Taoism, Daoism, Tao, Dao, Lao Tzu's Tap Te Ching, Vol. 1 Tao: The three treasures, Chapter 2: Ordinariness, Question 5

The last question:

Question 5

LAO TZU MAY BE SUPERB, HE MAY BE THE VERY PEAK OF TRUTH, BUT HIS VERY HEIGHT RENDERS HIM USELESS FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE LIKE US. CAN'T IT BE SAID, ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT MAHAVIR AND MOSES AND MOHAMMED ARE MUCH MORE PRACTICAL AND HELPFUL?

THEY ARE. They are much more practical, much more helpful. But they are helpful because they don't change you completely; they compromise, they don't transform you totally. They look helpful; they are practical, that's certain -- Mohammed or Moses -- absolutely practical because with your mind they fit. That's why they look practical. Whatsoever you think is practical they also think is practical.

Lao Tzu is totally different from your mind and that is the possibility of transformation. With Mohammed you will not be transformed. You may become a Mohammedan, you may become a good man, you may become virtuous even, but you will remain on the same track -- the dimension will not change. With Mahavir you will remain the same -- better but the same, modified but the same, refined, painted, renovated -- but the same. With Lao Tzu you will be destroyed completely and will be reborn. He is death and resurrection.

Try to understand why it is so. You can understand Mahavir; his calculation is of your mind -- his logic is not beyond you. That's why he looks practical. And it is not coincidence that all his followers became businessmen -- calculating, mathematical, practical people. It is not coincidence that all Jains became businessmen: they are more mathematical, more clever, calculating. And it is not coincidence that Jews are the most calculating men on the earth, the most calculating community -- clever. Jains and Jews are almost the same; Jains are the Jews of India. Why is it so? Moses is practical, Mahavir is also practical.

I am reminded of an anecdote; it belongs to the very beginning of the world.

God was in search of a community that would take his ten commandments. The world was going a little chaotic, and morality and ethics were needed. So he approached many communities, but nobody accepted.

He reached the Hindus and said, "I have ten commandments to offer to you. This is a whole philosophy of life."

And the Hindus asked: "For instance? Just tell us about one commandment..."

And God said, "Be true. Be honest."

The Hindus said, "It will be difficult in the world of maya. In this illusion, one needs untruth also. Sometimes, in this world of dreams... how can one be always true? It will be difficult, and why create unnecessary difficulties?"

He asked other races. Some people said that it would be too much not to be adulterous, because life would lose all interest. Adultery gives life interest, a fantasy. It would be too much, then life wouldn't be worth living.

And God became frustrated. From everywhere he was rejected.

And it is said then he approached Moses, and he said: "I have got ten commandments for you." Now he was afraid because this was the last race. "Would you like to have them?"

He was expecting that Moses would ask, "What are these commandments?" But he never asked. He asked: "What is the price? How much does it cost?"

And God said, "They are free of charge."

And Moses said, "Then I will have two sets of them."

Calculating, mathematical, clever, intelligent -- Jews are only two per cent of the people in the world but they get eighteen per cent of the Nobel prizes. Two per cent of the people and eighteen per cent of the Nobel prizes! It is a very very difficult phenomenon. Two per cent of the people but they run almost the whole world, and everywhere they are rejected, everywhere condemned. But they are so practical and so clever. The three persons who have ruled this whole century are all Jews: Marx, Freud, Einstein. Three persons who have ruled the whole world -- they are all Jews.

Why does it happen so? Simple. They are not impractical. Lao Tzu is impractical. Lao Tzu in fact praises impracticalness.

There is a story:

Lao Tzu was passing with his disciples and they came to a forest where hundreds of carpenters were cutting trees, because a great palace was being built. So the whole forest had been almost cut, but only one tree was standing there, a big tree with thousands of branches -- so big that ten thousand persons could sit under its shade. Lao Tzu asked his disciples to go and inquire why this tree had not been cut yet when the whole forest had been cut and was deserted.

The disciples went and they asked the carpenters, "Why have you not cut this tree?"

The carpenters said, "This tree is absolutely useless. You cannot make anything out of it because every branch has so many knots in it. Nothing is straight. You cannot make pillars out of it. You cannot make furniture out of it. You cannot use it as fuel because the smoke is so dangerous to the eyes -- you almost go blind. This tree is absolutely useless. That's why."

They came back. Lao Tzu laughed and he said, "Be like this tree. If you want to survive in this world be like this tree -- absolutely useless. Then nobody will harm you. If you are straight you will be cut, you will become furniture in somebody's house. If you are beautiful you will be sold in the market, you will become a commodity. Be like this tree, absolutely useless. Then nobody can harm you. And you will grow big and vast, and thousands of people can find shade under you."

Lao Tzu was passing through a town. All the young men of the town were forced to be enlisted in the military.

They came across a hunchback. Lao Tzu said, "Go and inquire why this man has been left and not enlisted into the military."

The hunchback said, "How can I be enlisted? You see, I am a hunchback. I am of no use."

The disciples came and Lao Tzu said, "Remember. Be like this hunchback. Then you will not be enlisted to murder or to be murdered. Be useless."

Lao Tzu has a logic altogether different from your mind. He says: Be the last. Move in the world as if you are not. Remain unknown. Don't try to be the first, otherwise you will be thrown. Don't be competitive, don't try to prove your worth. There is no need. Remain useless and enjoy.

Of course he is impractical. But if you understand him you will find that he is the most practical on a deeper layer, in the depth -- because life is to enjoy and celebrate, life is not to become a utility. Life is more like poetry than like a commodity in the market; it should be like poetry, a song, a dance, a flower by the side of the road, flowering for nobody in particular, sending its fragrance to the winds, without any address, being nobody in particular, just enjoying itself, being itself.

Lao Tzu says: If you try to be very clever, if you try to be very useful, you will be used. If you try to be very practical, somewhere or other you will be harnessed, because the world cannot leave the practical man alone. Lao Tzu says: Drop all these ideas. If you want to be a poem, an ecstasy, then forget about utility. You remain true to yourself. Be yourself. Hippies have a saying: Do your thing. Lao Tzu is the first hippie in the world. He says: Be yourself and do your thing and don't bother about anything else. You are not here to be sold. So don't think of utility, just think of your bliss. Be blissful, and if something flows out of your bliss it is okay -- share it. But don't force yourself just to be a utility because that is how suicide happens. One kills oneself. Don't be suicidal.

All the teachers of the world will be more practical than Lao Tzu, that's why they have much appeal. That's why they have great organizations: Christians -- almost half the world has become Christian -- Mohammedans, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs -- they are all utilitarians. Lao Tzu stands alone, aloof. Lao Tzu stands in a solo existence.

But Lao Tzu is rare and unique. If you can understand him you can also become rare and unique. And the way is to be ordinary -- then you become extraordinary; the way is to be just the last, and then suddenly you find you are the first; the way is not to claim, not to claim the credit, and then nobody can take it from you; the way is to exist as a non-being, as a nobody, and then, in a subtle and mysterious way, you and only you become somebody -- somebody the whole existence feels blessed with, feels blessed by, somebody with whom the whole existence celebrates.

Taoism - Daoism - Tao - Dao

VOL. 1, TAO: THE THREE TREASURES

Chapter-2

Ordinariness