Verse 73 - Living in Heaven's Net

[Eva Libre]

73rd Verse

 

Bold action against others leads to death.

Bold action in harmony with the Tao leads to life.

Both of these things

sometimes benefit

and sometimes injure.

 

It is heaven's way to conquer without striving.

It does not speak, yet it is answered.

It does not ask, yet it is supplied with all that it needs.

It does not hurry, yet it completes everything on time.

 

The net of heaven catches all;

its mesh is coarse,

but nothing slips through. 

 

Contemplation/Meditation Verse

It is heaven's way to conquer without striving,
        The Tao does everything without needing to attack.
                  
It is my intention to emulate heaven's way
        by listening more, speaking less,
and trusting that my answers will come
        without any screaming,

I slow my pace, so that, it harmonizes,
        with heaven's way.
                    
           
Do The Tao Now

I decided to go for a one-hour non-action walk today after rereading this 73rd verse, to simply observe how everything under the net of heaven is working perfectly.  I noticed the silent sun nourishing the land and providing light for us all.  I stepped back and watched bees flitting back and forth between flowers, and stood there amazed by the invisible life force growing green bananas in a clump at the top of a tree.  In all, I was just an observer of the Divine, invisible, silent, effortless Tao at work - realizing that while it's in no hurry, it's still getting everything done on time. Those green bananas will ripen in due course; but today I just loved the energy that creates, nourishes, and prepares them to appear for my breakfast someday !

Today I urge you to take a similar non-action walk for an hour, and note how nothing slips through the net of heaven.

Source - Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life (Living the Wisdom of the Tao) 
by Dr Wayne W Dyer

[Eva Libre]

Advice From Dr Dyer -

 

Don't see caution as a weakness or an expression of fear.

 

Instead, view it as a way to step back and allow events to unfold naturally. Bravery is a fine quality, but reckless bravery - that is, where you rush in without thinking - is a sure way to invite disaster. In this provocative verse, Lao-tzu is telling you to think before you act. Allow heaven's way to do the conquering without your having to fight or defeat anyone. Very often your first impulse is dominated by your ego's need to win and conquer.

I saw this as a competitive tennis player. By not striving, I'd often emerge victorious over younger, stronger, and sometimes more talented players. The reckless overhitting of the ball by my opponent would cause him to make unnecessary errors, while I stayed in the backcourt and simply returned the ball in what appeared to be effortless harmony. And this created more of a desire to win in my recklessly brave opponent, causing him to make even more mistakes. I call this “young man's disease”.

[Eva Libre]

Advice From Dr Dyer -

 

Be an active listener.

 

Rather than attempting to control others by speaking frequently and loudly, allow yourself to become an active listener. Many of the answers you seek (and the results you expect) from others will surface if you can remember not to speak or even ask. Try living in accord with nature, which listening - rather than pushing, striving, or demanding - will help you do.

[Eva Libre]

From Richard Grossman - The Tao of Emerson

From James Legge - The Texts of Taoism, 1891

He whose boldness appears in his daring
to do wrong, in defiance of the laws,
is put to death;
He whose boldness in his not daring to do so,
lives on.
Of these two cases the one appears to be
advantageous, and the other to be injurious.

But
When Heaven's anger smites a man,
Who the cause shall truly scan ?
On this account the sage feels a difficulty
as to what to do in the former case.

It is the way of Heaven not to strive,
and yet it skillfully overcomes;
Not to speak, and yet it is skillful
in obtaining a reply;
Not to call, and yet men come to it of themselves.
Its demonstrations are quiet,
And yet its plans are skillful and effective.
The meshes of the net of Heaven are large;
Far apart, but letting nothing escape.

From the Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson - “Compensation”

Crime and punishment grow out of one stem.
Punishment is a fruit that unsuspected ripens
within the flower of the pleasure which concealed it.
Every act rewards itself, integrates itself
in a two-fold manner;
First in the thing, or in real nature,
And secondly in the circumstance,
or apparent nature.
The causal retribution is in the thing,
and is seen by the soul.
The retribution of the circumstance
is seen by the understanding.

What we call retribution is the universal necessity
by which the whole appears whenever a part appears.

[Eva Libre]

From The Tao of Motherhood by Vimala McClure

73
COURAGE

There are two kinds of courage.

There is the passionate bravery
which gets people killed.
This kind of courage is inherent;
either you have it or you don't.
It is the bravery of a mother
who would die shielding her child
from a killer's bullet.

The second type of courage is
developed through daily practice.
It is the inner strength to do what
must be done, to make rational
plans and carry them out, to face
difficulty and overcome obstacles.

It is the bravery of a mother
who makes personal sacrifices
for her children's well-being,
and then is able to let them go
to their own destinies.

