Encephalon Posted January 14, 2010 POSITIONING Heron stands in the blue estuary, Solitary, white, unmoving for hours. A fish! Quick avian darting; The prey captured. People always ask how to follow Tao. It is as easy and natural as the heron standing in the water. The bird moves when it must; it does not move when stillness is appropriate. The secret of its serenity is a type of vigilance, a contemplative state. The heron is not in mere dumbness or sleep. It knows a lucid stillness. It stands unmoving in the flow of the water. It gazes unperturbed and is aware. When Tao brings it something that it needs, it seizes the opportunity without hesitation or deliberation. Then it goes back to its quiescence without disturbing itself or its surroundings. Unless it found the right position in the water's flow and remained patient, it would not have succeeded. Actions in life can be reduced to two factors : positioning and timing. If we are not in the right place at the right time, we cannot possibly take advantage of what life has to offer us. Almost anything is appropriate if an action is in accord with the time and the place. But we must be vigilant and prepared. Even if the time and the place are right, we can still miss our chance if we do not notice the moment, if we act inadequately, or if we hamper ourselves with doubts and second thoughts. When life presents an opportunity, we must be ready to seize it without hesitation or inhibition. Position is useless without awareness. If we have both, we make no mistakes. There are all kinds of jokes out there from the West that are loosely related to this, i.e., the person who consistently misses the signs of God's grace and then concludes that there is none. Or the man stranded on the roof of his house during a flood, who passed up offers repeatedly for rescue by several people, saying that God would save him. He dies, and asks why God didn't save him, and God replies, "WTH, I sent five people in boats to get you!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
~jK~ Posted January 14, 2010 POSITIONING Heron stands in the blue estuary, Solitary, white, unmoving for hours. A fish! Quick avian darting; The prey captured. People always ask how to follow Tao. It is as easy and natural as the heron standing in the water. The bird moves when it must; it does not move when stillness is appropriate. The secret of its serenity is a type of vigilance, a contemplative state. The heron is not in mere dumbness or sleep. It knows a lucid stillness. It stands unmoving in the flow of the water. It gazes unperturbed and is aware. When Tao brings it something that it needs, it seizes the opportunity without hesitation or deliberation. Then it goes back to its quiescence without disturbing itself or its surroundings. Unless it found the right position in the water's flow and remained patient, it would not have succeeded. Actions in life can be reduced to two factors : positioning and timing. If we are not in the right place at the right time, we cannot possibly take advantage of what life has to offer us. Almost anything is appropriate if an action is in accord with the time and the place. But we must be vigilant and prepared. Even if the time and the place are right, we can still miss our chance if we do not notice the moment, if we act inadequately, or if we hamper ourselves with doubts and second thoughts. When life presents an opportunity, we must be ready to seize it without hesitation or inhibition. Position is useless without awareness. If we have both, we make no mistakes. There are all kinds of jokes out there from the West that are loosely related to this, i.e., the person who consistently misses the signs of God's grace and then concludes that there is none. Or the man stranded on the roof of his house during a flood, who passed up offers repeatedly for rescue by several people, saying that God would save him. He dies, and asks why God didn't save him, and God replies, "WTH, I sent five people in boats to get you!" When centered the Tao is revealed. The Fulcrum of the Tao is perspective. God and Natural Law are interchangable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tao99 Posted January 14, 2010 People always ask how to follow Tao. It is as easy and natural as the heron standing in the water. The bird moves when it must; it does not move when stillness is appropriate. Great question - how to follow the Tao. What's it look like in the big picture as a whole? When needed, the mysterious pass opens and the necessary energy moves. When stillness is appropriate, the mysterious pass closes, and the Quietude of the mystery abounds. Thus the seasons of life follow one after the other. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Encephalon Posted January 14, 2010 Great question - how to follow the Tao. What's it look like in the big picture as a whole? When needed, the mysterious pass opens and the necessary energy moves. When stillness is appropriate, the mysterious pass closes, and the Quietude of the mystery abounds. Thus the seasons of life follow one after the other. Well said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
