Tao Te Ching Ch 13

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna C.K. Lam

 Chapter 13

Favour and disgrace make one’s startle.

Paying attention to the body is the same as to the big trouble.

What is meant by saying that “Favour and disgrace make one startle”?

Having favour makes one in high position.

Having disgrace makes one in low position.

Having favour makes one startle.

Losing favour makes one startle.

That is why “favour and disgrace make one’s startle”.

What is meant by “paying attention to the body is the same as to the big trouble”?

The reason I have big trouble is that I have the body.

If I do not have the body, what trouble will I have?

For the one who cares the world as his body, the world can be given to him.

For the one who loves the world as his body, he can be entrusted with the world.

Review

    Everyone wants to be loved and favoured by others, however, Lao Tzu says,

“Favour and disgrace make one’s startle.”

    A person who abides in the Truth does not want to have favour and disagrace from anyone because having favour or disgrace would also make one’s startle. Why startle? When someone showing favour to you, you may feel elated and enjoy such favour. Psychologically you feel being honored and respected getting high in position. This enjoyment from the appraisal of other people to us may in turn control our mind being attached to this appreciation. You may be worried that it cannot last long and may lose. When people’s preference to you does change, you may feel something wrong happening. Then your mind cannot be calm, only because you used to be admired but the situation seems to change into the opposite. Without people’s admiration and appraisal, you may feel something lost. It is really a loss as you have gained something before, thus Lao Tzu says:

“What is meant by saying that “Favour and disgrace make one startle”?

Having favour makes one in high position.

Having disgrace makes one in low position.

Having favour makes one startle.

Losing favour makes one startle.

That is why “favour and disgrace make one’s startle”.”

    Lao Tzu tells us, whether we are placed in a high position or a low position,  both are not good for people who aim at living with the Truth. People abiding in the Truth do not desire any appreciation from others. They would be careful to safeguard their mind not to fall into the trap of favourism. Our world is ever changing and highly unstable. All things in this world is going to change from good to bad or bad to good, and finally come to an end. The feeling of someone is even more unstable. There are many factors around us which are changing into favourable or unfavourable to us but we cannot control all of them. However, we can surely control our mind and body not to be badly affected by any unfavourable situations. Always safeguard our mind when favourable situation is coming, knowing that it may not last long and would easily, definitely change into another situation. To startle when being praised by people is the same as to startle when being insulted by people. Why? The answer comes next:

“Paying attention to the body is the same as to the big trouble.”

    We all pay attention to our body as we pay attention to avoid trouble to our body. We care our body, so do we care to avoid trouble. This bodily identification makes us being enslaved by the external situations. We care for people’s appraisal to us, as we identify ourselves to our body not to the Truth. When we do not care for the body, only for the Truth, who can deny the Truth without suffering? Truth is the master. Our body is the slave. We should follow the master, not the slave. To get rid of the bodily identification is the way for the liberation of our soul. Let the soul identify with the everlasting Truth, not the perishable body. Then all the trouble cannot harm us as the eternal soul is imperishable. It can only harm the body, therefore, Lao Tzu says:

“What is meant by “paying attention to the body is the same as to the big trouble”?

“The reason I have big trouble is that I have the body.

If I do not have the body, what trouble will I have?”

    Our real Supreme Self is the soul with the Truth as the Oneness. This is the real attainment in spirituality that Lao Tzu always tells us to attain. Only the people who attain their real self can rule our world with the Truth which can benefit all people as the Truth is beneficial to all creatures. They do not identify themselves as the individual limited bodies. Their individual body loses its importance for them because their real identification is the Truth.

    Then the whole world becomes their body. They care the world as they care for their body. They love the world as they love their body. They become a universal being caring for all without selfishness. Then they can be the King of this world. The whole world can be entrusted to them. They would not harm anyone for selfishness as everyone is their body only. This is the Oneness with God in all religious seeking to attain. This is the ideal of Lao Tzu that our world is ruled by people who abide in the Truth, thus Lao Tzu says:

“For the one who cares the world as his body, the world can be given to him.

For the one who loves the world as his body, he can be entrusted with the world.”