63rd Verse
Practice nonaction.
Work without doing.
Taste the tasteless.
Magnify the small, increase the few.
Reward bitterness with care.
See simplicity in the complicated.
Achieve greatness in little things.
Take on difficulties while they are still easy;
do great things while they are still small.
The sage does not attempt anything very big,
and thus achieves greatness.
If you agree too easily, you will be little trusted; because the sage always confronts difficulties,
he never experiences them.
Living Without
Difficulties
This verse conveys so much with an economical use of words. Every time I read what Lao-tzu is saying here, I feel that it’s impossible for me to experience difficulties in my life if I’m willing to accept his sage advice. He counsels that we learn to think in moments, rather than in days, weeks, months, years, decades, or a lifetime. All we ever get is right now—that’s it. So we must avoid the inclination to magnify tiny events or worry about a future that may never arrive. It’s the little things that make all the difference in our world, and keeping life simple replaces chaos. As Lao-tzu reminds us, “See simplicity in the complicated . . . do great things while they are still small.”
I’ve followed that advice while working on this book. As you might imagine, writing individual essays on the 81 verses of one of the most revered and enduring spiritual texts has been a daunting task! A project like this involves at least a year of daily researching, reading, writing, and revising. Yet instead of focusing on the challenges of this project, I choose to “see simplicity” and “take on difficulties while they are still easy.” I immerse myself in a single verse in the morning, allowing the words to flow through my heart and onto the page. I feel like I’ve mastered the ironic conclusion of this 63rd passage, which says that difficulties are not experienced when they’re confronted.
This, then, is the wisdom of this verse: There’s no such thing as difficulty when you live in the present moment, doing only what you can right now. So examine your thoughts about what you call the troubles in your life. Can you shift to thinking of every undertaking as not only manageable, but easy and small as well? After all, how do you pursue a difficult course of study that will take several years to complete? By not projecting yourself into the future or using your present moments to worry. How do you get through the long, difficult process of giving birth to a child? Moment by moment. I’ve watched my wife do just that during the years she was either pregnant or nursing, delivering five children in eight years. As Lao-tzu teaches, if you don’t attempt anything big, you will achieve greatness.
Almost every morning I do a 90-minute hot yoga class with 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Now an hour and a half of intense activity in a room that’s more than 105 degrees can seem not only big, but very difficult as well. I’ve learned to change the way I think about this daily routine that I enjoy so much, and now I find it to be easy. As the first breathing exercise begins, I keep my mind and body totally focused on what I’m doing in the opening moment. If my mind wants to wander to what I’ll be doing in an hour, I just bring it back to the present. I look in the mirror and remind myself that this exercise or posture is small and simple. Bingo—difficult is out of the picture!
By practicing in the present moment and training myself to stay in a state of simplicity, I’ve made my 90-minute yoga class a snap. I’ve achieved what I consider to be greatness in the little progressions and improvements that have evolved naturally. It’s work without doing, and nonaction in action because I’ve confronted what might have been thought of as tough. The result is that I don’t experience difficulty.
Lao-tzu urges you to change the way you look at your 21st-century world by doing the following:
Look for the simplicity in what you call complicated by seeing that in this moment, it’s not hard.
Change your preoccupation with tomorrow, along with all of the tomorrows that comprise your future. My friend Byron Katie (whose husband, Stephen Mitchell, created a wonderful translation 63rd Verse of the Tao Te Ching that I’ve incorporated in this book) gave me my favorite definition of insanity: “To believe that you need what you don’t have is insane.” I’d add, “Believing that you can’t be content and happy now because your future appears to you to be difficult is another form of insanity.”
Look at what you have and realize that you’re obviously fine in this moment! A Course in Miracles states this idea so well: “You have no problems, though you think you have.”
Think small.
Change your notion of “thinking big” to “thinking small and getting big things done.” Examine whatever it is that seems so enormous that it terrifies you to start. Then shift your thinking to see what can be done today in your precious present moments, completely ignoring the overall picture. Your accomplishments will magnify into greatness when you undertake the small; by doing so, you’ll paradoxically see huge results.
Do the Tao Now
Set aside some time today to focus on the biggest challenge in your life. Break down whatever it is to one thing that can be done today, right in this moment. Erase the big picture—simply do what you can now and let everything else fade. Write the opening paragraph of your novel. Lay out your blueprint for the home you want to build. Sign up for one course at a local educational institution. Go for a two-minute run. Be in the now. See how doing the Tao at this moment brings big results by paradoxically staying small and simple.
64th Verse
What is at rest is easily managed.
