Page 227 - Built For God Handbook (Annotated and Explained Edition) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

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We are invited, in this chapter, to use our imagination and picture an idyllic,
perhaps utopian, society where simplicity reigns. A first striking ingredient is
the value placed on human work, with full employment giving dignity to all,
as labor-saving devices are avoided. There is a certain realism that sees
death as the fulfillment of life and not something to be feared.

Part of this life of simplicity is a high degree of self-awareness, self-
knowledge, and especially self-acceptance, offering people a sense of
profound security. That sense of well-being renders unnecessary the all-too
present attempts in the world today to medicate inner pain and escape from
suffering.

Within this sense of security, there is no need to be defensive or aggressive.
People are content with what they have and with the fulfillment of their day-
to-day tasks. The strive for acquisition permeating our world is replaced by a
sense of relinquishment and gratitude. A spirit of collaboration,
neighborliness, and harmony fills up and flows out of this life of simplicity.

b
a Matthew 6:25-34; 1 Kings 5:4.