The Original Tao

[Yen Hui]

Would it be permissible, I mean, to quote, for example, Ware's translation of Ko Hung?

Master Ko Hung says the following:-

 

01 - "Genii (i.e. Immortals) can be recognized only if they have square eyes as did Chiao Hsien, ears rising

from the top of their heads as did Ang Su, ride a dragon as did Ma-shih Huang, or drive a White Crane like

Wang Ch'iao; when they are scale-bodied or serpent-headed, carried in a golden chariot, or clothed in

feathers. If no such sign is apparent, however, they can be recognized only by those with profound vision,

and heard only by those with penetrating hearing." ( Alchemy, Medicine, and Immortality, p. 39 )

 

02 - "He (the Immortal) treads upon raging fire, but is not scorched; he walks the dark waves with floating

step. Beating his wings he moves through the limpid void, riding the clouds with the winds for his

steeds; he peeps upward and rises to the Celestial Pole or, peering downward, he comes to earth and

rests in the K'un-lun mountains." ( Alchemy, Medicine, and Immortality, p. 38-39 )

 

Comments are more than welcome!

 

In the spirit of Tao,

Yen Hui

[Taomeow]

Welcome, Yen Hui!

 

What is it that attracts you specifically to the Complete Reality School's teachings and (or) practices? I find it quite compelling too, and tried to learn as much about it as I could in the first years of my taoist endeavours, but a bit later, I decided that the fairly strong Buddhist influences on its development are not quite "my" way, and shifted more towards the earliest taoist and proto-taoist (bordering on shamanic) ways. Of course these aren't forgotten by CRS either, but I found out eventually that it's only "taoism proper" that gets a resonant "yes, this is it!" from all my shens, whereas whenever any of them go, "really? Oh... OK," the part to which they respond with this detached indifference transpires as a later/Buddhist acquisition. What about you? Are you looking for "taoism proper in taoism" or are you enjoying the blend?

[Yen Hui]

Are you looking for "taoism proper in taoism" or are you enjoying the blend?

 

Hi there Sean and Taomeow ~

 

Many thanks to you both for the warm welcome! And thanks for taking the time, Sean, to answer my question

on the Forum rule(s) on posting copyrighted translations of the Canon! That was helpful and appreciated.

 

Taomeow, the answer to your query is kind of involved but I will try to keep it simple for now, but elaborate a

little more on it tomorrow. Well, I suppose it's "the blend" that attracts me, but that in itself requires a bit of

qualifying.

 

Basically, I came to Daoism through the study of the I Ching; but also came to realize that the wisdom

teachings of the I Ching were studied, practiced, expounded, and transmitted in each of the three great

Traditions: Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.

 

The ancients, Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu, teach that the Confucius and his disciples were essentially Daoists,

and the Confucian wings of the I Ching clearly reflect a distinctly Daoist influence. Bodhidharma, the reputed

founder of Chan Buddhism, was profoundly influenced by Chuang Tzu.

 

Well, to make a long story short, I came to believe very early, long, long before I ever knew about Complete

Reality Daoism, in the essential unity of these three great Traditions. And then when I found Complete Reality

Daoism, well it was sort of like a match made in Heaven, as they say!

 

Here's a few passages which encapsulate what I'm attempting to articulate, but very poorly. I will post others

like them later, perhaps tomorrow if time permits!

 

THREE QUOTES FROM CLEARY'S TAOIST CLASSICS:-

 

01 - " There is a Confucian saying, 'Find out truth and fulfill human nature, thereby arriving at the destiny of

life; getting to the root of beginnings, returning to ends, knowledge encompasses myriad things.' This is

talking about knowing birth and death. What in Taoism is called the study of essence and life is actually the

true message of Confucianism, where it is called the study of human nature and destiny.

 

" Furthermore, when the ancient sage chieftain Fu Xi first wrote the I Ching signs, setting up teaching

embodying the celestial, using the Tao to develop people, there was no division into three teachings. Therefore

it is said, 'The Supreme Celestial has not two ways, sages have not two minds.'

