To defer is to give the credit to someone else. This is necessary if one is to establish a relationship with humility. In simple terms, real deference means giving the credit to the spirit. The one who is truly successful therefore, is the one who is making progress on the road to sagacity. The road is fraught with challenges. To take up the challenge requires a commitment to reach into the heart of the Dao.
The journey to the heart of the Dao can only be accomplished with the complete assistance of the divine spirit. This is why it is easier to defer when the individual understands the real state of play. The Dao runs the show, not people. Accepting this is something else. For one who is the accomplished mental gymnast, the ‘ego-identity’ reigns supreme. Deference is not in the vocabulary of the gymnast. If there is something to be gotten, the gymnast sets about getting it. If there is something to be won, the gymnast will go into training for the battle. The gymnast wants another trophy to look at. In reality, there is no reward for living as a loving and compassionate human being.
