Tao Te Ching: Chapter 19 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective. I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are only my opinions. 

Chapter 19 of the Tao Te Ching examines the importance of simplicity, plainness, and reducing desires. 

Chapter 19

End sagacity; abandon knowledge
The people benefit a hundred times

End benevolence; abandon righteousness
The people return to piety and charity

End cunning; discard profit
Bandits and thieves no longer exist

These three things are superficial and insufficient
Thus this teaching has its place:
Show plainness; hold simplicity
Reduce selfishness; decrease desires

End sagacity? End benevolence?

This can be a perplexing chapter because it seems to want to end things that are good.... like knowledge, charity, righteousness.

That's not really what this chapter is saying.

As in earlier chapters of the Tao Te Ching, this chapter is using one half of a duality to condemn duality as a concept. If you have benevolence and knowledge, it is only because you also have malevolence and ignorance. End the duality. Without that duality, there is no benevolence and knowledge, because everything is benevolent and wise, and when everything is a certain way, you no longer notice it. When the duality is gone, perception of it changes. Like Syndrome says in the Incredibles: when everyone's super, no one will be.



This chapter isn't arguing against righteousness or goodness; it's arguing against duality.

Reduce selfishness; decrease desires

Image here.

These three things are superficial and insufficient
Thus this teaching has its place:
Show plainness; hold simplicity
Reduce selfishness; decrease desires

The conclusion of this chapter is a list of basic instructions to decrease materialism--a major theme of the Tao Te Ching. When we embrace simplicity and plainness, reduce selfishness, and especially, decrease desires, we are much more capable of being open to the Spirit and much more capable of being open to God's will for us.

As an example, I used to have lots of ambitions and desires--none of them "unrighteous" or anything like that--but one day God told me I needed to give them all up. I cried and cried because those where what I wanted. But when I finally did let go, reduce my selfishness, and decrease my desires, all these miracles started happening in my life, God gave me lots of presents, and life actually got better.

A Biblical warning against materialism:

Ecclesiastes 5:10
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

We are counseled to embrace contentment:

1 Timothy 6:6
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Conclusion

This chapter of the Tao Te Ching encourages us to transcend duality, reduce our own materialism, and embrace plainness and simplicity.

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 18 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective. I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are only my opinions. 

Chapter 18 of the Tao Te Ching examines the opposites that show up when unity is dismissed in favor of duality. 

Chapter 18

The great Tao fades away
There is benevolence and justice
Intelligence comes forth
There is great deception

The six relations are not harmonious
There is filial piety and kind affection
The country is in confused chaos
There are loyal ministers

The Great Tao Fades Away

The "Tao" means the "way," or "path," and it refers to the way of the Universe. The way of the Universe is non-dual--duality is subsumed within the greater whole of the Tao (as an example, consider the taijitu, the yin-yang symbol, that contains both the masculine and feminine energies in their duality, as a single non-dual whole).

When we abandon the higher, non-dual view of the universe, we are susceptible to feelings of self-righteousness ("benevolence" and "justice"). Think of how Jesus once preached: "There is none good but one, that is, God" (Mark 10:18). Earlier in the verse, Christ even chastises those around Him for calling Him good--and He is the Christ! It can be easy and tempting for us to think of ourselves as benevolent or just, but that is deception: As Jesus said, there is one who is good, and that is God.

The next two lines state that when intelligence comes, so does deception. Alternate translations use the words "cleverness" and "hypocrisy" instead. Both translations build on the idea that when we lose the non-dual mindset and allow what the yogis call "maya," or the "illusion" of duality to set in, we fancy ourselves clever or somehow smarter than those around us--which leads to hypocrisy and deception. Particularly, to me, stands out the idea of self-deception. Thinking we are smarter than anyone else is a form of self-deception that is avoided when we are centered in reality (the Gospel, the "Tao," the reality of the Universe).

Alternate understandings of this stanza indicate that Lao-Tzu means that when people abandon the Tao, they focus more on benevolence and justice and cleverness because those things have largely disappeared--absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. Because benevolence and justice is part of the Tao, when people abandon the Tao, it makes those things that much harder to find, and therefore that much easier to spot in the rare instances when they show up.

The six relations

These are graphs of the six relations from Confucianism (source). In keeping with the Tao Te Ching's discussion of yin and yang, or dominant and subordinate, that's what these relationships are all about.

	1	2	3
	4	5	6

	4	5	6

What Chapter 18 is saying here is that when the Tao is abandoned, and there is therefore disharmony in the six relationships, filial piety and kind affection are talked about because they are harder to find and easier to spot. It is the same with the country when the Tao is abandoned: all of a sudden, the few loyal ministers stand out.

Conclusion

Chapter 18 discusses the nature of duality: in a dual world, good and bad are illuminated by each other.

In a world that embraces the Tao, there is no distinction between good and bad, because everything is good and everything is well-governed and all relationships are in harmony. By embracing the Tao and shedding the illusion of maya, we cease to be roped into the illusion of duality and begin to live in the world of reality. 

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 17 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective. I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are only my opinions. 

