Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Nature uses few words:
when the gale blows, it will not last long;
when it rains hard, it lasts but a little while;
What causes these to happen? Heaven and Earth.

Why do we humans go on endlessly about little
when nature does much in a little time?
If you open yourself to the Tao,
you and Tao become one.
If you open yourself to Virtue,
then you can become virtuous.
If you open yourself to loss,
then you will become lost.

If you open yourself to the Tao,
the Tao will eagerly welcome you.
If you open yourself to virtue,
virtue will become a part of you.
If you open yourself to loss,
the lost are glad to see you.

“When you do not trust people,
people will become untrustworthy.”

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In this chapter, Laozi uses simple and plain words to express his idea that we can benefit by opening ourselves to the tao. The tao is available everywhere, so you only need to open your mind to it. I wonder what psychopathic manipulators would have to say regarding this, because naïve practitioners of the tao that are willing to trust people and anticipate them to become trustworthy may be “slaughtered” like innocent lambs in the face of a vicious wolf. Fred Durst emphasizes in his song “Killer in You,” that “you gonna have to go and find the killer in you” when you confront this guy that “Satan gave a license to kill.”

Remember what happened to Germany when she opened her borders to the miserable Syrian refugees. Germany was badly “raped” – as Donald Trump would say – by a bunch of degenerates included amongst them that the good people of Germany had nothing to do with. I have no doubt that many of the refugees had genuine appreciation for their help. But look what happened. Total chaos and splits among the Germans themselves. There is a solid reason for the rise of Trump in the U.S. You should not help people that are not ready to thank you in return. In fact, I argue that it is your moral obligation to let them die by themselves if they will turn against you even after you show them a favor. Do not fall into the temptation of believing that you are practicing the good by harming yourself. In fact, you are doing both yourself and your enemies some good by protecting yourself from their vice and offering them a chance to realize that they suffer for their wickedness.

When you show generosity and trust, they should be provided sparingly and selectively. People are by nature wicked and untrustworthy – perhaps including myself and you. Mencius was totally wrong; people are not born to be good. Even if some of us may be good-natured, they can quickly turn into lions in front of people offering unbridled generosity.