What is not yet manifest is easy to prevent.
The brittle is easily shattered;
the small is easily scattered.
Act before things exist;
manage them before there is disorder.
Remember:
A tree that fills a man’s embrace grows from a seedling.
A tower nine stories high starts with one brick.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Act and destroy it;
grasp it and lose it.
The sage does not act, and so is not defeated.
He does not grasp and therefore does not lose.
People usually fail when they are on the verge of success.
So give as much care at the end as at the beginning, then there will be no failure.
The sage does not treasure what is difficult to attain.
He does not collect precious things;
he learns not to hold on to ideas.
He helps the 10,000 things find their own nature
but does not venture to lead them by the nose.
Living by
Being Here Now
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” is the most famous line of the entire Tao Te Ching. It’s quoted so often because it encourages us to avoid procrastination and just begin from where we are, right here, right now. A tiny seed planted and nurtured grows into a forest; a marathon begins by taking that first stride. In my opinion, the German poet and playwright Johann von Goethe nicely summed up this ancient teaching with these rhyming words:
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated,
begin it, and then the work will be completed.
The essence of the widely known 64th verse of the Tao Te Ching is this: Every goal is possible from here! With the emphasis on from here! This is particularly applicable to problems that seem overwhelming. When you change the way you think about them, your new and unique perspective will cause the enormity of the things before you to diminish.
“The sage does not treasure what is difficult” because he breaks it down into easily managed steps. Rather than taking over and directing others or attempting to do everything himself, the follower of the Tao finds a way to manage problems before they exist, and prio
r to disorder breaking out. Lao-tzu is encouraging us all to do the same.
Reexamine how you view the challenges you face, as well as those of your family, community, and country. Sense in your heart how easily preventable many of them are when you deal with things before they exist, and when you refuse to be attached to the ideas that are largely responsible for these problems.
There are three steps to enlightenment that most people traverse:
1. The first is through suffering. This is when the big problems of your life become so overwhelming that a long period of misery ensues because you “treasure what is difficult to attain.” Ultimately, you come to a place where you can look back at those huge obstacles —such as illness, accidents, addiction, financial loss, children’s struggles, and divorce—and see in retrospect that they were actually gifts disguised as problems. Yet this is not the way of the Tao; this is not how a sage conducts his life.
2. The second is by being in the present moment. Here you’ve moved closer to the Tao by asking yourself when a crisis erupts, What do I have to learn from this experience right now? I know there’s a gift hidden for me in this misfortune, and I’ll focus on looking for it.While this is Tao-centered thinking, it’s not all that Lao-tzu wants to convey in this 64th verse.
3. The third is by getting out in front of big problems. This means that you act before difficulties occur, sense disorder coming your way, and manage it in advance. This is the way of the Tao. “The small is easily scattered,” says Lao-tzu. So here you’re the acute observer who’s totally in tune with nature. With foresight, you anticipate an argument, play it out in your mind in a split second, and are able to neutralize the negative energy because you were in front of it. You’ve responded by not acting in your former problem-producing ways and are thus harmonized with the Tao. At this stage you prevent difficulties rather than solve them.
This verse invites you to master the third or Tao-centered method. Here are some suggestions for doing so: 64th Verse
Remind yourself of the inherent value in practicing the most enduring line from the entire Tao Te Ching: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Forget about the end result: When you arrive where you thought you wanted to be, you’ll just begin a new journey. So enjoy each step along the way and keep in mind that every goal is possible from here. Just do one thing, one day at a time.
Here’s an example of this from my own life: It has now been almost two decades since I’ve had a drink containing alcohol. Had I thought about not drinking for 20 years, it would have been overwhelming and really difficult—yet I’ve done it, one day at a time. I can’t speak for the next 20 years, but one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that today, and today alone, I will not be taking a drink. One step . . . one moment . . . one day at a time . . . is the Tao in action.
Become a master anticipator.
Decide that you’re perfectly capable of preventing trouble from cropping up in your life long before it manifests into your material world. Anticipate your own health, for instance. Become conscious of prevention rather than waiting for challenges to materialize. By taking care to be nutritiously sound as a way of life—such as by taking supplements that remove toxins from your body, cleansing your colon, eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer animal products, exercising, and meditating—you’re out in front of big problems. You’re foreseeing what you need to do while you’re capable of scattering the small, managing your health in harmony with the Tao long before there’s disorder. Find other areas of your life to practice being a master anticipator!
