Hua Hu Ching

[Mal]

http://www.cheraglibrary.org/taoist/hua-hu-ching.htm

 

I love the Hua Hu Ching very much. I sometime quote chapter 2 at people

 

But it seem to have had a turbulent history with claims of Buddhist influence....(so what? the book access great wisdom)

 

But I aways wondered what the Buddhist perspective on it was?

[Ambrose_Bierce]

Well Mal,

 

The history I do know quite a bit about! I have been told it was all memorized. Until this last century it was written in english. There may have been other written texts, just not in english.

 

There are still things in Buddhism that are only taught orally. Some of the teachings are things people are not ready for. Here on the forum you read many things.

 

One of the things not taught, is when we think we are awake, we are really asleep.

When we are asleep, our judgements, opinions fall off so to speak and we live in a state of oneness. Things easily manifest from that state thats why its just not divulged.

 

There are other writing that have made mainstream that carry similar ideas.

 

However I dont think there is any harm in it. People have a hard time understanding that the passion-imagination-intuitive link is more resilient. Compare the thought-judgement-analyse combination.

 

To make the change you have to live with people who understand that. Otherwise people go back to old habits.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Ambrose_Bierce

[C T]

First time reading this. I see a lot of similar key points and concepts.

 

I hope there are practical, systematic teachings which can lead the student closer to non-conceptual realizations of these key points. If there are, how about posting them here as support? I am sure it will be very helpful.

 

Cheers!

Edited September 13, 2011 by CowTao

[Harmonious Emptiness]

er, c'mon Mal. A new Buddhist Discussion Forum and your first post is of a Taoist text, lol?

 

edit.. oh, ok, 'cause you want the Buddhist view. my bad...

Edited September 13, 2011 by Harmonious Emptiness

[Mal]

well it's really a bit more inflamatory that even that - apparently the

barbarian changing book

was created to show Taoism was superior to Buddhism.

https://sites.google.com/site/taoismnet/home/articles/hua-hu-ching

 

What sort of value judgement is that? The book looks to have sound practices. Before I even heard of

 

Two

 

Men and women who wish to be aware of the whole truth should adopt the practices of the Integral Way. These time-honored disciplines calm the mind and bring one into harmony with all things. The first practice is the practice of undiscriminating virtue: take care of those who are deserving; also, and equally, take care of those who are not. When you extend your virtue in all directions without discriminating, your feet are firmly planted on the path that returns to the Tao.

 

I was learning to do that with loving kindness meditation. because

 

I joined a local Buddhist group to learn how to meditate. Nobody else local had a spiritual feel. and a Buddhist monk came and taught loving kindness meditation

 

(beautiful feeling being in the room with that group)

[Apech]

I like this chapter:

 

The world is full of half-enlightened masters. Overly clever, too "sensitive" to live in the real world, they surround themselves with selfish pleasures and bestow their grandiose teachings upon the unwary. Prematurely publicizing themselves, intent upon reaching some spiritual climax, they constantly sacrifice the truth and deviate from the Tao. What they really offer the world is their own confusion. The true master understands that enlightenment is not the end, but the means. Realizing that virtue is her goal, she accepts the long and often arduous cultivation that is necessary to attain it. She doesn't scheme to become a leader, but quietly shoulders whatever responsibilities fall to her. Unattached to her accomplishments, taking credit for nothing at all, she guides the whole world by guiding the individuals who come to her. She shares her divine energy with her students, encouraging them, creating trials to strengthen them, scolding them to awaken them, directing the streams of their lives toward the infinite ocean of the Tao. If you aspire to this sort of mastery, then root yourself in the Tao. Relinquish your negative habits and attitudes. Strengthen your sincerity. Live in the real world, and extend your virtue to it without discrimination in the daily round. Be the truest father or mother, the truest brother or sister, the truest friend, and the truest disciple. Humbly respect and serve your teacher, and dedicate your entire being unwaveringly to self-cultivation. Then you will surely achieve self-mastery and he able to help others in doing the same.

 

Thanks for posting the link.

 

Some of the chapters which talk about ego and separation sound quite Buddhist to me.