— Anonymous
What I’ve always believed, in life in general, is that what really makes something great is its ability to give to others or to make those around them great. This applies to leaders, charities, values, activities, and, obviously, works of art and literature. These things have the opportunity to change readers for the better, throughout history. For the same reason, I would consider the works of Tao Te Ching great works. The collection of poems contains so, so many concepts and ideas that we need to, and would benefit from, incorporating into our lives. From stanza 1, which states that “the name that can be named is not the eternal name…” to twenty-two, which advises to “yield and overcome; bend and be straight,” the Tao Te Ching teaches us so many things we can do to better ourselves and grow into better people.
Personally, I have learned so much through reading these verses, which is why I believe it to be a great work. For one, I’ve begun to think about not worrying about things I can’t change; I’ve come to remember that bad things don’t only happen to good people – but to everyone, as verse 13 reminds us to “accept disgrace willingly; accept misfortune as the human condition.” Even more, in this time of quarantine, found a new way to interpret the term “empty yourself.” So much of our life experience is based around trying to fill ourselves up. Our days are full of ceaseless activity and our minds are always moving. But, in verse sixteen, Lao Tzu warns to “empty yourself of everything, let the mind become still.” We can spend months or years chasing after our dream job or the perfect relationship. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. But, it’s an unavoidable fact that even when we attain the ideal job or relationship, our joy will probably be quite short-lived.
In these weeks, in this time where we’re all going through challenges, I’ve used this lesson constantly. Life now is difficult, but it can also be beneficial. We can all learn how to get through this from Tao Te Ching — empty yourselves, and still your minds. We can all learn to be more okay with the slow pace of life, we can all use these verses to help calm ourselves in this time. This many years after its composition, the Tao Te Ching can still change our lives.
