Advice for the future disciples and masters of the Tao. This text covers all the essentials of the spiritual practice from the 10 powers of Taoism to Tao brands, logos and trademarks.
In this foreword, I will tell you how you become absolutely crushing, using the Tao or "Force" from the Book of Taoism.
The following 10 powers are modernized, zeitgeist and relevant to your personal attitude towards life. Once these timeless and indestructible powers are mastered, you will be a great person of Tao!
(I'll be paraphrasing from the translations in 'The Book of Tao and Teh' by Prof. GU Zhengkun of Peking University.)
Power No. 1: Shut up!
The wise don't speak. Those who speak are not wise. Just be there and mingle with dust, and you will harm nor benefit no one, thus be held in high esteem [Chapter 56].
Power No. 2: Be inactive!
Just don't do anything. You could bring imbalance to the system. Governing the world by not troubling everyone. [Chapter 57]
Power No. 3: Conquer by just being there!
Keep accumulating virtue (be a good sport) and you'll conquer everyone's heart by just being in the room with them. Awkward. [Chapter 59]
Power No. 4: Don't complain about food!
If you're presented with a meal or someone cooked you a dinner, you taste by means of tastelessness. This way, everybody is satisfied. [Chapter 63]
Power No. 5: Keep things in order!
Before disorder sets in, you better maintain a stable environment. A fragile thing is easy to break. Build on strong discipline. [Chapter 64]
Ok, we are halfway through to become super, and the powers are just getting more awesome.Power No. 6: Don't ruin it!
The sage never ruins anything. He cannot lose anything because he holds nothing. Just do your thing consistently and without attachment to stuff and you will never fail. [Chapter 64]
Power No. 7: Do things differently!
Learn what others don't learn, value the undervalued, and so on. You have to make up for the imbalances in the world. [Chapter 64]
Power No. 8: Don't show off!
Be modest and humble with your powers. Don't brag about what you know and can do. [Chapter 68]
Power No. 9: Dress down!
Make your actions your words, and your words make purpose-oriented. To contrast your message, the sage is always dressed in coarse cloth. [Chapter 70]
Power No. 10: Always help those who are good!
If one requites hostility with kindness, how can that be considered perfect? You don't show favoritism. Just support the good people. [Chapter 79]
Honorable mention: Power No. 0: Be like water!
Everyone knows how nothing is more powerful than water in attacking the hard and strong. So be like water. Nobody figured out how to do it, though. Metaphor.
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