365 Tao

[adept]

TRANSFORMATION

You hurt me years ago;

My wounds bled for years.

Now you are back,

But I am not the same.

 

In the past, warriors fought by striking the same points that acupuncturists use. One famous swordsman nearly died in a duel in which his opponent attacked him in such a way. After that, the swordsman became a wanderer and tried to renounce the martial life. Years later, his enemy found him and challenged him to duel again. They fought. In the first flurry of blows, the aggressor stepped back in surprise. The swordsman smiled and said, "I trained for twenty years to move my vulnerable spots." With that, he was finally able to triumph.

Spirituality is a process of inner healing. The wounds of the past can be the greatest obstacles for self-cultivation unless we find them all and heal them. This task can take years, but we must accomplish it.

 

In many cases, our wounds were inflicted by other people -- enemies. This is subtle. Our enemies can be others on the street, or people much more intimate with us : parents, teachers, siblings, lovers, friends.

 

If we move away from such people and succeed in our practice, they will have no chance to come back in our lives. How can they? We change whatever made us vulnerable in the first place.

[Marblehead]

Excellent! But we must not build a wall and keep everyone out.

[adept]

PROGRESSION

When meditation stales,

Change methods quickly.

 

For those who follow Tao, there is no such thing as just one meditation that you practice for the rest of your life. All of Tao changes and flows, so too should meditation. It is not a static discipline but rather a progressive means of spiritual living. Beginners have their meditation, advanced students have theirs. Simple people have simple meditations, complicated people must have meditations that engage them fully.

No matter what kind of person you are, there are times when you will exhaust all the potential of a certain contemplative method. After all, a method is only an arbitrary structure, whereas the subconscious that you are trying to master is infinite, changeable, elusive. Therefore, when a method is exhausted, you have to change to another one. Sometimes, it is enough to switch back and forth between methods; at other times, you will need to go to a higher stage of meditation.

 

As long as you feel restless, it is a sign that you have not yet become fully mature on the spiritual path. The ultimate levels of meditation deal with a complete stillness of the mind. In this state, one feels nothing, thinks of nothing, worries about nothing. When meditation becomes stale, there is a preoccupation that will prevent you from attaining this stillness. That is why you change, until the day when restlessness naturally recedes and stillness is all that remains.

[Marblehead]

I do try to live by that.

[adept]

BALANCE

Summer withered grass to flaxen yellow,

Scorched leaves to brittle paper,

Dried lakes to cracked clay.

Chill autumn brought little relief --

Only frosted the devastation.

But with the early gentle rains,

The earth's fissures softened

And desiccated plants began to dissolve.

Slowly, balance comes once again.

 

Many cultures describe old people as having seen many winters. Those elders have seen many cycles come and go, and their wisdom comes from long observation of life's rising and falling.

If we have a long-range view, then we realize that equilibrium comes in the course of nature's progression. Nature does not achieve balance by keeping to one level. Rather, elements and seasons alternate with one another in succession. Balance, as defined by Tao, is not stasis but a dynamic process of many overlapping alternations; even if some phases seem wildly excessive, they are balanced by others.

 

Everything has its place. Everything has its season. As events turn, balance is to know what is here, what is coming, and how to be in perfect harmony with it. Then one attains a state of sublimity that cannot be challenged.

[adept]

INTERVAL

Seven geese pierce straight line over frigid bay,

Intervals between them constantly equal,

Pointed wings slash as if joined to an axle:

Today is the ideal moment between yesterday and tomorrow.

 

Every morning means a fresh start on things. If yesterday was trying and exhausting, today is a given opportunity to do something different. If yesterday was full of triumph and satisfaction, today is a free chance to go further. All too often, we wake up, think of our schedules, and assume that we must act according to the same dull script. We need not. If we find what is unique to each day, we will have freshness and the greatest fulfillment possible.

Although we have talked about our relationship to Tao in terms of positioning and timing, the clear discerning of intervals is just as important. Geese keep a perfect distance between them to establish a dynamic equilibrium; so too must we fit in with the intervals of a day's events. If we, like the geese, act in unison with these moments, with each other, and with the season, then we will be in total concert with Tao.

