxed.

A Master can travel long distances and still see everything she owns. She may be surrounded by beauty but she isn't caught up in it.

Why run around thoughtlessly? If you act lightly, you lose your bearings. If you act recklessly, you lose your self-control.

27.

With enough practice, you could come and go without a trace, speak without stumbling over words, do complicated math problems in your head.

You could build a door with no lock that nobody could open. You could tie something down with no knots, without even a rope, and nobody could pry it loose.

Masters have time to help everybody, and ignore nobody. They use their resources wisely, wasting nothing. Some people call this "following the light."

Good people teach others because they have the potential to be good too. Brains count for nothing if you fail to respect your teachers or to honor the potential in others. That's one of the most important lessons of Tao.

28.

If you are strong, but remain sensitive, power will flow through you. With that power, you'll always be right with Tao: It's like a whole new life.

If you are idealistic, but stay rooted in reality, you are an example to others. Set that example, and you'll always be right with Tao: There is no limit to what you can do.

If you are honorable, but remain humble, you will see things as they are. If you see things as they are, you'll always be right with Tao: Your life will become simple, yet full of potential.

Let Tao show you how to get right with Tao, so your slightest gesture can change the world.

29.

Want to take over the world? Think again. The world's a holy place. You can't just fuck around with it. Those who try to change it destroy it. Those who try to possess it lose it.

With Tao, you push forward, or maybe you stay behind. Sometimes you push yourself, other times you rest. Sometimes you're strong, sometimes you're weak. Sometimes you're up, and sometimes you're down.

A Master lives simply, avoiding extravagance and excess.

30.

Listen up: If you want to be a leader who's in touch with Tao, never use violence to achieve your goals.

Every act of violence backfires. An army on the move leaves a trail of tears, and a military victory always lies in ruins.

The Masters do what needs doing and that's all they do. Do what you have to do without arrogance or pride. Get the job done and don't brag about it afterwards. Do what you have to do, not for your own benefit, but because it needs to be done. And don't do it the way you think it should be done, do it the way it needs to be done.

The mighty will always lose their power and any connection they ever had to Tao. They will not last long; if you're not right with Tao, you might as well be dead.

31.

Weapons are terrible things. If you want to get right with Tao, reject weapons.

The Master, knowing all things came from Tao, recognizes what he has in common with his enemies and always tries to avoid conflict.

But when there is no other choice, he uses force reluctantly. He does so with great restraint, and never celebrates a victory; to do so would be to rejoice in killing. A person who would rejoice in killing has completely lost touch with Tao.

When you win a war, you preside over a funeral. Pay your respects to the dead.

32.

Tao is an eternal mystery, so small you can never take hold of it.

If a leader gets right with Tao, people will follow him on instinct. All will be right with the world. People will do the right thing without being told.

Everything that comes from Tao needs a name. But once everything has its name, you should make no other distinction between things. This prevents you from becoming trapped by them.

Everything in the universe is full of Tao and leads to Tao, just like the water in rivers that flows into oceans.

33.

Knowing things makes you smart, but knowing yourself makes you wise. To rule others, you must be powerful, but to rule yourself, you must be strong.

If you have only what you need, you have true wealth. If you never give up, you will find a way. If you stay true to yourself, you will never be lost. If you stay alive your whole life, you've really lived.

34.

Tao flows in all directions. It's in everything, but nothing can contain it. Everything needs Tao, so Tao provides, and never expects anything in return.

Everything comes from Tao, but Tao doesn't call attention to itself. It wants for nothing. Think nothing of it.

Everything leads to Tao, but Tao doesn't call attention to itself. Pretty impressive, huh?

It doesn't strive for success. That's why it succeeds.

35.

When you get right with Tao, everybody wants to be your friend. When they're around you, they can relax and enjoy themselves.

People can be easily distracted by music or good food. When we try to talk about Tao, it seems boring by comparison.

It doesn't look like much. It doesn't sound like much. But no matter how much you use, there's still plenty left.

36.

To make something smaller, you need to appreciate its size. To make something weaker, you must recognize its strength. To get rid of something, you need to hold it tight. To take something, you must give it up entirely.

To put it another way: Sensitivity and weakness overcome unfeeling strength.

37.

Tao never does anything but nothing is left undone.

If our leaders could get in touch with Tao, the world would take care of itself. Even if they wanted to impose their own ideas, they'd be drawn back to Tao's nameless simplicity.

When our lives are that simple, we want for nothing. We can relax, and the world becomes a better place.

-----

PART TWO

TE (POWER)

-----

38.