 

" The first line drawn by Fu Xi represents the absolute. When there is one, then there are two; this

represents the two modes, one yang, one yin. 'One yin and one yang -- this is called the Tao.' Looking up,

gazing at the sky, Fu Xi wrote a line to represent heaven; looking down, examining the earth, he wrote a line

to represent earth. In between he wrote a line to represent humankind.

 

" Therefore three solid lines form the trigram HEAVEN, representing the 'three components' -- heaven,

earth, and humanity. Two HEAVENS seperated, making three broken lines, form EARTH, representing the six

parts -- the members of the body and the directions of space.

 

" So it is said that the Tao establishing heaven is yin and yang, the Tao establishing earth is flexibility and

firmness, and the Tao establishing humankind is benevolence and justice. The three components each have

two aspects, so six lines form EARTH.

 

" Speaking in terms of the person, the Tao establishing heaven being yin and yang refers to the spirit and

energy of the mind; the Tao establishing earth being flexibility and firmness refers to the form and substances

of the body; the Tao establishing humankind being benevolence and justice refers to the essence and sense of

the will.

 

" Mind, body, and will are represented by the three components of HEAVEN; spirit, energy, essence, sence,

form, and substance are represented by the six parts of EARTH. This is what the I Ching means when it

says, 'Find it afar in things, find it nearby in the body.' " ( Cleary's Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 388-389 )

 

02 - " Sages say the unique celestial design in one's being permeates the universe, including all philosophies

and religions and all things. This is like the Buddhist principle of nonabsoluteness of self, person, being, and

soul. It is also like the Taoist teaching of comprehending everything by comprehending one. In all of these

there is a pervasive unity." ( Cleary's Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 395 )

 

03 - " When Buddhists speak of true emptiness, Confucians of noncontrivance, and Taoists of spontaneity, all

are referring to embracing the fundamental, returning to the origin, and uniting with cosmic space. People with

fixations cannot know this Way that is permeated with unity." ( Cleary's Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 396 )

Edited February 1, 2007 by Yen Hui

[Yen Hui]

03 - " When Buddhists speak of true emptiness, Confucians of noncontrivance, and Taoists of spontaneity,

all are referring to embracing the fundamental, returning to the origin, and uniting with cosmic space.

People with fixations cannot know this Way that is permeated with unity. " ( Cleary's Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 396 )

 

04 - ON THE UNDERLYING UNITY OF TAOISM, CONFUCIANISM, AND BUDDHISM:-

 

" The dual cultivation of mind and body forms the foundation of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian spiritual

training. Some say that the Buddhists cultivate mind exclusively, the Taoists cultivate body exclusively, and

the Confucians are concerned only with building harmonious social relationships. They think that these paths

are incompatible because they don't understand the deep teachings of these three wisdom traditions.

 

" As far as I know, while Buddhists focus on cultivating mind (and recovering original nature), they have

secret teachings on cultivating the body. They emphasize cultivating the mind because they believe that it is

best for their followers to begin spiritual development by returning to the original mind and letting original

nature shine. The Taoists emphasize cultivating the body, but cultivating original mind is essential to their

teachings. They focus on cultivating the body because they believe that it is by recovering the original body

that the practioner can build a strong foundation for the root of life nd eventually attain original mind.

 

" If you attain the highest level of cultivating the mind but neglect the body, you won't be able to keep

original mind for long. If you can't keep the original mind, your cultivation will come to nothing and you won't

be able to transcend samsara. If you manage to reach the highest level of cultivating the body but neglect to

cultivate the mind, then the true energy of life cannot be held in the body for long. If you can't preserve the

body, how can you penetrate the secrets of the celestial, terrestrial, and human realms?

 

" The Buddhists have secret teachings on cultivating mind to attain life, entering the Western realm, and

merging with the void. On the other hand, the Taoists have teachings on how to cultivate the body to attain

Nirvana and be liberated from suffering in samsara. Buddhism and Taoism both have methods of single and

paired cultivation as well as techniques of spirit travel. The Buddhists, after reaching the state of Chan

stillness, can send the spirit out of the body through the top of the head. They have techniques that enable yin

and yang to copulate and male and female energies to interact. The Taoists also have techniques that reach

the same goals.

