Tao Te Ching 41

When a superior man hears of the Tao, he immediately begins to embody it. When an average man hears of the Tao, he half believes it, half doubts it. When a foolish man hears of the Tao, he laughs out loud. If he didn’t laugh, it wouldn’t be the Tao.

Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark, the path forward seems to go back, the direct path seems long, true power seems weak, true purity seems tarnished, true steadfastness seems changeable, true clarity seems obscure, the greatest art seems unsophisticated, the greatest love seems indifferent, the greatest wisdom seems childish.
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For the few who have read these entries, I wonder: who immediately began to embody the Tao; who half believed and half doubted; and who laughed out loud.

When we hear the Tao and embody it, we see that life is not as it seems. We are called to a different vision, one that seems so contrary to the perceptions, assumptions and paradigms that we’ve long held to be true.

That which we thought was dark, becomes light; that which we thought to be backward, becomes a path forward; that which we saw as long, becomes direct; that which we deemed weak, becomes strong; that which we saw as tarnished, becomes pure; that which we considered changeable, becomes steadfast; that which seemed obscure, becomes clear; that which we dismissed as unsophisticated, becomes great; that love to which we were indifferent, becomes the greatest love of our life; and that which we regarded as childish, becomes wisdom.

Jesus said: he who finds his life shall lose it; he who loses his life shall find it; the least shall be greatest; the greatest shall be least; what is done in secret shall be rewarded openly; what has been said in the dark will be heard in the daylight; what has been whispered will be proclaimed; what is concealed will be disclosed; wolves come in sheep’s clothing; whoever exalts himself will be humbled; whoever humbles himself will be exalted; the first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Such is the nature of wisdom throughout the ages. If we’re wise, we will embody it immediately.