Do the Tao Now
Take one habit that you’d like to see removed from your life, such as something that you believe constitutes a weakness or perhaps even an addiction. Just for today, and with no promises about tomorrow or the future, take a single step to transcend this habit. Don’t smoke or drink caffeine, just today. Eat only veggies and fruit, just today. Speak warmly to hostile neighbors, just today. Notice at the end of this one day how you feel. Then, and only then, decide if tomorrow morning you wish to continue practicing the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, which was itself written one word and one day at a time, and has lasted for more than 25 centuries.
65th Verse
The ancient ones were simple-hearted
and blended with the common people.
They did not shine forth;
they did not rule with cleverness,
so the nation was blessed.
When they think that they know the answers,
people are difficult to guide.
When they know they do not know,
people can find their own way.
Not using cunning to govern a country
is good fortune for the country.
The simplest pattern is the clearest.
Content with an ordinary life,
you can show all people the way
back to their own true nature.
Living by Staying
Simple-hearted
If you are currently in the important position of ruling a country, I encourage you to take this wisdom especially to heart. If you’re not, I suggest studying this passage of the Tao Te Ching from the perspective of your personal life, which most likely involves leading others.
Supervising or parenting shouldn’t mean imposing bureaucratic rules or impressing others with your supposed intelligence and superiority. A truly influential person isn’t cunning, doesn’t “shine forth,” “rule with cleverness,” or instill fear in those he or she is designated to oversee. As Lao-tzu explains, “When they know they do not know, people can find their own way.” In other words, the effective leader guides others to their own nature.
The realization you’re invited to consider here is that your job is to help others know that they don’t know! If they believe that they do have knowledge, then they’ll never find their way back to their Tao nature. That’s because they’re relying on ego input, which tells them that their true essence is their identification with the physical or material world. One who lives according to the Tao knows that ego is a false master, drawing people away from knowing their true nature.
Implement the teachings of this verse by refusing to convey superiority or intellectual ingenuity. Instead, show others how to live from the Tao perspective by being willing to admit that you don’t know what’s best for them, nor do you even know with any degree of certainty how your own life should go. Let other people know that you’re willing to ask for guidance. Show them that you’re not “in charge,” either of them or of what happens to you. Allow them to see a man or woman who’s humble, lives peacefully in the cycles of life, and stays simple-hearted.
As you change the way you look at leadership, you’ll see that individuals who are willing to surrender their egos enjoy a connection to their Tao energy and become simple-hearted leaders. Their only task is to help everyone in their sphere of influence realize that they also do not know! Lao-tzu seems to smile wryly as he informs you of this wondrous paradox.
Blend in with those whom you feel compelled to supervise by trying on these new ways of thinking and being:
Be willing to proudly say to those in your charge, “I don’t know.”
This phrase is a symbol of strength rather than weakness, so use it freely. When you teach others to do the same, they’ll begin to allow their highest selves to be guided by the Great Way. Keep in mind that nature never forces anything to grow, but is silently and invisibly ever present. Do the same to the best of your ability by not forcing yourself and your ideas on anyone (with sensible precautions for those too young or too immature to take on adult responsibilities).
The simple truth is that neither we nor anyone else really know what’s ideal for ourselves or others. There’s a silent destiny always at work; there are fortunes as well as misfortunes in every life, independent of our particular opinions.
Practice keeping your life simple and uncomplicated.
Model this behavior for
those you feel obliged to lead. Rather than analyzing a situation from every angle, trying to come up with the most viable solution, trust your first instinct and take the simplest and least problematic route. Don’t “pole-vault over mouse turds”— 65th Verse by the time you’ve discussed the many options available to you, the problem itself could have been long behind you had you simply disposed of those rodent droppings with a simple tissue and dumped them into the garbage! Here’s some great advice for you, as well as the leaders of countries who are often so mired in bureaucratic red tape that they become paralyzed: Keep it simple.
Do the Tao Now
In as many ways as possible, demonstrate your understanding of what Lao-tzu meant by asking leaders to be “content with an ordinary life.” Spend a day without the label of “parent,” “supervisor,” or “boss,” and put yourself on an equal footing with those who usually look to you for direction. Think of yourself as one of those you lead—in fact, pretend that you are him or her for one day. This will give you an awareness of how to put the Tao to work right away.
I’ve found that when I practice this with my children, they respond according to their own best and true nature. For example, when I simply say to my teenage daughter, “I know that you’re perfectly capable of being responsible and sensible while I’m out of town, and I love that about you,” I remove the “authoritarian parent” label and treat her the way I’d want to be treated. When this becomes the norm, it’s obvious that Lao-tzu is correct: “The simplest pattern is the clearest.”
Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life Page 24