 

" Consider this statement made by Lu Dongbin (i.e. Patriarch Lu, the Taoist Immortal): 'To cultivate the mind

exclusively at the expense of neglecting the body is the first mistake of spiritual practice.' And Zhang Ziyang

(i.e. Founder of the Southern Lineage of Complete Reality Taoism) said, 'If you understand original nature,

you won't throw away your life energy. And, if you practice the paired method of cultivation, you'll be able to

attain the great medicine, prevent the essence of life from dissipating, and become a realized being.'

 

" Attaining a deep state of absolute stillness, emptying the five senses, completing the pill and accomplishing its

great return (to the dantien), facing the wall for nine years, attaining omniscience at age sixty, and becoming

one with original nature at age seventy - these practices all require cultivating both body and mind. Only when

you have completed these stages of spiritual development can you enter the ultimate realm and merge with

the void. Both the Buddhists and Taoists agree on this.

 

" Bodhidharma once said, 'The three families - Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism - are built on the same

foundations. Don't think that mind and body are unrelated.' Body and mind must both be cultivated jointly, and

understanding the natures of qian and kun is the key to everything.

 

" If you understand the teachings of the three paths - Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism - you'll know that

they are not contradictory. They may use different techniques, but they all lead to the same goal. A great

Taoist teacher once said, 'Let me tell you about the three paths. When separate, they are three; when

combined, they are one.' If the Tao does not manifest itself through differentiation, the power of creation and

transformation cannot be realized. If after differentiation the aspects of the Tao cannot be merged again,

then they cannot return to the one source. Thus, the three paths build three types of foundations. Buddhism

specializes in recovering the original mind; Taoism specializes in building the foundation of life; and

Confucianism focuses on building a harmonious society. But, without original nature and original life, how can a

harmonious society be created?

 

" Many practioners of these three paths don't understand the essence of the teachings. They believe that

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are contrary paths. They inflate the differences and misrepresent the

teachings. They voice their opinions, criticize each other, and stir up conflicts among the Buddhist, Taoist, and

Confucian communities. The three spiritual traditions have spawned many illegitimate children who have

nothing but negative opinions of each other. These children don't understand that the three different paths lead

to the same goal. Unable to see beyond their own perspective, they are convinced that a path different from

theirs must be false. Such people need to look into the source of the traditions before they criticize or even

talk about other spiritual paths.

 

" In my opinion, there are three approaches but one source and one goal. In one path, life is recovered by

cultivating original nature; in the second path, original nature is attained by cultivating life; and in the third, life

and original mind are cultivated through building a harmonious society. Although these are three distinct

approaches, they all lead to the one undifferentiated source. Ponder this saying: 'When naughty children turn

off the lights, people will attack their own family.' " ( Eva Wong's Holding Yin, Embracing Yang, pp. 154-156 )

Edited February 2, 2007 by Yen Hui

[Taomeow]

Good stuff, Yen Hui, thank you. I've learned a few things from Eva Wong too, and keep her Feng Shui guide on "the" shelf reserved for improtant books (the first one on that shelf is the I Ching, of course! )

 

I wonder though how many of those who were exposed to Buddhism in its "gerenic" form (as most people in the West were) are aware of the "secret Buddhist practices for cultivating the body?" I know that in Tibet, in the Dzogchen tradition (Buddhism-closest-to-taoism tradition, just like Complete Reality is Taoism-closest-to-buddhism), they kept those practices secret for hundreds of years... I saw a documentary, "The yogis of Tibet," where one of the monks agreed to give a demo... Boy oh boy. All those "quietly just sitting" Buddhists don't know what they're missing! It was like taoist "animal" practices but perhaps even more ancient, the monk wasn't emulating "higher" animals -- he was jumping like a flea, expanding and contracting like an amoeba, even growing and propagating like a virus! -- and all of it with the kind of fajin (explosive energy releases) usually associated with martial arts rather than meditation... but he WAS meditating like that! Which shows he didn't mistake "mind" for the stuff in one's head... he knew that "body" is not "non-mind" and mind is not "non-body." I wish people who think that Buddhism is about "transcending" the body saw that bit...