[Eva Libre]

From Tao Te Ching - The Definitive Edition by Jonathan Star

Bold action against others leads to death
Bold action in harmony with Tao leads to life

Good fortune, bad fortune
One seems to bring benefit
the other to cause harm
But Heavens rejects them both
Both, in the end, tether men to this world

Who can know the reasons of Heaven ?
Who can know its endless ways ?
Not even the Sage has an answer to this one

Heaven's way does not strive
yet it always overcomes
It does not speak, yet it responds
It is not summoned, yet it appears
It does not hurry, yet it completes everything on time

The net of Heaven spans the universe
yet not the slightest thing ever slips by

[Eva Libre]

Tao Te Ching - The Classic Book of Integrity and The Way by Lao-Tzu
A New Translation by Victor H Mair
based on the recently discovered Ma-Wang-Tui Manuscripts

73 (38)

He who is brave in daring will be killed,
He who is brave in not daring will survive.
One of these two courses is beneficial,
The other is harmful.

Who knows the reason for heaven's dislikes ?
The Way of heaven
does not war
yet is good at conquering,
does not speak
yet is good at answering,
is not summoned
yet comes of itself,
is relaxed
yet good at making plans.

Heaven's net is vast;
Though its meshes are wide,
nothing escapes.

[Eva Libre]

Lynn's - Daode jing of Laozi

 

If one’s bravery is expressed in daring, he will be killed.

 

Such a one will surely not get to die a natural death. (1)

 

If one’s bravery is expressed in not daring, he will live.

 

Such a one will surely enjoy the full span of his years.

 

But both these two sometimes result in benefit, sometimes in harm.

 

Both involve bravery, but those who exercise bravery differ, so the same benefit or harm does not always occur.  Thus the text says they might “sometimes result in benefit, sometimes in harm”.

 

When Heaven is cruel, who understands why ?  Therefore even the sage finds this fraught with danger.

 

Shu [which one] means shei [who].  In other words, who is able to understand Heaven’s intentions ?  It is only the sage. (2)  However, because even the sage with his perspicacity finds bravery expressed in daring to be fraught with danger, how much more true this should be for those who lack the perspicacity of the sage yet want to rush right into it !  This is why the text says that “even the sage finds this fraught with danger”.

 

The Dao of Heaven is such that one excels at winning without contending.

 

It is exactly because one [the sage ruler] does not contend that none among all under Heaven can contend with him. (3)

 

He excels at making people respond without speaking.

 

Compliance means good fortune, and opposition means misfortune. (4)  This is how “he excels at making people respond without speaking”.

 

He spontaneously attracts without summoning.

 

As he takes a low position, the people gravitate to him naturally. (5)

 

He excels at planning while utterly at ease.

 

Because Heaven reveals good fortune and misfortune by hanging images [in the sky], (6) the plans that he sets are verified before things actually happen.  When secure, he does not forget danger, and he makes plans while things are still in the premanifest [weizhao] stage. (7)  Thus the text says: “He excel at planning while utterly at ease.”

 

The net of Heaven spreads far and wide.  Though its mesh is coarse, it never loses anything.

 

 

Text, in Italics above, is Wang Bi's commentary.

The notes below, are from the translator, Richard John Lynn -

(deb's note - "section" is used for verse in these notes.)

 

(1)  Cf.  section 42, last passage.

 

(2)  Both Hatano Taro and Lou Yulie cite evidence that the base text of Wang’s commentary is corrupt, and both suggest that the quotation of this passage in Zhang Zhan’s (fl. Ca. 340-400) commentary to the Liezi (Sayings of Master Lie) (fourth century CE, but containing earlier material) is the reliable reading, so that is the text translated here.  For the text as quoted in the Liezi, see Liezi, 6:214C.  For textual scholarship on this passage, see Hatano, Roshi Dotokukyo kenkyu, 422-23; and Lou, Wang Bi ji jiaoshi, 183 n. 3.

 

(3)  Cf. section 22, last passage.

 

(4)  Cf. Wang’s commentary to section 42, second passage.

 

(5)  Cf. section 28, first passage; section 32, last passage; section 61, first passage; and section 66.

 

(6)  Cf. section 11 of the Xici zhuan (Commentary on the Appended Phrases), Part One, of the Yijing (Classic of changes), which reads in part: “Heaven produced numinous things, and the sages regarded these as ruling principles.  Heaven and Earth changed and transformed, and the sages regarded these as models.  Heaven hung images in the sky and revealed good fortune and bad, and the sages regarded these as meaningful signs” (Lynn, The Classic of Changes, 66; see Zhouyi zhengyi [Correct meaning of the Changes of the Zhou], 7:29b).

 

(7)  Cf. section 64, first passage.

 

[Eva Libre]

From Stephen Mitchell - tao te ching - A New English Version

The Tao is always at ease.
It overcomes without competing,
answers without speaking a word,
arrives without being summoned,
accomplishes without a plan.

Its net covers the whole universe.
And though its meshes are wide,
it doesn't let a thing slip through.

From Bryon Katie - A Thousand Names For Joy - Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

 

The Tao is always at ease.

 

The balanced mind is always at ease. It isn't for or against anything; it only wants what is. It's at ease because there's nothing it is opposed to. Nothing opposes it, nothing holds it back, it acts as creation unfolding in the moment, and its action is swift and free.

