not　a　self…indulgent；　〃feel…good〃　type　of　energy。　Wu…wei　is　action　that　proceeds　from　true　nature；　〃without　noise　or　expectation；〃　as　the　poet　observes；　it　works　neither　for　nor　against　anything；　and　it　has　no　fixed　cause　or　goal。　It　is　the　energy　of　the　total　being　in　motion；　and　this　is　why　it　seems　to　penetrate　or　infiltrate　the　most　dense　and　obdurate　situations　and　circumstances。　Its　motion　and　its　liquid　ability　to　penetrate　come　from　its　lightness；　for　it　is　free　of　the　heavy　and　rigid　accretions　of　ego。
  For　people；　this　is　a　difficult　concept　to　assimilate　into　experience；　and　Lao　Tzu　understands　that：　it's　one　reason　that　he　wrote　these　81　poems。　He　spends　much　of　the　Tao　Te　Ching　encouraging　us；　reminding　us　that　it　is　possible　to　learn　how　to　let　our　formless　inner　senses　and　energies　activate　and　transform　life　on　the　outer　plane　of　being。　It　is　possible　because　we　already　know　how；　we　already　are　wu…wei。　It　is　merely　a　matter　of　unloading　the　baggage　of　belief；　expectation；　display；　and　all　the　concretized　trappings　of　ego。
  This　is　the　process　of　growth　through　diminishment　described　throughout　the　book：　it　is　a　progressive　course　of　learning　that　is　self…fulfilling　because　it　is；　in　fact；　a　process　of　self…teaching　in　partnership　with　the　teaching　energy　of　the　universe；　the　Sage。　Indeed；　there　is　nothing　to　learn　except　the　way　of　diminishment：　once　we　understand　that　to　relieve　oneself　of　ego　is　to　automatically　liberate　the　true　self；　then　we　can　realize　that　there　is　nothing　to　attain　or　to　cultivate。　From　this　point　of　understanding；　our　inner　horse　is　free　to　run。
  44
  A　great　name　or　self…knowledge：
  To　which　of　these　does　your　heart　respond？
  Material　goods　or　your　natural　virtues：
  Which　do　you　treasure　more？
  Profit　or　loss：　which　is　more　apt
  To　lead　you　toward　destruction？
  The　love　of　excess　lays　Nature　waste：
  It　spends　the　self　and　buys　remorse。
  Accumulation　is　the　greatest　loss。
  Meet　your　needs　and　go　no　further；
  And　you　will　be　a　stranger　to　disgrace。
  Recognize　the　limits　of　every　situation；
  And　you'll　be　free　from　danger。
  Thus　can　you　fulfill　the　enduring　harmony。
  When　an　animal　or　a　small　child　enters　a　new　situation　or　environment；　it　will　be　observed　to　〃test　the　waters；〃　or　to　cautiously　assess　the　things；　beings；　patterns　of　activity；　and　other　conditions　of　the　place　and　situation。　This　ability　has；　in　fact；　been　studied　across　various　scientific　and　naturalistic　disciplines；　with　fascinating　findings。　It　is　the　natural　ability　of　organisms　to　〃recognize　the　limits；〃　as　Lao　Tzu　expresses　it；　to　read　an　environment　with　all　the　senses梑oth　inner　and　outer梖or　potential　danger；　avenues　of　retreat；　and　whatever　there　is　that　lies　beneath　the　surface　appearance　that　may　inform　or　protect。　In　such　circumstances；　animals　will　be　seen　to　rely　predominantly　on　their　sense　of　smell梩he　outer　scents　that　the　environment　presents；　and　the　inner　scents　that　they　can　detect　with　their　entire　being。
  Thus；　Chapter　44　is　a　poem　about　recognizing　the　limits　as　a　preparation　for　action　or　adaptation。　We　humans　can　learn　to　avoid　disgrace；　remorse；　and　danger　to　our　true　selves　by　relying　on　our　own　sense　of　caution；　our　own　ability　to　see；　or　sniff；　the　limits　of　every　situation。　Lao　Tzu　reminds　us　to　ask；　before　we　reach　for　profit；　fame；　knowledge；　or　wealth：　what　is　this　truly　bringing　me；　and　what　might　it　cost　me？　Is　it　as　much　as　I　need；　or　is　it　more　than　my　true　self　can　afford？　If　the　inner　response　to　these　questions　feels　like　a　warning；　or　if　it　even　feels　ambiguous；　then　it　is　time　to　ask　for　help　from　the　invisible　realm　of　being；　of　which　your　inner　senses　partake；　and　to　let　clarity　develop　within　before　you　take　action。　In　this　way；　we　can　learn　to　avoid　many　errors　and　still　have　abundance　in　our　lives。　In　the　next　poem；　Chapter　45；　Lao　Tzu　addresses　certain　inner　reference　points　that　may　help　us　in　developing　the　clarity　that　avoids　excess　through　recognizing　limitation。
  45
  The　greatest　accomplishment　seems　lacking；
  Yet　has　all　it　needs　to　endure。
  The　most　teeming　abundance　appears　shallow；
  But　its　depth　and　breadth　cannot　be　measured。
  Lasting　justice　seems　inconsequential；
  The　purest　art　looks　simple　and　meager；
  True　eloquence　sounds　awkward　and　hollow。
  Life　stirs　when　it抯　cold；
  And　is　tranquilly　still　amid　heat。
  Moving　outward　from　the　center；
  In　the　dance　of　the　primordial　stillness；
  The　Cosmic　Whole　continually　replenishes
  The　natural　order　of　the　Harmonic　Essence。
