One who is steeped in Virtue is akin to the new-born babe.
Wasps and poisonous serpents do not sting it, nor fierce beasts seize it, nor birds of prey maul it.
Its bones are tender, its sinews soft, but its grip is firm.
It has not known the union of the male and the female, growing in its wholeness, and keeping its vitality in its perfect integrity.
It howls and screams all day long without getting hoarse, because it embodies perfect harmony.
To know harmony is to know the Changeless. To know the Changeless is to have insight.
To hasten the growth of life is ominous.
To control the breath by the will is to overstrain it.
To be overgrown is to decay.
All that is against Tao, and whatever is against Tao soon ceases to be.
(Tao Teh King 55–Wu translation)
One who is steeped in Virtue is akin to the new-born babe.
A new-born child is only peripherally, even minimally, aware of the material world, but still dwells mostly in the higher consciousness of the subtle worlds. A new-born has no idea about anything, no opinions or classifications of things. Nor has it ambitions and aims. As it is, so it is.
One who is perfected in virtue is very similar, though of course in a higher, more spiritually meaningful way. In a sense, a new-born is an idiot, but a virtuous person most certainly is not. So we must not exaggerate the similarities of piety with earthly things.
Wasps and poisonous serpents do not sting it, nor fierce beasts seize it, nor birds of prey maul it. It has often been seen that infants may have a kind of providential protection, particularly in being safe or immune from various forms of harm that would certainly befall someone else. During my first days in India I was fortunate to come into contact with a remarkable yogi who shared a great deal of esoteric knowledge with me. One time he spoke of the fact that holy protecting spirits (devas) surround a child until the age of three. Proof of this has certainly been seen throughout the ages. And I have myself seen this to be true about the highly virtuous of whatever age.
Its bones are tender, its sinews soft, But its grip is firm. Continuing with the likeness to an infant, this indicates that a virtuous person is gentle in all his ways and is harmless. Yet he is really strong, possessing great self-disciplinary power, courage,and invincible will.
It has not known the union of the male and the female, growing in its wholeness, and keeping its vitality in its perfect integrity.
Chastity is an essential trait of the virtuous. Retaining his inherent powers through celibacy, he is established in the consciousness of the One. Through preservation of his innate powers through continence he is a perfect image and likeness of the Divine.
It howls and screams all day long without getting hoarse, because it embodies perfect harmony.
Active to a degree often far more than ordinary people, working uninterruptedly, the virtuous are not exhausted, but accomplish more than anyone else. We see this in the lives of the saints over and over, including those that were in very poor health. Why? Because they embody the perfect harmony that results from following the divine law and purpose in a complete manner.
To know harmony is to know the Changeless. To know the Changeless is to have insight.
This perfect order in the mind and heart of the virtuous enables him to know the Highest, and in that knowledge to possess understanding of all things relevant to him. This is why even simple saints have stunned the glib and worldly with their direct, unpremeditated wisdom.
To hasten the growth of life is ominous.
Mabry: “Trying to extend one’s life-span is dangerous and unnatural.” Byrn: “To unnaturally try to extend life is not appropriate.” False Taoists through the centuries have been known for their attempts at extending life and even attempting to attain physical immortality. Often their methods have been virtually vampiristic: robbing others of their life essence to increase theirs. At the same time this may merely mean that trying to expand life in the sense of possessions, influence, etc. is unwise and leads to collapse of the egocentric. As Solomon observed: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
To control the breath by the will is to overstrain it. Mabry: “To manipulate one’s energy with the mind is a powerful thing.” Byrn: “To try and alter the life-breath is unnatural.” Breath control and cultivation of exotic modes of breathing are a part of the “Taoist magic” intent on bodily immortality. But wise yogis in India have counseled aspirants against unnatural breathing methods considered authentic pranayama. One illustrative incident comes naturally to mind. One time when I was going through a list of various disciplines and asking Sri Ma Anandamayi if they were worthwhile for me or not, I just said the single word “pranayama.” Immediately Ma gave a kind of sitting jump and loudly said: “No.” Years later in Benares she spoke to me at length about the delusive character of false or misguided pranayama, which only gives an illusion of spiritual benefit that eventually evaporates, leaving the yogi an empty shell. (There is such a thing as real, beneficial pranayama, but this is not the place to begin such a subject. See Soham Yoga, the Yoga of the Self.)
To be overgrown is to decay. Mabry: “But whoever possesses such strength invariably grows old and withers.” To artificially alter one’s strength or physical function by the false “Taoist” methods (obviously not known to Lao Tzu or certainly not approved of by him), is to eventually pay the price by rapid degeneration or loss.
Once a friend telephoned and told me to be sure and watch the upcoming television broadcast of a top-rated interview show. I did, and saw three people who were claiming that they had discovered the secret of physical rejuvenation and possible immortality. They made amazing claims but talked around and around it, not telling what it was. The next day my friend called and asked if I had watched the program. When I said I had, she told me that she knew the three very well, that their secret rejuvenation method was a singularly repulsive form of group sex. (Being a lady, she did not describe it.) They had created a sex cult with quite a few members. However, she told me, both of the men were wearing wigs because they had become prematurely bald, and the woman had undergone several cosmetic surgeries. Lao Tzu knew.
All that is against Tao, and whatever is against Tao soon ceases to be. Mabry: “This is not the way of Tao. All those who do not follow the Tao will come to an early end.” Byrn: “Changing the natural is against the way of the Tao. Those who do it will come to an early end.”
Lao Tzu continually counsels moving with and accommodating the natural tides. In this way we are in harmony with the Tao and therefore with the principle of true immortality. To “stick in our own oar” is to disrupt the harmony and therefore our synchronization with the Tao.
Next in the Tao Teh King for Awakening: Beyond Honor and Disgrace