Chapter 17 of the Tao Te Ching examines governance. 

Chapter 17

The highest rulers, people do not know they have them
The next level, people love them and praise them
The next level, people fear them
The next level, people despise them
If the rulers' trust is insufficient
Have no trust in them

Proceeding calmly, valuing their words
Task accomplished, matter settled
The people all say, "We did it naturally"

Types of Rulers

So here we have listed four separate levels of rulers.

The top level of rulers is so efficient, people don't know they even exist. The next three levels inspire people to love them, fear them, and hate them, respectively. I feel like this is pretty self-explanatory. The next line is interesting: "If the rulers' trust is insufficient/ Have no trust in them."

Everyone is a mirror for ourselves. What we see in others is really what we see in ourselves. When a person, or a regime or ruler, sees reason for distrust in others, it is typically because that person is not trustworthy. When you get a ruler who does not trust his people, it is a sign that you should not trust that person.

We did it naturally

The second stanza in this chapter is brief, and kind of goes backwards. When people proceed calmly, valuing their words, tasks are accomplished and matters are settled "naturally."

There is a Biblical precedent for people valuing their words highly:

Matthew 12:36
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

The Bible also teaches that "in quietness and confidence" is our strength (Isaiah 30:15).

Conclusion

Proceeding calmly with measured words is a wise way to accomplish things.

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 15 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective. I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are only my opinions. 

Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching describes the nature of the Tao masters and how they live.

Chapter 15

The Tao masters of antiquity
Subtle wonders through mystery
Depths that cannot be discerned
Because one cannot discern them
Therefore one is forced to describe the appearance 

Hesitant, like crossing a wintry river
Cautious, like fearing four neighbors
Solemn, like a guest
Loose, like ice about to melt
Genuine, like plain wood
Open, like a valley
Opaque, like muddy water 

Who can be muddled yet desist
In stillness gradually become clear?
Who can be serene yet persist
In motion gradually come alive? 

One who holds this Tao does not wish to be overfilled
Because one is not overfilled
Therefore one can preserve and not create anew

One cannot discern them

The chapter in the first stanza is implying that because Tao masters are so deep, their depths cannot even be seen: instead we have to describe how they live as we observe them. This concept aligns with the principle of 1 Samuel 16:7, the idea that man only looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord alone looks at the heart. Since we cannot see the hearts of the Tao masters, we settle by describing their behaviors.


Like crossing a wintry river

This chapter describes those who live the Tao as being hesitant, cautious, solemn, loose, genuine, open, and opaque--their actions are measured and defined by consciousness. They are not spontaneous, despite being genuine; they think ahead cautiously and move hesitantly. Although they are open, they are also opaque. Essentially, while being open and honest, they leave enough of their thoughts to the imagination that they appear opaque. They are polite and appropriate in every circumstance.

Christians are urged to live with a similar level of mindfulness. Matthew 12:36 cautions Christians that "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Christians hoping for salvation would ideally master themselves and their words in the same way as a Tao master: solemn as a guest, genuine as plain wood, cautious like fearing four neighbors. If a single idle word must be answered for at judgment day, it would surely pay to live like a Tao master in this regard!

In stillness gradually become clear

This strange and beautiful couplet addresses the way Tao masters harness the power of yin and yang: using opposites to accomplish their purposes. Muddled yet desisting in stillness, gradually becoming clear; serene yet persisting in motion, gradually coming alive. This is also a discussion of the yin-yang paradox: that through surrender, one may accomplish many things. Sometimes the counterintuitive action can be the true solution.

As an example: we are supposed to hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), but also feast upon the word (2 Nephi 32:3).

We are supposed to lose our lives to find them (Matthew 10:39).

Christianity is full of "heavenly paradoxes."

One who can preserve

What does it mean to not be overfilled?

The TTC refers again and again to the virtue of emptiness. To avoid being overfilled in the modern world might translate into avoiding an overly busy schedule, for example: avoiding being overly busy would prevent unnecessary loss of energy, and prevent the problems that come with being too busy (haste makes waste, as they say).

Another helpful interpretation of this concept could be viewed through the lens of healthy sexuality and sexual energy, as Progressive Prophetess recently blogged about.

In Psalms 46:10, God counsels His people to be still. In Conference of October 2010, Dieter F. Uchtdorf counseled us to simplify and focus on the things that matter most.

Conclusion

Mastering the Tao involves behaviors that are wise for Christians to emulate also.

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 14 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective. I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are only my opinions. 

Chapter 14 of the Tao Te Ching examines the nature of the Tao. 

Chapter 14
Look at it, it cannot be seen
It is called colorless
Listen to it, it cannot be heard
It is called noiseless
Reach for it, it cannot be held
It is called formless
These three cannot be completely unraveled
So they are combined into one

Above it, not bright
Below it, not dark
Continuing endlessly, cannot be named
It returns back into nothingness
Thus it is called the form of the formless
The image of the imageless
This is called enigmatic
Confront it, its front cannot be seen
Follow it, its back cannot be seen

Wield the Tao of the ancients
To manage the existence of today
One can know the ancient beginning
It is called the Tao Axiom

This is called enigmatic

This entire chapter deals with the colorless, noiseless, formless nature of the Tao: the Tao is enigmatic. It is difficult to explain.

