RESPONSIBILITY

Tao sages talk about taking total responsibility for one’s own destiny, but how far can we go with this concept? There may be bad things that happen beyond your control.

For instance, what if someone spreads vicious rumors about you? Surely that person, and not you, should be the responsible party? What about the state of the economy causing people to lose their jobs? How can they be held accountable for the economy?

These are ways of thinking about responsibility in terms of who is at fault or what is to blame. The sages look at it differently. They point out that while we may have little control over external conditions, we have complete control over our internal decisions. We always have the final word in choosing how we assign meaning to events, and how we respond to them.

Many people do not exercise this power, so when bad things happen, they may think that they are once again victimized. Tao cultivators, on the other hand, see the same negative events as tests or lessons. This leads to the natural next step of responding positively, by passing the test or learning the lesson. Thus, being responsible in the Tao is about being able to frame the best response to the challenges of life.

The Tao Today

Whenever the word “responsibility” comes up, always think of it as “response ability.” When something bad happens, look at the possible meanings you can assign to it. If it is something to learn from, what is the lesson? What is you best possible response to this event, in accordance with its meaning?

The Tao of Joy Every Day

~ Derek Lin