KEEP THE OLD WARM

Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling.
Not collecting treasures prevents stealing.
Not seeing desirable things prevents confusions of the heart.

The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies,
by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.
If people lack knowledge and desire,
then intellectuals will not try to interfere.
If nothing is done, then all will be well.

道德经 - Tao Te Ching #3

The concept of less is more is a theme found in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching; a classic text from China and foundational work of Taoism.

We do not need to exalt those who are already most high.
We do not need to hoard treasures beyond reason.
We cannot expect to see desirable things and not be confused with lust and envy in our hearts.

Taoist wisdom councils emptying our hearts of desire and filling our bellies with gratitude. To weaken high ambitions and stay strong and close down to earth.
If we are not full of knowledge, information, desire, temptation, then who will try to manipulate us?
If we do less, more can be done.

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While the Tao Te Ching and Taoist philosophy may appear extreme when juxtaposed to our modern age in 2024, the fact it is juxtaposed makes it’s wisdom useful today – a classic example of Keeping the Old Warm.

Desire, ambition, earning, building, collecting, drawing the world to ourselves, is not bad if it is in moderation. It is natural, a part of life to secure your spot. However, this philosophy can help temper extreme people, or give us wisdom for the way lest we fall down a path of uncontrollable desire.

If we are all desiring, consuming, ambitious, running in every direction……this passage teaches us to desire less, chase less, collect less, do less. For then there is less means for those more clever to manipulate us, and less means for us to lose our way.

When desire rules us, we turn away and fill our belies with contentment and gratitude. We come back down to earth to strengthen our bones. When desire has our minds flying wild, we abandon the delusions of grandeur and return to the foundation of stone.

道德经