Tao Te Ching 7

The Tao is infinite. Why is it infinite?
It has no desires for itself, thus it is present for all things.

The Master is detached from all things; that is why she is one with them.
Because the Master has let go of herself, she is perfectly fulfilled.
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One of the recurring themes in the Tao Te Ching is detachment – letting go – and particularly letting go of the self – the ego. The more self-centered we are, the more fearful and dissatisfied we are and the more we suffer. The more we get outside of ourselves – letting go of our overriding sense of self – the more loving and compassionate we are. (Note: I did not say “we become”; I said “we are”.)

Like the bellows discussed a couple of days ago, the more we empty ourselves of our ego, the more capacity we have for fulfillment. It is only the ego that perceives a lack of fulfillment and a constricting dissatisfaction with life as it is. It is the ego that experiences fear. It is the ego that dwells in the past and the future.

The ego perceives a separation between us and “others”. As we detach from the ego we experience the underlying oneness with others, a unity that gives rise to the love and compassion that are inherent in that unity and thus inherent in each of us.

Only in the present moment are we free from the ego; only in the here and now will we find satisfaction and fulfillment. Try letting go – it’s perfectly fulfilling.