Tao Te Ching's Essay 'No One Has Control'

No One Has Control

Through suffering times several Chinese artists, including calligraphers, painters, and poets have used a fundamental text, Tao Te Ching for both philosophical and religious Taoism as a source of inspiration. The inspirational scriptures within the text influenced not only Taoism but Legalism, Confucianism, and Buddhism and have even become the most translated works in world literature. While reading the Tao Te Ching looking for inspiration before I graduate I particularly resonated with Chapter 29:

Conquering the world and changing it,

I do not think it can succeed.

The world is a sacred vessel that cannot be changed.

He who changes it will destroy it.

He who seizes it will lose it.

So, among all things,

Some lead

and some follow,
Some sign and some pant,
Some are strong and some are weak,
Some overcome and some succumb.

Therefore the sage avoids extremity, excess, and extravagance.

With this passage I completely agree that while some think they can control what goes on, they simply do not. Individuals can only control what happens based on their own actions not based on the actions of others. So, while thousands of graduates are attempting to find jobs, completing their credits, and improving themselves for the next few weeks; we all must realise that we are only in control of our thoughts and actions. We must understand that there will be times to lead and times to follow, times to be strong and times to be weak, and times we must stay on top of it and times we can be weak. No one has the world figured and a designated prefect plan for themselves we are all trying to figure out life through our own plans and paths. So, individuals should never strain themselves, spend too much time, or be smug about their path, it can and will change in a blink of an eye and we are all combating life together.