To me, this is reminiscent of the Biblical discussion of "milk and meat," and the commandment not to run before you can walk, and the idea that we learn line upon line, and precept upon precept. The nature of the Tao--the nature of the universe--is so abstract that a simple explanation will not cut it, and indeed, we may not even be ready to begin comprehending it.

The Tao is the underlying principle that governs the universe.

Wield the Tao of the ancients

Even though the Tao is enigmatic, difficult to comprehend, Chapter 14 still alleges that it can be lived. The link above, about the Tao governing the universe, explains some of the concepts involved with living the Tao, including embracing intuition over logic, and becoming the sort of person who does virtuous acts out of who you are, rather than intentions of being or doing good. Basically the same idea Jesus expressed in Matthew 23:27. Outward righteousness is not enough: righteousness needs to flow from us because of who we are.

Conclusion

The Tao is a principle, not a thing; therefore it is enigmatic. However, we can still live in accordance with the universal law to manage the existence of today.

will you be a healer?

A student of mine was studying the scriptures and came across 2 Nephi 13 (compare Isaiah 3). I'm going to quote a few verses of it. But first, some backstory: Isaiah is talking about the punishments the people will face for their disobedience to the Lord.

Examine:

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. 

6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: 

7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

We're already living in the world of verse 5. The riots in Ferguson are just one example of the sweeping civil unrest that is prophesied to come upon our nation.

Christ is the true healer. Image here. 

But the next two verses were what stood out to my student, and then to me as I studied this after she pointed it out. When a man goes to his brother and begs him to be their ruler, to "let this ruin be under thy hand," the brother declines with the words: "I will not be a healer."

It is an interesting connection. When everything falls apart, the people who have resources, both material and mental/emotional, will be turned to in the hopes that they will be able to heal the situation. Healing and ruling go hand in hand in that time--but many people who would otherwise be capable of healing situations will decline the responsibility.

Being a healer is a responsibility. If you feel called to the work then you have a job to do. But with responsibilities come blessings. God doesn't call the qualified: He qualifies the called.

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 13 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective. I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are my opinions and observations only.

Chapter 13 of the Tao Te Ching deals with the problems associated with the ego--ego being the part of us that views itself as separate from God and others. The chapter also cautions against putting stock in either good fortune or bad.

Favor and disgrace make one fearful
The greatest misfortune is the self
What does "favor and disgrace make one fearful" mean?
Favor is high; disgrace is low
Having it makes one fearful
Losing it makes one fearful
This is "favor and disgrace make one fearful"

What does "the greatest misfortune is the self" mean?
The reason I have great misfortune
Is that I have the self
If I have no self
What misfortune do I have?

So one who values the self as the world
Can be given the world
One who loves the self as the world
Can be entrusted with the world

Favor and disgrace make one fearful

A Yogi is a person for which success and failure are the equal.
- Bhagavad Gita (at least according to this guy)

Chapter 13 of the Tao Te Ching really drives home the idea that investing one's emotional energies in either success or failure is a sure way to spend all your time afraid--or at least really stressed out. Obviously, it's smart to work for success, but to be attached to success is a way to be "fearful," as the chapter states. When a person can un-attach from material things, the things that are impacted by earthly success and failure, they will be a lot more peaceful.

This idea is echoed in the Bible when Jesus counsels people to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven instead of on Earth. Or check out 2 Nephi 9:30:

30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

It might be easy to dismiss this scripture with an "Oh, but I'm not rich." Yet in America, even the poorest of us have access to riches unthinkable at the time of the TTC's writing. If you have modern plumbing, sorry: in a way, you are rich. 

But beyond that, the warning of this scripture is this: if your hearts are set on treasures, treasure is your god. And treasures fail you in the end. 

Better to avoid putting stock in failure and success as to earthly things, and focus on the treasures of heaven.

The Greatest Misfortune is the Self

I think of this phrase often. It is such a concise condemnation of the ego--the part of us that experiences separation from others and from God. The part of us that experiences pride, enmity, anger, and feelings of "other."  This is the part of us that brings out all of our misfortunes. A great book about this is As A Man Thinketh by James Allen.

In the book, Allen explains that everything in life has its roots in thought--and that everything in your life has its roots in your thoughts. Your suffering has its roots in the ego.

When we divest ourselves of our investment in the ego, in being "other" from those around us, we lose all senses of misfortune. When we allow ourselves to feel at one with even our enemies, even nature, even animals, even God, we no longer have the same reactions to previously painful situations. When you empathize with your enemies, their sins against you no longer have the same gall. The greatest misfortune is the self because as long as we view ourselves as "other" and as better than, we are subject to anger, sorrow, and feelings of injustice.