[Ian]

Indeed. I think it does Buddhism a great disservice that people perceive it as something that always neglects the body. (Although clearly many of its schools do...) My teacher is a buddhist and his practices are all physical. I have a friend whose meditation causes him to spin like a top and /or howl like a beast, among other things.

[Pero]

Different circumstances, conditions, capacities etc. = different teachings...

Doesn`t mean that suddenly the teaching that supposedly "neglect" the body are wrong. And if they are, their mistake. With a sick body it`s much harder to practice and attain any kind of realization. I think that that`s quite clear in most of Buddhism. It`s peoples own misconceptions about it that make it look like it`s not that way.

Buddhist that don`t do these practices aren`t neccessarily missing anything. They practice according to their capacity and according to what they have available where they live. Depends on Karma as well...

In the past I think I had a somewhat similar opinion about Buddhism, but it was coming from ignorance...

 

Very interesting qoutes Yen Hui.

[Yen Hui]

Edited February 3, 2007 by Yen Hui

[Taomeow]

Interesting, we seem to have similar bookshelves, Yen Hui! I have Wong Kiew Kit's books too, and Wilhelm-Baynes is the version I prefer to the ten others I have, although currently I don't read the commentaries much (beyond those of the Duke of Zhou), contemplating the images instead... Funny how different people can look at the same sources and draw quite different conclusions.

 

Have you noticed that Confucius is concerned with having the child obey the parent, while Laozi, with trying to convince the parent to let the child be?.. And how buddhism assumes that "attraction," aka "attachment," is bound to cause suffering -- a view taoism never had? in particular, in the quotes you posted about "attraction" and "attachment" between heaven and earth being a natural law?

 

Of course it is possible to reconcile the differences by fragmenting one's own consciousness, but a whole, unbroken, or else successfully unified consciousness notices that you can only have it all three ways at once if neither one communicates with the other two at any given point. E.g., you can be a taoist and study and practice, among other things, the magnificent natural laws of attraction of opposites (which include laws of repulsion, by the way -- taoism actually started as the discovery of magnetic forces, which tangibly go both ways). Or you can be a buddhist and study all those magnificent ways to pretend these forces don't exist, i.e. learning to "rid yourself of attachments." Or you can be a Confucian and just make sure the peasants don't rebel against the landowners, the women take a submissive position towards men for all purposes everywhere in society, and the children obey the parents regardless of whether they are being loved or abused, nurtured or violated. But to be all three all at once, one needs to be fragmented and not whole. The non-fragmented whole can't be put together ouf of parts that simply don't fit together... or as a Chinese proverb goes, "you can't get far traveling the river in two boats simultaneously by placing one foot in each." Let alone in THREE boats... My humble, of course.

[Pero]

English isn`t my first language, but as far as I know, attachment is not the same as attraction. There is no attachment mentioned in the quotes here at all.

 

Or you can be a buddhist and study all those magnificent ways to pretend these forces don't exist, i.e. learning to "rid yourself of attachments."

 

Who pretends that these forces don`t exist? As long as we live in this world, with our karmic vision, those forces exist.

 

 

Since we`re sort of on this topic... Does a "confucian style" of qigong exist? How does it differ from others? Any specialities or something?

[Yen Hui]

Interesting, we seem to have similar bookshelves, Yen Hui! I have Wong Kiew Kit's books too, and Wilhelm-

Baynes is the version I prefer to the ten others I have, although currently I don't read the commentaries much

(beyond those of the Duke of Zhou), contemplating the images instead... Funny how different people can look

at the same sources and draw quite different conclusions.

hi there Taomeow ~

 

You raise some good questions, to be sure, and it is my intention to fully address them, according to my ability, or

lack thereof, but that will take a little more time and a few more words than I can spare today, so please bear

with me, and I will return to this assignment in a day or two. In the meanwhile, I will be contemplating my

reply.

 

Incidentally, I was wondering if Cleary's Buddhist I Ching is among your collection? If it is, I was wondering if

you might summarize for us, (in light of what Wilhelm's version says,) what it teaches regarding Hexagram 31.

That would be greatly appreciated!

