Inability to let go of
the past is the source of depression and even ultimately a mind disorder leading
to a tragedy.
To illustrate, 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 had committed such a
cold-blooded murder.
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 depression 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? Letting go begins with letting
go of material things, followed by the letting go of time, such as living in
the present moment, instead talking or texting while driving, and then the letting
go of emotions and memories, such anger and 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.
My Way! No Way
Stephen Lau
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