People with integrity don't even think about it. That's how you can tell they have integrity. Other people talk about how much integrity they have, when they really don't have much. If any. Truly powerful people don't do anything, but they get the job done.

Other people are always busy doing something, but nothing ever gets done. When kind people act, they do so without thinking about it. When the just act, they're always sure they're doing the right thing. But when the righteous act, and nobody reacts, they try to force everyone to do things their way.

If you're not in touch with Tao, at least you can still have integrity. If you don't have integrity, there's always kindness. If you don't have kindness, there's always justice. If you don't have justice, all you have left is righteousness.

Righteousness is an pale imitation of true faith and loyalty, and always leads to trouble. If you've already made up your mind, you don't know the first thing about Tao, and you never will.

The Masters pay attention to what's beneath the surface. They'll look at a tree's leaves, but eat the fruit. They turn all that down, so they can accept this.

39.

Since time began, this is what it's meant to be in touch with Tao:

Tao made the heavens clear. Tao made the earth solid. Tao made our spirits strong. Tao made the valleys fertile. Tao gave all living things life.

Tao gave rulers authority. Without Tao, the heavens would collapse. Without Tao, the earth would crumble. Without Tao, our spirits would fade away. Without Tao, the valleys would dry up. Without Tao, all life would become extinct. Without Tao, rulers would stumble and fall.

Humility gives us power. Our leaders should think of themselves as insignificant, powerless, unworthy of their stature. Isn't that what humility is all about?

Be strong, but pay no attention to hollow praise. Don't call attention to yourself. Don't make a scene.

40.

Tao is always heading back to where it came from. Tao advances by not pressing forward.

Things exist because they are. They are because they once were not.

41.

When a wise person hears about Tao, he gets right with it. When an ordinary person hears about Tao, he tries to get right with it, but eventually gives up. When a fool hears about Tao, he just laughs and laughs. If he didn't laugh, it wouldn't be Tao.

Here's what they find so funny: The path to enlightenment seems covered in shadows. The way forward feels like taking a step back. The easiest path seems difficult. Those with the most virtue seem debased. Those who are most pure seem to be grubby and soiled. The deepest thoughts appear shallow. The greatest strength looks like weakness. What is most real strikes us as imaginary. The largest space has no boundaries. The greatest talent seems to produce nothing. The greatest voice is unhearable. The greatest beauty is invisible.

Tao is hidden to us and it has no name. It is the source and the strength of all things.

42.

Chapter 42 starts out with some cosmic mumbo-jumbo about Tao making one, one making two, two making three, and three making everything else.

I don't know what it means, and, frankly, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Let's get to the practical part: Men hate to be called powerless, insignificant, or unworthy, but that's how Masters describe themselves.

Because when we lose, we've won. And when we succeed, we've failed.

Other people will tell you what I'm telling you now: "Live by the sword, die by the sword." That's pretty much what Chapter 42 boils down to.

(See Chapter 46 for more details.)

43.

The softest force in the universe can overcome the hardest of objects. Something without substance can pass through the space between atoms.

That's how I know about the power of doing nothing.

The silent teachings and the power of doing nothing can only be understood by a few people.

44.

What's more important, fame or your well-being? What's worth more, your money or your life? What is more dangerous, winning or losing?

If you are too attached to your possessions, they will bring you misery. If you hang on to your riches, you will suffer substantial loss. If you know when you have enough, you will never be disgraced. If you practice moderation, you can stay out of trouble.

And that's the secret to lasting success.

45.

The greatest achievements may look like mistakes, but you will always be able to build upon them.

The fullest reserves may seem empty, but you will always be able to draw upon them.

The straightest line looks crooked. The most skilled people come off as clumsy. The most eloquent people are usually silent.

When it's cold, you can move around to stay warm. When it's hot, you should keep still and stay cool. But whatever the weather, if you stay calm, the world will sort itself out around you.

46.

"When the world is right with Tao," Lao Tzu said, "horses haul fertilizer to the fields. When the world loses touch with Tao, horses are trained for cavalry."

Nothing is more insidious than possession. Nothing is more dangerous than desire. Nothing is more disastrous than greed.

If you know when enough is enough, you will always have enough.

47.

You don't have to leave your room to understand what's happening in the world.

You don't have to look out the window to appreciate the beauty of heaven.

The farther you wander, the less you know.

The Masters don't wander around They know. They don't just look. They understand. They don't do anything, but the work gets done.

48.

Usually, we try to learn something new every day.

But if we want to get right with Tao, we have to let go of something every day.

We do less and less, until we end up doing nothing. And it's when we do nothing that we get the job done.

