Verse Three of the Tao Te Ching: See Harmony, Fulfillment, Peace

Verse Three of the Tao Te Ching encourages us to see through the eyes of fullness and contentment while encouraging life in harmony with the greater intelligence within and all around us.

By studying Verse Three, you know that “You have enough and are enough.”

From Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life, this is Dr. Wayne Dyer’s translation of Verse Three:

“Putting a value on status

will create contentiousness.

If you overvalue possessions,

people begin to steal.

By not displaying what is desirable, you will

cause the people’s hearts to remain undisturbed.

The sage governs

by emptying minds and hearts,

by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

Practice not doing. . . .

When action is pure and selfless,

everything settles into its own perfect place.”

The first six lines are very interesting! Let’s take a closer look:

The Third Verse of the Tao Te Ching makes us question why we focus on things. What is this really about?

The perception of lack and showiness are two sides of the same coin.

Showiness breeds resentment in both the person showing and the person captivated by what they see. That’s because energy is real. You know when someone is ‘showing off’ as a means of competing versus when they are lovingly sharing something with you. These are two very different experiences.

When we connect to the frequency of lack, we’re trapped in ego. Our ego is never going to have enough, and it’s never going to be enough.

When we compare and compete, we never win because we’re operating from a state of mind that is never truly happy.

In this state, moments of happiness come, and they go. They aren’t sustainable because they aren’t based on the lasting, deeper fulfillment we seek. This leads me to the next excerpt:

“Remind yourself daily that there is no way to happiness; rather, happiness is the way.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

This sentence is possibly the most referenced quote from Wayne Dyer’s translation of the Tao Te Ching.

Seriously, how perfect are these words? Happiness is the way.

“You may have a long list of goals that you believe will provide you with contentment when they’re achieved, yet if you examine your state of happiness at this moment, you’ll notice that the fulfillment of some previous ambitions didn’t create an enduring sense of joy. Desires can produce anxiety, stress, and competitiveness, and you need to recognize those. Bring happiness to every encounter in life instead of expecting external events to produce joy.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer, Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life.

We must know and expect that external things and events will never bring true happiness. Instead, we need to bring happiness into all that we do.

We can see happiness and fulfillment as our companions as we move through our day. How? I’m certainly no expert! I believe we cultivate our happiness through practice, patience, discipline, and faith.

“All I have is all I need, and all I need is all I have at this moment.”

― Byron Katie

Focus on carrying the energy of gratitude into daily life. See that your cup is full.

Even after much study of gratitude, I’m still learning about its superpower. When we’re “in gratitude,” we experience the world differently. We tap into a higher frequency of being.

We begin to feel compelled to serve. How?

There are so many ways. But it can be as simple as sharing your peaceful, kind energy with everyone around you.

It’s not easy, or maybe that’s the wrong word, not natural to always come from this state. I’m working on it by committing to sit with those uncomfortable feelings of lack, when they arise,  and not allowing them to take over.

**You can change your focus from not enough to how can I serve? And how can I share? Watch your energy shift before your eyes.

For August, find something to place on your bedside table or desk that reminds you to tap into the Tao’s abundant, peaceful, complete, and miraculous energy.

Maybe it’s a poem or a cup filled with seashells! Whatever makes you feel connected to that incredible energy of pure love and abundance – do that!

The Third Verse of the Tao Te Ching allows you to realize the source of energy that embodies truth.

Because you are whole and complete, everything is precisely as it should be. You are connected to this magical, mystical energy that aligns with your perfect wholeness. No different than the energy that created the glorious sunrise or blooming garden in your yard.

Ironically this “allowing energy” is one of the key parts of working with Abraham Hicks and the law of attraction. To attract, you need to believe and deeply know on some level that what you desire will all come to you. This quiet knowing, to me, is the essence of the Tao.

You know that you are whole, complete. You know that you have everything you could ever possibly need. And your heart is filled with overwhelming gratitude. I think that’s the secret to everything.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Share with someone who needs an uplifting story today!

Do you want to read more? Expore the Mystery in Verse One of the Tao Te Ching.