Excerpt from Step 1: Body plus Treasure

Trapping in Justifying Body

Acording to Laoism: "Eminent justice engages, but does not respond adequately to situations. For that reason it is frustrated."
(~ Lao Zi, 38:2)

When the spirit enters into the soul, the wisdom into the mind, the soul into the selfhood and the ego into the selfishness, there is a total abandonment and rejection of Tao and Its Action. Only justice and priority are being excercised. The teaching of Laoism concludes that:

"When Tao is lost, it becomes Action (Te);
When Action is lost, it becomes benevolence.
When benevolence is lost, it becomes justice.
When justice is lost, it becomes propriety.
Propriety is the veneer of faith and loyalty, and the forefront of troubles."
(~ Lao Zi, 38:3)

Where does the trouble lodge? In the biological body, emotional soul, and spiritual mind. They are all there, languishing in the breathing flesh of the body.

Laoism advises on this matter by explaining that "There is no right lawfulness. Justice tends toward the extereme. Kindness tends towards evil. People have been familiar with this for a long time." (58:3)

As a matter of fact, people are so inured in the politics that they numb themselves into the comfort of their "little" justice, their individual freedom. What is the way out of this morass?

Laoist's passage continues: "Be rounded without cutting. Be compatible without puncturing. Be straightforward without trapping. Be bright without dazzling" (58:4).

This passage on kind action does not advocate the teaching, but admonishes it. It does not advise, but merely suggests. It is not a warning as to what should or should not be done, but a simple explanation. Cutting is painful, puncturing is distrustful, trapping is unreliable, and dazzling is cheap. When a person behaves in such a manner, everything is a loss and nothing gains. S/he sells all and benefits nothing.

When one is confronted with such situations, only hostility and betrayal are the means of action. In contrast, "be rounded" recognizes all, compatibility displays all, straightforward discloses all, and bright penetrates all. These right techniques deal with the central point and the neutral ground.

Lao Zi himself practiced this philosophy. Buddha awakened himself with this philosophy. Confucius established his disciplines through following this philosophy.