 

Does a "confucian style" of qigong exist?

 

hi there Pero ~

 

You raise a good question, for sure. However, like Taomeow's, an adequate reply will take me a bit of time

today, which I'm hard pressed for at present. The short answer is 'yes'; the essence of which is presented

in the Wilhelm/Baynes version of the I Ching. Lin Chao-En (A.D. 1517-1598), I feel, is a classic example of

this approach. Sinologists debate over whether he was actually a Taoist or Confucian. You can read a brief

article about him @ http://kirkland.myweb.uga.edu/rk/pdf/pubs/linchao.pdf ... from the Encyclopedia of Taosim

which refers to him as a Taoist; but near the end, it says he founded a School in the 1550's "patterned after

that of Confucius", and spent the last 25 years of his life working "to propagate an accurate understanding

of 'the three teachings'." So was he a Taoist, a Neo-Taoist, or a neo-Confucian? The article recommends

a book on him, which is part of an open-ended series of 'Neo-Confucian' studies; and which can be presently

obtained from Amazon.com @ http://www.amazon.com/Syncretic-Religion-C...TF8&s=books . However, what

I'm saying here requires some qualification, obviously, which I will attempt to present later. Until then, suffice

it to say that whatever qigong practices developed within Neo-Confucianism, they were ultimately imported

from Taoism and modified to fit a predominantly Confucian program.

Edited February 4, 2007 by Yen Hui

[Taomeow]

hi there Taomeow ~

 

Incidentally, I was wondering if Cleary's Buddhist I Ching is among your collection? If it is, I was wondering if

you might summarize for us, (in light of what Wilhelm's version says,) what it teaches regarding Hexagram 31.

That would be greatly appreciated!

 

I have Cleary's "Taoist I Ching" (a bit of an oxymoron there, this title! ), which is a translation of Liu I-Ming's version, and Liu I-Ming was a Buddhist till his old wise age when he converted to taoism, so the fact that he was a Buddhist thinker first is all over his interpretations of taoist concepts -- is this the version you had in mind, or is there another book that's called "Buddhist I Ching?" If there is, I don't have it, sorry. If you mean Liu I-Ming's version, I'll be happy to summarize how it tackles Hexagram 31.

[Yen Hui]

I have Cleary's "Taoist I Ching" (a bit of an oxymoron there, this title! ), which is a translation of Liu I-

Ming's version, and Liu I-Ming was a Buddhist till his old wise age when he converted to taoism, so the fact that

he was a Buddhist thinker first is all over his interpretations of taoist concepts -- is this the version you had in

mind, or is there another book that's called "Buddhist I Ching?" If there is, I don't have it, sorry. If you mean

Liu I-Ming's version, I'll be happy to summarize how it tackles Hexagram 31.

 

Seeing that Liu I-ming is a leading exponent of the Complete Reality Taoist sect, it comes as no surprise that

his exposition reflects a Buddhist influence; but I'm more interested in Chih-Hsu Ou-I's Buddhist I Ching, which

is another version, translated by Cleary. It's listed on Amazon.com, for anyone interested in checking it out @ http://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Ching-Chih-...TF8&s=books ~ I own a copy, so will reference it later, when

I have more time.

[Yen Hui]

Master Ko Hung says the following:-

 

01 - "Genii (i.e. Immortals) can be recognized only if they have square eyes as did Chiao Hsien, ears rising

from the top of their heads as did Ang Su, ride a dragon as did Ma-shih Huang, or drive a White Crane like

Wang Ch'iao; when they are scale-bodied or serpent-headed, carried in a golden chariot, or clothed in

feathers. If no such sign is apparent, however, they can be recognized only by those with profound vision,

and heard only by those with penetrating hearing." ( Alchemy, Medicine, and Immortality, p. 39 )

 

02 - "He (the Immortal) treads upon raging fire, but is not scorched; he walks the dark waves with floating

step. Beating his wings he moves through the limpid void, riding the clouds with the winds for his

steeds; he peeps upward and rises to the Celestial Pole or, peering downward, he comes to earth and

rests in the K'un-lun mountains." ( Alchemy, Medicine, and Immortality, p. 38-39 )

 

Comments are more than welcome!

