To be Good or Not by Dr. Andre Muhammad

After watching a debate between two presidential candidates tonight, the meaning of the 38th verse of the Tao Te Ching became very apparent. In this verse, it states that a good man is not aware of his goodness and, thus, this is what makes him good. It goes on to state that a foolish man tries to be good and, thus, this is what makes him not good.

After giving this presidential debate and others like it some serious consideration, I find that all political candidates attempt to appear good in the eyes of the public. Each one does his/her best to prove that he/she is in fact better than the other candidate. To me, one who is trying to understand what enlightenment is all about, I see that the political process is an antithesis to the teachings of the Tao Te Ching. According to the Tao, the great master is one who follows his own nature and avoids the trappings of life. He/she gravitates toward the fruit and avoids the fluff. He/she stays with what is firm and avoids the flimsy. He/she stays with what is true and avoids what is false.

Now, with this said, is there any wonder why so many registered voters tend not to vote on election day?

Peace and blessings!