Verse Eight: Go with the Flow

Water makes its first appearance in the text. This Tao thing is supposed to simply flow, like water, wherever it wants. Water, of course, goes when it's aiming downhill. These days, I am on all fronts aimed uphill. Squarely. Steeply.

Water is to be exalted because it doesn't decide to go. It just goes. Is there even an analog for personhood? Without getting all wifty about it. I am who I am, that's for sure. And the more things I have to do at once the less I censor what comes outta my mouth, so my mouth is the Tao? What comes out of my mouth is not to be exalted, that's for certain, especially not when I'm stressed.

I read recently that embarrassing moments stick so vividly in memory because they are whole-body experiences. The more my mouth runs, the more stupid stuff I say, the more sticks in my embarrassed brain and shames me. It's a vicious cycle. But if I am to be the Tao, exalted like flowing water, then I go with it. And maybe eventually callous up to the fallout of my obnoxious mouth - there must be people out there with hides of teflon for all the things that get done and said in public that are so much stupider than my own transgressions that probably aren't half as bad as I think they are.

The rest of the verse is about how to be good: meditate deeply, live close to the land, be kind and just, competent, and strategic. Ending with "No fight: no blame." So if I don't fight anyone on that which comes outta their mouths, then I leave that to reflect on them not me. If no one fights me, then I can't blame anyone for what smartass remark I just made. Not that I would, I am well aware of my mouth problem.

These are bigger concepts. I wish I could write them, run them, applicable to something besides my big mouth, but that's what's in front of me at the moment. And that, I suppose, is good Tao. Working as best as you can with what's in front of you.