For many years now the business world has used many of the ancient Chinese texts like "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu to help them in negotiations and with their business philosophies. A recent article I read (The Tao meets the Dow) talks about how the use of these ancient texts are misused and misunderstood in today's world. It was the belief of the author that business leaders should stop trying to use texts from another culture that we don't or can't understand to lead us in the business world.
What many people fail to realize about these texts is that they are not meant for business, but texts written on how to live everyday. The Tao Te Ching says:
Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
the Tao is present, and can welcome all things.
This is one passage of many that could be used in the business world, and everyday life. The success or failure of a person or action is based solely on the conditions of that person's decisions or the consequences of those actions. I believe that these ancient texts are valid for our lives, no matter what job or position that we hold. We should look to expand our lives with the education of those that came before us, so that we may learn from them. Hopefully we can continue their journey to allow the world to be what it is meant to be, and not what we wish it to be.
I will leave you with this from the Tao Te Ching:
The sage does not distinguish between himself and the world;
The needs of other people are as his own.
He is good to those who are good;
He is also good to those who are not good,
Thereby he is good.
He trusts those who are trustworthy;
He also trusts those who are not trustworthy,
Thereby he is trustworthy.
The sage lives in harmony with the world,
And his mind is the world's mind.
So he nurtures the worlds of others
As a mother does her children.
What many people fail to realize about these texts is that they are not meant for business, but texts written on how to live everyday. The Tao Te Ching says:
Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
the Tao is present, and can welcome all things.
This is one passage of many that could be used in the business world, and everyday life. The success or failure of a person or action is based solely on the conditions of that person's decisions or the consequences of those actions. I believe that these ancient texts are valid for our lives, no matter what job or position that we hold. We should look to expand our lives with the education of those that came before us, so that we may learn from them. Hopefully we can continue their journey to allow the world to be what it is meant to be, and not what we wish it to be.
I will leave you with this from the Tao Te Ching:
The sage does not distinguish between himself and the world;
The needs of other people are as his own.
He is good to those who are good;
He is also good to those who are not good,
Thereby he is good.
He trusts those who are trustworthy;
He also trusts those who are not trustworthy,
Thereby he is trustworthy.
The sage lives in harmony with the world,
And his mind is the world's mind.
So he nurtures the worlds of others
As a mother does her children.
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