Man and Eternity

In Tao we see eternity touched several times. Heaven and Earth to him are eternal. Yet he looks at man in a humbling way. We are always seeking eternity yet we can’t even begin to comprehend it, the words in our language can’t begin to describe its immensity. Even heaven and earth which are so great and supposedly eternal can’t reproduce it. “High winds do not last all morning – Heavy rain does not last all day. Why is this? Heaven and earth! If heaven and earth cannot make things eternal, how is it possible for man?” (p.25)We are in a constant search for self-preservation. We are willing to sacrifice anything for this and it is almost an unstoppable instinctive force. Even Gilgamesh’s story for the search of eternity which has lasted for so long will one day fade as everything else. Time passes and it consumes all no matter what it was made of, for what purpose or who wrote it. Even the great tale of Gilgamesh will one day be forgotten.
There is yet another meaning to this phrase. “High winds do not last all morning. Heavy rain does not last all day.” Although as a whole it is making reference to the fact that nothing is eternal but heaven and earth. (And nothing we make can ever be eternal) It can also have a side meaning. High winds and Heavy rains have been always a representation of bad times. Maybe he also wanted to make people see that evil and rough times do not last forever even though they might seem to do so, anything created by man can’t be eternal. In a way it was a method to calm people. “The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies, by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.” (p.7) maybe this part of what he wanted to achieve with this. Not just “filling bellies” but preparing for the bad times when maybe there wouldn’t be enough food to do this. He looks like a very skilled person in handling people and has the potential of being a leader since he sees how to manage a state.