Let events take their course, and everything will turn out in your favor. If you act on your ambitions, they will never pan out.

49.

The Masters don't make up their minds. They turn their thoughts to other people.

They are good to good people, and they're good to bad people. This is real goodness.

They have faith in the faithful, and they have faith in the unfaithful. This is real faith.

A Master throws himself into the world completely, forgetting everything he's been told. People pay attention to him because he lives a life of child-like wonder.

50.

People who look for the secret of long life wind up dead.

Their bodies are the focus of their lives and the source of their death, because they think a healthy body is all there is to life.

Lao Tzu used to say a man who truly understood life could walk through the jungle without fear or across a battlefield without armor, totally unarmed. Wild animals and weapons couldn't kill him.

I know, I know: what the hell does that mean? "Well, he couldn't be killed," Lao Tzu said, "because his body wasn't where he kept his death."

51.

Tao is the source of all living things, and they are nourished by Tao's power. They are influenced by the other living things around them, and they are shaped by their circumstances.

Everything respects Tao and honors its power. That's just the way it is.

Tao gives life to all things, and its power watches out for them, cares for them, helps them grow, protects them, and comforts them.

Create something without holding on to it. Do the work without expecting credit for it. Lead people without giving them orders. That's the secret of the power of Tao.

52.

Everything starts with Tao, the mother of all things. If you know the mother, you know the children. If you know the children and remember the mother, you have nothing to fear in your life.

Shut your mouth and keep still, and your life will be full of happiness. If you talk all the time, always doing something, your life will be hopeless.

It takes insight to see subtlety. It takes strength to yield gently to force. Use that strength to hang on to your insight, and you will always be at peace. That's how to get right with Tao.

53.

If I had any sense, I'd be trying to get right with Tao, and the only thing I'd worry about would be messing up. It's not that hard to get right with Tao, but people are easily distracted.

"When the king's palace is full of treasure," Lao Tzu said, "ordinary people's fields are smothered with weeds, and the food supplies run out." Today, you see sharply dressed people carrying flashy weapons and living the high life.

They own more than they could ever use, let alone need.

They're nothing but gangsters and crooks. That's not what Tao's about.

54.

Tao's power is so deeply entrenched it can never be uprooted. Tao's power clings so tightly it can never slip away. It will endure for generations.

If you get in touch with the power of Tao, it will become real. If your family gets in touch with the power of Tao, the power will flourish.

If your community gets in touch with the power of Tao, the power will grow even stronger. If your country gets in touch with the power of Tao, the power will become abundant.

If the world gets in touch with the power of Tao, the power will be everywhere. How can I know this? I just do.

55.

A person filled with the power of Tao is like a baby boy: bees can't sting him, wild beasts can't attack him.

A baby has soft bones and weak muscles, but a firm grip. He hasn't had sex, but he can get an erection. That's because he's got lots of energy. He can cry all day and never lose his voice. That's because he's at one with his world.

If you're at one with the world, you know constancy. And if you know constancy, you've been enlightened.

It's not healthy to try to prolong your life. It's unnatural to impose the mind's will upon the body. People waste time and energy trying to be strong or beautiful, and their strength and beauty fade. They've lost touch with Tao, and when you lose touch with Tao, you might as well be dead.

56.

Those who know, don't talk. Those who talk, don't know.

Shut your mouth. Be still. Relax. Let go of your worries. Stay out of the spotlight. Be at one with the world and get right with Tao. If you get right with Tao, you won't be worried about praise or scorn, about winning or losing, about honor or disgrace. That's the way to be.

57.

You can run a country by sticking to principles, and you can win a war with strategy and tactics. But you can gain the entire world by doing nothing at all.

How do I know this? I've seen it happen: The more restrictions a nation imposes, the poorer its people become. When a nation hoards weapons, troubles arise from within and from without. When its leaders try to be cunning and clever, the situation spins further out of control. When they try to fix things by passing more laws, they only increase the number of outlaws.

A wise leader says to himself: "I do nothing, and people transform themselves. I keep silent, and they do the right thing on their own. I stay out of the way, and they prosper. I want for nothing, and they lead simple lives."

58.

When a nation is ruled with a light touch, people lead simple lives. When a government is harsh and demanding, people will spend their time trying to outsmart it.

Happiness is rooted in misery, and misery lurks beneath all joy. Who knows what could happen tomorrow?

Everything is relative; what's considered proper today may become improper. Correct appearances may hide dishonesty and sinfulness.

No wonder so many people get confused.

The Masters have sharp minds, not sharp tongues. They are austere, but never judgmental. They are straightforward, but not provocative. They are brilliant, but not flashy.