Incidentally, the Plan of Salvation is all about God's children removing the unclean parts of themselves and eventually becoming unified in God-consciousness. You've probably never heard it put that way but what is the unity and selflessness of true Gospel living but a divestiture of the self in favor of a sense of oneness with God, His children, and all of creation?

Loving the World as Yourself

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Galatians 5:13

When we do manage to give up our egos in favor of loving the world as ourselves, we can be trusted with the world. When we view those around us with the same lens through which we view ourselves, with the same willingness to see the best in others as we see in our selves--when we are honestly just as motivated to make sure those around us have what they need and want as we are motivated to provide needs and wants for ourselves--we can be trusted with the world.

Conclusion

When we eradicate the ego and stop caring about earthly success and failure, we are able to be trusted with the world.

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 12 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from a Christ-centered, LDS perspective.

Chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching once again reminds us to focus on the basics and not get caught up in material things.

The text reads:

The five colors make one blind in the eyes
The five sounds make one deaf in the ears
The five flavors make one tasteless in the mouth 

Racing and hunting make one wild in the heart
Goods that are difficult to acquire make one cause damage 

Therefore the sages care for the stomach and not the eyes
That is why they discard the other and take this

The Senses and Deception

Image here.

The first stanza of this chapter allude to a theme common in religious texts: that the things of this earth--the sights, sounds, tastes--are illusory and can blind us to the things that are truly important.
1 Samuel 16:7 refers to this idea when it points out that while men look at external appearance, the Lord looks on the heart. Matthew 6:19-20 refers to this idea when it exhorts us to keep our focus on heavenly things instead of the things of the earth. As Matthew 1:35 points out, heaven and earth--the things of our senses--will pass away, but God's word will not pass away.

The TTC and the Bible and other Christian scripture exhort us to pass on materialism and make our focus the things of a better world (D&C 25:10).


Avoiding Goods That Are Difficult to Acquire

Chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching recommends against seeking material goods that are hard to get--hunting for these things makes a person "wild in the heart." Wildness in the heart is not a good thing--the prophet Brigham Young taught in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1997), 204:

“The [body] must be brought in subjection to the spirit perfectly, or your bodies cannot be raised to inherit eternal life. . . . Seek diligently, until you bring all into subjection to the law of Christ.”

If we place our heart's priorities on material goods, we are evidencing that our bodies are not in subjection to our spirits.

Care For the Stomach and Not the Eyes

This reminds me of how the word of God is compared to food in both the scriptures and the temple. We are to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3). The symbolism of the Word as food is a reminder to us that just as our body constantly needs more and more food to sustain itself, so does our spirit need constant nourishment from the scriptures and word of God.

When the sages care for the stomach and not the eyes, I like to think of them caring for both the physical and the spiritual stomach--focusing on the important jobs of keeping both the body and spirit properly nourished, rather than wasting resources like time and money on the unimportant trivialities of the flesh. The sages discard materialism and choose spiritual enlightenment instead.

Conclusion

Both the Tao Te Ching and Christian scriptures agree: avoid materialism and instead place your focus on the things of the spirit. 

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 11 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective.

Chapter 11 of the Tao Te Ching is another chapter that extols the virtues of emptiness. Here it is:

Wheel with spokes. Image here. 

Thirty spokes join in one hub
In its emptiness, there is the function of a vehicle
Mix clay to create a container
In its emptiness, there is the function of a container
Cut open doors and windows to create a room
In its emptiness, there is the function of a room 

Therefore, that which exists is used to create benefit
That which is empty is used to create functionality

 In emptiness is function

A major point of this chapter is the idea that emptiness is functionality. A wheel is nice, but it's useful because of the hole in the middle that lets it be attached to things and used. A pot is nice, but it's useful because its emptiness can be filled. A room is a room because it is an enclosed space--the emptiness of it allows it to be useful.

This is another explanation of the concept of yin and yang. The concluding couplet of this chapter explains that the yang aspect creates benefit, and the yin aspect creates functionality.

To examine this from the masculine-feminine perspective, in a scriptural context, the chapter that comes to mind is Section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This special chapter is one given to Emma Smith.

In this section, Emma is counseled to empty herself. Empty herself of jealousy and skepticism of her husband (verse 4), and empty herself of desires for the things of this world (verse 10).

Emma Smith. Image here.

As she empties herself, she is eligible to receive new callings and assignments, as far as preaching and organizing the hymns. She is better able to follow the divine counsel to "delight in her husband" and support him.

Of course, men are also counseled to empty themselves of things like sin and pride and so forth, and the Tao Te Ching is clear in encouraging both men and women to adhere to the feminine aspect in this regard. Empty is important. At the same time, "existence," as this chapter calls it, is needed for benefits as well. But emptiness and existence create each other, support each other, illuminate each other.

Like in this scriptural example, as Emma empties herself, she has more opportunities for "existence," or action. As she becomes a different person (being--a yin aspect), she is able to do more (doing is a yang aspect). When she empties herself of the things that should not be there, she is given more assignments of things to do.

Conclusion

When we empty ourselves of the things that don't belong in us for our highest good, we become a different person who is able and expected to do more.

