3 Treasures of the Sage

[cheya]

Another approach: In NIne Nights with the Taoist Master, author Waysun Liao doesn't directly call them the three treasures. He has Lao Tzu saying: " 'For those who cannot connect to the power of Tao, but would like to start to practice to get ready to do so, I have three types of practical messages that I hold and treasure. The first is mercy; the second is storing up; the third is yielding and not being ahead of others. From mercy comes courage to accept the way the power of Tao prevails; from storing up the power of Tao comes immensity; from yielding comes leadership.

 

Intead, nowadays men give up mercy yet try to be courageous. They forsake storing up, but try to pretend immensity. They do not believe in yielding, and instead always try to be first. They certainly would receive no power of Tao. This is sure to end in death.'

 

For mercy will broadcast the power of Tao to win any battle and strengthen defense. For the means by which the power of Tao of heaven prevails and protects is with mercy.

 

If you can explain this to the people, and they can apply it even a little, then their understanding will grow,' said the sage."

 

So Liao seems to be saying that the three practical methods are sort of baby steps for getting ready to connect with the power of Tao.

 

Also, elsewhere in the book, Lao Tzu speaks specifically about "storing up", describing it as a core energetic/spiritual practice, unrelated to storing up financial or physical resources. He describes it as a kind of energetic frugality, taking great care to conserve the energy accumulated in the practice of cultivating and storing chi.

 

Also in his book, Liao talks about "Broadcasting the power of Tao" as a high spiritual power of the sage. But he never describes it completely (not to my understanding, anyway). Anybody with any input on that, I'd love to hear about it!

Edited June 30, 2011 by cheya

[Otis]

The story of the frozen burrito and heroin addict was a strange day in my life. Right after he left, my knees buckled and I crumbled onto the floor. My fear all kicked in at the same time and left me in a heap. But how the heck my fear didn't show when he was there...I'll never know. It was another being inside me....

I know that feeling. The couple of times in my life, in which I had to face someone with a gun, I didn't feel any fear, until after the event. I guess that's a good survival function.

[Otis]

Dawei makes a great point, one that I think is really core to this conversation. Are the three treasures virtues/ethics that we should cultivate in order to attain sagedom? Or are they the byproduct of spiritual practices, observable confirmations of attainment? If the three treasures are markers of attainment, and not MEANS of attainment, then most of this discussion actually belongs in another current thread, the one about how to tell if someone is enlightened.

Humility is not just "a nice trait", or a "byproduct". Humility is precisely the action of surrender of self.

 

Love is not "a side-effect" like happiness. It is precisely the action of living without separation.

 

Questions of enlightenment, to me, are pointless. Who cares? Do I get a cosmic gold star, if I "attain"?

 

To me, the question that matters is: am I living fully as my life? Or am I holding my self back from life, trying to "get it right" and/or "be above"?

[manitou]

I think that by the fact that they're called the Sage's 3 treasures, it would follow that these are attainments. He has arrived at the place in his mind where he is in balance (never too much), he has arrived at the place where he does not contend (never be the first), and he has arrived at the place where he no longer judges or stratifies in his mind; he loves all equally.

 

My personal view is that the problem then becomes, how do we get that way? I think it is left to us to find a device, a willingness, perhaps a template, for introducing our selves to the inner journey. The inner journey starts with the surrender that Otis was talking about - a surrender that we have no control over life at all, not really; that there is actually something we surrender 'to' (our knowledge of wu-wei and the not-doing of life); I think this must be a continual process into self; that we can do so with the mere request to It (whatever you want to call it) that you are ready to see yourself as you really are. The willingness to get through all the conditioning that we've had done to us since birth, and our repeated and warped reactions. It is a way to find the direct route to the Source; this is the process of self-realization, and without it the Sage is not the Sage. The ego does take a beating during this process because none of us are perfect and we are flawed beings, particularly at the point where the journey has begun.

 

But I do think that our lives up to this point are a mere precursor for the real journey we're intended to take. Not the physical one.

[phore]

I was 16 when i first began driving to and from high school. One day it began snowing and the people in charge decided to wait until the roads were sufficiently iced over to release the students to drive home. Along the way to my house there is a road that leads up a very large hill (almost a mountain). This road had a solid coating of ice. I made it up the road with little difficulty. But when I began descend the other side, things got a little out of hand. My car lost traction and i began spinning in a 360 down the hill. During this i had an intuition that if i tried to turn the wheel either way i would only make the situation worse. So i sat back in my seat let go of the steering wheel and relaxed. I watched my car spinning out of control straight towards the cliff at the edge of the winding road down the mountain. I was about ready to rejoin the way when the ground leveled out. My car skidded to a halt a few feet away from an icy plummet. I took a moment to appreciate the situation, pulled into reverse and backed onto the road. I had a very silent ride home.

In the most surreal situations the way is always there encouraging us to let go.

