The Tao Te Ching Commentary Verse 29: The Spiritual Vessel

How much energy do we invest in seeking to control our world? How tirelessly we work to create, somehow, the world we project as right, as well as good for what we assert are our own interests. From the point of view of the Dao, this is a vast and painful waste of energy.

Verse 29 is the beginning of a group of verses that address the challenge of force. This first verse in this series deals with how the individual struggles to control his own life.

Verse 29 begins (in the Addiss/Lombardo translation):

Trying to control the world?
I see you won’t succeed.

We could almost stop here and take a very deep breath and just let is all go. The war for control is over and the inevitable winner is the Dao. The key to winning the battle (which really doesn’t even exist - for there is no battle) is simply to join the Dao, become the Dao. Be this very moment. We will see that this is the only authentic spiritual path, as it says,

The world is a spiritual vessel
And cannot be controlled.

Those who control, fail.
Those who grasp, lose.

Even is we stumble about in life and “grasp” for this and that, then too we lose. Letting go of control also means to stop the endless grasping for this experience and that feeling. This is the ultimate surrender to what is. It’s a lesson that I also need to learn time and again.

Verse 29 then plunges forward describing those who seek to control and those who grasp at life, to attain happiness and power.

Some go forth, some are led,

Do you crave to be a leader or are you more of a follower? In either case, you are seeking something. Give it up.

Some weep, some blow flutes,

Is your identity one whose signature is your emotions; sad or celebratory?

Some become strong, some superfluous,
Some oppress, some are destroyed.

Therefore, the Sage
Casts off extremes,
Casts of excess,
Casts of extravagance.

Disentangle yourself from all of the self-constructed identities, spiritual, powerful, social, or otherwise and welcome the Dao into your life. This is the dance - the really big dance and the really small dance and everywhere in between. The rhythm is always there waiting for you. You can resist and hold onto what you can or you can join the dance with a big and loud YES!

Tags: Control, grasping, Attachment