 

Today is poised between yesterday and tomorrow. What you may have started yesterday can be continued or interrupted today. What you want for tomorrow may be planted or destroyed today. Every morning is a new day. That observation is so simple as to seem trite. If we could observe the simple, there would be no need to study Tao.

[adept]

If we could observe the simple, there would be no need to study Tao.

 

This is one of the most profound statements I've ever come across, and so so true.

The abandoning of intellectualism in favour of the observation of the flow of life itself.

Outstanding.

[Marblehead]

This is one of the most profound statements I've ever come across, and so so true.

The abandoning of intellectualism in favour of the observation of the flow of life itself.

Outstanding.

 

 

Amen!

[adept]

SITTING

Cat sits in the sun.

Dog sits in the grass.

Turtle sits on the rock.

Frog sits on the lily pad.

Why aren't people so smart?

 

Those who follow Tao are fond of pointing out the wisdom of animals. When they see a cat sitting motionless in the sun or a turtle who stretches her head upward in a still pose, they say that these animals are meditating. They know how to be still and conserve their internal energy. They do not dissipate themselves in useless activity but instead withdraw into themselves to recharge.

It is only people who label meditation as some sort of odd religious activity. This is not the actual case. Something like meditation happens when we sleep, or when we are absorbed in reading a book, or when we "daydream" and become so lost in a thought or an image that we do not notice what is going on around us.

 

There is no reason to think of meditation as something out of the ordinary. Quite the opposite. Meditation is the purest and most natural expression we can have. When you next look at a cat or a dog sitting still, and admire the naturalness of their actions, think then of your own life. Don't meditate because it is a part of your schedule or is demanded by your particular philosophy. Meditate because this is natural.

[adept]

Meditation is the purest and most natural expression we can have.

 

Sometimes the smallest of phrases have the most impact.

[adept]

SOLUTIONS

Don't be afraid to explore;

Without exploration there are no discoveries.

Don't be afraid of partial solutions;

Without the tentative there is no accomplishment.

 

Indecision and procrastination are corrosive habits. Those who wait for every little thing to be perfect before they embark on a project or who dislike the compromise of a partial solution are among the least happy. Ideal circumstances are seldom given to anyone for an undertaking. Instead there is uncertainty in every situation. The wise are those who can wrest great advantage from circumstances opaque to everyone else.

Wanting everything in life to be perfect before you take action is like wanting to reach a destination without travel. For those who follow Tao, travel is every bit as important as the destination. One step after another : That is still central to the wisdom of Tao.

 

Every day passes whether you participate or not. If you are not careful, years will go by and you will only have regrets. If you cannot solve a problem all at once, at least make a stab at it. Reduce your problems into smaller, more manageable packages, and you can make measurable progress toward achievement. If you wait for everything to be perfect according to your preconceived plans, then you may well wait forever. If you go out and work with the current of life, you may find that success comes from building upon small things.

[adept]

GROWTH

A moving door hinge never corrodes.

Flowing water never grows stagnant.

 

Even in the autumn of your life, you cannot give up growth. If you do, you only invite decline.

All the different aspects of a person -- body, mind, and spirit -- have one curious quality : If they cease to be exercised, they stop growing. Once they stop growing, they begin to atrophy. That is why, no matter how much you have accomplished and no matter how old you are, you must keep exercising all parts of yourself.

 

We only grow when we are challenged. Muscles do not strengthen without resistance. Mental faculties do not sharpen without critical thinking. The spirit does not soar without something to excite it. It may seem like a great effort to constantly try new things, but unless you do, you fall out of your heights very quickly. The constancy of physical exercise, varied from time to time into new routines, and the constancy of mental and spiritual challenges are essential to stave off the infirmities of aging.

 

We cannot reverse aging completely, but we can slow it down. As long as we are vital, we will not suffer as much. Although aging is natural, sometimes following Tao means more than following the route of least resistance. Why slide into old age, illness, and senility? The way of challenging oneself is also a valid but difficult path. Sometimes Tao chooses the difficult over the easy.

