This chapter is about power and the use of power. It starts out with four lines, each beginning with the character for “good.”
A good warrior is not violent
A good fighter is not enraged
A good conqueror does not engage the enemy
A good leader humbles himself
The ancient treatise The Art of War counsels that the highest victory is won without engaging in battle. This reminds me of lessons in tai chi. Tai chi “sparring” usually begins with two people facing each other and lightly touching one or both forearms. A master I studied with said that the instant he came in contact with an opponent, he “knew” everything about the other person and basically took all his energy away from him.
This would sound crazy if I hadn’t witnessed this tiny 80 year old man easily deflecting attacks by younger, bigger, stronger, skilled martial artists. He never moved very much, never broke a sweat, and had a twinkle in his eye.
I know I do best in martial arts when I remain relaxed, neutral, neither afraid nor aggressive. And, as I’ve said before, what I love about martial arts is that what I learn there applies so well to life in general.
One of Aesop’s Fables tells the story of the wind and the sun, competing to see who is stronger by seeing who can remove a man’s coat. The wind blows strong and cold, but the man just pulls the coat around him more tightly. Finally the wind is exhausted. The sun takes his turn and simply shines warmly. The man is soon too hot and removes his coat.
This fable is one of my favorites because it teaches us not only that force is not as effective as gentleness, but also that force exhausts the one expending it. Consider this next time you are trying to get a two year old to do anything.
The chapter ends by relating this nonviolent approach to De (the “de” or “te” of the Tao Te Ching). De does not strive, and this is the source of its power, which effortlessly manifests in perfect harmony with heaven.
This chapter invites us to contemplate our relationship to power. When do we feel powerful? Powerless? How do we try to gain power? How do we use it? With what results? We are invited to watch ourselves and learn how power operates in our lives. Let’s see what we discover!
The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace. ~Gandhi
I love this reminder that power to dominate is not true power. I love that fable; it really makes me think about how I want to be in the world. And the quote from Gandhi is perfect. Thank you, Galen, for your insightful post during this very trying time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, DJan. Power is an interesting concept, isn't it? Marianne Williamson said that "our greatest fear is not that we are powerless. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." When we open ourselves as a conduit for the power of the universe to manifest through us, it is powerful indeed. And like the Gandhi quote, it looks a lot more like love than it does like brute force. As you said, something to remember in these times.
DeleteI am reminded by your words here, Galen, that God's true power can only be felt in complete surrender/submission to Him. There is no striving or force, just peace. And the quote from Gandhi is perfect!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Peace. That has been my own experience when I release my struggle to control and listen to my inner guidance with trust. Thanks for commenting, Martha.
DeleteThis should pop up everytime we log into social media...
ReplyDeleteGood idea, CW. Hard to get this message across in today's world.
DeleteI'm back trying to read a few blogs posts. I do enjoy your thoughts and right now I think many of us feel powerless. However, I find my power through my faith in God and trust in Him and His plan for me and for us. There really is a plan.
ReplyDeleteWe just had an earthquake this morning to add to that powerless feeling. Prayer helped that one and I feel totally at peace.
Have a sweet day dear friend! Hugs~
Nice to hear from you, LeAnn. Yes, these are some crazy times. We pray for the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Great prayer that has been around a long time and is very relevant today.
DeleteYeah, that earthquake! On top of everything else!
Hi Galen, mad times for sure and conspiracy theories abounding mostly to do with the 'other' taking control and gaining power. Fear is a way of feeding that external power so I'm hoping that being like water in the face of this and promoting love will aid us collectively. On a personal level, with creativity, I've found that the power to paint or write well comes with the least resistance and trusting the flow of process, so that kind of fits with the message of the chapter. Thank you for the reminder of the serenity prayer and Gandhi's quote. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can imagine that would be true about your artistic creativity. I experience it in martial arts. As soon as I start thinking or trying to direct what is happening, I'm out of sync with reality. Never works well. Thanks for commenting, Lynne.
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