“For the person of the world, everyday something is gained. For the person of Tao, everyday something is lost.”
 
That’s s quote from the Tao Te Ching.
 
The Tao Te Ching is one of the most profound books ever composed. From the moment I discovered a copy of it on the shelf of my local bookstore on Western Ave., back when I was very young, that text has been one of the primary guiding factors of my life.
 
There are numerous translations of the book. Even I composed a translation of it back in the 1990s. But, as there were/are so many, I put that manuscript under the covers and moved on. And yes, there is historic debate about who actually composed the text. I’ve written on that subject, as well. But, the fact of the fact is, whatever its origin, it is one of the most important and philosophically profound books ever written. If you haven’t read it, I truly suggest that you do. I recommend the version translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English.
 
Even if we look at the passage above, we can learn a lot about a pathway of life that can prove to remove so much of the chaos that we each encounter in our lives on a daily basis.
 
Think about what you think about. Think about the path you have chosen for your life. Think about what you do and why you do it on a daily basis. For most, what all that equals is acquisition.
 
Think about how much time you spend getting and trying to get. Think about how much time you spend wishing you had that whatever else you don’t have. Then, think about all of the problems you have lived through because of you getting that something that you once wanted. Like I have long said, in a mechanical world there is mechanical problems.
 
But, more than just that… Think about how much unhappiness you have lived through due to you seeking your desires and then the problems you have encountered because of you getting your desires.
 
Now, think about if you could simply let yourself be free. Seek nothing. Try to gain nothing. Desire the No-Desire of not becoming anything. How free would your life become?
 
Think about your life. Ponder the path you are walking. You may want to rethink and reenvision what you have Become and what you are Becoming. You may want to change the way you live your life.