Profound Thought from Chinese Poetry

This is a quote from the translator of a book of Chinese poetry who explains that the views of the poets are molded by the three basic Chinese philosophies: Lao Tzu (Taoism), Buddhism and Confucius. In aspiring to the larger vision of things, relying on Nature as the model for process, he says:

To Lao Tzu the problem of solving the ills of human life was to do nothing, to be carried along by the mighty current of the cosmos. The way, he said, to clear the world of its dirt and muddy aspect was identically the way one cleared a bucket of muddy water. Agitation, an attempt to be rid of the impurities merely prolonged their evil influence and presence. The thing to do was to do nothing. The sediment would settle to the bottom, the water would clear itself. So with man and his world. With a wise passivity the eternal Way would exert itself.

Beautiful.