Mal Posted October 29, 2013 Each moment is fragile and fleeting. The moment of the past cannot be kept, however beautiful. The moment of the present cannot be held, however enjoyable. The moment of the future cannot be caught, however desirable. But the mind is desperate to fix the river in place: Possessed by ideas of the past, preoccupied with images of the future, it overlooks the plain truth of the moment. The one who can dissolve her mind will suddenly discover the Tao at her feet, and clarity at hand. Walker's HHC 21 http://brianbrownewalker.com/hua-hu-ching/ “Kind prince, what do you think? Does the Universal One refer to sand in the River of Timelessness as sand?” “Yes, Venerable Teacher, the Universal One refers to the sand in the River of Timelessness as sand.” “Kind prince, what do you think? If there were as many rivers as there are grains of sand in the River of Timelessness, and if there were as many worlds as there are grains of sand in all the rivers, would that be very many?” “Very many, indeed, Venerable Teacher.” “Kind prince, the sand is truly no different from the world, and the world is no different from the sand. People form their minds in countless ways and the Universal One knows all of them. How? To the Universal One the mind is not real. The mind of the past cannot be kept, the mind of the present cannot be held, and the mind of the future cannot be caught. Yet people are attached to such delusions and label them as mind. “Kind prince, it is not the mind which varies constantly, but the events which are ever changing. The events of the past cannot be kept, the events of the present cannot be held, and the events of the future cannot be caught. But the mind is too easily possessed by such images. If events themselves do not seize the mind and totally absorb one’s consciousness, then the preconceptions and preoccupations of the mind prevent one from true awareness of the event. When these deviations occur trouble is sure to follow. An enjoyable past event cannot be held, and the bright future is delayed by one’s anxiety. Beautiful present circumstances cannot be preserved. All good things seem fragile and fleeting. Dissolve attachment to these things and embrace only the Universal Truth. Universal awareness is not distant; clarity is close at hand.” Ni's HHC 21 http://www.bookdepository.com/Complete-Works-Lao-Tzu-Hua-Ching-Ni/9780937064009 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted November 2, 2013 Mal - I didn't realize you were trudging along with the Hua Hu Ching. I haven't been looking around the site much - more involved with single conversations and threads. I'll find the time to go back and check some of your previous quotes out... Regarding the first quote: I think a good way of looking at this is to look at the fear of death. I think the fear of death is necessarily in play unless and until we can actually 'feel' the illusion of time and the realization that yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all happening Now. Yesterday someone asked me, 'Are you afraid of death?' I told them No - but his mind is contained in a religious box and it would have done no good to try and explain my lack of fear to him, beyond just saying No. I did mention that my soul has Always Been, is Here Now, and Will Always Be, so what's to fear? To me, this sums it up. We are always OKAY, regardless of what's happening to us or around us. Even when we're involved in a scary accident or something, have you ever noticed that it never seems to hurt when the accident actually happens? I've noticed that phenomena - we only Fear that it's going to hurt. It may hurt later, when our mind starts thinking that it Should Hurt, after all. Regarding the second quote: I think the reality is the Unmanifest intent, the unmanifest idea, the unmanifest potentiality. Where the Void lives. At the time of the Big Bang (or whichever current theory is holding water these days) it all turned into illusion. 'Time', or the illusion of it, began. Light was created,, clumps of energy created matter, which produced shadow. The interweve of both. The yin-yang. Yes indeed, clarity is close at hand. It lies under our ego and the illusion that we are separate from anything, including each other. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mal Posted November 4, 2013 Mal - I didn't realize you were trudging along with the Hua Hu Ching. I haven't been looking around the site much - more involved with single conversations and threads. I'll find the time to go back and check some of your previous quotes out... It's all good, I took a break for a bit then recently felt like doing more I guess I just like to chip away when the mood strikes me as it's an interesting exercise typing out the passages. Increasingly I find I have less and less to say but I do enjoy reading others perspectives. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted November 4, 2013 My guess is you are increasing in more and more wisdom. You're right. It's all good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
