Tao Te Ching 39

In harmony with the Tao, the sky is clear and spacious, the earth is solid and full, all creatures flourish together, content with the way they are, endlessly repeating themselves, endlessly renewed.

When man interferes with the Tao, the sky becomes filthy, the earth becomes depleted, the equilibrium crumbles, creatures become extinct.
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The environmental message in this chapter is so obvious that it needs little commentary. When we mess with the natural way of life, we end up crumbling and depleted at best, and often filthy or in danger of extinction.

It’s more intriguing to apply this message to our internal environment – the interior of our body and our mind. Our body can remain solid and our mind can remain clear, and we can be renewed and flourish in contentment, if we remain in harmony with the way life is in the present moment. Remember, life cannot be other than what it is at this moment.

If we would like to improve life as it is this moment, then we’re invited to do so by living in harmony – with ourselves, with each other, and with the natural world around us. If we choose to live other than in harmony, then we must accept what flows naturally from our discord and interference – filth in its many forms, depletion, crumbling, and a sure demise.