 

Hi there Taomeow and "fellow" Wayfarers ~

 

As some of you know, this thread was begun in the Lobby, but I ran into a time problem. I needed to divert

my attention away from it to concentrate on some legal matters which required me to make a long, detailed

written submission, with about 50 supporting documents. It was very tedious business, I assure you. Following

that, my family and I took a short breather and went out on the road for a few days. At any rate, I'm back to

looking at this thread again.

 

When I posted the above quotes, I was hoping others might comment on Master Ko Hung's description of the

immortals. Does it not strike any of you as just a little odd? If he is speaking literally, then these immortals

don't sound quite human. From the "literal" perspective, they sound more like ET "hybrids" at best! If any of

you know of other similar descriptions, please feel free to post them in this thread. However, our main focus

here is "the Original Tao".

 

Now, Taomeow has raised some question with regard to the Buddhist view of "the law of attraction". If any of

you Wayfarers wish to comment, please feel free. In the meantime, this is where I basically stand on that one.

As I have gathered, Buddhism believes in the "Dharma", and teaches that all dharmas originate and flow from

the Mind. Buddhism believes in the dharma (law) of cause and effect, or the law of interdependent co-arising,

in regard to phenomena.

 

Now, I see an inherent (necessary) connection between karma, or the law of cause and effect, and 'the law of

attraction'. In that regard, it is beneficial to take a quick look at Master Chih-hsu Ou-i's (1599-1655) Buddhist

I Ching, and his exposition of Hexagrams 1 and 31:-

 

In regard to Hexagram 1, Master Chih-hsu Ou-i (1599-1655) says the following:-

 

"Strength in doing evil results in hellish, animalistic, or ghostlike existence. Strength in doing good results

in power, social order, or heavenly states of mind. When cultivation of meditation is added to strength in the

best ways of doing good, this results in existence on the plane of pure form, or even formlessness.

 

"Strength in the best ways of doing good, added to understanding of human suffering and the process of

conditioning, plus action to free oneself from bondage, results in personal liberation.

 

"Those who are strong in the highest virtues, and are able to liberate others as well as themselves, are

called enlightening beings.

 

"Those who are strong in the highest virtues, and realize that virtues are identical with the realm of reality

and buddhahood, will complete unsurpassed enlightenment.

 

"Thus all realms of existence are results of the success of creation. Some are bad, some are good. Even

some good states are still contaminated; only the liberated are uncontaminated. But even the personally

liberated are wrong if they become complacent.

 

"When it comes to helping others and self together, expedient means dealing with either affirmation

or negation are not ultimately correct, but should give way to the perfect central balance of the realm of

the enlightened.

 

"Yet to define center and extremes as disparate is still not correct. One should realize that

everything is poised between being and non-being. This is why the admonition 'beneficial

if correct' should be given to people who act with strength."

 

In regard to Hexagram 31, Master Chih-hsu Ou-i (1599-1655) says the following:-

 

"These two (i.e concentration and insight) are subject and object to one another, sensitively responding

to one another; hence the name sensing.

 

"In Buddhism, this is the interaction of the enlightened and the unenlightened. In contemplating mind,

this is the mutual activation of objects and knowledge.

 

The Overall Judgment. "Sensing is sensitive; the flexible above, the firm below, the two energies sense

and respond so as to form a couple ... etc. When heaven and earth sense, myriad beings are born; sages

sense people's minds, and the world is at peace. Observe what is sensed, and the feelings of heaven,

earth, and myriad beings can be seen.

 

Ou-i also says that:- "Whether in worldly or transmundane matters, things are accomplished by

sensing; so it is thereby possible to see the feelings of heaven and earth, and myriad beings."

 

OK, then, this is what I glean from the above: Ou-i teaches that Buddhism believes that multiple realms exist;

but are "poised between being and non-being." Consequently, he says that the expedient methods of dealing

with them, (whether by way of affirmation or negation,) must be properly poised as well, and this work he calls

"practicing the Tao." In Taoist terms, it is the work of balance and harmony. Complacency in this practice, he

says, is incorrect, whether or not you are an enlightened being.

