Number Thirty Three
33
a vase of roses
scarlet against the white snow
and the gray tombstone
Lesson # 33
After a lifetime of studying other people
you may appear wise,
but by studying your own true nature
you open the door to true wisdom.
Imposing your will on others
may make you feel powerful
for a moment,
but becoming the master
of your thoughts and emotions
requires real strength.
A fulfilling life
comes not from grabbing
wealth and power,
but comes from being able to abide,
fully,
in this precious moment.
From: 81 Lessons from the Tao Te Ching
Number Thirty Three
After a lifetime of studying other people
you may appear wise,
but by studying your own true nature
you open the door to true wisdom.
Imposing your will on others
may make you feel powerful
for a moment,
but becoming the master
of your thoughts and emotions
requires real strength.
A fulfilling life
comes not from grabbing
wealth and power,
but comes from being able to abide,
fully,
in this precious moment.
NUMBER THIRTY THREE
He who knows men is wise,
He who knows himself can see clearly.
He who conquers men has strength,
He who conquers himself has power
He who knows that he has enough is rich,
He who acts with energy has a strong will.
He who fails not to find the Self shall endure,
He who dies, but does not perish, shall endure for ever.
Isabella Mears, The Tao Teh King, A Tentative Translation from the Chinese, William McLellan, Glascow, 1916.
Number 33 (commentary) How can we live forever?
Your body has a specific shelf life. It cannot survive for over 120 years. Your personality will die when your body does, if not before. But your consciousness, now that is another matter. What can you do to deepen your relationship with that part of you?
1- First, turn your focus away from the busy, conflictual world.
2- Begin to encounter the busy traps and dead ends that you create for yourself.
3- Move your attention towards one goal: to know yourself more deeply.
4- Discover that vast, quiet space inside you that connects you with all of creation.
5- Learn that the words that are always going on inside your head are not your true nature.
Your true nature is both inside of you and is outside of time and space. It is the stuff of everything, always. And it is waiting to welcome you home.
Tangent and Tool #33, Rest for the weary (Reflective exercise) Pushing is exhausting. Necessary, but exhausting. Pushing for an international policy to preserve the health of our air, our water, our soil. Pushing to try to keep species from becoming extinct. Pushing to protect the innocent victims of our greed. Pushing to bring social justice to an inhumane world. It is exhausting.
When I was doing psychotherapy, at the end of my working day, I would sit in my car and just cry. That way I released the suffering I had been witness to, in order to be fully present for my family. It was my transition ritual. You need to create similar rituals, washing your hands, walking in nature, or yelling in your car as you drive home alone. You need some release; some transition ritual that stands between the time you are fighting to save the world and the time you spend with your loved ones. Otherwise, you never leave the fight and those around you suffer. The world can wait. Create a transition ritual for yourself today. Do this for yourself and for those that you care about.