Photo by Stacie Mallinson, sailing with the kids around then time when we were thinking of trying to save money by living on a boat, and discovering a fleet of unused vessels in harbors around the world.

53.

Even with only half my wits about me,

I would travel the way of the Tao,

the only thing to fear

is getting off course.

For it is a safe, wide open highway.

Oh, but men love to get sidetracked.

Politicians’ vanity projects get funded

while infrastructures crumble,

and natural resources get depleted.

They wear expensive suits,

own trendy status symbols,

drink the best whiskey,

dine at exclusive restaurants,

and have more toys than

they have time to play with.

This is white-collar piracy.

It is most definitely not

what it means

to surf the Tao.

WRITTEN REFLECTION

The thing that often makes about caring for natural resources and humans who are in poverty low priorities for many affluent people is that they think these matters are purely about what we call “charity” these days. In older times, charity was a way to refer to what the Gospels use to refer to unconditional love: agape. But today, charity is what the rich offer the poor, without actually addressing the unnatural and unequal systems that keep them poor. Charity is the ten cents we add to a 5 dollar cup of coffee to assuage our guilt that the coffee beans were grown by people who have a hard time feeding their families and served by a twenty-something who isn’t getting health insurance. Charity is a mere bandage for unhealthy systems.

Understanding the Tao helps us to move from charity to reimagining society itself. There is a way for us to care for one another through mutual aid. This way is reciprocal, not paternalistic. It honors the intrinsic value and unique gifts of all members of a community. It empowers instead of keeping people dependent.

Charity is not only inadequate for those who are in need, it is uninspiring to those who are wealthy. Yet, if we stay on the good, smooth way of the Tao, we actually find that everyone is safer. Without dignity and healthy sustenance, there is a danger that the poor will turn to violent revolution, especially when they have nothing to lose. Without a healthy relation to resources, the rich themselves become distracted from true happiness in their “side-tracking” pursuits of Mammon.

Then, there’s the ultimate self-destructive nature of white collar piracy. By pillaging the earth, the wealthy enjoy short term gains but create a world where their yachts are in danger of being destroyed by extreme weather, their heirs breathe toxic air, and their industries get shut down due to sick infrastructures. In other words, another world is possible, if we want it, but we too often think that that other world is a threat. This distracts us from the real threats that face us.

Ultimately, turning away from addiction to material things in this life isn’t just about doing the right thing for those in need, it is about avoiding the distractions that side track the rich and keep them from traveling the road to happiness and freedom.

Wherever you find yourself on the road of life, take heart. The road ahead is clear and beckons you forward. As the recently deceased Lee “Scratch” Perry says on his posthumous release with the drone metal band New Age Doom, “Listen to your dreams. Don’t be pushed by your problems, but led by your dreams.” And, “If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” Here’s to your journey, friends! Godspeed.

White Collar Piracy (Tao Te Ching 53)