59.

Leadership is based on moderation. Practice moderation, and you'll get in touch with the power of Tao.

If you get right with Tao, nothing is impossible. If you get right with Tao, there's no limit to what you can do. If you get right with Tao, you can be a true leader.

Remember this advice if you want to be a leader: Plant deep roots in firm soil. Get right with Tao, and you'll always see things clearly.

60.

Being a leader is like cooking a small fish; get right with Tao, and it's quick and easy.

When you're in touch with Tao, you don't need to worry about misfortune. You can't make it go away, of course, but you can keep it from harming other people.

Also, as a wise leader, you cause no harm to others, so people won't have to worry about getting hurt, and they'll take the opportunity to do the right thing.

61.

Power flows down to every level of existence like a river to the ocean.

Victory comes from lying perfectly still and waiting for power to come your way.

If you yield to someone less powerful than yourself, you will be in a position to influence them.

If you submit to someone more powerful than yourself, you create an opportunity to get your own way.

So if you want to get ahead, lay low and bide your time. That way, everybody's happy.

62.

Every living thing gets its strength from Tao. Good people respect the value of Tao. The wicked and foolish don't, but Tao provides for them anyway.

Some people gain power and prestige through fancy words, others through great deeds. But Tao is available to everyone, not just the powerful. So don't look down on anybody.

When people become powerful, and everybody lines up to kiss their ass, sit still and stay right with Tao.

Why have the Masters always respected Tao? Because when you get right with Tao, you can always find what you need to get by, and trouble can never find you.

63.

Keep still. Don't work so hard. Learn to appreciate everyday life. Pay attention to details. Start small and work your way up. When people give you trouble, let it slide.

Break everything down to its essentials. Get the job done before it becomes a chore.

With the right preparation, difficult tasks can be completed with ease; every major project consists of simple steps.

The Masters don't take on more than they can handle, which is why they can do just about anything.

Don't promise more than you can deliver, and don't underestimate the task: You'll only make things harder for yourself.

The Masters are always aware of the difficulties involved, which is why they never have to deal with them.

64.

It's easy to maintain balance. Trouble can be nipped in the bud. Fragile things break easily, and small things are easy to lose.

Deal with the situation before it becomes a problem. Keep everything straight so it can't get messed up.

Every tree was once a seed. Every skyscraper started out with a shovelful of dirt. And--stop me if you've heard this one before-- a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

When you try too hard, you defeat your own purpose. Cling to stuff, and you will suffer loss. The Masters make no effort, so they never fail. They aren't attached to things, so they never feel loss.

People often screw up when the job's nearly done. Pay as much attention to the finishing touches as you do to the initial steps, and you won't screw up like that.

The Masters try to be free from desire. They don't collect precious things. They don't cling to any beliefs. They pay attention to what everybody else ignores. They help the world get right with Tao, but don't try to change a thing.

65.

In ancient times, leaders who were right with Tao didn't teach everybody how to become enlightened. They kept people's lives simple.

People who know too much can't be taught anything. Leaders who try to be clever always screw things up. Leaders who keep things simple always make things right.

If you get that, you'll understand the mysterious power of Tao.

That kind of power is so deep, so extensive, it penetrates into every level of existence.

66.

An ocean is greater than the hundred rivers that flow into it, and all it does is wait to receive what they bring.

If you want to teach people, don't talk down to them. If you want to lead them, find out where they want to go.

People love leaders who make them feel safe without smothering them. They'll always support a leader like that, and because he doesn't try to compete with anybody, nobody is able to compete with him.

67.

Everywhere I go, people tell me, "Tao is so powerful, so immense, it's inconceivable!"

But it's only powerful because it's inconceivable. If we could wrap our minds around it, Tao would be just another thing.

The three most important qualities in life are compassion, or showing kindness and mercy to others, moderation, or knowing what a thing is worth, and modesty, or knowing your place in the world.

Courage stems from showing kindness and mercy to others. Generosity starts with knowing what a thing is worth. True leadership begins with knowing your place in the world.

But these days, I see everyone trying to act courageous without any trace of compassion. They try to be generous but they don't practice moderation in their own lives. They act like leaders, but they have no sense of modesty. No good can come of this.

If you want to get ahead, show people compassion. When other people attack you, defend yourself with compassion. It's the most powerful force in the universe.

68.

A true warrior never uses force with an attitude of pride or anger. A true victor does not pursue vengeance. A true leader shows humility.

This is the power of modesty. It's the best way to deal with people. It's always been an excellent way to get right with Tao.

69.

