By Deng Ming-Dao. 1992.
Introduction
Tao fundamentally assumes that an inner cultivation of character can lead to an outer resonance. This is an important distinction. When confronted with the mysteries of the universe or the adversities of life, those who follow Tao think first to secure their own characters. This is directly at variance with a great deal of modern thinking.
Before they went to explore the faraway, those who follow Tao would first think to know themselves well. They believe that the outside world is only known in relation to an inner point of view. They would therefore establish self-knowledge before they tried to know others.
Positioning
Actions in life can be reduced to two factors: positioning and timing. If we are not in the right place at the right time, we cannot possibly take advantage of what life has to offer us. Almost anything is appropriate if an action is in accord with the time and the place. But we must be vigilant and prepared. Even if the time and place are right, we can still miss our chance if we do not notice the moment, if we act inadequately, or if we hamper ourselves with doubts and second thoughts. When life presents an opportunity, we must be ready to seize it without hesitation or inhibition. Position is useless without awareness. If we have both, we make no mistakes.
Time
We must understand how the past affects us, we should keep the present rich and full of rich and satisfying experiences, and we should devote some energy each day to building for the future.
Organization
It is wise to plan each day. By setting goals for oneself and organizing activities to be accomplished, one can be sure that each day will be full and never wasted.
Followers of Tao use patterns when planning. They observe the ways of nature, perceive the invisible lines of destiny. They imagine a pattern for their entire lives, and in this way, ensure their overall success. Each day, they match interim patterns against their master goals, and so navigate life with sureness and grace. It is precisely this ability to discern and manipulate patterns unknown to the ordinary person that makes the follower of Tao so formidable.
When unpredictable things happen, those who follow Tao are also skilled at improvisation. If circumstances deny them, they change immediately. To avoid confusion, they still discern the patterns of the situation and create new ones, much like a chess player at the board. The spontaneous creation of new patterns is their ultimate art.
Accumulation
We may be anxious because we see very little happening on a daily basis, but we must be patient until we can see what the accumulation of our effort yields. Self-cultivation means steady, gradual progress.
Accuracy
A life that is spiritual requires focus. It needs quick reflexes, accurate timing, and abundant skill. That is why followers of Tao are always compounding their self-cultivation: They want the ability to do whatever they want.
Each day your life grows a day shorter. Make every move count. All that matters is accomplishing what you envision with the greatest dispatch. Once you do, that aspect of your interest is discharged, and you can then go on to some new interest. If you do not engage in this ongoing process of action, you will never satisfy all the various aspects of the soul, and realization will never fully mature for you.
Practice
Fundamentals
Followers of Tao emphasize cycles.
Solutions
Wanting everything in life to be perfect before you take actions is like wanting to reach a destination without travel.
Every day passes whether you participate or not. If you are not careful, years will go by and you will have only regrets. If you cannot solve a problem all at once, at least make a stab at it. Reduce your problems into smaller, more manageable packages, and you can make measurable progress toward achievement. If you wait for everything to be perfect according to your preconceived plans, then you may well wait forever. If you go out and work with the current of life, you may find that success comes from building upon small things.
Growth
We only grow when we are challenged. Muscles do not strengthen without resistance. Mental facilities do not sharpen without critical thinking. The spirit does not soar without something to excite it.
Maturity
Unfortunately, maturity only comes from the threat of mortality. Success only comes from the threat of failure. Without pressure, we would not plan, utilize wisdom, or exercise care. We realize that we have only a very short time to make an achievement, to prove that our existence was worthwhile, and so we strive harder.
Smallness
We may all yearn to make lasting achievements and to be heroes, but life seldom affords us the opportunities to do so. Most of our days consist of small things—the uneventful meditations, the ordinary cooking of meals, the banal trips to work, the quiet scratching in the garden—and it is from these small things that the larger events of life are composed.
Mate
Through love, one can come to know the beauty of unity and wholeness. Without the female, the male element is static and sterile. Without the male element, the female is boundless potential without a catalyst.
Clarifying
All that is good and unique in you should be brought out. If you do not do this, you will be stunted. Never hold back, thinking that you will wait for a better time. The good in you is like the water in a well: the more you draw from it, the more fresh water will seep in. If you do not draw from it, the water will only become stagnant.
Water
Water does not overcome because it yields. It overcomes because it is relentless. It perseveres and does not give up. It is constant.
Just as water must be able to express its true nature in a relentless way, so too must we simultaneously and relentlessly express our true natures if we are to be successful in life.
But how do we acquire such perseverance? We start small. As drops.