Verse 22: Beneficial Modesty
Introduction
This verse describes how modesty is essential to Weaving the Way. It reminds me of a quote whose source I cannot recall, but my paraphrase is, “I am extraordinary because I know precisely how average I am.” It’s remarkable when we choose not to cover up our weaknesses or inflate our strengths.
To experience true peace and harmony, we must first develop self-knowledge and inner reconciliation. Once we live in such a state, harmonious success and peaceful evolution naturally appear in the world around us. We cannot achieve such a state if we are too proud to be honest with ourselves about who we are.
Translation
Just until
confusion is purified,
the bent is straightened,
the holes are filled,
the worn-out is renewed,
a little is satisfying,
too much is regretted,
The Wise single-mindedly shepherd their world.
Modest, therefore clear;
Humble, therefore discerning.
Unrestrained, there is success;
Selfless, there can be evolution.
Through cooperation,
the world harmonizes with them.
The ancient adage is to “purify confusion.”
How could this be a lie?!
True purity is simply
returning home.
Commentary
Just until
confusion is purified,
the bent is straightened,
the holes are filled,
the worn-out is renewed,
a little is satisfying,
too much is regretted,
The Wise single-mindedly shepherd their world.
The key to understanding which world the Wise single-mindedly stewards is “a little is satisfying” and “too much is regretted.” This points us to an interior state, not a call to activism in the “world out there.” From this perspective, we recognize Weaving the Way is about purifying our confusion, strengthening our bent places, and filling in our holes (a.k.a wounds, places of lack). We are charged with renewing our hearts, becoming content, and resolving our greed.
The opening “just until” contextualizes the effort precisely. Just enough! As we saw in verse 9, “Endless forging and sharpening ruins the edge.”
As usual, the text offers some tips on how to do this.
Modest, therefore clear;
Humble, therefore discerning.
Cultivating an attitude of modesty and humility allows us to see ourselves as we are. We obscure our self-image each time we hold up an ideal of how we should be. Our precious values include being kind, compassionate, and composed, having our emotions well-regulated, being generous, and being happy for others’ success. We believe we should not be prejudiced, judgmental, or dislike people because of their color, sexual identity or preference, gender, and so forth.
No matter how badly we want to be fantastic people, we are humans and aren’t always that awesome, and that’s fine!
When we stop holding these values in such high regard, they stop inspiring us to lie to ourselves about who we are. The remarkable clarity and discernment available by becoming authentically humble and modest is a profound gift to ourselves. Not just because we can see where we need to change but also because we can own our strengths.
Such clarity is a gift to the world out there, too.
Unrestrained, there is success;
Selfless, there can be evolution.
Somewhat paradoxically, when we own our inadequacy, we lose our insecurity. Unchained from internal conflict, psycho-spiritual energy is freed up to engage in the task at hand, manifesting our true talents. Success in all we do seems to come effortlessly and naturally because we are no longer fighting ourselves or creating turbulence in our environment.
Similarly, our growth and evolution are enhanced when we become selfless. It’s important to recall that in East Asia, selflessness points to a fluidity of identity, not an abandonment of self-care in favor of other care. By releasing the rigidly held values that tell us who we “should be,” we get to see who we are; seeing who we are enables us to do our work. We can’t clean up a mess we refuse to see.
My first karate teacher had us keep the dojo fastidiously tidy, cleaning the mats and putting everything in order after class. He would say, “The mind reflects the environment, and the environment reflects the mind. Sloppy dojo, sloppy karate. Clean dojo, clean karate.” Maintaining our space with this understanding is a profound practice.
One of my favorite confused, hard-to-see paradigms of our day is the “no ego” culture. Nothing is less modest, authentic, and transparent than saying, “I have no ego” or “I’m going to take the ego out of this.” Whenever there is self-consciousness, there is ego. That’s fine! We all need egos to survive; it is only through a well-developed ego that we can evolve into self-authorship and self-transcendence. Being willing to take feedback, change, and work toward embodying higher values not yet achieved are much more effective paradigms than “no ego.”
Take the brakes off yourself and allow yourself to be who you are. That way, when you find something you don’t like, you’re immediately empowered to do something about it. And, when our wounds and neurosis inevitably harm others, we are far more capable of cleaning it up effectively.
Through cooperation,
the world harmonizes with them.
This line simultaneously points to the interior and exterior results of the above attitudes. The world-in-here gets quieter, and all the parts start working together when they know they are respected and heard. The world out there becomes friendlier when we aren’t boiling inside. As we learn to “play nice” within our psyche, we naturally become softer, kinder, compassionate, and inspiring. The experience we gain in facing brutal truths and negotiating between parts of ourselves translates well to being with others.
The ancient adage is to “purify confusion.”
How could this be a lie?!
True purity is simply
returning home.
Lest we forget, purifying confusion is returning to the center. The innate connection to the Dao each of us holds within. Once we do this, the bent part can be straightened. That which is wounded can be healed. That which is worn out can be renewed. Contentment and appropriateness naturally follow.