Tao Te Ching, Ch 45

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam

Chapter 45

Great perfection seems to have something missing,

yet its use will never end in failure.

Great fullness seems empty, yet its use will never be exhausted.

Great straightness seems bent.

Great skill seems awkward.

Great eloquence seems to speak little and slowly.

Stillness overcomes restlessness; cold overcomes heat.

To be limpid and still, one can be the model of the world.

 

 

Review

 

The Tao Te Ching tells us the highest wisdom, which is not cleverness or being smart. We all like to be smart and sharp outwardly to attract people and hence to get their admiration or respect. We may have gained materially or mentally by being respected and honored. However, Lao Tzu tells us not to pursue all these desires for getting respected or honored. The outward cleverness and honors are the “flowery embellishment of the Truth” (Chapter 38) only. The real essence of the Truth is our inner nature which is what we should pursue to attain the perfection inward us, not outward us. We should take the fruit of the Truth, not the flower of the Truth. The flower here means the appearance of the Truth. The fruit is thick, strong and stable. The flower is the thin, weak and temporary. We must have the real nature inside us not only having the appearance of brilliance like an idol only, and thus Lao Tzu also says in other Chapters:

 

“Hence a great man abides in the thick, not in the thin,

in the fruit (Tao), not in the flower (appearance).

Therefore, he discards the one and takes the other (Tao).” *

 (Chapter 38)

*(Another translation: “Hence a great man abides in the essence of purity, simplicity and honesty, not in the superficial level to show off. He discards the vanity and takes the purity.”)

 

“Not wishing to be precious like jade, but to be tough like stone.”

(Chapter 39)

 

The Tao Te Ching tells us the highest wisdom that we should not seek perfection outwardly. There is no perfection in the outside world. Everyone, every action, every appearance has defects inevitably, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

 “Great perfection seems to have something missing,”

“Great fullness seems empty,”

“Great straightness seems bent.”

“Great skill seems awkward.”

“Great eloquence seems to speak little and slowly.”

 

Lao Tzu tells us that the most perfect thing seems having defects outwardly. The outward appearance is the flower showing us, thin and perishable. What the most important is the real nature inwards us which is stable and imperishable. Their fruit is its use without failure:

 

“Great perfection seems to have something missing,

yet its use will never end in failure.”

 

The use of the Truth will never be exhausted and end in failure. To be one with the Truth is to get the real essence though outwardly there may be some defects inevitably. This is the teaching Lao Tzu tells us to look the appearance inward, not only outward. Do not judge so quickly by merely seeing the outward appearance. The Truth is formless. We cannot find the Truth with the forms only.  We should not be deluded by the forms without knowing the real essence. The real essence is the emptiness, without anything, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“Great fullness seems empty, yet its use will never be exhausted.”

 

To be emptiness is having the fullest of the Truth. Like a vessel without anything inside, then water can be filled in to the fullest. The fullest is the emptiness. How can we be empty in ourselves? We should be humble to the Truth all the time. Humility is the greatest virtue of the Truth Lao Tzu always tells us in the whole Tao Te Ching.

 

“Great straightness seems bent.

Great skill seems awkward.

Great eloquence seems to speak little and slowly.”

 

Lao Tzu tells us “Great straightness seems bent” because the person who is having the Truth does not need to prove anything to convince anyone who he is. He acts naturally straightforward without pretending. Wise people can know his character very well, while foolish people cannot know by only looking at the outward speech and act in one instant.

 

Simplicity is the way leading to the Truth. A person having the Truth is simple in character. There is no deception, intrigue or any pretension in his speech and act. As there is no articulated decoration in his speech and act, it seems that his act is awkward, and his speech is little and slow. But we should look at the real content of what he acts and speaks. Is there anything substantial and truthful in it? Is there anything with great wisdom without trying to persuade or show off? People who can speak eloquently wasting a lot of time delivering beautiful words without meanings are just leading people wandering the mind in the flowery garden gaining nothing.  There are many eloquent speakers and writers who speak and write without contents of weight but with a lot of complicated words and expressions. This is our literature without simplicity of the Truth. Therefore, even for a person who seems clumsy when speaking, he is worth to listen to if he is telling the Truth in simple words. It is the great eloquence Lao Tzu tells us. Then Lao Tzu further tells us how to attain the Truth:

 

“Stillness overcomes restlessness; cold overcomes heat.”

 

If we are restless, we should try to be still, calm down and silent. To have stillness can overcome restlessness. To be restless can make us out of control physically and emotionally. How should we control our senses? We should have stillness. Just stop. Lao Tzu tells us to calm down and do not be reckless. When we are angry or excited, being arrogant and aggressive in our emotions and behaviours, we should stop and keep quiet. The heat energy can be cooled down, thus “cold overcomes heat.” Being silent, we can contemplate on the Truth. We know the Truth only when we are always in the stage of stillness. Like sea water when flowing roughly, we cannot see the reflection of the sky clearly. Once the water keeps still, the reflection of the sky looks clear. If our heart and our mind can reflect the Truth clearly, we can be the model of the Truth for the world, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“To be limpid and still, one can be the model of the world.”