 

It is interesting to note, as well, that Ou-i asserts that these realms are the result of "the success of creation;"

and strictly conform to the law of cause and effect. Creating realms and things is not necessarily wrong, if one

understands the nature of "human suffering and the process of conditioning." Expedient methods (or means)

were prescribed precisely for this creative activity which he refers to as "practicing the Tao." These means are

relative, and non-absolute by nature. The way of negation, or no-mind, must be harmonized with its opposite,

that is, the way of affirmation and, generally, the existence of all dharmas.

 

Turning now to 'the law of attraction', Ou-i says, in summary form, that Hexagram 31 (which he defines as the

principle of "sensing", and Wilhelm "influence",) signifies the "mutual activation" of "two energies". This strikes

me as another way of describing 'the law of attraction'. These two energies, he says, both sense and respond

to one another, to form "a couple". While he does not use the word attachment, specifically, my sense of him

is that he would probably define attachment as a natural phenomena that must be properly poised, or kept in

balance, with non-attachment.

 

"Whether in worldly or transmundane matters," he says, " things are accomplished by sensing." This is a very

remarkable or significant statement! He is basically saying that this principle of sensing, or mututal activation,

extends to all realms of existence! And is the means by which "things are accomplished", that is, by which the

realms themselves come to exist! "When heaven and earth sense," he says, "myriad beings are born." That is,

myriad realms come into existence.

 

"Observe what is sensed," he says, "and the feelings of heaven, earth, and myriad beings can be seen."

This is what Wilhelm says, in essence. Ou-i asserts that both heaven and earth feel and respond to each other.

It is a mutual activity, naturally occurring without any conscious effort. It goes without saying that the "feeling"

to which Ou-i is referring, (in regard to sentient beings,) is an intuitive sensibility or awareness, and not some

sort of emotional affliction. In this vein (or connection), I'd like to share a passage from Chan Master Sheng-yen's

Zen Wisdom:-

 

Student: "Are causes and conditions controllable? Can I manipulate them to directly control my life?"

 

Master Sheng-yen: "The Avatamsaka Sutra states that all dharmas are created by the mind. If

our minds change, then causes and conditions also change. Whichever direction our minds move,

so do causes and conditions. If our attitudes change, then what we perceive also changes. If we

do not make an effort to change our lives and minds, then we will be influenced by the course of

events we have already set into motion. If we adopt Buddhadharma into our worldview, then

causes and conditions will shift direction, and events in our lives will change." (p. 39)

 

This fully accords with the Chan teaching of Bodhidharma, as transmitted to us in these words:-

 

"If someone is determined to reach enlightenment, what is the most essential method he can practice?

The most essential method, which includes all other methods, is beholding the mind. But how can one

method include all others? The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand the

mind, everything else is included." (Bodhidharma's Breakthrough Sermon, Red Pine's 1989

translation, p. 77)

 

And this is, in fact, what The Great Treatise of the I Ching says, as clearly apparent from these words:-

 

14 - "We are shown here how the individual can attain mastery over fate by means of the Book of Changes.

Its principles contain the categories of all that is--literally, the molds and the scope of all transformations.

These categories are in the mind of man; everything, all that happens and everything that undergoes

transformation, must obey the laws prescribed by the mind of man. Not until these categories become

operative do things become things." ( @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt1_ch4.html )

 

Or you can be a Confucian and just make sure the peasants don't rebel against the landowners, the women

take a submissive position towards men for all purposes everywhere in society, and the children obey the

parents regardless of whether they are being loved or abused, nurtured or violated.

 

"Somewhere it is written that every Chinese wears a Confucian thinking cap, a Taoist robe, and Buddhist

sandles." This quote is from the backcover of a wonderful book entitled, Watching the Tree, by Adeline

Yen Mah. It describes the holistic nature of the indigenous Chinese mind, in its approach to the three

Great Traditions. With regard to the raising and education of children, I confess to being unaware of

the differences between Confucianism and Taoism. However, regarding the Confucian practice of filial

piety, I'm reluctant, to say the least, to believe it somehow promotes or condones child abuse, any

more than it condones children abusing their elderly parents!