Therefore, that which exists is used to create benefit

That which is empty is used to create functionality

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 10 Commentary

This series examines the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective.

Chapter 10 of the Tao Te Ching asks us to examine our steadfastness, our trust, our honor, our yin energy, and our wisdom. Here it is: 

Heavenly gate. Image here.

In holding the soul and embracing oneness
Can one be steadfast, without straying?
In concentrating the energy and reaching relaxation
Can one be like an infant?
In cleaning away the worldly view
Can one be without imperfections?
In loving the people and ruling the nation
Can one be without manipulation?
In the heavenly gate's opening and closing
Can one hold to the feminine principle?
In understanding clearly all directions
Can one be without intellectuality? 

Bearing it, rearing it
Bearing without possession
Achieving without arrogance
Raising without domination
This is called the Mystic Virtue

Six Virtues 

Here we find a list of virtues that Lao-Tzu (the writer) asks us to examine in ourselves. We are to be:

1. Steadfast in holding our soul and achieving "oneness," or, one might say, "union," the meaning of the word "yoke" in Matthew 11:29.
2. Childlike in our concentration and trust in the Lord (Luke 18:17).
3. Perfect in achieving an eternal perspective (1 Corinthians 13:11-12).
4. Guileless in love and governance (Revelation 14:5, John 1:47).
5. Submissive (feminine) with regards to God's will for us in His opening and closing of "the heavenly gate" (Mosiah 3:19).
6. Clear in our spiritual understanding without being nitpickingly intellectual (John 1:48-51).

Each of those virtues could have had like fifty scriptures linked to it, but I just picked one or two each. I had to use the story of Nathaniel twice because I love Christ's tribute to his purity and lack of guile, and I love how the story of him and fig tree portray trust. In the story, Christ comes up to Nathaniel, and praises him for having no guile. Nathaniel asks Him, basically, "Um, how do we know each other?" And Christ responds by referring to a secret, possibly sacred time when Nathaniel was alone under the fig tree. Rather than responding with suspicion ("How could you possibly know that???"), Nathaniel responds with trust: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.

In its way, this first part of Chapter 10 of the Tao Te Ching reminds me of a condensed version of Alma 5, kind of a series of guided questions for improving one's relationship with God.

Raising without domination

As a woman, I read the second part of this chapter in the context of children, bearing and raising children without domination, without arrogance, without possession. Our children are not ours; they are our stewardship. We do not possess them; we have only a brief time to teach them and raise them.

But this goes not just for children but all sorts of things. We don't truly own anything on the Earth; everything is God's, because He made it. He just loans us stuff. This was one of the points of the famous "Render Unto Caesar" speech in the Bible (Luke 20:25).

In this story, priests come up to Jesus to try and trick Him. They ask in Luke 20:22 if it is lawful for them to essentially pay taxes.

The tribute penny. Image here.

In verse 24, Christ asks the priests whose inscription is on the penny. They explain that it is Caesar's name and inscription. What the Bible leaves out is what the inscription actually says: on the penny, the denarius, it says, "Ti[berivs] Caesar Divi Avg[vsti] F[ilivs] Avgvstvs” (“Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the Divine Augustus," claiming that Caesar is actually a god.

The question was: is paying tribute to Caesar an acknowledgment of another god? Is using this coin breaking the commandment to put no other gods before the God of Israel?

Christ's response is to "render unto Caesar's what is Caesar's, and render unto God what is God's." There have been many interpretations of this over the years, but my inclination is to accept the teaching that everything is God's--see Colossians 1:16, or even just the story of Genesis. God made the world and it and everything in it are His. We are just stewards.

In the Doctrine and Covenants, we learn the importance of good stewardship over the things God is lending us. D&C 121:39-42 in particular cautions against unrighteous dominion, specifically in the context of priesthood leadership, but the same caution can apply to anyone.

The Tao Te Ching cautions against unrighteous dominion, against taking pride in or credit for our alleged accomplishments. All things are God's, anyway.

Conclusion

Chapter 10 of the Tao Te Ching echoes many sentiments from the Christian scriptures.

Follow the Spirit: learn your baseline

In the Home Healing Course I'm teaching, we spent the past week studying intuition (among other things). A bunch of people commented that they wished they'd known this one technique for their whole lives, so I'm just going to share it here in the hopes that it helps others.

The secret trick: every time I pray with a question now, I have God remind me ahead of time what yes and no feel like.

So the other night, I had this weird experience where I was supposed to go to a social event, and when I got there, I started feeling like the Holy Ghost was telling me not to go. This was basically an enrichment activity involving just a bunch of people from the ward, and so I was very confused. Why would I be told not to go to that?

So I ignored the prompting, got out of my car and headed toward the house, only to be told over and over again not to go, not to go. So I went back to my car and prayed.

Image here.

Fortunately, I had this tool in my tool belt. I prayed for God to remind me what a "yes" feels like, and I allowed myself to feel that for a few moments. Then I prayed for God to remind me what a "no" feels like, and I allowed myself to feel the difference.

Then I prayed again, asking: should I be here? (No.) Should I go home now? (Yes.)

