Tao Te Ching – Chapter Nineteen
Written by Lao-tzu – From a translation by S. Mitchell
Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won’t be any thieves.
If these three aren’t enough,
just stay at the centre of the circle
and let all things take their course.
How I Read This Chapter
Let go of pretending to know it all,
and you’ll discover real joy.
Let go of self-righteousness,
and you’ll begin to act with true kindness.
Let go of chasing success,
and there’s nothing left to take.
If you’re still unsure,
just return to the centre.
The centre doesn’t strive,
doesn’t judge,
doesn’t grab,
it simply allows.
Let life take its course.
The Tao knows the way.
What This Means To Me
This chapter turns so much of what I once believed upside down. In my addiction, I clung to appearances—wisdom, morality, productivity. I talked like I knew it all. I judged others while doing the very same things in secret. I worked like a busy fool to look successful while my inner world was falling apart. I thought I was chasing virtue, but I was really running from myself.
“Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier.” I get that now. Because when I stopped trying to act wise and all knowing, and started being honest, I finally found peace. When I stopped quoting slogans and started living them, people trusted me. When I let go of needing to appear spiritual, I began to feel spiritual. It didn’t just come from performing goodness—it came from surrender.
“Throw away morality and justice, and people will do the right thing.” That sounds radical, but I see it in the rooms of recovery all the time. No one’s forcing us to be moral. No one’s handing out rewards or punishments. We choose to do the next right thing—not out of fear, but out of gratitude. Out of love. Out of a desire to stay connected. It’s not law that keeps us sober—it’s relationship. Community. Humility. Service.
And this: “Throw away industry and profit, and there won’t be any thieves.” Addiction made me greedy—for escape, for approval, for more, more, more. I always wanted something outside myself to fix the emptiness within. But when I stopped grasping, I discovered I already had enough. When I stopped chasing what I could get, I started giving. I didn’t need to take anymore. I found freedom in simplicity.
And then, Lao-tzu offers a final invitation: “Just stay at the centre of the circle and let all things take their course.” This is the heart of recovery for me. The centre is what I return to when I pray. When I pause. When I say, “Thy will, not mine.” It’s not a place of passivity—it’s a place of trust. I don’t have to manipulate everything anymore. I don’t need to fix everyone. I don’t need to hustle for love or respect. I just stay centred—in honesty, humility, presence—and let life unfold.
The centre is where I find My God.
The centre is where I find my peace.
The centre is where I remember who I truly am.
So today, I throw away the performance. I stop trying to impress. I drop the mask of morality and just aim to live in truth.
And when I forget all that—when I get caught up again in striving or judging or proving—I return to the circle. I breathe. I let go. I let the Way take its course.
