From reading this verse, the main lesson I find here is that of balance. Lao-tzu states, “Know the strength of man, but keep a woman’s care…Know the white, yet keep to the black.” He suggests that we look around us and aim to be like the pattern of the world. No man or thing is just one-dimensional. In order to live virtuously and gracefully, I think one has to be able to find a balance in what seems like a chaotic and unjust world. The issues we’ve had for so long and still continue to have today, is a result of the false way of thinking that we’ve been conditioned to adopt. Racism, sexism, and whatever negative -ism we subscribe to, was born and continues to thrive due to unwholesome/negative thinking.
I sometimes think maybe I should be offended more, at all the nonsense happening in the world today. I may be naive in saying this, but I truly believe in replacing negativity with love. We can’t solve our issues with the same mindset we used to create them. I understand that some of us are going through some deep shit, and what I’m about to say may sound real fluffy. But what has worked for me in recent times, is adopting childlike qualities. A young child doesn’t know hate until he/she is taught to hate/fear what they don’t understand. They generally see the world with a sense of awe and wonder, a quality we dismiss somewhere around puberty, in favor of conformity. The only way forward in my opinion, is to remember/imagine what it was/is like to be childlike. How can we incorporate some of the qualities like curiosity and awe into our mundane adult lives? How can we strike a balance? How do we come to know the strength of the man, without losing the woman’s care? How do we love ourselves, without hating the other? How do we create, without competition? How does one manage great success with even greater humility?
These are real questions that we all are faced with. Personally, this verse of the Tao te Ching helps to guide me in the right direction. It reinforces my belief that with a childlike sense of wonder, a healthy curiosity, and a balanced disposition, (as well as having a support group, CBD, staying hydrated & deepening my connection with God) I can and will achieve success, if I continue to head confidently in the direction of my dreams.
Ai-Creo