The Doctrine of Inaction

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter three of the Sayings of Laoutsu by Laudsu, translated
by Lionel Giles. This LibriVox recording is in the public
domain recording by Nima. The doctrine of inaction, the sage
occupies himself with in action and conveys instruction without words.

(00:24):
Is it not by neglecting self interest that one will
be able to achieve it? Purge yourself of your profound intelligence,
and you can still be free from blemish, cherish the people,
and order the kingdom, and you can still do without
meddlesome action. Who is there that can make muddy water clear?

(00:45):
But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become
clearer of itself? Who is there the can secure a
state of absolute repose? But let time go on, and
the state of repose will gradually arise bearing of speech,
and things will come right of themselves. A violent wind
does not outlast the morning, a squall of rain does

(01:08):
not outlast the day. Such is the course of nature.
And if nature herself cannot sustain her efforts long, how
much less can man attain complete vacuity and sedulously preserve
a state of repose. Tao is eternally inactive. And yet

(01:29):
it leaves nothing undone. If kings and princes could but
hold fast to this principle, all things would work out
their own reformation. If having reformed, they still desired to act,
I would have them restrained by the simplicity of the
nameless Tao. The simplicity of the nameless Tao brings about

(01:51):
an absence of desire. The absence of desire gives tranquility,
and thus the Empire will rectify the softest things in
the world override the hardest. That which has no substance
enters where there is no crevice. Hence I know the

(02:11):
advantage of inaction, conveying lessons without words, reaping profit without action.
There are few in the world who can attain this.
Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat. Purity and stillness
are the correct principles for mankind. Without going out of doors,

(02:34):
one may know the whole world. Without looking out of
the window, one may see the way of heaven. The
further one travels, the less one may know. Thus it
is that without moving, you shall know, without looking, you
shall see, without doing, you shall achieve. Their pursuit of

(02:54):
book learning brings about daily increase the practice of doo
brings about daily loss. Repeat this loss again and again,
and you arrive at in action. Practice in action, and
there is nothing which cannot be done. The empire has
ever been won by letting things take their course. He

(03:15):
who must always be doing is unfit to obtain the empire.
Keep the mouth shut, close the gateways of sense, and
as long as you live you will have no trouble.
Open your lips and push your affairs, and you will
not be safe to the end of your days. Practice
in action. Occupy yourself with doing nothing. Desire not to desire,

(03:41):
and you will not value things difficult to obtain. Learn
not to learn, and you will revert to a condition
which mankind in general has lost. Leave all things to
take their natural course, and do not interfere. And of
the doctrine of inaction.