The Tao of Inspiration

[Stigweard]

I have been exploring recently the process of 'Inspiration' and how it fits within Taoist teachings. I would be very interested to hear of you views on this.

 

Edited June 15, 2009 by Stigweard

[thelerner]

For me the truest teacher of the tao is nature. Each morning the run arises in a blaze of color. The earth almost literally awakens, plants pour out oxygen, life begins to move and go about there business. The natural world does the best it can without thought of yesterday or tomorrow.

 

I find inspiration in that. To live as if reborn each day and give away all that night is a very taoish ideal.

 

 

Michael

[Stigweard]

For me the truest teacher of the tao is nature. Each morning the run arises in a blaze of color. The earth almost literally awakens, plants pour out oxygen, life begins to move and go about there business. The natural world does the best it can without thought of yesterday or tomorrow.

 

I find inspiration in that. To live as if reborn each day and give away all that night is a very taoish ideal.

Michael

Excellent reply Michael!!

 

In the quest of Tao we are encountered with the question: "How do we follow Tao? How do we know we are following Tao?"

 

One of the first responses by other wayfarers is: "Follow your true nature."

 

 

Ok ... then how do we do that? "Get in touch with your De, your virtue"

 

Which leads straight into the discussions of whether virtue is ethics etc. However, De can be considered to be "the Tao within". It is our inner divinity, our true nature.

 

We know we are embodying our De when we are living in the moment with an integral consciousness. And it is following this thread of contemplation that I play the with concept of inspiration.

 

Looking into the etymology of 'inspiration' we find the meaning: "immediate influence of God or a god." Inspiriation has at it's roots "in" + spirare (same root as 'spirit') "to breathe". And here we see the Taoist implications because Qi 氣 is also designated to mean breath / spirit.

 

So the question is posed: "Is inspiration the 'movement' of universal Qi through one's consciousness?"

[Birch]

Good one!

 

 

Primarily cultivated but if you're standing in the way when it hits you, might as well not have bothered;-)

 

This from someone who is sometimes found standing in her way;-)

[Ya Mu]

Excellent reply Michael!!

 

In the quest of Tao we are encountered with the question: "How do we follow Tao? How do we know we are following Tao?"

 

One of the first responses by other wayfarers is: "Follow your true nature."

 

 

Ok ... then how do we do that? "Get in touch with your De, your virtue"

 

Which leads straight into the discussions of whether virtue is ethics etc. However, De can be considered to be "the Tao within". It is our inner divinity, our true nature.

 

We know we are embodying our De when we are living in the moment with an integral consciousness. And it is following this thread of contemplation that I play the with concept of inspiration.

 

Looking into the etymology of 'inspiration' we find the meaning: "immediate influence of God or a god." Inspiriation has at it's roots "in" + spirare (same root as 'spirit') "to breathe". And here we see the Taoist implications because Qi 氣 is also designated to mean breath / spirit.

 

So the question is posed: "Is inspiration the 'movement' of universal Qi through one's consciousness?"

 

Ah, very good.

 

I feel that inspiration is that moment in which we are fully in harmony with Tao, when we are fully linked with the divine within.

 

I was talking with someone last night, but earlier I had been concerned with how to arrange a presentation and what material to include. Even though that is not what we were discussing, I all of a sudden felt the inspiration and knew immediately what to include. So I concluded the person I was talking with reflects the divine, causing an "inspiration". I & I & I reflect the Divine in each other.

[thelerner]

So the question is posed: "Is inspiration the 'movement' of universal Qi through one's consciousness?"

 

In the moment of inspiration, there is a loud yes. A piece of the puzzle is found, AND IT FITS.

 

I've sometimes thought another word for the Tao is Yes, as if there is a spirit of Yes responsible for so much life and possibility.

 

I don't understand why so much crap goes on. I realize to the enlightened the world is, in whole, a perfection, but that doesn't help the 99.99999..% of us who lack such a state.

 

 

Michael

[Stigweard]

From a Taoist point of view when we consider the concept of Shen (spirit/mind) we see that we have two types: a primodial or pre-heaven Shen, and a mundane or post-heaven Shen.

 

Our mundane Shen is our mind that is conditioned by our culture, environment and experiences. It is our mind that has lost it's original purity, so to speak. It has become seperated, to whatever degree, from its universal connectiveness.

 

Pre-heaven Shen is the mind where there are no seperations between universal and personal consciousness.

 

The traditions of Tao that emphasize personal sublimation guide us down the course of attaining this pre-heaven Shen and in this quest I am encountered with the question: "What are the signifiers or precursors of the attainment of pre-heavenly Shen?"

