...this appears as darkness

[windblown]

Can someone explain what "this appears as darkness" means?

 

 

ONE...(excerpt)

 

" Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.

Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.

These two spring from the same source but differ in name;

this appears as darkness."

 

Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching; Translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English

[Aetherous]

My translation says, "They have different names but the same designation."

[phore]

emptiness, silence, darkness, void all seem to be the same.

 

The darkness that allows the light to exist.

The silence that allows the sounds to exist.

The emptiness that allows the fullness to exist.

The void that allows all form to exist.

The infinite that allows the finite to exist.

 

They are all the same darkness. Theres only one infinity. There can appear to be multiple infinities if you only view it with the 5 senses, but if you contemplate it you will realize there is only room for one.

 

This infinite scource limits itself to become the world of form. I would probable substitute the word desire with attachment.

 

Desire moves forward

Attachment is dragged forward kicking and screaming.

 

Desire is love

Attachment is fear.

[windblown]

Then the Source is darkness or void or pure potential and forms are dark too because they are part of that source, because everything is part of the whole. The Source is infinite and inclusive of all forms. What if it were light that allowed the darkness to exist or sounds that allowed the silence to exist or fullness to allow emptiness to exist. In order to have any form it must be born of the void? How do we know this void experientially?

 

Thanks for both replies...I will continue to contemplate or try to discover this truth in my own backyard or in some way that has meaning to me.

 

I was told by an enlightened guru in India during a 4 month stay at his ashram that The darkness is what we are, the all before the everything began...but how to know this inside of me ...not hearing it or reading it but truly experiencing this truth. How does one do this I wonder. Thanks again.

[Aetherous]

This helps:

 

http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/

 

Source doesn't appear as darkness. Things that appear come from the source.

[phore]

The light allows us to become conscious of the darkness

The sounds allow us to become conscious of the silence

The fullness alows us to become conscious of the emptiness.

The form allows us to become conscious of the formless.

The finite allows us to become conscious of the infinite.

 

Thats how i would express what i think you are trying to say.

 

When you become conscious of consciousness then you can know the void experientially.

This is the meaning of

"Darkness within Darkness, the gateway to all understanding" -lao tzu

 

To experience this become aware of the compassionate witness. It is your higher self or consciousness.

It would be the part of you that experiences everything.

 

Another good way is to contemplate unconditional love.

[guangping]

" Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.

Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.

These two spring from the same source but differ in name;

this appears as darkness."

 

[/i]Ever desireless, one can see the mystery... In meditation when you can become the observer of your desires, you can trace them back to their source, referred here as the mystery.

Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations... And taking the desire and projecting it out into the future, you can see how it will affect your life and the lives of others. Karma, or the manifestations of desire.

 

these two spring from the same source but differ in name... Our emotions are rooted in pairs. Anger and fear come from the same source but manifest differently.

 

this appears as darkness... the literal meaning is just that, in meditation when you get to the source, it at first appears that you are in total darkness, or infinite space. It's also known as wu wei, the still point from which all action comes from, creating the tai chi and yin and yang. In physics it would be the still point before the big bang.

 

A simple view, but the tao te ching isn't talking about rocket science...

[chrisjswanson]

Mine says:

 

"These have the same source but different names.

Call them both deep-

Deep and again deep:

The gateway to all mystery"

 

I always thought that the "depth" or "darkness" referred to is in that nature of the relationship between the desire driven perception of manifestations and the desireless perception of mystery. Namely that they do indeed have the same source, mystery is in manifestation and manifestation is in mystery. This goes as "deep and dark" as you carry it.

 

peace + love

Chris

[Unconditioned]

I was told by an enlightened guru in India during a 4 month stay at his ashram that The darkness is what we are, the all before the everything began...but how to know this inside of me ...not hearing it or reading it but truly experiencing this truth. How does one do this I wonder. Thanks again.

 

How do you know you exist? How are you able to question, reason, think, feel? You have awareness... become aware of your awareness or as stated elsewhere, conscioius of your consciousness.

 

There are many many many ways to go about this, search for a way that seems to resonate with you and diligently practice. I can only give advice based on my limited experience but the search itself is the goal. With a calm intensity you'll find what you're looking for =)

 

As a side note, I would LOVE to go to india and spend some time in an ashram with a master. You're very fortunate! My only guru is my Self and life makes a great teacher too.

 

Hope this helps to some degree!

 

All the best.