Chapter 42: Living by Melting into Harmony
“The Tao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to all things.
All things have their backs to the female
and stand facing the male.
When male and female combine,
all things achieve harmony.”
— Tao Te Ching, Verse 42
From Unity to Duality to Harmony
This profound verse outlines the creative sequence of the universe — from the Oneness of the Tao, through the duality of opposites (yin and yang), to the triadic harmony that gives rise to all life. It reminds us that all things are born from the union of opposites — masculine and feminine, light and dark, seen and unseen.
Wayne Dyer encourages us to live in harmony with this universal flow, not by rejecting differences, but by embracing and balancing them. To “melt into harmony” is to release the ego’s need to dominate, fix, or separate, and instead flow with life’s natural, creative opposites.
Key Concepts:
Living harmoniously means balancing our inner duality.
Tao = Source (the One) → Duality (Two) → Creation (Three) → All things.
Harmony is found in the union of opposites.
Masculine (doing, active, force) and Feminine (being, receptive, yielding) exist in all of us.
Actionable Steps: Living by Melting into Harmony
- Embrace the Fullness of Your Nature
- Recognise the masculine and feminine within you. Let your assertiveness be softened by intuition. Let your creativity be grounded in structure.
- Journal: Where am I too dominant in one polarity? How can I invite its complement?
- Live in the “Middle Way”
- Avoid extremes in thought, speech, and action.
- When faced with conflict or decision, ask: “What is the harmonious response here?”
- Practice Union in Relationships
- Rather than compete, complement. Rather than control, co-create.
- Honour differences as necessary components of wholeness.
- Allow the Dance of Opposites
- Don’t rush to fix discomfort or polarised situations. Let tension exist until balance naturally emerges.
- Like the yin-yang symbol, each force contains a seed of the other.
- Align with Creation Itself
- Meditate on the Tao as your source. Visualise the journey from Oneness to form, and return to Oneness through stillness.
- Recognise yourself as part of a cosmic harmony — and contribute to it through conscious living.
Affirmation for Chapter 42:
“I melt into harmony with all of life.
I welcome the dance of opposites within me.
I choose balance over extremes,
peace over pride,
and unity over division.”