The Story

When East meets West… when Lao Tzu wrote down the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching 2,500 years ago in ancient China, he may not have realised the impact its philosophy would have millenniums later in the West and the newly-emerging profession of life-coaching.

When Julia from Taiwan met Nick from England on a coaching course, they didn’t realise at first that they had a common interest in the work of Lao Tzu. This joint interest soon became a course project. As we explored a few verses of the Tao, we began to see how Lao Tzu’s teachings could be related to personal development and coaching principles.

On this blog we intend to continue this work by exploring one verse of the Tao Te Ching each week. We invite you to join us on our journey and add your own thoughts to deepen our learning. How do you interpret Lao Tzu’s message? And how does it speak to you as a coach?

Monday, February 1, 2010

Verse 5

The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.

The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.
Hold on to the center.

[For Personal Development]

  • The power of the Tao can be used in both positive and negative endeavours.
  • Step up and take the responsibility. The universe does not play favorites. Don’t play the victim and expect others to come to our rescue.
  • Living in harmony with the Tao, creates powerful synergies.
  • Understanding of the Tao is beyond the human mind, we can only feel the power.
  • You cannot fill a cup that's already full. To be receptive, empty the cup and open the mind.

[For Coaching]

  • Coaching is a powerful tool, be wary of the dark side!! Imposing your own agenda.
  • Unconditional positive regard is blanket acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does. It is essential to healthy development. [Carl Rogers].
  • Trust your intuition. Shifts often occurs heart-to-heart, not just head-to-head.
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