 

At this stage of my nascent growth my best answer to this is that this Universal Consciousness is known to us through a feeling and my best description of that feeling is "Inspiration".

 

Now at my mundane level this 'divine inspiration' is sporadic and fleeting at best. However, with due practice with the correct methods, this level of consciousness becomes more enduring and one's life begins to become a continuous inspired event.

[WhiteTiger]

Why would one not want to be inspired?

 

 

 

Peace, Virtue

wt

[voices that carry]

The word "inspiration" means "In Spirit" literally.

If you are "in spirit" then you are one with the Tao

Peace be with you

[Stigweard]

The word "inspiration" means "In Spirit" literally.

If you are "in spirit" then you are one with the Tao

Peace be with you

[WhiteTiger]

The word "inspiration" means "In Spirit" literally.

If you are "in spirit" then you are one with the Tao

Peace be with you

 

Nicely said and I can not disagree with you.

 

Why would one not want to be inspired?

Peace, Virtue

wt

 

Please understand Stig and all whom read this post. I'm not exclaiming that I don't want to be inspired or to be in the spirit.

 

I'm only trying to get people to think why one wouldn't want to be inspired.

[dwai]

I have been exploring recently the process of 'Inspiration' and how it fits within Taoist teachings. I would be very interested to hear of you views on this.

 

 

The Artist and the Muse

 

Here are some thoughts (url above) that I'd put together back in 2001 or 2002 (don't remember exact date). They fit very well with Taoist teachings imho. Inspiration is called "Prajna" in Sanskrit, or direct intuitive realization/glimses.

 

When this state of prajna is continuous and person is well established in it, he is called enlightened. When it comes in short, intermittent (often erratic bursts), it is called inspiration.

 

[Stigweard]

The Artist and the Muse

 

Here are some thoughts (url above) that I'd put together back in 2001 or 2002 (don't remember exact date). They fit very well with Taoist teachings imho. Inspiration is called "Prajna" in Sanskrit, or direct intuitive realization/glimses.

 

When this state of prajna is continuous and person is well established in it, he is called enlightened. When it comes in short, intermittent (often erratic bursts), it is called inspiration.

 

Well written

[Stigweard]

Edited July 5, 2009 by Stigweard

[rain]

reading both these post makes me realize how blessed I am to be standing right here in his stream of consciousness. thank you. I cannot and will not post anything worthwhile compared, just add some words

I think may fit from A.H.Almaas brilliant booklet "The Elixir of Enlightenment" He is speaking about the various aspects of Essence which he describes as a descending force, then discusses kundalini which he sees as a special form of essence, namely energy which is ascends. Then He says something at least for me fundamental; "Now if there were a way to activate essence in such a way that it would keep manifesting one aspect after the other without being interrupted, then our solution would be found. And in fact, there is a way that will do just that. This has to do with a certain essential aspect, that of space - space, the dimension of emptiness, the dimension of the void. If a person can experience space, then essence will manifest spontaneousy, one aspect following another. The aspect of space is. just ike any other essential aspect related to a certain sector of the personality. Dealing with this sector which has to do with self-image, will eaisly precipate the experience of space. This in turn will activate the descending force, essene, in its various aspects."

Edited July 5, 2009 by rain

[de_paradise]

In my own little cosmology, I have dumbed down the Tao into a basic visualization. Imagine a sea of foam, which is the primary consciousness, the pre-heaven qi, and each little bubble's directive is one of creation, and its these little bubbles that have formed what we know as the world and everything in it, and it just keeps on creating. Trial and error, but it keeps creating, selflessly.

 

When you are doing something creative, like writing, painting, living creatively, you are bringing your activity, your mind in line with the activity of sea of bubbles, or put another way, you are aligning yourself with the Tao, or the divine matera prima. This is why it is apparant that artists live closer to the Tao.

 

On the other hand, through alignment with other aspects of the Tao, through meditation, through connecting with energies, unwinding of the ego-self, etc., a person naturally can become more creative, the very nature of the Tao.

 

Well, I think Im just saying the same thing as you guys, except in a nice sea of bubbles, a bubble bath

[Stigweard]

Bumping this up to get more views and discussion over Post #14.

 

[Marblehead]

Nice thread. Just now reading for the first time.

 

 

So the question is posed: "Is inspiration the 'movement' of universal Qi through one's consciousness?"

 

My short answer: Absolutely!

 

Happy Trails!

[Marblehead]

Nice thread. Just now reading for the first time.

My short answer: Absolutely!

 

Happy Trails!

 

 

Okay. I'm done reading the entire thread.

