Neither Troubling the World nor Troubled by It
One by whom the world is not made anxious, and who is not made anxious by the world, freed from elation, envy, fear, and agitation — such a one is at peace.
Am I someone who unsettles those around me, or someone easily unsettled by them?
📝Reflection
Peace has two directions: that I do not shake others, and that others cannot shake me. The old teacher bound both into one line. Half of what unsettles me is the elation and envy I first fired at the world, now returning. Those who put others at ease are usually at ease themselves. Laozi's 'he does not contend, so he is without fault' and Aurelius's unshaken inner citadel overlap here. Calm comes not from building a wall but from making no ripples.
🌱Apply It Today
End one conversation today without any wish to win or unsettle the other — leave no ripple.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
