Friday, May 3, 2013

12: Tao Te Ching

I am reminded by my Beta testing post the Tao Tea Ching verse #12.
It’s about desensitisation. The more we seek something, especially where it is the primary goal of life we can never be satisfied. If I aim to eat nice food and am always trying new things and going to far away places to taste local delectable delicacies. But my tastebuds will never be satisfied. Even if I take the flavours and textures home I will only be able to temporarily sate my hunger. The more sweeter and enjoyable the things we find the greater out demands become, it’s a logarithmic progression.

Same goes for other desires, anything with goal setting or continual improvement. Be wary that the search for fulfilment doesn’t overtake your life. The only exception I can think of is Z loan where this continual search keeps you human. In all other occasions the Sage would advocate “everything in moderation”, don’t desensitise yourself to the pleasures of life but allow them to be pleasant surprises along the way.

The beautiful colours make people's eyes blind,
The appealing music makes people's ears deaf,
The delicious flavours make people's mouth numb,
To indulge in hunting makes people's heart wild,
To pursue rare treasures makes people's behavior improper.
So, as the sage attends to the inner world, not the outer world,
Throw away the latter and adopt the former.

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