 

I used to call what we are speaking of here, inspiration, 'gut feeling'. Being an Atheistic Taoist I would never have attached words like 'god' or 'devine' to this event.

 

Because I now hold to the concept of 'universal chi', that is, the energy of the universe, and that I hold to the understanding that there is information contained in this energy (kinda' like what they say about stuff that enters a black hole - the information is never lost) I therefore hold to the understanding that as Chi passes through all things there is information there too and if our personal Chi is allowed to interact with this universal Chi we will 'become aware' of this information.

 

However, I believe that all not all of this information is necessarily 'good' for us at any given point in time. In other words, we could be inspired in such a way that if we effect the inspiration we will cause problems for ourself.

 

Personally, I almost always follow my inspirations. But every now and then I get one of these shots of inspiration and I stop dead in my tracks. I will think about the inspired thought and decide to trash it. Of course, there was one time where I did that and in the end my life would have been better if I had followed my inspiration.

 

I think it might be an error to associate 'inspiration' with the concept of our 'true nature' or 'virtue'. This is because I think that there is a lot of 'bad' information in the energy that is flowing throughout the universe. I believe that all the inhumane things humankind has done in the past is in there too. That is why we sometimes get these wierd thoughts in our mind to do nasty things. There have been many people who have done some really 'bad' things who claim that they did these actions because they were inspired to do them.

 

Enough for now.

 

Happy Trails!

[Encephalon]

I had my own "faith-based" lifestyle for the first 35 years of my life. My upbringing, which was not conspicuously religious, or even spiritual, made room for a personal relationship with God, and this did imbue my universe with some undefinable benevolence. I signed up with Transcendental Meditation in my late twenties, and by my mid-thirties, was living at Maharishi Internatiional University, in Iowa, which turned out to be the most dysfunctional community I had ever been a part of. I only lasted six months there, and promptly returned to N. California to start my academic career at the tender age of 35.

 

I attended my first annual Critical Thinking Conference at Sonoma State University that year and volunteered for three more as an undergrad. By the first one, I was definitely within the CT tractor beam and wouldn't be leaving for quite some time. It is quite a chore to "re-enchant" one's life after a person loses his faith. I dropped the word "spiritual" from my vocabulary until I could come up with a definition that didn't violate my newfound agnostic and CT sensibilities.

 

With Taoism and Buddhism, I have reacquired a working definition of "spiritual" to simply mean that mystery and awe and daily, unquenched curiosity fuels my sense of connection and inspiration. In CT we speak of the realm of verifiability and falsifiability; beyond that realm is the land of the metaphysical, and until I have exhausted every doctoral program in every academic subject, there really is no need for me to go there, because the empirical world is so inexhaustible. (There is a joke that says that metaphysics is for people too lazy to study physics.)

 

Buddhism and Taoism are for me extraordinary portals into larger worlds that are still accessible with an agnostic base (agnostic as "I don't know and can't know," not the popular mis-definition of "I don't care.") I tell my 13 year-old that the chi I cultivate every morning with my exercises is the same stuff that ignited the Big Bang. She's as smart as a whip; her BS detector is finely tuned for such a young person and I am very proud of that. But she can buy virtually anything I say about chi, nei kung, martial arts, and the very palpable sense of chi-flow. Internal physiological states, healing with chi or knocking someone's lights out with four ounces of pressure represents subject matter that critical thinking cannot adequately connect with. But maintaining a conscious awareness of the dividing line between what one can know and what one cannot know is the ultimate test.

 

That pedantic introduction being said, I was about to concur with previous posts that nature is my most inspiring medium. In fact, my master's thesis was a Buddhist deconstruction of consumerism in Los Angeles and the threat that global consumerism represents to nature itself, certainly sentient nature. So yeah fine, throw me in with the deep ecologists.

 

But my real sense of inspiration comes from people now. Allen Ginsburg said this back in the seventies; It's all fine and good to figure out the universe. But eventually, what becomes more important is how connected you are to other people. I am consistently blown away by how my connections with others are revealed when I simply shut up, turn of the ego, and listen to how much I have in common with others whom I've never met. American culture is tearing itself to pieces, and it is almost a certainty that it will get ugly when global competition for dwindling resources erupts into resource wars (THE oldest story of humankind). But beneath all the environmental conditioning and Fox News and all the rest are people who are vastly more connected than disconnected.

 

Music probably ranks second on my list of sources of inspiration. I played in bands in college and am learning to play guitar these days. Anyone in here ever catch Billy Childs? My muscial babyfood was the jazz-rock fusion era of the early seventies. Meeting someone whospeaks the language of riffs and licks is about as satisfying as a successful chi wave over the scalp in the MO!