There's an old military saying: "I'd rather face an attack than have to make one. I'd rather retreat a foot than try to advance an inch."

That's the secret to moving forward while staying put, preparing for battle without revealing your strength.

When you defend yourself without any show of force, you give your opponent nothing to fight.

Attacking an enemy you've underestimated is a costly mistake. When two forces oppose each other, the winner is the one most reluctant to fight.

70.

Lao Tzu's advice was easy to understand and easy to follow. But nobody understood him or did what he suggested.

His words stemmed from ancient wisdom, and his actions were highly disciplined. People didn't get that, which is why they didn't understand him. And the less they understood him, the more meaningful his advice became.

That's why the Masters live simply, hiding their wisdom deep within themselves.

71.

If you know what you don't know, you're doing great. If you don't know what you don't know, you're sick.

The only way to get rid of that sickness is to be sick of it.

The Masters aren't sick, because they got sick of being sick.

72.

When you show no fear at all, the universe gives you something to really be afraid of.

Don't try to fence people in or grind them down. Just let them be, and they'll always be on your side.

The Masters know themselves, but they don't reveal themselves. They love themselves, but they know what their lives are worth. They let go of all that to concentrate on this.

73.

Those who dare to be bold die. Those who dare to be careful survive. So--what do you want to do?

Why is life like that, you ask? I don't know.

This is how Tao works: It doesn't push itself, and it always succeeds. It acts silently, and it always reacts. It can't be summoned; it comes whenever it's ready. It can't be rushed; it's always on time.

"Heaven casts a wide net, with big holes," Lao Tzu used to say, "but nothing ever gets by it."

74.

If people's lives suck, and they look forward to death, what good does it do to threaten to kill them?

If people are afraid to die, and the wicked are condemned to death, then who would dare to commit evil?

But that doesn't mean you or I can just take life and death into our own hands. That'd be like walking up to an industrial buzzsaw and trying to use it without any training. We'd only end up hurting ourselves.

75.

People starve because the government taxes them to death. People rebel because the government tries to run their lives. People act like life is meaningless because the government takes everything they have.

People who know how to enjoy life are wiser than people who value their lives.

76.

A baby's body is soft and gentle. A corpse is hard and stiff. Plants and trees are tender and full of sap. Dead leaves are brittle and dry.

If you are rigid and unyielding, you might as well be dead. If you are soft and flexible, you are truly alive.

Soldiers trained to fight to the death will die. A tree that cannot bend with the wind will snap.

Here's a useful saying: The harder they come, the harder they fall.

Here's another: The meek shall inherit the earth.

77.

Lao Tzu said using Tao was like pulling on a bowstring: The top bends down, the bottom bends up, and all the energy is focused in the middle.

Tao takes energy from where it is, and sends it where it needs to be. But most people take from those who don't have enough, so those who have too much already can have more.

So who in this world is truly generous to others? People who are in touch with Tao. They do their work without taking credit. They get the job done and move on. They aren't interested in showing off.

78.

Nothing is softer or more yielding than water. Yet, given time, it can erode even the hardest stone. That's how the weak can defeat the strong, and the supple can win out over the stiff.

Everybody knows it. So why don't we apply it to our own lives?

Lao Tzu used to say: "Take on people's problems, and you can be their leader. Deal with the world's problems, and you'll be a Master."

Sometimes the truth makes no sense.

79.

Sometimes, when an argument is settled, feelings of resentment still remain on either side. What's the point of carrying a grudge?

The Masters care about what they owe other people, not what other people owe them.

People who are in touch with Tao do their duty. People who aren't try to force others into submission.

Tao doesn't play favorites. But if you do right by Tao, Tao will do right by you.

80.

Lao Tzu had a dream about a small country with very few people.

They didn't need machines to get their work done faster. They took their lives seriously, and stayed close to home.

They may have owned boats and carriages, but they never went anywhere. They may have owned weapons, but they kept those weapons locked up, securely hidden. They had so few responsibilities, they never had to make a To-Do list to remember what had to be done.

They enjoyed simple foods, dressed plainly, lived comfortably, and kept their traditions alive.

And even though their neighbors were so close they could hear the dogs barking at night, they had no interest in leaving their homes, where they grew old peacefully and died.

81.

The truth isn't flashy. Flashy words aren't true.

Educated people aren't always smart. Smart people don't always have an education.

Good people don't argue. People who argue aren't good.

The Masters don't hang on to things. They're always doing something for other people, so they always have more to give. They give away whatever they have, so what they have is worth more.

If you want to get right with Tao, help other people, don't hurt them. The Masters always work with people, never against them.

(with thanks to ronhogan)