I went ahead and phrased my questions different ways--Can I go in? Should I leave right this minute? Do I need to be at home tonight? Just testing my answers' consistency. When the answers all matched, I ended up turning the car back on and driving on home, just on faith. I wanted to go be with friends but as soon as I acted on my prompting I instantly felt better. When I got home I felt to ask my husband for a blessing, for all my confused feelings. The blessing basically was like, "Good work following the Spirit!" and that was that. So I have no idea what that all was about, but I did have a good time alone repackaging my long-term food storage and listening to Har Hari Haray Wahe Guru over and over on YouTube.

That story is just an example, though, of this principle in action. I believe I was inspired to begin asking God for these reminders of what yes and no feel like. Getting answers to prayers can be hard enough without having to guess if the feeling you're getting is a yes or a no.

So, a challenge: spend some time this week with God just learning what a "yes" and a "no" feel like. Go ahead and take it a step further, if you want, and ask what a "deceptive no" feels like--the most convincing false yes that the adversary could plant in your heart. Practice discerning the difference. Watch how much more easily you will be able to discern the yes-no answers to prayers as you live your daily life. Where it used to take me personally quite a while, sometimes, to understand if I was getting a yes or no about something, now it does not take long at all. I still ask for reminders of yes and no at the beginning of important prayers, but overall I am much more confident at knowing that when I get a feeling, I will be able to recognize it for the answer it actually is.

Yes Feeling Samples

Image here.

Talking to random people who have tried this, "Yes" feelings seem to tend to include:

- feelings of light or warmth of tingling in the lungs and face
- feelings of spiritual expansion
- feelings of energy rising in the body
- feelings of spiritual "smiling"
- open feelings in the heart area

No Feeling Samples

- feelings of being closed off
- energy sinking downward instead of upward
- tingling on different parts of the body (my guts sometimes tingle, or a friend's ears tingle)
- feelings of constriction

False Yes Feeling Samples

- dizziness
- energy moving around, but not in the same way as a yes
- different body parts tingling than you would feel in a yes or a no

Everyone Is Different

It's important to figure out for yourself what your baseline is. You might have the same yes and no feelings that I do, or you might not. I suspect it's like muscle testing. For most people, if they stand up and ask themselves what their name is, their body will sway one direction or another as an answer. But for some people, instead of swaying, their body will make, for example, the right arm tingle or lift for yes, and the left arm tingle or lift for no. That's not wrong. It's just different. There are lots of different ways a yes or a no feeling might manifest for a person, but it's up to you to discover what those manifestations look like for you.

Personal prayer. Image from lds.org.

And it's so, so important to learn what a deceptive no feels like. The adversary wants us to fail when we seek answers from God. The more important the issue is that we're praying over, the more he will try and influence us falsely. If God's answer is no but the adversary's answer is yes, you need to be able to recognize what that feels like.

Similarly, you need to be able to recognize feelings of "yes" as being from God, because sometimes God tells us answers we don't want to hear. "Yes" feelings for me are not particularly comfortable. So if all I asked was a yes or no question and I got that uncomfortable sensation of yes, that buzziness in my chest, if I didn't know any better I could easily just tell myself that my answer was a no, because what would I have to compare it to? And a lot of times I think people seeking answers expect them to come in a specific way, without asking God if that specific way is appropriate for them or not.

Also, I'll mention that another thing I like to do is specifically pray that God will send me answers in a way that is unmistakeable, that I will fully understand. God will always send us answers, but there's no guarantee we'll understand them unless we ask for that understanding too!

God is not going to lead you astray with this. If you go directly to Him to get your baseline, He'll be happy to give it to you. He wants you to be able to easily discern between yes and no. I believe it's actually one of His big goals for all of His children. So I challenge you to spend some time this week practicing with this. Get on your knees and ask Him what yes and no feel like. Ask Him a question and ask Him to give you the answer in a way you won't be able to misinterpret. Notice the difference in the quality of your prayers.

Believe! Witness miracles!

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 9 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from an LDS, Christ-centered perspective.

Chapter 9 of the Tao Te Ching is about avoiding excess and withdrawing the self. 

Cup overfilled. Image here.

Holding a cup and overfilling it
Cannot be as good as stopping short
Pounding a blade and sharpening it
Cannot be kept for long 

Gold and jade fill up the room
No one is able to protect them
Wealth and position bring arrogance
And leave disasters upon oneself 

When achievement is completed, fame is attained
Withdraw oneself
This is the Tao of Heaven

Avoiding excess

The beginning of this chapter is about avoiding excess. Holding a cup in place too long will lead to it overflowing. You can only sharpen your blade for so long.

Once again, this is a suggestion to embrace the yin aspect: resting is the necessary counterpart of work. Trying to do the yang thing for too long is not just impossible (as in the case of endlessly pounding on the blade), it's unwise (as in the case of overfilling the cup).

Sharpening a blade. Image here.

The Christian scriptures teach the same thing, except in the context of the Sabbath. Both the people (Exodus 20: 8-10) and the land (Leviticus 25:4) have a Sabbath--with every period of work comes a rest.