 

"That's about all I got to say about that!" Forrest Gump

Edited August 27, 2009 by Blasto

[Sloppy Zhang]

This is a very interesting discussion especially since I have recently found myself in a poetry writing class, and I really suck at writing poetry though I'm hoping my meditation and my reception to stuff will inspire me

 

So far though I have found inspiration just by being aware of the things that are around me. The tree, the worn stop sign, the crumpled paper on the floor, the air conditioner kicking up dust, the one book on the bookshelf lying on its side.... etc etc etc

 

And like my professor says, "how do you let the muse know when you are ready to write? BY TURNING YOUR CELL PHONES OFF!!!!!"

[Marblehead]

My muscial babyfood was the jazz-rock fusion era of the early seventies.

 

I don't play but music is my first love. Do you know Ultimate Spinach?

 

Happy Trails!

[Stigweard]

Okay. I'm done reading the entire thread.

 

I used to call what we are speaking of here, inspiration, 'gut feeling'. Being an Atheistic Taoist I would never have attached words like 'god' or 'devine' to this event.

 

Because I now hold to the concept of 'universal chi', that is, the energy of the universe, and that I hold to the understanding that there is information contained in this energy (kinda' like what they say about stuff that enters a black hole - the information is never lost) I therefore hold to the understanding that as Chi passes through all things there is information there too and if our personal Chi is allowed to interact with this universal Chi we will 'become aware' of this information.

 

However, I believe that all not all of this information is necessarily 'good' for us at any given point in time. In other words, we could be inspired in such a way that if we effect the inspiration we will cause problems for ourself.

 

Personally, I almost always follow my inspirations. But every now and then I get one of these shots of inspiration and I stop dead in my tracks. I will think about the inspired thought and decide to trash it. Of course, there was one time where I did that and in the end my life would have been better if I had followed my inspiration.

 

I think it might be an error to associate 'inspiration' with the concept of our 'true nature' or 'virtue'. This is because I think that there is a lot of 'bad' information in the energy that is flowing throughout the universe. I believe that all the inhumane things humankind has done in the past is in there too. That is why we sometimes get these wierd thoughts in our mind to do nasty things. There have been many people who have done some really 'bad' things who claim that they did these actions because they were inspired to do them.

 

Enough for now.

 

Happy Trails!

Sure ... the next question then is do you necessarily believe that 'universal chi' has a spectrum of sublimity to it? In other words, is there only one grade of 'universal chi'? Or can you conceive the notion that the spectrum of chi extends into 'higher', 'purer', and more subtle states?

 

If you can conceive of such a notion then can you also assimilate the idea that, just like tuning a radio, we are able to 'tune in' to the higher 'realms' of universal chi?

[Marblehead]

Sure ... the next question then is do you necessarily believe that 'universal chi' has a spectrum of sublimity to it? In other words, is there only one grade of 'universal chi'? Or can you conceive the notion that the spectrum of chi extends into 'higher', 'purer', and more subtle states?

 

If you can conceive of such a notion then can you also assimilate the idea that, just like tuning a radio, we are able to 'tune in' to the higher 'realms' of universal chi?

 

Now that, sir, is a different question.

 

In my discussions I only consider the two aspects of Chi that I speak to, that is, all living thing's personal Chi and Universal Chi.

 

Yes, I can conceive of the probability that there are 'different levels' of Chi. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that there are a specific number of levels though. I can conceive of Chi, unaltered and uncontaminated by anything, as in Chi directly from the source (Tao) permeating a living organism. This, I think would be Chi of the purest state.

 

I can also conceive of the probability of there being Chi that has been so altered by the 'things' it has previously passed through so that it is actually negative Chi. My example of this would be when we are in the company of someone from whom we get 'bad vibes'. We are receiving their negative Chi (probably mainly yang energy).

 

I don't think I would use the words 'higher/lower' though. I would likely stick with 'pure/less pure'.

 

And then I do hold to the idea that universal Chi is altered to some degree as it passes through 'things'. That is to say, as it passes through a very negative person some of this negativity will modify the polarity of universal Chi and it may then pass through another person and add to their negativity.

 

Happy Trails!

[Stigweard]

Yes, I can conceive of the probability that there are 'different levels' of Chi. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that there are a specific number of levels though. I can conceive of Chi, unaltered and uncontaminated by anything, as in Chi directly from the source (Tao) permeating a living organism. This, I think would be Chi of the purest state.

And do you believe that we are able to 'tune in' to this pure state of Chi?