BY GREGORY T. SMITH

Ever gone to a gym or school that declared itself a “Judgment-Free Zone?” Jesus and Lao Tzu call this therapeutic space “Wu-Wei.”

The Tao Te Ching begins its second verse with a few short lines cautioning the reader not to judge. The world is not divided into dualistic categories like beautiful and ugly, good and bad, being and non-being, difficult and easy, long and short, high and low, before and after.  In fact, the spiritual person recognizes that these are all part of one another.  In reality, all things are one with everything else.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 2

J.H. McDonald Translation

When people see things as beautiful,

ugliness is created.

When people see things as good,

evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

Therefore, the Master

can act without doing anything.

and teach without saying a word.

Things come her way and she does not stop them.

things leave and she lets them go.

She has without possessing,

and acts without any expectations.

When her work is done, she takes no credit.

That is why it will last forever.

The novice might view Lao Tzu’s words as terribly depressing, even saying that it’s horrible to detach oneself from beauty or goodness.  But the Taoist doesn’t shrink from beauty. She smiles at it and sees it in its context along with ugliness.  Neither does she avoid the horrifying thing that comes before her. Instead, she sees it in context with attractive things.  Taoist separation or detachment isn’t denial—it’s the embracing of the fact that all things are one, instead of dividing everything into categories.

Jesus exemplified this detachment when he said, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” To live is to die; to save your life is to lose it. 

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/breathingspace/2024/04/jesus-lao-tzus-judgement-free-zone/