A Good Man is Like Water.

This quote can be translated, `A good man is like water. Water benefits all without competing.' This illustration includes a man with a hose, a dog biting the hose, and a cactus. My first thought upon reading this section of the Dao De Jing for the first time in college was about title waves and hurricanes. Those are examples of water that can cause damage or harm. My analytical western mind has been trained to find flaws and exceptions. The point of the passage, that being a good person should be done without ego and ostentation, is always something I ponder. It is hard to do good and not expect something in return. If I had that level of selflessness, I wouldn't be divorced. I would have good relations with everyone.

The Heavens Are Cruel Wise Men Are Cruel

The full quote for this passage is, "The heavens are not kind and treat all creatures like straw dogs. Wise men are not kind and treat people like straw dogs." I like these passages from the Dao De Jing that challenge the part of me that would like to find peace and harmony in my inspirational texts. The Dao De Jing, as much as anything, tries to describe and honor the true nature of nature. There are predators and prey in the natural world and humans are part of that. The idea that wise men are not kind is amusing but should be taken together with all the other descriptions in Laozi's text about how wise men behave. This illustration is an unnatural, whimsical narrative of the cruel nature of creatures. The cat has my eyes.

Dao is Everywhere

`The Dao is everywhere, flowing left and right. All creatures gain life from it without fail. It succeeds without possessing.' Lest we dismiss Laozi's description of the Dao (way, road, etc.) he reminds us frequently that it is there whether we care for it or not. Comparison to water as something that is helpful even crucial to life but also something that is very unassuming is repeated in the Dao De Jing.