Verse 5

"Heaven and earth are impartial; 

they see the 10,000 things as straw dogs.

The sage is not sentimental;

he treats all his people as straw dogs.

The sage is like heaven and earth;

to him none are especially dear,

nor is there anyone he disfavors.

He gives and gives without condition,

offering his treasures to everyone.

Between heaven and earth is space like a bellows;

empty and inexhaustible,

the more it is used, the more it produces.

Hold on to the center.

Man was made to sit quietly 

and find the truth within."

And so the Chinese mule train of wisdom soldiers on to verse 5. And what a verse it is. Lets talk about straw dogs. Straw dogs?! Ayyy, straw dogs! Curious little figures crafted in ancient china for ceremonial purposes. They were dressed up and later discarded. They were neither loved nor hated. They just simply were. So in this first paragraph of the fifth verse I think Lao-tzu is trying to convey the idea that heaven and earth or the spiritual and physical realms do not take sides, they do not love or hate anything. All things just are. Nothing is more important than the other and there is no favor granted to any one thing over another. So basically God the creative force sees all things equally. Nice, I like that. The sage then, being wise and God like emulates that way of being to his followers. His treatment of them does not come from a love or hatred that one or the other stirs within him, instead, all are treated equally as he operates out of his goodness. Giving to all without the expectation of receiving something back. One is inclined to think how exhausted such a man would become, offering so much to everyone. However, in the third paragraph we find the answer to how he can give without end. (yes, we have already covered paragraph one and two. They kinda blend into each other.) It explains how the treasures of the universe and so too it's middle man the humble sage have a never ending supply. For as it is used, more is produced.

 I think that this verse is very important for people that find themselves in a leadership position. Treat all as equal, it seems to say. That was one of the main ideas driving the formation of our great United States of America. "With liberty and justice for all" is a statement every american recognizes. After all, it's part of our pledge of allegiance. It's part of our belief system. The idea that attracted people the world over to a new country where any man rich or poor, noble or peasant had a chance to be anything he wished. And furthermore, created a concept of ruling a country that was so revolutionary in it's time that it drove other countries to structure similar forms of government of their own. It's not hard to see how a leader acting in accordance with such beliefs would be loved and supported by his people. 

 Finally we reach the fourth paragraph and again this verse seems to go out with a bang. Even though there is much wisdom in the first three paragraphs, it is the fourth that really hits it home. Because it pertains to how we get there. Where it all comes from. Many people talk about finding your center. In a way it could be viewed as what makes you tick. Your core beliefs and values. To me, at my center is God. Ok, yes God is everywhere but when I think of my telephone line to God, I think of my center. So in other words, the closer I get to my center the better I can hear the words of the Source. Plus I find it to be a perfect place of Love and comfort. I guess that stands to reason. So how do we do this one might inquire. The plain english word is meditation. Sitting, standing, laying silently with a mind free of chatter. I myself found it hard to meditate at first as I was given one of those brains that run on high octane fuel. So sitting quietly with an empty mind seemed impossible. But over time I was able to quiet my mind and in so doing, started to hear the "Truth from within". My Mom has always liked the verse from the Bible that says "be still, and know that I am God". I think it's a perfect scripture for the ending of this verse. Perhaps in another way we could venture to say, be still and know the voice of God. To each his own. 

 In a world of fast paced everything it does tend to be hard to slow down enough to develop such a connection to our Source but the truth is, maybe that is the speed we should have been going all along.

 Namaste