[manitou]

As you add to the Tao Bums with these daily discussions (which are wonderful, by the way), please consider adding to our knowledge by sharing the particular ego-diminishing methods you have used to get to the place of being a pure unimpeded channel. In order to truly have clarity, we know that one most 'go in', get our character defects out of the way of pure expression. This would greatly humanize your thread and take it out of the realm of just mind and more into the realm of including heart and experience. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this thread.

[adept]

CORE

What is the difference between a monk and a husband?

What is the difference between a priest and layperson?

I accept that this world is terrible and full of suffering.

And I also enjoy happiness when it comes to me.

As long as I am with Tao, distinctions are superfluous.

 

A spiritual initiate should not feel smug. They have no greater chance of enlightenment than ordinary people. An ordinary person shouldn't look down on the holy aspirant; everyday life is so full of distractions that finding spirituality is not easy. Frankly, neither being a religious initiate nor being a layperson is the deciding factor in whether a person finds Tao or not. Identities only get in the way.

I do not need to pretend that I am anyone other than myself. I do not need to feel insecure about my perceptions. The self-cultivation that I undertake is to perfect who I am, not to become someone other than who I am.

 

I pursue the spiritual because it gives me tremendous satisfaction. I do not pursue it because of threats of hell, ignorance, or suffering.

 

Life has its sad and happy moments. I accept them all. Life has its times of dispassion and utter serenity. Those are the moments that I seek. They give me my path through the myriad phenomena of this existence. I do not compare myself to ascetics and priests. Let them have their lives. I enjoy mine.

[adept]

As you add to the Tao Bums with these daily discussions (which are wonderful, by the way), please consider adding to our knowledge by sharing the particular ego-diminishing methods you have used to get to the place of being a pure unimpeded channel. In order to truly have clarity, we know that one most 'go in', get our character defects out of the way of pure expression. This would greatly humanize your thread and take it out of the realm of just mind and more into the realm of including heart and experience. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this thread.

 

Thank you for your interest in the thread.

Unfortunately the words used in these daily contemplations are not my own but are from the book 365 Tao by Deng Ming Dao.

I'm only sharing these wonderful nuggets of wisdom with the community we have here.

From my own personal perspective, I've practiced neigong and meditation for over a decade now.

This coupled with some carefully selected literature from Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism is where I happen to be now.

The insights gained from study and practical experience are worth all the effort.

Human beings are a 'work in progress'. There is never a finished article.

Change is the only constant in the universe, from the creation and destruction of galaxies, to the nanoseconds of time that string together to form thoughts. Nothing is ever still.

I used to drive myself insane trying 'to get to the place of being a pure impeded channel', practicing countless 'systems' of religion and spirituality. Then something just clicked one day and I let go of everything. It was totally liberating and I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. But in order to get to that point of letting go, I had to try lots and lots and lots of things first. I don't regret any of the choices I've made because they have moulded me into what I am now.

Enlightenment is to be found in every moment and in every experience if we know how to look.

The journey and the destination are one my friend.

Good luck with your practice.

[manitou]

The unimpeded channel I'm speaking of is merely that one that Allows all. No judgement.

[adept]

STAGES

Unless you are pious,

You cannot gain a foothold in Tao.

Unless you go beyond rules,

You haven't gained the middle.

Unless you can be creative,

You aren't traversing Tao.

Unless the road always stretches out before you,

You are not walking the true Tao.

 

When people start on a spiritual path, they are anxious to learn all the rules. This is understandable, even necessary. Often we need stern measures to set ourselves right.

But dogmatism is not spirituality. Sometimes, it is necessary to break rules. The task is to know how to go against doctrine in a way that actually fulfills the spirit of that doctrine. It is only at this point that one matures as a follower of Tao.

 

The next stage is complete creativity. You have so internalized doctrine that you need not think of it, yet everything you do will be spontaneously correct. There are many stages after that, stages not documented but there for you to explore on your own.