It's not attached to pleasure, because it doesn't need more than it has already. Usually pleasure is a subtle form of discomfort, because even as you're enjoying sex or food, for example, you cling to your enjoyment; you want it to last, you want more of it, or you're afraid of losing it even as it's happening. The difference between pleasure and joy? Ohhh … the distance is from here to the moon - from here to another galaxy ! Pleasure is an attempt to fill yourself. Joy is what you are.

Once you understand yourself, you are the pleasure you were seeking; you are what you always wanted. Pleasure is a mirror image of what you already have before you look away from what really is. When you stop seeking, the beauty concealed by the seeking becomes evident. What you wanted to find is what remains, beyond all stories.

When you no longer believe your thoughts, you experience pleasure with a feeling of gratitude and joy, because there's no control in it. The taste of broccoli - what could be more enlightening than that? Or sex - it's the epitome of letting go, surrendering to God, which is another name for reality. When sex is without control, you have no idea what can happen. An orgasm can be so intense and last so long that you feel it's going to kill you. But because there's nothing that you can attach to, you give yourself to it completely.

For twenty years I haven't met a story I didn't love. If you're having the most beautiful dream, would you want someone to wake you up ? I love my happy dream: “This is a perfect world. People are kind. God is good.” But if you're having a nightmare, you may want to wake yourself up, though it will cost you your suffering.

Many spiritual paths, I'm told, take a stand against pleasure. But life becomes difficult when you are against anything. It's painful to have an enemy. It's the war with the self. Thoughts are friends, they're part of reality, and until you deeply see that not even thoughts are real, you'll spend your whole life struggling against them.

Love is the power, and the beautiful dream is nothing more than a clear mirror image of love. All identification is felt within that. It's felt as a balance and celebration of its true nature. And, true or not, it is balanced. All the pain we have ever suffered, all the pain that any human being on this planet has ever suffered, is over in this present moment. We live in a state of grace.

 

[Eva Libre]

Dr Dyer's Essay for Verse 73 -

Once again you're asked to see the Tao through a paradoxical lens. After all, what is “the net of heaven” ? It is the invisible world wherein all of the 10,000 things originate. And while it appears to have many openings - ways to escape the inevitability of the intentions of the Tao - no one and no thing can exist beyond what the Tao orchestrates.

Here in this 73rd verse, you're encouraged to be a respectful, cautious being under the net of heaven. All the translations I've studied say the same thing in different words. Here's one, for instance, that's brief and to the point:

Reckless bravery: death.
Cautious bravery: life.
Therefore the sage behaves in a cautious manner.

So Lao-tzu is asking you to change the way you look at bravado and courage. Rather than seeing these qualities as admirable, he asks you to be less of a dauntless hero and more vigilant and alert in order to live the Great Way. Note that the way of heaven is to eschew bold actions and remain cautious.

Lao-tzu offers you four examples of how the net of heaven holds everything within its grasp without having to be forceful or reckless, and you're encouraged to emulate that in all of your undertakings:

1. “It is heaven's way to conquer without striving.” See how the Tao is peaceful, silent, and always the conqueror. No human can command the sun to cool down, ocean currents to stop, winds to subside, rain to cease, or crops to quit growing - this is all handled naturally and perfectly without any effort by the Tao. Nature always wins because the Tao simply does it all without needing to attack or strive. Be like this and relax in heaven's net.

2. “It does not speak, yet it is answered.” Heaven's net is invisible and silent - the force that provides you with every breath and holds the universe together at the same time does so without commanding, yelling, or even mildly cajoling. So be in harmony with heaven's way of being more cautious and reserved. Listen more and speak less, trusting that your answers will come to you without any notice and most assuredly without any screaming.

3. “It does not ask, yet it is supplied with all that it needs.” You have an infinite supply of all that you will ever need available to you, so you needn't demand anything or even ask for it. All is in Divinely perfect order with heaven's way, and you are a component of that perfect order. Your supply will arrive if you require less and welcome all that shows up. You simply cannot slip through heaven's net, no matter how many holes you may perceive there to be. Everything is arriving on schedule - by trusting in this, you'll be guided to a rendezvous with your destiny, and you'll marvel at how it all comes together without your asking or demanding.

4. “It does not hurry, yet it completes everything on time.” How can the Tao hurry up ? Imagine giving such a request to heaven: “I'm tired of winter and insist that you bring me spring flowers in the middle of these long freezing nights. I want my potatoes today, even though I only planted the seeds yesterday. Hurry up, I insist !” The Tao works with Divine timing, so everything is completed precisely as it should be. You're invited to slow your pace so that it harmonizes with heaven's way. Even if you think that what you want is late, in reality it is all on time.

The more you hurry, the less you get done. Try rushing through a shower after running a 10k and notice how your body continues to sweat profusely. Then try slowing your mind down, relaxing, and allowing the water to course over you - and notice how your body feels clean without sweating in precisely the same amount of time that you used in your hurry-up mode. Even if your ego doesn't grasp it, this is the truth: Everything is on time under heaven's net.