The Tao te Ching – Verse 3

Translation used: Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo

Pu shang hsien
Don’t glorify heroes,
And people will not contend.
Don’t treasure rare objects,
And no one will steal.
Don’t display what people desire,
And their hearts will not be disturbed.

Therefore,
The Sage rules
    By emptying hearts and filling bellies,
    By weakening ambitions and strengthening bones;
Leads people
    Away from knowing and wanting;
Deters those who know too much
    From going too far:
Practices non-action
    And natural order is not disrupted.

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If there was no conflict people would not go to war. If there was no action movie with the cool hero shooting 50 people, drive the cool car and get the girl… there would be less crime and less violence in the world. If war heroes would not be greeted with parades and flowers… people would be less likely to go to war…. glorifying violence is not Tao… no matter for what reason the “hero” has become violent… practise non-action… and non interference.

People who have little or no valuable possessions generally live a much more fulfilled and “calm” life. The more someone owns, the more they are afraid to lose it… the laptop, the big screen TV, the SLR camera, the new car, the new house… the more people are attached to their earthly possessions… the more they are afraid to lose them… and so the more stressed and scared do they get.

If your heart is free from attachment to those things and the only possessions you have are used to sustain life and necessary levels of comfort… the easier it will be for you to reach enlightenment.

Leave ambition behind… run because it is fun, exercise because it is good for your health, play football to be with other people and enjoy yourself… but do not compete. Do feed your body… look after your mental and physical health… but never your ego.

Use your knowledge and skill to benefit the greater good… don’t be proud… pride never helps the greater good but just maximizes the ego.

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ign: baseline;”>Fill your day with healthy and useful activity and meditation… balance will be restored.