Now, there's a rest every night: sleep counts as yin-time. But even on top of our daily rest, Christians and Jews are commanded Biblically to add in a full day out of seven to rest. In the case of the Shemitah, Jews were commanded to leave the land fallow one year out of seven, to allow the land to rest. The punishment for violation of this law was invasion and displacement from their land (Leviticus 26:34), so that their land could still enjoy her Sabbaths.

Now, the reference to the cup overflowing is an interesting one because in the Tao Te Ching it appears that an overflowing cup is a bad thing--wasteful and messy. In the Christian scriptures, a famous verse uses the same imagery to convey abundance (Psalms 23:5-6):

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Although those verses get a lot of play, cups and how full they are play other important roles in the Bible.


Mark 14:36

36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Luke 22:20:

20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

1 Corinthians 10:21:

21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

Ezekiel 23:33:

33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

Isaiah 51:22:

22 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:

Do a scripture search on the word "cup" and see what comes up. By and large, it seems that the references to cups in the scriptures more often refer to suffering than abundance--and stopping that suffering short seems like a good idea. I like how 1 Corinthians 10:21 explains that the cup reference can refer to both good and evil. An overflow from a good cup can mean abundance for all of one's days--but an overflow from a bad cup would never be a good thing. It is far better to stop short.

Withdraw oneself

Treasures of gold. Image here.

The other part of this chapter extols the virtue of withdrawing--or what Buddhists might refer to as giving up attachment.

No one can protect the gold and jade that fill up the room, this chapter explains; a Christian might phrase it this way (Matthew 6:19-20):

19 ¶Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

 Chapter 9 goes on to counsel readers to avoid attachment to earthly things like wealth and position, because they only lead to pride and disasters--which completely fits with Christian teachings. Here is Proverbs 16:18:

18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

And here is a list of scriptures that use the words "puffed up," a really interesting phrase for the word "pride." This chapter of the Tao Te Ching in essence cautions against being puffed up, because it only brings disaster on the self. Christianity tends to draw the focus of those disasters on the life to come--the idea that if you sin through pride you will end up paying for it in the eternities--but the Tao Te Ching seems to focus on the disastrous effects of pride in this life.

Conclusion

The Tao Te Ching supports periods of rest, and encourages the reader to "withdraw oneself" as a way of uniting with the Tao of Heaven. These concepts support and are supported by Christian scripture.

Prepare your spirit

The most important part of emergency preparedness is spiritual.

Sermon on the Mount. Public domain.

We know this from the scriptures, but I was reminded of it during my first time checking in with the energy field of the Ebola virus. When I discovered that a belief blocking immunity to Ebola was "[Survival] is worse than death," I had the most sickening feeling to my body and my spirit as I felt what it would feel like to watch everyone around you die gruesome deaths. And I remembered Revelation 9:6:

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

That is how I felt as I experienced what it feels like to live when everyone you love has died horrific deaths. I realized: dying gracefully would require a huge amount of faith, but so would survival.

If society ever does fall apart, the most important thing will be spiritual preparedness--faith that is strong enough to sustain a person no matter what. Faith to sustain a person in death, or in a life that could be more miserable than death without the hope that comes from faith in Jesus Christ.
So how does one build the kind of faith that can sustain in times of "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21)?

The Bible Dictionary defines faith:

Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true (Heb. 11:1; Alma 32:21), and must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation. To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone. The Lord has revealed Himself and His perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in Him without reservation. Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith (Rom. 10:14–17). Miracles do not produce faith, but strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, faith comes by righteousness, although miracles often confirm one’s faith.

The entry goes on to further explain that while faith is a gift, it has to be sought after and cultured in order to grow into a strong tree.

Planting the seed

The seed can grow into a tree. Image here.

Faith is often compared to a seed, as in the metaphor above. How do we obtain a seed of faith?

As the Bible Dictionary explained, we have to "hear the testimony of those who have faith." That's why LDS congregations have "testimony meeting" once a month, where members are invited to come up and share their witnesses of Christ's divinity, along with testimonies of other gospel principles, such as charity or tithing. Hearing the testimony of another person is how the seed of faith is planted, and sharing a testimony helps it grow.
An easy way to hear the testimony of people who have real faith is to read the scriptures. The Holy Bible has been inspiring faith in millions, for hundreds of years. Reading the words of Christ as transcribed by people who had faith in Him and personally knew Him is an incredible way to build faith.

The Book of Mormon also contains the words of Jesus Christ--or at least it purports to. The book comes with a promise that is very relevant to this discussion of faith, and this promise is found in Moroni 10:3-5:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

The scriptures. From lds.org.

The promise is that if you can muster enough faith to A) read the Book of Mormon, B) remember and ponder God's mercy towards the children of men, C) ask of God to know if these things are true or not true, with a sincere heart and real intent and faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it to you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, by following a very simple recipe, a very simple set of instructions, you can actually receive a divine witness as to whether or not the book is true or not.

