Undefine the Way

[whitesilk]

From the wen-tzu [p.224, v. 1; Thomas Cleary's Taoist Classics], we have:

 

"The way of heaven is a pattern,

the way of earth is a design;

unity harmonizes them,

time works for them,

thereby developing myriad beings.

This is called the Way."

 

Unity is the key word in this verse, in my opinion. For high virtue is not contrived, just as the way is undefined. 

Am I being ignorant by even posting this?

Edited June 29, 2018 by whitesilk

[Marblehead]

And his Christian background bleeds all over the words.

 

[Lost in Translation]

8 hours ago, whitesilk said:

From the wen-tzu [p.224, v. 1; Thomas Cleary's Taoist Classics], we have:

 

"The way of heaven is a pattern,

the way of earth is a design;

unity harmonizes them,

time works for them,

thereby developing myriad beings.

This is called the Way."

 

Unity is the key word in this verse, in my opinion. For high virtue is not contrived, just as the way is undefined. 

Am I being ignorant by even posting this?

 

Not at all. Unity is powerful. To take two things that are fundamentally different and transform them into one thing that is universally the same while still maintaining its differences is, quite frankly, beyond my capacity to understand. It's a sort of koan that stops my mind and forces me to either accept it or reject it. Accepting it takes faith, whatever that means. It's a beautiful thing.

[Michael Sternbach]

The way I read this: From the harmonious interaction of two opposites, a third thing is born.

[Lost in Translation]

On 6/29/2018 at 10:02 PM, Michael Sternbach said:

The way I read this: From the harmonious interaction of two opposites, a third thing is born.

 

Interesting way to express this. According to I Ching, Heaven is 1 and Earth is 2. Since Heaven contains all things, including Earth, Heaven is also 3. 

[Michael Sternbach]

4 hours ago, Lost in Translation said:

 

Interesting way to express this. According to I Ching, Heaven is 1 and Earth is 2. Since Heaven contains all things, including Earth, Heaven is also 3. 

 

As seen from our subjective (nevertheless valid) view, Heaven is infinite expanse, and Earth is at the centre of the latter.

 

And you are right, the expanse encompasses its centre.

Edited July 6, 2018 by Michael Sternbach

[whitesilk]

On 6/29/2018 at 10:48 PM, Lost in Translation said:

Not at all. Unity is powerful. To take two things that are fundamentally different and transform them into one thing that is universally the same while still maintaining its differences is, quite frankly, beyond my capacity to understand. It's a sort of koan that stops my mind and forces me to either accept it or reject it. Accepting it takes faith, whatever that means. It's a beautiful thing.

 

 

Certain senses, I believe, such as sound or scent, are able to be recognized by divine beings and ephemeral, alike. I agree with Michael Sternbach that we finite in our human viewpoint; however we are advanced enough to observe. Our observation is a series of finite accounts, all put together to form an approximation of the infinite. 

 

The next sentence on the page:

 

"The Great Way is even, and not far from oneself. Cultivate it in yourself, and that virtue is real. Cultivate it in others, and that virtue is endless."

[rideforever]

The activity of Nature does not cease; coming to an end, it starts over again. Therefore it can go on perpetually. When a wheel has a place to turn, it can thereby travel far. The activity of Nature is one, without deviation; therefore it has no error.

 

The way of heaven is to reduce what is much to add to what is little; the way of earth is to decrease what is high to augment what is low...The way of humanity is not to give to those who have much.

 

The way of heaven is a pattern, the way of earth is a design; unity harmonizes them, time works for them, thereby developing myriad things. This is called the Way.

 

Positive energy can be disbursed only after it has accumulated; negative energy can exert influence only after it has been built up. Nothing can exert influence without having been accumulated and built up. Therefore sages are careful about what they accumulate.

 

Wen Tzu Verse 95 
https://ramblingtaoist.wordpress.com/series/wen-tzu-series/

[rideforever]

The ways of heaven earth and humanity are the same, to give to the small from the big.
Interesting he says "of humanity is not to give to those who have much", therefore written in a slightly unhappy way from the perspective of a peasant.

 

"Unity harmonises them" ... well they are the same, no need for unity ... it's not the meeting of opposites.

 

The last paragraph is very important, to accrue what is good.   "Many people" do not know the difference and do not differentiate, often they fantasise about doing many things but do not do the small thing that is possible for them, and so the yield of their life is none.

 

The interaction of positive and negative gives beings the opportunity to differentiate between the two, and over time learn to recognize the good and choose the good.   At some point, one is able to step from being a recipient, to participate in providing, - according to one's accumulation of the good.

 

If we have one, without deviation, there will be no error.