The Tao and Water and You are synonymous.

If someone squeezes you, you elude them. If someone relaxes their grip, that one experiences you readily. If you keep stationary, you become stagnant, but if you flow with the moment, you maintain purity. You don’t seek highness to be above others but settle for the low and the common. Gather together and course your journey and fall again in the form of your progeny, be they natural or in likeness. You have no fixed map for your journey because the journey draws its own map and plays no favorites as to the heights or depths or triumphs or tragedies or intention. Yet, you provide and benefit.

Asking for you to be content yet fluid seems paradoxical. Yet, if one can be both content and fluid simultaneously, then it becomes easier to be gentle with others and allow them to be free to go where they are inclined to go without interference. Again, for me, naturally trusting and treating everyone as equal seems counterintuitive. However, being in harmony with the present moment and knowing how to behave might help with practicing measured trust and enhanced acceptance of others.

When you’re free to flow as water, you’re free to communicate naturally – information is exchanged, and knowledge advances in a way that benefits everyone.

Be careful and receptive to the uneducated, homeless, or troubled members of society. The low often make it easy to be loathed but it can be your challenge. Sometimes, you can try to shield yourself from the unresponsive with acceptance, gentleness, and kindness as a response. There is the great likelihood that your efforts will feel wasted, but the curse will be on them, not you.

Sometimes, just your existence irritates others, and so, you are poorly equipped to battle with that. But if the irritation emanates from the other one not being the focus of attention, you might be able to cure that one. Nourish others with the flow of attention, listening and interest.

Let your thoughts float freely.

Masau Emoto’s The Hidden Messages in Water commentary is delightfully poetic but hardly concrete. However, if the intent is to fill one’s mind with pleasant thoughts and kind words in order to crystalize one’s life into a beautiful container rather than a crumbling and broken urn, there can be no harm in it.

Dyer’s characterization of Emoto as “Stupendous” might be taking this poet too emotionally. Yet, consciousness and balance in our intentions bring positive change into the realm of possibility. As far as impacting the entire planet, I will be content with the miniscule impact I can engender in myself through consciousness and balance.

Do the Tao Now

Drink water silently – nourish others with each sip

Note how many places visits you – singing drip by drip

Serving you and slowing too – a natural way evoked

Say a prayer of gratitude – then drink and swim and soak.

Lin declares both Heaven and Earth everlasting (i.e. lasting forever or a very long time) while Dyer uses the term “eternal” to describe Heaven (i.e. without beginning or end) and the term “endure” to describe Earth (i.e. suffer, something painful or difficult, patiently).

Is there significance to these differences in terms? Eternal and everlasting connote the ethereal while endure inspires mortal fortitude. Although Dyer uses the word endure, it is Lin who emphasizes emulation by suggesting we discard selfish desires and self-centeredness and, instead, mirror Heaven and Earth functionally and somehow our service to others leads to longevity.

Both Lin and Dyer suggest that sages putting themselves last results in their coming in first. But, without reasoning, this seems to be merely an inspiration to an aspiration. Again, Dyer uses the term endure, which is, I think, the most important concept in this verse. Through prolonged and persevering purity, good things shall come. But when we pursue good things only, our motives are corrupt, and our ends fail to be satisfactory.  Not very sagely.

Again, Lin’s commentary infuses his gossamer translation with linguistic tangibles.  Using terms such as genuine, inspire, humility, memories and reverence – Lin fleshes out the sentiments the vague exhortation – to place oneself last in order to elevate oneself to first. Such a sagely practice surely elevates one above a community largely concerned and consumed by achievement and goals.  

The final lines of each translation both address selflessness. Lin refers to achievement and goals. Dyer talks of needs and fulfillment. Lin’s terms strike me as artificial, manmade; while Dyer’s touching terms connect more viscerally. However, Lin’s commentary on his translation again bring the verse to life. Noting that the translation is a paradox, he emphasizes that the sacrifice referred to means ego, not physical body. He does this by underscoring being a good example, contenting with the humble and remaining unknown. When words become knowledge and knowledge becomes a living example, a life becomes eternal through intangible values. Miraculous in this day, indeed.