#22 Forgetting and Illumination
Search within for spiritual liberation and clarity.
In ancient times, Emperor Shun was keen on learning ways to improve his governance. So he approached his master Cheng for answers.
“Is it possible to obtain the Tao and have it as mine?”
Cheng replied, “As you aren’t in control of your own body, how could you hope to obtain and hold the Tao?”
“If I don’t control my own body, then who does?”
“Your shape is given to you by heaven and earth. Your life is not your possession; it is harmony between your forces, granted for a time by heaven and earth. Your innate nature and destiny are not your possessions, they are the course laid down for you by Heaven and Earth. Your sons and grandsons are not your possessions; heaven and earth lend them to you to cast off from your body as an insect sheds its skin.
Therefore you travel without knowing where you go, stay without knowing where you cling to, are fed without knowing how. You are the breath of heaven and earth which goes to and fro, how can you ever possess it?”1
The problem with the conventional
In the conversation, Shun represents an archetypical human behavior: an inclination toward possession. We feel complacent with things under our control, primarily if such possession is related to good behavior, moral character, honor, and achievements. It gives us a general sense of justification when we assume our actions are aligned with some right or noble cause.
By being possessive of our actions and beliefs, we become entrapped in having a subjective approach to interacting with others and navigating the world. The common phenomenon in the human world is that we all have our preferences and perspectives from a subjective and self-centered way of life. In this sense, arguments and disagreements are unavoidable because we all assume that we control the ultimate truth or our understanding of truth is superior to whoever opposes us.
The deeper problem is that we think this is how the human world works. We are told to fit in is to be normal. In the case of Shun in the story, he is intent on having access to Tao because he assumes it could allow him to become a better ruler. In this sense, he is interested in the instrumental value of the Tao because it assists him in managing his country. Fundamentally, he evaluates Tao based on its usefulness. He may also be interested in pursuing Tao because of the perception among his people when they see that he has the Tao.
