Ignoring non-essential desires, the sage finds himself not led astray from his chosen path. When an artist is painting a landscape, she may choose to leave out unwanted things she is seeing, and only includes on the canvas what she wants to depict. A scrawny bush may be cast aside for a fuller, more beautiful one, or left out altogether. A follower of the Tao must select only those things that keep her one with it. By being content with her Way, she has no desire to chase sensual pleasures. Since she has what he wants, she needs nothing else. Her agenda is to have no agenda. There is nothing wrong with desire provided you desire the right things in moderation. A flower may be beautiful to pluck, but it may lead you down a thorny path.
