<"uniting_the_forces.htm">

Uniting the Forces

---

"Know the male, hold to the female. Become the world's stream by being the world's stream. The Power will never leave; this is returning to infancy."

"Know the white, hold to the black. Become the world's pattern by being the world's pattern. The Power will never falter. This is returning to limitlessness."

"Know the glory, hold to obscurity. Become the world's valley by being the world's valley. The Power will be sufficient. This is returning to Simplicity. "

"When Simplicity is broken up it is made into instruments. Enlightened people who employ them are made into leaders. In this way the Great System is united."

Unwavering Power is bestowed on enlightened people who are able to direct the talents of otherwise unconnected individuals into a collective endeavour. Just as reservoirs collect water, leaders become low spots for the exchange of power and information. They are aware of the instability in aggression and obviousness. To hold their position, they are receptive, subtle and modest.

In Physics the four forces in the universe are those engaged in holding matter together (gravity, strong and weak nuclear force and electromagnetism). Enlightened leaders emulate the Tao by imitating those forces by connecting individuals with the evolving society. In this way they have the Power to alter reality.

In this passage, Lao Tzu uses the images of Infancy, Limitlessness and Simplicity to describe the intuitive understanding of the Great System: the united field of matter and energy as it existed prior to the beginnings of the known universe.

To know this is to perceive the Tao. (28)

Intuitive leaders have the ability to unite people with diverse backgrounds into a single enterprise. This creates a direct connection between people whose only previous connection was to be part of a single unified field of forces that we call the Universe, a place in that everything is interconnected. The universal connection is often hard to perceive though. The leader who unite s people is making that connection clear.

The more people they thus unite, the more like the universal Tao they become.

---