Reading the book is an act of faith. Asking God about the truthfulness of the book with real intent--meaning, willing to change your life depending on the answer you get--is another act of faith. And then receiving the witness of truth strengthens your faith. It's like a giant cycle of faith-building.

If you don't have any faith, I recommend trying out the test. Worst case scenario, you waste five hours reading a book. Best case scenario, your faith in Jesus Christ strengthens incredibly and your life changes forever for the better.

If you already have faith in Jesus Christ but haven't read the Book of Mormon, the same goes for you: worst case scenario, you learn a little bit more about what other people believe about Jesus. Best case scenario, you feel like you understand the Gospel better than ever and feel a deeper-than-ever

Growing faith

relationship with Jesus.

Faith grows through exercise. Exercises of faith include but are not limited to:

- Daily scripture reading: exercising faith that studying God's word will benefit your life.
- Daily heartfelt prayer: exercising faith that God listens to and hears you, and cares.
- Service with a loving heart: exercising faith that God blesses those who bless His other children.
- Paying tithing: exercising faith that when we sacrifice a tenth of our material increase, God rewards us with more than what we sacrificed.
- Storing extra food and water: exercising faith that God inspired modern prophets who counseled this.
- Getting out of debt: once again exercising faith in God's prophets who have counseled this.

Bigger exercises of faith might be to turn your fertility over to God, trusting that He won't allow a pregnancy at the wrong time for you or your family, or to trust that all the things that don't make sense that pop into your mind are true. Exercising faith like this actually strengthens your faith so that you can exercise more faith.

The Bible has a great treatise on faith in Hebrews 11, and the Book of Mormon has a great one in Ether 12. The Bible Dictionary, as well as these scripture chapters, teaches that with enough faith, one can heal, command the elements, and do basically anything as long as it aligns with God's will. As Jesus said, faith as a mustard seed can move a mountain.

I don't think He was being metaphorical. Faith is the power to literally move literal mountains.

Conclusion

Growing faith is one of the most important things we can do to prepare for anything. Faith in an ultimately just yet loving and merciful God gives us the strength to forgive others and the world for the wrongs we suffer; it gives us the strength to let go of the outcome and trust that He has everything under control, even if we don't. Faith is what will give us the strength to die with grace or live despite horrors.  Building up a food storage or making other survival plans will be futile without a sufficient storage of faith in God and Jesus Christ that can weather the storms of anything the world has to throw at us. 

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 8 Commentary

This is part of a series examining the Tao Te Ching from a Christ-centered, LDS perspective.

Chapter 8 of the Tao Te Ching is one of my favorite chapters. To me, it perfectly describes the essence of the yin, feminine aspect.

Here is the text:

Water. Public domain.

The highest goodness resembles water
Water greatly benefits myriad things without contention
It stays in places that people dislike
Therefore it is similar to the Tao
Dwelling with the right location
Feeling with great depth
Giving with great kindness
Speaking with great integrity
Governing with great administration
Handling with great capability
Moving with great timing
Because it does not contend
It is therefore beyond reproach

Benefits myriad things without contention

I love the idea that the highest goodness benefits things without contention, being even in places that people don't want to be. Are these not explicitly Christian values?

• Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

  
  

  3 Nephi 11:29  For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. 

  
  Because it does not contend, it is beyond reproach.
  
• To me, this chapter of the Tao Te Ching is essentially a condensed version of key parts of the Sermon on the Mount. Compare Matthew 5:39-44: 

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
 43 ¶Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

What is all this but giving with great kindness? Dwelling with the right location and feeling with great depth? 

Because it does not contend

In the context of eternal marriage, this chapter stands out to me as being particularly relevant for women as they relate to their husbands, and men as they relate to Christ (like in 1 Corinthians 11:3). This is an instruction manual on how to appropriately submit. Appropriate submission involves feeling and giving and governing and speaking, kindness and integrity and capability and administration. And as the chapter concludes, it marks itself with a notable lack of contention--which contention Christ says is of the devil (see 3 Nephi 11:29, quoted above).

The Bible teaches that wives are to submit to their husbands and that husbands are to submit to Christ. This is a brief explanation of how to do that--not necessarily instructions how, but rather an explication of the adverbs involved with the action. Godly submission, this chapter explains, is hardly "giving up" or "being less" or something--true, godly submission is full of work. It is about giving and doing and speaking and being, and all without contention. This is how a house of order can work: the only way a house can be a house of order is if someone is in charge, and someone else submits to the decisions of the guy in charge.

Enjoy this Ensign article on the responsibilities of husbands. It is very clear about the leadership role of the husband in marriage and the submissive role of the wife in marriage. 

Check out Romans 7:4 for another take on marriage and its relationship to Christ. In a symbolic way, believers become married to Christ for the purposes of bringing up spiritual fruit. Understanding the role of the submissive member of a relationship is important for both men and women, because both men and women are supposed to be perfectly subordinate to Christ. 

Conclusion

Chapter 8 gives a pattern for how to submit like water--and be like the "highest good." Submission and kindness without contention blesses myriad things and leaves the actor "beyond reproach."