[manitou]

I was 16 when i first began driving to and from high school. One day it began snowing and the people in charge decided to wait until the roads were sufficiently iced over to release the students to drive home. Along the way to my house there is a road that leads up a very large hill (almost a mountain). This road had a solid coating of ice. I made it up the road with little difficulty. But when I began descend the other side, things got a little out of hand. My car lost traction and i began spinning in a 360 down the hill. During this i had an intuition that if i tried to turn the wheel either way i would only make the situation worse. So i sat back in my seat let go of the steering wheel and relaxed. I watched my car spinning out of control straight towards the cliff at the edge of the winding road down the mountain. I was about ready to rejoin the way when the ground leveled out. My car skidded to a halt a few feet away from an icy plummet. I took a moment to appreciate the situation, pulled into reverse and backed onto the road. I had a very silent ride home.

In the most surreal situations the way is always there encouraging us to let go.

 

 

It just doesn't get much more succinct than that.

[suninmyeyes]

manitou,

haha Just been reading this thread and what a story about frozen burrito and a heroin addict!Incredible.

In the title of the thread it says '3 Treasures of the Sage (how did he get them?)'.

Well I think she didnt get them ,but rather discovered them possibly becouse 'getting ' got too strenuous.

Trying 'to get' is a learning curve most of us take due to mental/emotional conditioning contegionesly prevalent in this age.

I love those three tresures (I have learned about them here on TTB ),simple and profound.

[Aaron]

Hello Folks,

 

I've wondered why the three jewels never appeared in the earliest manuscripts of the Tao Teh Ching as well and came to the conclusion that perhaps Buddhism influenced the later manuscripts in some way. Even then, I do think that, as Dawei mentioned, these ideas of compassion, humility, and self control are almost universal ideals set down by religions (and societies). The reason is that a person who is compassionate, humble, and minds his own business will benefit society much more than the selfish, proud, arrogant person who's only out to serve himself.

 

I think when one examines the ideas of compassion, humility, and self-control that it's important to understand that one will never be able to be all of these things all the time, but rather it is an ideal one should try to aspire to. I also think that at some point, if one has advanced spiritually enough, that these will be the natural culmination of spiritual practice. I think one reason the spirituality was emphasized was so that one would not misuse their knowledge of the martial arts and qigong. After all seeking power for the sake of power is perhaps the most corrupting act one can undertake.

 

Aaron

 

edit- Also keep in mind that compassion does not necessarily require empathy, but rather an awareness of another's suffering and a sincere desire to ease that suffering.

[Marblehead]

Hello Folks,

 

I've wondered why the three jewels never appeared in the earliest manuscripts of the Tao Teh Ching as well and came to the conclusion that perhaps Buddhism influenced the later manuscripts in some way.

 

Ha. That might be an interesting research project for me one day.

 

The Three Treasures are in Henricks' translation based on the Ma-wang-tui which dates back to 168? BC. Buddhist influence entered China about 225 BC. Confucius mentioned three traits of man but they were opposite of the three treasures.

 

Is the a 'three treasures' in Buddhism? I don't know.

[manitou]

manitou,

haha Just been reading this thread and what a story about frozen burrito and a heroin addict!Incredible.

In the title of the thread it says '3 Treasures of the Sage (how did he get them?)'.

Well I think she didnt get them ,but rather discovered them possibly becouse 'getting ' got too strenuous.

Trying 'to get' is a learning curve most of us take due to mental/emotional conditioning contegionesly prevalent in this age.

I love those three tresures (I have learned about them here on TTB ),simple and profound.

 

Very good point, Sunny! Although in some cases like recovering from substance abuse, etc. - it's definitely a 'get' through working the 12 steps. The realization can't be found until all the junk is moved away. That's just one path, though....it happened to be mine. I admire people who have learned through the path of gentility, and things are definitely more of a 'let'. What I do know is that that the 'gets' will lead to the 'lets' if we are earnest in wanting to do the clearing work, and letting the One lead us into what we need to be led into. Very best wishes to you, over there on the other side of the world....

[Jetsun]

Hello Folks,

 

I've wondered why the three jewels never appeared in the earliest manuscripts of the Tao Teh Ching as well and came to the conclusion that perhaps Buddhism influenced the later manuscripts in some way. Even then, I do think that, as Dawei mentioned, these ideas of compassion, humility, and self control are almost universal ideals set down by religions (and societies). The reason is that a person who is compassionate, humble, and minds his own business will benefit society much more than the selfish, proud, arrogant person who's only out to serve himself.

 

I think when one examines the ideas of compassion, humility, and self-control that it's important to understand that one will never be able to be all of these things all the time, but rather it is an ideal one should try to aspire to. I also think that at some point, if one has advanced spiritually enough, that these will be the natural culmination of spiritual practice. I think one reason the spirituality was emphasized was so that one would not misuse their knowledge of the martial arts and qigong. After all seeking power for the sake of power is perhaps the most corrupting act one can undertake.

 

Aaron

 

edit- Also keep in mind that compassion does not necessarily require empathy, but rather an awareness of another's suffering and a sincere desire to ease that suffering.

 

I'm not sure one of the jewels is self control, personally having too much self control is a complete nightmare, while self control seems to be the opposite of spontaneity and uncontrivance which are some of the main intentions of Taoism.

[Marblehead]

I'm not sure one of the jewels is self control, personally having too much self control is a complete nightmare, while self control seems to be the opposite of spontaneity and uncontrivance which are some of the main intentions of Taoism.

 

Excellent point and valid, IMO.