  In　the　previous　poem；　Lao　Tzu　brought　the　importance　of　recognizing　limits　to　our　attention。　In　this　poem；　he　reveals　life　as　lived　beyond　the　obsession　with　appearances。　The　poem　opens　with　two　stanzas　that　contain　the　cautionary　expressions　found　throughout　the　Tao　Te　Ching：　things　are　not　always　what　they　seem；　and　we　must　see　past　appearances　in　order　to　further　and　protect　our　true　being。　Then　there　is　an　apparently　paradoxical　couplet；　that　may　seem　out　of　place：　〃Life　stirs　when　it's　cold/And　is　tranquilly　still　amid　heat。〃　What　is　Lao　Tzu　telling　us　here？　There　is　always　the　obvious：　sure；　some　creatures　are　busy　in　cold　weather；　but　others　go　off　and　hibernate。　But　Lao　Tzu　is　talking　about　〃inner　temperatures〃　rather　than　seasonal　variations。
  For　people；　success　and　safety　in　social　interactions　are　especially　crucial；　and　these　are　linked　to　the　issue　of　inner　temperature。　When　we　can　feel　that　the　egos　of　others　around　us　are　hot　and　active；　it　is　best　to　be　still　and　inwardly　withdrawn；　so　as　not　to　arouse　still　more　heat　from　them；　and　of　course　to　avoid　being　burned。　When　we　feel　a　lowering　of　ego…temperature　in　a　social　environment；　such　as　when　ego　has　been　〃frozen〃　by　an　external　shock；　or　when　the　heat　of　ego　has　been　cooled　by　a　breeze　of　common　interest　that　awakens　the　true　selves　of　all　within　the　situation；　then　we　can　discover　the　potential　for　action；　relationship；　and　involvement。　Thus；　recognizing　both　potential　and　limitation　within　social　encounters　is　about　feeling　the　inner　temperature；　and　about　seeing　past　appearances。　Indeed；　these　amount　to　the　same　inner　process：　reacting　to　life　from　the　center　of　one抯　being；　retreating　from　the　heat　of　ego　（in　both　oneself　and　others）；　and　warmly　engaging　the　cool　lightness　of　being　that　is　encountered　in　those　who　are　lacking　in　display；　aggrandizement；　forced　complexity　and　profundity；　or　pretence。
  46
  When　the　Tao　suffuses　man　and　Nature；
  Swift　horses　nourish　the　fields　with　their　dung。
  When　people　abandon　the　Tao；
  The　horses　are　bred　for　battle；
  And　Nature　is　defiled。
  The　greatest　disaster　is　to　lack　contentment。
  The　greatest　curse　is　wanting　more　than　you　need。
  Therefore　the　student　of　the　Sage
  Feels　exactly　when　he　has　enough；
  And　thus　receives　eternal　contentment。
  Here；　Lao　Tzu　dramatically　underlines　the　themes　he　presented　in　Chapters　43　and　44；　by　referring　back　to　the　same　metaphorical　images　of　the　horse　and　the　dangers　of　excess。　When　horses　are　free　to　run　（remember　the　discussion　of　wu…wei　in　Chapter　43）；　they　spread　nourishment　back　to　the　earth　as　fertilizer。　But　when　they　are　bred　and　trained　for　war；　then　their　nourishing　dung　is　wasted　on　the　killing　fields；　which　are　poisoned　with　the　blood　of　human　slaughter。
  Unforced　action　returns　nourishment　to　Nature；　while　force　and　power　only　defile　it。　War　is　always　a　product　of　the　human　obsession　with　excess；　thus　〃the　greatest　curse　is　wanting　more　than　you　need。〃　Not　only　does　excess　bring　conflict；　it　makes　us　unable　to　even　enjoy　what　we　have！　But　to　enter　into　a　learning　partnership　with　the　Sage　is　to　always　feel　when　you　have　enough；　which　is　the　lesson　of　the　previous　two　chapters。　This；　indeed；　is　the　greatest　blessing　of　all。
  47
  Without　leaving　home；
  You　can　learn　the　Way　of　Nature。
  Without　opening　your　eyes；
  You　can　walk　the　path　of　truth。
  The　farther　you　wander　without；
  The　more　you　separate　from　realization。
  Thus　the　student　of　the　Sage：
  He　never　starts　an　outward　journey
  Before　there　is　clarity　within。
  He　analyzes　nothing；
  Yet　finds　words　for　everything。
  He　does　not　strive；
  Yet　his　work　is　brought　to　completion。
  This　poem　is　one　of　many　teachings　on　meditation　in　the　Tao　Te　Ching。　Lao　Tzu　here　reveals　an　overall　guide　to　meditation；　and　its　benefits。　You　needn't　wander　ceaselessly　without；　lusting　for　outer　variety　and　experience：　the　entire　Cosmos　and　its　movements　can　be　experienced　in　stillness；　by　closing　or　muting　the　outer　senses。　Meditation　brings　clarity；　the　kind　of　deep　freedom　from　burdensome　attachment　that　makes　the　〃outward　journey〃　truly　fulfilling　and　restorative；　rather　than　merely　diversionary。
  In　this　context；　the　〃outward　journey〃　takes　on　many　layers　of　meaning；　beyond　the　association　of　mere　travel。　The　outward　journey　can　mean　the　process　of　making　a　career　choice；　deciding　on　a　proposal　of　marriage；　healing　an　illness；　or　making　a　purchase　that　nourishes　our　life　and　accords　with　our　inner　being。　When　we　allow