 

Now, Ms. Mah makes a few interesting observations on the subject, which I've attempted to comment

upon below. She says: "Peace in the state begins with order in the family," according to the Confucian

philosophy of filial piety. "The people who love and respect their parents would never dare to show hatred

and disrespect to others." (p. 54) She is quoting from the Classic of Filial Piety. It goes without saying,

therefore, that "people who love and respect their parents would never dare to show hatred and disrespect

to" their own children! Furthermore, "no father should be called a father unless he acts like one," she

asserts: "Reality and function, name and actuality, must correspond. So must action and words." (p. 52)

 

Quoting her own grandmother, Ms. Mah says: "The body and hair and skin are received from the parents

and may not be injured: this is the beginning of filial piety. To do the right thing and walk according to the right

morals, thus leaving a good name in posterity, in order to glorify one's ancestors, this is the culmination of

filial piety. Filial piety begins with serving one's parents, leads to serving one's king and ends in establishing

one's character." (p. 55) In another place, she says: "A ruler who failed to live up to the mandate of Heaven

because of personal amorality and corruption should abdicate in favor of a virtuous man; if necessary, he

should be overthrown by revolution." (p. 51) The words "overthrown by revolution" allude to Hexagram 49.

 

Now, Ms. Mah's grandmother taught her that "Filial piety begins with serving one's parents, leads to serving

one's king and ends in establishing one's character." (p. 55) However, if there are times when a revolution

against the king can be justified, without deviation from the principle of filial piety, then failure to do so is

harmful to character. But if a revolution against the king is justified, then it also can be justified, under the

right conditions, against the king and queen of the family, that is, against one's own parents; if they do not

"live up to the mandate of Heaven because of personal amorality and corruption;" and most especially if

they are "unfilial", that is, abusive to their children!

 

According to the logic of Ms. Mah's own grandmother, to abuse your own children is, in essence, to abuse

your own self, and your parents! Why? "The body and hair and skin are received from the parents and may

not be injured," she says. But "the body and hair and skin" of our children is "the body and hair and skin" we

received from our parents. Consequently, child abuse is highly "unfilial" and manifests a complete absence

of filial piety! In light of the above reflections, it is very difficult (at best) for me, as I say, to see how filial

piety could be made to teach that children must honor and obey abusive parents! The Confucian philosophy

of justice would seem to teach otherwise.

 

But to be all three all at once, one needs to be fragmented and not whole. The non-fragmented whole

can't be put together ouf of parts that simply don't fit together ...

 

Well, I see what you're saying, but I'm not sure you've successfully made your case. At any rate, Master Ou-i

has referred to the expedient means of the Buddha, by which I understand the 10,000 teachings which all

lead to the Buddhist Nirvana. And none of these, he says, are absolute in themselves, but tailored to fit a

certain type of need or temperment of mind. From the perspective of the Avatamsaka Sutra, both Taoism and

Confucianism are expedient means as well, equally utilized by Bodhisattvas, in their "creative" activities.

 

"The Confucian sages say: 'See not that which you abstain from; hear not that which stirs up your fears.' The

Buddhists teach that there should be no thought in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body; no color, no sound,

no fragrance, no taste, and no touch. The Taoists say that forms are elusive. The three religions teach the same

principles. Act according to the three teachings and you will be free of craving." ( from Eva Wong's Cultivating

Stillness, p. 56)

Edited February 17, 2007 by Yen Hui

[Yen Hui]

However, our main focus here is "the Original Tao".

 

FOUR RELEVANT LINKS OF GREAT INTEREST! :-

 

1 - Huai-nan-Tzu on the History of the Great Light @ http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/ttx/ttx09.htm

 

2 - Lieh Tzu on the Yellow Emperor @ http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/tt/tt05.htm

 

3 - The Original Tao @ http://kirkland.myweb.uga.edu/rk/pdf/pubs/HYGIENE.pdf

 

HTML Version => http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:PLasHn...;cd=6&gl=ca

 

4 - The Nei-Yeh Text @ http://forum.healingdao.com/general/message/2263%5C

Edited February 18, 2007 by Yen Hui