ARCHERY

According to Lao Tzu, the heavenly Tai is like archery. Your aim can be too high or too low; your force in pulling back the arrow can be too much or too little. You need to adjust until you have the perfect angle and just the right amount of force. The Tao has the same moderating influence on nature. Whatever is too much will be reduced; whatever Is too little will be increased.

People often go against this principle in that they give to those who already have too much, and take away from those who already have too little. This is why we have a society where celebrities who are already famous and wealthy receive even more attention and wealth. At the same time, the poor become ever more impoverished, so that the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen.

THE sages, following the Tao, will not follow the herd in worshipping celebrities and ignoring the poor. They counteract what people do by helping the poor and ignoring celebrities. In this way, they serve as a balancing force in society.

The Tao Today

We can emulate the sages by taking the surplus that we have and donating it to those who are in need. This surplus can be anything - books, magazines, clothes, even appliances and furniture. Every little bit you can do will bring more of the heavenly Tao into the world.

The Tao of Joy Every Day

~ Derek Lin