 

Those who follow Tao recognize that all people go through stages of development. Many people leave their spiritual communities when they outgrow them. The path of Tao has been conceived so that one never outgrows it. One can outgrow a particular stage, but when that happens, there is another one to be entered. In this way, following Tao is always vital.

[adept]

EXISTING

Fog makes the world a painting obscure.

Even close trees are half unseen.

But a lonesome crow won't stop calling:

He objects to being in this dream.

 

Over and over, the sages tell us that this world is but a dream.

When one awakes on foggy mornings, with the mists obscuring hills and valleys and the trees and village buildings appearing as diaphanous apparitions, we might even agree with them. Didn't we see this same uncertain mirage in the hills of Vermont? The hollow of the Yangtze River valley? The streets of Paris? Don't the memories blend with the dream and turn reality into phantasmagoria?

 

The world is a dream from which there is no escaping.

 

In this still dream, there is a crow calling. He doesn't stop. When everything else is frozen in the sepulchral dawn, the bird continues to scream. Maybe he realizes the same dream. He protests loudly.

 

The ancients hold the outer reality to be unreal. But there is the inner reality too. Some of us do not readily accept the conditions of this existence. We have eyes to see, but we also have voice to refute the existential delusion.

[adept]

RIGHTING

A deviation of a hair's breadth at the center

Leads to an error of a hundred miles at the rim.

When the effort is so slight,

Why should you hesitate to set things right?

 

There are many people who endeavor to know Tao. In the greatest sincerity, they take music lessons, read scriptures, learn foreign languages, study nutrition, change their dress, and go to temples -- all in the hopes that they will reach Tao. Sadly, they miss it by a hair's breadth. For a person to awaken to Tao, someone must give them a spark. Perhaps this is what is called direct transmission. It is odd, but this is the only way that knowledge of Tao is passed on.

Book knowledge can help and give one a deep theoretical background, but the true understanding of Tao still comes person to person. There is no other way.

 

So if you have any true understanding of Tao, you got it from someone. If you meet someone else who needs that spark and you are in the position to give it, then do so. Don't be selfish. There are so many people out there who want guidance and who cannot get it. If you can make a difference for at least one person, then you have tremendous merit indeed.

[adept]

Through work and family commitments my online time is limited to weekends. Therefore I'm unable to carry on with the daily postings. Hopefully someone will take this over.

Best wishes

[Marblehead]

Through work and family commitments my online time is limited to weekends. Therefore I'm unable to carry on with the daily postings. Hopefully someone will take this over.

Best wishes

 

Yeah. We must deal with what must be dealt with.

 

I would love to see someone pick up where you left off.

 

Thanks for you efforts to this point.

[lifeforce]

I'd like to kick this off again if anyone's interested.

 

January 1

Day 1

 

BEGINNING

 

This is the moment of embarking.

All auspicious signs are in place.

 

 

 

In the beginning, all things are hopeful. We prepare ourselves to

start anew. Though we may be intent on the magnificent journey ahead,

all things are contained in this first moment: our optimism, our faith,

our resolution, our innocence.

 

In order to start, we must make a decision. This decision is a

commitment to daily self-cultivation. We must make a strong connection

to our inner selves. Outside matters are superfluous. Alone and naked,

we negotiate all of life's travails. Therefore, we alone must make

something of ourselves, transforming ourselves into the instruments for

experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life.

 

Once we make our decision, all things will come to us. Auspicious

signs are not a superstition, but a confirmation. They are a response.

It is said that if one chooses to pray to a rock with enough devotion,

even that rock will come alive. In the same way, once we choose to

commit ourselves to spiritual practice, even the mountains and valleys

will reverberate to the sound of our purpose.

 

 

 

Discuss ?

[Marblehead]

Not much to say except the post reminded me of a saying I use now and again:

 

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Edited January 1, 2013 by Marblehead

[lifeforce]

Not much to say except the post reminded me of a saying I use now and again:

 

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

 

And if you actually say this to yourself every day, it becomes the best mantra for living a life full of purpose and wonder.

[Marblehead]

And if you actually say this to yourself every day, it becomes the best mantra for living a life full of purpose and wonder.

Yep.