Tao Te Ching Part Eight

This is one of my favourite parts of the Tao Te Ching because it gives the best and most simple advice on how to live your life.

“The highest good is like water. Water give life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao. “

It reminds me of one of my favourite old Turkish saying “if you sleep on the floor, you won’t fall out of bed.” The more simply you live, the more content you will be. This leads on to the most valuable advice from Lao Tsu:

“In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.
In action, be aware of the time and the season.
No fight: No blame.”

This really hit me deep way back in the 1970’s and still has the same effect today. It needs to be practised and internalised to realise it.

It shows how truth and wisdom are always the same and how they can reach out from 2500 years ago and still change your life.