Maybe, Maybe Not

“What is fullest seems empty” is from chapter 45 of the Daodejing. It is a reminder that potentiality is more potent than manifestation. Applied to our lives, this chapter helps us to remember that all phenomena are born of their opposites. When we are at our highest, it is time for a fall. When we are at our lowest, it is a time to rise up. We are fullest when we are empty. We must empty ourselves from time to time (or be emptied) so that we may take in something new. We have to exhale before we can inhale more air. There is great power in the ‘exhaling’ that is to be done from time to time. When we are down – either sick or depressed or something – we have a chance to tap into our greatest strengths. If we can cultivate non-attachment to the form of things, we can see that things just change. We can’t really say whether the changes are good or bad. This is not because good and bad don’t exist, it is just that they are judgments of snapshots of an ongoing process. I paraphrase one of my favorite Daoist stories:

A farmer had only one horse, and one day the horse ran away. The neighbors came to comfort over his terrible loss. The farmer replied, “Maybe, maybe not.” A month later, the horse came home bringing with her two beautiful wild horses. The neighbors came to congratulate for his good fortune, “Such lovely, strong horses!” The farmer replied, “Maybe, maybe not.” The farmer’s son was thrown from the horse and broke his leg. All the neighbors came to console, “Such bad luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe, maybe not.” A war broke out and every able-bodied was recruited except the farmer’s son because of his broken leg. The neighbors came to congratulate the farmer. “Maybe, maybe not.” replied the farmer.

We can’t know the outcome of things. We can’t even really say whether something is good or bad for us. All we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride. The ups and downs serve purposes we can’t fathom, so let them. We don’t need an answer for everything. Sometimes ‘maybe – maybe not’ will do just fine.