Tao Te Ching Verse 63: Refining Ourselves with the Tao

Tao Te Ching Verse 63translated by James Legge(It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting;to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them; to tastewithout discerning any flavour; to consider what is small as great,and a few as many; and to recompense injury with kindness.(The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while theyare easy, and does things that would become great while they aresmall. All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from aprevious state in which they were easy, and all great things from onein which they were small. Therefore the sage, while never doingwhat is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatestThings.One who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; one who iscontinually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult.Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and sonever has any difficulties.Photo by TOMOKO UJI on UnsplashAttending to the SubtleAccomplish do-nothing, attend to no-affairs, and taste that which has no taste.  I like how parts of the Tao Te Ching start off with statements like this that make me think.  Like they don’t make sense at first, but once I sit with them for a while and contemplate, I begin to understand them.After having practiced Harmony with the Tao for a short while, I have an idea of what these statements mean, and I’ll bet you do, too.  In fact, they’re probably not all that cryptic if we’re in a quiet state of reception.  I’ve noticed that during the day, when I’m immersed in my work and relationships and life, these verses don’t resonate with me as much as when I’m sitting quietly.  Knowing this, I’ll pick out a quick one or two phrases I can repeat that day for quick remembrance while I’m doing life.  It helps me to practice.So - the subtle things.  That’s what I’ve been trying to remember in little moments.  The subtle things that belong to Harmony with the Tao.  Doing nothing, attending to no-affairs, and tasting the no-taste.  Doing nothing - that’s an easy one, since we’re always talking about abstaining from inserting our selfish egos into things.  How about no-affairs?  I feel like this is our self-cultivation, which we’ve been talking about, too.  Practicing, when they come to mind in certain situations, what we’ve learned so far on our journeys.  And tasting the tasteless?  For me, that means paying attention to the whole experience and savoring it as best I can.As I think about this, I realize that there is a lot to do when doing nothing!  And a lot to attend to when I’m attending to no-affairs.  And yo, there’s almost too much to taste when I’m aware of everything.  Crazy.  But it’s in the subtle things, isn’t it?  The tiny, seeming not even there aspects of life that quietly run in the background.  Like that wall clock that ticks ticks ticks 24/7, it can’t be heard except at 4 o'clock in the morning when everything else is still.  Our Tao is the same.  So I feel like the main call to action in the first part is to pay attention to the little things, because if we do, we can begin and create great things with very little effort.

Om Podcasten

Email the podcast: DailyTaoLife@gmail.com Welcome to the Tao Te Ching for Everyday Living. I’m your host, Dan Casas-Murray. This podcast is for the Tao Curious, those looking for a random bit of wisdom once in awhile, or for those who want to dive into this wonderful teaching.I’ve been studying the Tao Te Ching for just short of a year now, and have reconnected with a natural feeling of inner peace and contentment. I don’t hold a doctorate, nor am I qualified to teach anything about the Tao Te Ching - I’m just an ordinary person who has experienced the wonderful side effects of following the Tao. Since everyone’s experience with this wisdom is different, the only thing that I can hope for is that mine helps you to connect with the Tao in your own, unique, personal way. Feel free to listen to each episode a day at a time or any time you need a quick “Tao-shot.” You can listen while on your way to work or after that, when you’re winding down. It’s always a good time to observe the Tao.In each episode, we’ll do four things:1. We’ll read a verse of the Tao Te Ching2. Break it down into everyday language3. I’ll share my own thoughts and experience4. Apply the Verse with a couple of the many ways you can put the Tao into practice for yourself.That’s pretty much how I’ve been practicing the Tao every day - by listening to Lao Tzu, reflecting on his words of wisdom, listening to other comments, and trying to practice them in everyday life.