In 2015,
gunman Vester Flanagan gunned
down reporter Alison Parker and Adam
Ward in front of the TV
camera; this vicious slaughter was witnessed by thousands of TV viewers.
Many
viewers, including some interviewed psychologists, tried to explain why the murderer would do such a horrific
act.
Maybe
the wisdom of Lao Tzu,
also known as Tao wisdom (The word "Tao" comes from the ancient
Chinese classic "Tao Te Ching" the only book written by Lao
Tzu, which has become one of the most translated works in world literature) can
explain why the killer has a mind disorder. As a
matter of fact, we may all have a mind disorder to a greater or lesser extent,
if we don't follow the wisdom of Lao Tzu.
This
mind disorder is a result of not "letting go." In life, we all have
to learn how to let go of everything, including life
itself (when we have to confront imminent death as a result of health or old
age). Throughout life, we have to let go of our children (when they go to
college, get married, or die ahead of us); we have to let go of material
things, such as career, money etc.); we have to let go of our memories
(memories of the unpleasant in the form of anger, bitterness, or vengeance, as
well as memories of the pleasant in the form of desires and expectations). If
we do not and cannot let go of our emotions, we develop mind disorder that may
lead to anything, including a horrific crime, such as the one committed by the
gunman Vester Flanagan.
This is how the mind disorder of a killer is
developed. An individual is fired from his job. His perceptions of
disappointment, dissatisfaction. injustice, racial prejudice and
discrimination, among others, become registered in the mind as memories.
Without the power of letting go, that individual's mind will continue to
generate more negative thoughts in the subconscious mind until the breaking
point. If that individual has an aggressive or a violent nature, then killing
may seem to be the last resort.
It is
all about letting go, which is the essence of Tao wisdom. To learn how to let
go, begin with letting go of material things (Are you living a simple life? Is
your closet cluttered with clothes that you have not worn in the past few
years?); with the letting go of time (Are you always on the go? Do you talk or
text while driving? Are you living in the past or the future, except in the
present?); with the letting go of the memories (Do you easily forgive or do you
always bear grudges?). If you don't let go, you have anxiety, depression, and other mind disorders
that may culminate in tragedies.
Get Tao
wisdom, and read the entire script of "Tao Te Ching" in The Complete Tao Te Ching in Plain English.
To learn more about Tao wisdom, click here.
To live
well as if everything is a miracle, you need wisdom—more specifically, the
Tao wisdom of letting go.
Mind disorder can easily lead to depression.
Stephen
Lau
Copyright©
by Stephen Lau
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