race　beyond　the　chair　or　cushion；　it　is　meant　to　be　what　infuses　the　relationships　and　activities　of　every　waking　moment。　When　the　way　we　do　our　work；　raise　our　children；　manage　our　homes；　and　interact　socially　becomes　increasingly　indistinguishable　from　the　way　we　meditate；　then　the　lesson　of　this　poem　will　have　been　fully　integrated　into　our　lives。　For　this　is　where　meditation　takes　us　beyond　the　enrichment　of　life　in　a　bodily　form；　and　into　the　realm　of　true　immortality；　where　〃you　are　lovingly　received　into　the　Heart　of　Nature　forever。〃　As　the　division　between　inner　and　outer；　between　meditation　and　living；　is　dissolved；　so　is　that　between　form　and　non…form；　until　the　empty　falsehood　of　death…as…ending　is　finally　discarded。　What　then　remains　is　all　we　need：　life　beyond　time；　perpetuated　in　consciousness。
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  In　government；　objectives　are　clarified。
  In　warfare；　objectives　are　concealed。
  In　following　the　Tao；　objectives　are　discarded。
  How　do　I　know　that　this　is　so？
  By　feeling　it　from　within。
  With　every　commandment　thrust　upon　the　people；
  They　become　more　impoverished　and　alienated。
  As　the　weapons　of　the　state　grow　ever　more　destructive；
  The　more　contagious　is　the　fear　that　desolates　the　nation。
  The　further　science　spreads　its　hegemony　of　the　intellect；
  The　more　demonic　are　the　products　that　roll　off　the　assembly　line。
  As　the　precedents　of　litigation　grow；　and　the　statutory　codes　accumulate；
  The　politicians　and　criminals　will　proliferate　and　flourish。
  The　counsel　of　the　Sage　is　different：
  Let　your　action　lack　force；
  And　there　will　be　spontaneous　transformation。
  Let　meditation　guide　you；
  And　the　natural　order　will　arise。
  Abandon　power…
  Lead　only　by　example　and　consensus；
  And　there　will　be　abundance　in　the　land。
  Defeat　desire；　let　innocence　be　your　law；
  And　your　nation　will　return
  To　its　deepest；　simple　nature。
  Clearly；　there　are　points　in　this　book　where　Lao　Tzu　〃takes　the　gloves　off；〃　and　this　is　one　of　them。　Yet　this　verse　goes　far　beyond　a　mere　diatribe　against　laws　and　lawyers；　armies　and　weapons；　technologies　of　dull　convenience；　and　the　depredations　of　politicians　and　corporate　tyrants；　for　the　poet　again　offers　a　natural　alternative　to　the　proliferation　of　tyranny。　As　amazing　as　it　may　be　to　contemplate　how　little　humans　appear　to　have　changed　in　2；600　years；　we　must　also　read　this　poem　with　a　view　to　its　practical　purpose：　the　gifts　of　peace；　abundance；　and　true　progress　that　we　naturally　desire　as　both　individuals　and　as　nations　are　more　readily　available　to　us　than　we　have　been　led　to　believe　by　those　who　would　define　them　in　terms　of　legislation；　power；　and　the　manipulation　of　Nature。　Drop　the　struggle；　for　there　is　nothing　that　needs　to　be　fought；　let　the　meditative　life　described　in　the　previous　poem　guide　you　and　your　nation；　lead　by　example　and　consensus；　not　with　force　or　commandment。　This　is　the　way　of　return　that　is　spoken　of　throughout　this　book；　and　the　poet　would　like　us　to　understand　that　though　it　must　begin　within　each　individual；　it　can　continue　in　an　entire　nation。
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  When　the　government　lacks　power　and　brilliance；
  Organic　simplicity　suffuses　the　people。
  When　the　government　is　intrusive　and　vigilant；
  Deceit　and　resentment　are　the　coin　of　the　realm。
  Misfortune　enters　the　life
  That　is　propped　up　on　success；
  And　misery　lurks　beneath
  The　lustrous　show　of　affluence。
  Life　that　lacks　limits　lacks　duration。
  If　it　is　elevated　today；
  It　will　be　tomorrow　maligned。
  When　everything　is　changing；
  Nothing　is　transformed。
  Insight　is　caked　with　the　ink　of　the　prophets。
  Will　there　be　no　end　to　this　delusion？
  Thus；　the　counsel　of　the　Sage：
  If　you　are　sharp　within；
  You　needn抰　cut　without。
  You　can　be　pointed　in　your　depths；
  But　carry　neither　slings　nor　arrows。
  Straighten　out　your　inner　edges
  Without　defining　outer　boundaries。
  If　you　can　glow　like　a　lantern；
  You　won抰　have　to　shine。
  Affluence　and　power　fail　to　endure　because　they　require　the　support　of　an　illusion　of　success；　which　is　inevitably　exposed。　There　is　no　such　thing　as　grandeur；　either　in　being　the　most　powerful　nation　or　the　most　famous　person；　there　is　only　an　outer　display；　which　needs　increasingly　greater　energy　to　disguise　itself　as　genuine　success。　Thus；　the　effort　of　vigilance　in　maintaining　an　image　is　never　relaxed：　though　its　presentation　may　vary；　such　change　is　superficial　and　ephemeral；　and　will　never　endure。　In　the　realm　of　image…making；　therefore；　〃deceit　and　resentment　are　the　coin；〃　because　the　shifts　in　the　landscape　are　confined　to　the　apparent；　and　leave　the　inner　plane　ignored　or　repressed；　thus；　the　deep　and　lasting　glow　of　transformation　is　completely　lacking。
