Knowing Myself
Excerpt from Tao Te Ching, verse 33, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Knowing others is intelligence,
Knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength,
Mastering yourself is true power.
There are numerous translations of the Tao. I own several that I’ve been reading daily for years. I love the simplicity of Zen wisdom. Lao Tzu’s principles for living justly, peacefully, and with enlightened self-awareness in a state of simply “doing not doing” cut to the heart of life’s matters.
We can draw parallels to mindfulness and meditation. In the words of so many teachers, the skill of sitting with the intention of self-awareness (Why am I stressed, anxious, tired, cranky, sad, happy, unsettled?) is only about one basic thing: to get to know yourself. To sit still, to pay attention on purpose without judgment is the meditation part.