43、The Essence of Tao Te Ching Lies in Its Implications for Political Authorities to Rule with the Characteristics of Water

The essence of Tao Te Ching lies in its implications for political authorities to rule with the characteristics of water. They should behave like water—willing to be at the disposal of people and to be modest, to nurse and nourish all living beings, to make them prosper with wisdom, to gather strong power (the power of being the source of everything) beneath the soft appearance, to enjoy an everlasting prosperity and nourishment of everything—so that they can accumulate abundant virtues and wealth to make it benefit for thousands of generations to follow.

To gain prosperity, it is required that either the leader of a country, the minister, the governor of a province, the mayor of a city, the director of a factory, the county commissioner, or the boss of an enterprise should love his country, local place, enterprise, and factory wholeheartedly and attentively try to solve various problems existing in the world, the country, the province, the city, the factor, and the enterprise, to lead them towards prosperity and brightness and to enable people within these places to live and work in peace and contentment and to enjoy individual and national wealth. Such is how a country, a local place, an enterprise, and a factory can gain management strategies and moral support to make the country, the public, and the boss wealthy and the employees content. Such are merits and virtues!

The love and Tao mentioned here does not necessarily refer to the act of punishing the evil. To lay off extra employees in order to save all other employees’ interests is also a kind of goodness, merit, and virtue.