  The　way　of　the　Sage　is　to　turn　within　and　scrape　away　the　overlaid　delusions　of　grandeur　with　which　the　prophets　and　self…styled　seers　have　obscured　the　original　insight　of　true　nature。　This　is　the　〃inner　cutting〃　which　requires　no　outer　sharpness；　the　inner　light　that　doesn抰　need　to　shine。　True　insight　lacks　glare；　thus；　it　endures。
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  In　helping　others；　be　like　the　sky：
  Without　the　slightest　sense　of　sacrifice；
  It　readily　yields　the　elements
  That　make　the　harvest　possible。
  Reflecting　nurturance　is　called
  Continual　nourishment　of　the　harvest。
  Continual　nourishment　arises　from　Modesty；
  Which　is　the　most　bountiful　harvest　of　all。
  Modesty　in　abundance　is　indomitable…
  It　is　indomitable；　so　who　could　know
  The　limits　of　its　capacity？
  And　if　its　limits　cannot　be　known；
  Couldn抰　it　nurture　an　entire　nation？
  Couldn抰　it　become　the　natural　Mother
  Of　its　own　enduring　consciousness？
  From　a　firm　inner　foundation；
  The　natural　structure　flourishes。
  When　the　Cosmic　insight　guides；
  Life　is　endlessly　allowed　to　endure；
  Through　the　fullness　of　Form
  And　its　vibrant　potential。
  Here　is　Lao　Tzu's　guide　to　those　involved　in　what　are　today　called　〃the　helping　professions。〃　If　you　are　a　therapist；　a　counselor；　a　doctor；　a　financial　advisor；　or　involved　in　any　work　that　offers　help　to　others　in　the　form　of　information　and　supportive　services　for　the　furtherance　of　physical；　psychological；　or　material　well…being；　then　you　may　have　something　to　learn　from　this　poem。
  Lao　Tzu's　first　point　is　crucial：　helping　others　is　not　about　sacrificing　yourself。　To　〃give　of　yourself〃　in　the　sense　of　sacrifice　is　the　self…indulgent　vanity　of　the　hero；　and　Lao　Tzu　would　like　us　to　have　none　of　this　nonsense；　for　that　is　of　no　help　to　anyone。
  Helping　in　the　Cosmic　Way　is　more　about　〃reflecting　nurturance〃梩hat　is；　allowing　oneself　to　be　a　〃camera　obscura　of　help；〃　through　which　the　true　source　of　help　reflects　itself　and　is　made　effective。　This　true　source　of　help　comes　from　nature　and　the　universe　in　their　simple　and　often　unseen　energy…flows。
  In　the　I　Ching；　such　supportive　currents　of　nature　were　known　as　揾elpers。？Curiously；　and　as　quaint　as　it　may　sound　to　the　modern　ear；　the　term　〃helpers〃　has　cognate　variants　in　contemporary　English；　even　within　the　icily　objective　field　of　scientific　medicine。　〃Helper　T　Cells〃　are　essential　cellular　elements　of　the　body's　immune　system：　when　they　are　not　present　in　the　bloodstream；　or　are　killed　by　a　viral　attack　such　as　that　which　causes　HIV/AIDS；　the　results　can　be　disastrous　for　the　organism。　In　the　treatment　of　cancer；　there　is　a　type　of　therapy　known　as　〃adjuvant　therapy。〃　The　word　〃adjuvant〃　is　Latin　for　〃helping。〃　Other　examples　could　be　given；　but　the　point　is　that　the　idea　of　helping　presences；　even　from　within　ourselves；　is　not　a　strange　or　esoteric　notion。　Lao　Tzu　would　like　us　to　keep　this　in　mind　wherever　we　propose　to　help　others；　for　when　we　can　successfully　include　these　helpers　of　the　Cosmic　Consciousness　in　our　daily　lives　and　our　professional　endeavors；　we　clear　the　way　for　the　〃continual　nourishment　of　the　harvest；〃　which　can　only　come　（for　humans）　in　the　presence　of　Te；　or　Modesty。　Modesty；　in　turn；　is　present　wherever　we　deny　ego；　with　its　intrusive　and　clumsy　interference；　any　influence　in　the　helping　process；。　Modesty　enables　transformation：　it　can　arouse　the　helpers　and　thus　be　〃indomitable〃　because　it　is　pure　consciousness；　which　has　the　quantum　ability　to　reach　past　time　and　space；　into　the　subatomic　realm　where　true　healing　occurs。
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  In　leading　others；　use　care　and　restraint；
  As　if　you　were　frying　a　small　fish。
  Let　the　Tao　be　your　guide；
  And　the　demons　of　power　will　return
  To　their　original　nature。
  For　their　power　is　a　delusion…
  An　empty；　noisy　abstraction。
  All　power　is　harmless
  To　one　whose　true　self　leads。
  Such　a　leader　can　protect　the　people；
  For　he　is　protected　by　the　Sage；
  And　the　Sage　is　protected　by　the　Tao。
  When　a　follower　of　Modesty　leads；
  Then　all　are　made　safe…
  The　leader；　the　people；　the　nation…
  These　unite　with　the　Sage
  In　a　continual　return
  To　a　deeper　understanding。
  Lao　Tzu；　with　his　characteristic　gentle　humor；　uses　a　seem