Introduction
This deep into the text, we mostly see increased repetition of key concepts and a subtle deepening of the teaching. This verse references earlier ones in nearly every line. I invite you to recognize that, just as the Dao weaves within and throughout everything, so is this text constructed. These verses aren’t in a linear order but are all nodes in Indra’s net, infinitely reflecting each other.
At this point, the most straightforward advice I can give is that you have to Weave the Way to know what it’s about. Intellectually grappling with the text and commentaries is like quicksand. Though such work can help point the way and affirm your experience, it will never advance you a single step. Remember, “Knowing is speechless. Speaking is not knowing.”
Translation
Through alignment, nations emerge
Through trickery, employ soldiers.
By forgetting agendas, grasp the World.
How do I know to do it this way?
Because the more taboos there are
the more people rebel.
The more people value weapons
the more the country is in confusion.
The more clever people become
the more deceitful phenomena increase.
The more Law and Phenomena are manifest
the more thieves there are.
This is why the Wise say:
I have no concerns; people self-enrich.
I end becoming; people self-transform.
I am still; people self-correct.
I want or want not, people self-simplify.
Commentary
Through alignment, nations emerge
Nations refer to collections of sensations, perceptions, thoughts, and emotions that combine to generate the behaviors we use to navigate life. In common parlance, this is called an “ego,” though I prefer “Current I.”
When we align, i.e., have a clear, causal understanding of how each layer of experience stacks to create a “me,” we have control over our Nation. In such a case, our “Current I” is a “Chosen I,” and we live meditatively. Simply, we are paying attention and doing what we do on purpose.
Fascinatingly, my experience has shown that we are always “in alignment.” Internal conflict and confusion are disconnections between a running program and our self-awareness – more precisely, our capacity for radical acceptance. The program, or habit energy, that runs without our conscious consent is a “Conditioned I.” There is always* a “Current I” running that aligns with some causal chain of sensation, perception, emotion, and cognition. It is up to us to determine if it is conditioned or chosen and adjust accordingly. It’s important to remember that most of our “Conditioned I” structures are beneficial and adequate. Please do not assume that acting out of habit means you are out of Integrity with the Way.
But we can’t know if we don’t look for ripples (verse 17)
Through trickery, employ soldiers.
This brings to mind verses 30 and 31, which discuss the appropriate use of force. Force, the proper effort for the task, is distinct from violence, which is the imposition of one’s will onto the exterior world. Weaving the Way generally doesn’t require violence but may require significant forcefulness. The risk of force is that it quickly turns into violence, and even with appropriate force, “actions have consequences.” Therefore, (y)in-action is always preferred.
However! The Wise use it as needed, favoring a sharp strike.
Sometimes, we must embrace the Yang and take care of business. In such a case, to bind oneself in ways that prevent the quickest possible resolution and efficacy only increases the ramifications. Therefore, use trickery! Use whatever means necessary to ensure your force is as efficient as possible.
This can mean many different things and applies to every level and sector of life. I encourage you to be very conscientious in your ongoing investigation of your relationship to the clear-sighted forcefulness you receive and give in your life.
By forgetting agendas, grasp the World.
When we lose our self-importance and allow the Dao to Weave us, we gain the entire World. Often, we think that dissolving our personal wants and needs means that we will be doormats, subjected to the whims of an unjust and cruel world. Instead, boundless flex and flow grant infinite possibilities for navigating the intricacies of life. For more, See verse 2.
How do I know to do it this way?
Easily passed over as a rhetorical device, this holds the essential energy of Weaving the Way.
It says, “I’ve done it. I’ve investigated it. I know this to be true through my life experiences. I’ll tell you about it and hope you’ll listen to me to save yourself some time and effort. But, I get it; you must prove it to yourself to change your life, just like I did.”
Because the more taboos there are
the more people rebel.
The more people value weapons
the more the country is in confusion.
The more clever people become
the more deceitful phenomena increase.
The more Law and Phenomena are manifest
the more thieves there are.
Reflect on these statements and see how they are confirmed in your inner world. This will teach you much about interpersonal relationships. Knowing yourself is the quickest and most reliable way to understand others, enhancing your relationships and professional effectiveness.
Here are a few pointers for this introspective experiment:
- People refer to individual perceptions, emotions, or thoughts arising in your “Current I.”
- Weapons are synonymous with power, force, and violence. By extension, rigid self-identification, clinging, attachment, and refusal of radical acceptance.
- The Country is the “Current I.”
- Cleverness in its definition as sly or cunning intelligence.
- Phenomena are the basis of sensation, perception, emotion, and cognition.
- In this case, Law is a referent to externally imposed, socially constructed, conditioned, unnatural behavioral restraints relied upon to compensate for true Integrity (德, dé).
And, of course, these are precise descriptions of the challenges we face in meditation. For example, thieves refer to phenomenological events that distract us from our chosen meditation object. Restriction and force create turbulence and force self-deceit. Enjoy the process of uncovering these traps as you meditate.
This is why the Wise say:
I have no concerns; people self-enrich.
I end becoming; people self-transform.
I am still; people self-correct.
I want or want not, people self-simplify.
More summary statements from the teaching – here are the keys:
- Events unfold independently of your engagement. You can be the detached witness and still have a fully functioning ego structure where sensations enrich themselves to thoughts, words, and deeds. Consequently, thoughts, words, and deeds enrich (or deprave) the Heart which experiences the sensations.
- Ending becoming may seem abstract, but it simply means withdrawing active engagement from the process. Having enriched themselves, the people transform. No person is set in stone, and everything is constantly evolving due to the unfolding pressure of the Dao. See verses 4, 9, 11, and 13
- People are self-aligning and self-liberating. Our interference through action (an absence of acceptance, patience, and stillness) keeps things from going as planned.
- We don’t need to bias the desireless embryo or the frontiers explored through desire (see verse 1). Whether in the receptive or active state, it’s all very simple.