Chapter 10 of the Tao Te Ching

Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child’s?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from you own mind
and thus understand all things?

Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.

Happy New Year!

Hello 2010!  January 1 is essentially just another day.  It is yesterday’s tomorrow and tomorrow’s yesterday.  However, we choose to look at it as a new beginning and not just a continuation of the preceding days.  We wipe our slates clean – start over with a blank canvas – resolve to improve various areas of our lives.  So on this first day of a new year, I’m dipping my brush in some fresh paint to begin filling my blank canvas.

Some of you may know that, as a person who analyzes everything, I tend to lean towards agnosticism.   It’s hard for me to accept as fact by faith alone that God exists and, perhaps more so, that Jesus was God in human form, who died so that what the Bible defines as “sin” would be forgiven in all who believed in him.  I understand this is a tremendous comfort to a great number of people, and I see them clinging to this belief as a symbol of hope and also for their “salvation“.

I know I’ve said enough already to be reprimanded and chastised by some, and I fully expected that when I dared to share.  Know that I respect your conviction, and I’m now in a place to receive criticism and rebuking while not allowing it to tear me down.

I’m not without an appreciation of morals and virtue, though.  This is why I have an interest in Taoism and am studying the Tao Te Ching.  This is not a religion; it is philosophy … a way of living that is pure and good and humble.  This is all I can say at this point since my study is still in its infancy.  What I know so far just makes sense, and that appeals to my intellect.

As I move through 2010, I would like to “do the Tao” … put what I learn along the way into practice.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 五 十 六 章

知 者 不 言 ， 言 者 不 知 。

塞 其 兌 ， 閉 其 門 ，

挫 其 銳 ， 解 其 紛 ，

和 其 光 ， 同 其 塵 ，

是 謂 玄 同 。

故 不 可 得 而 親 ，

不 可 得 而 疏 ﹔

不 可 得 而 利 ，

不 可 得 而 害 ﹔

不 可 得 而 貴 ，

不 可 得 而 賤 。

故 為 天 下 貴 。

those who know it speak not, those who speak of it know it not.

blocked is its flow, closed is its gate,

blunt is its acuity, separated is its tangle,

moderate is its brightness, condensed is its splatter,

to show the hidden interconnection.

it is not obliged by kinship

or threatened by indifference;

it is not manipulated by cunning

or disabled by misfortune;

it is not lured by accolades

or tempted by vulgarity.

it is respected by the whole world.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 四 十 一 章

上 士 聞 道 ， 勤 而 行 之 ﹔

中 士 聞 道 ， 若 存 若 亡 ﹔

下 士 聞 道 ， 大 笑 之 。

不 笑 不 足 以 為 道 。

故 建 言 有 之 ：

明 道 若 昧 ﹔

進 道 若 退 ﹔

夷 道 若 纇 ﹔

上 德 若 谷 ﹔

廣 德 若 不 足 ﹔

建 德 若 偷 ﹔

質 真 若 渝 ﹔

大 白 若 辱 ﹔

大 方 無 隅 ﹔

大 器 晚 成 ﹔

大 音 希 聲 ﹔

大 象 無 形 ﹔

道 隱 無 名 。

夫 唯 道 ， 善 貸 且 成 。

the elevated mind senses the way, and diligently follows it;

the ordinary mind senses the way, and wavers in and out;

the base mind senses the way, and has a good laugh.

not laughing is not sufficient belief in the way.

these adages sum it up:

the way to clarity is hidden;

the way forward is backward;

the way to simplicity is complicated;

virtue is elevated when it is diminished;

virtue is amplest when it is deficient;

virtue is securest when it is criminal;

the essence of truth is its adaptability;

purity points out corruption;

a large room lacks comfortable nooks;

great outcomes are finished late;

loud sounds strain the ears;

great images cant be composed;

the way is concealed yet never recognized.

one who follows this way will be well taken care of.

Deva: La Luna (2009)

Oftentimes, I find the best haiku possess something that Brian Eno aspires to in his ambient music: “I want to make things that put me in the position of innocence, that recreate the feeling of innocence in you.”  Both Eno and John Cage often deliberately de-contextualise (or re-contextualise) sound in order to highlight the newness and strangeness of sounds.  Haiku does this too, in its own way.

We too easily fall into human routines where the most beautiful and magical moments in this mysterious universe are ignored or taken for granted.  And it may not always be the obvious awe-inspiring sunset filling the sky, but the tiny, ordinary things close to us that we simply fail to notice: a dandelion, a mosquito, a dewdrop.  Haiku is about noticing the ordinary world of nature around you.  The reader, by extension, realises him or herself also as part of nature too:

a peasant child

stops hulling rice

gazes at the moon

In Bashō’s lovely poem, the normal routine of work is interrupted.  The child doesn’t even need to know exactly what it is that is happening in this moment.  It is simply a quiet moment of communion with the universe.   In this moment, the world and all the things in it cease to be a means to an end (see also this poem by Buson).  The world is seen in its is-ness.

Haiku simply puts a spotlight on scenes of ordinariness and reawaken the innocence of seeing the world anew.  Abstraction isn’t capable of doing this, and in fact leads one even further from the immediacy of the moment.  In haiku, there is no need for transcendence of the world itself—only our limited and limiting conceptual view of the world.  The world is not “fallen” as in the idea of “original sin” but rather it is seen in its pure state of what I like to call original innocence, or what the Dao De Jing calls “the uncarved block”:

The ten thousand things stir about;
I only watch for their going back.

Things grow and grow,
But each goes back to its root.
Going back to the root is stillness.
This means returning to what is.
Returning to what is
Means going back to the ordinary.

If we can talk about “meaning” at all, it ultimately has its source in what is unsayable.  And even though haiku use words, those words are used in such a way that the words are passed beyond, placing the reader squarely in the “haiku moment.”  Only the moment remains.  This is why the devices we normally associate with poetry are usually avoided within haiku, such as metaphor, simile, personification—this is just more abstraction.  In a certain sense, haiku is “artless.”

What I have noticed over the time I have spent studying haiku is that I tend to notice those “haiku moments” around me more easily.  This hardly means I am satisfied with every haiku I write, and sometimes I am content to not write a haiku at all, but instead I simply enjoy the moment (seeing every moment as nothing but an opportunity to write a haiku would be missing the point I think!).

More and more, I am understanding haiku not merely as a poetic form.  Haiku are always happening around us, wherever one looks.  I am finding that reading haiku helps me to “exercise” that more contemplative side of myself.  And writing haiku is something like a thanksgiving, giving back to the universe what I was given.  At least, this is what it seems to mean to me.

So here is a question to ask yourself: When was the last time you gazed at the moon?

~ ~ ~

Matsuo Bashō, Jane Reichhold (translator), Bashō: The Complete Haiku, Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2008, pg. 97.

Lao Tzu, Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (translators), Tao Te Ching, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1993, chapter 16.

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老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 十 四 章

視 之 不 見 ， 名 曰 夷 ﹔

聽 之 不 聞 ， 名 曰 希 ﹔

搏 之 不 得 ， 名 曰 微 。

此 三 者 不 可 致 詰 ， 故 混 而 為 一 。

其 上 不 皦 ， 其 下 不 昧 。

繩 繩 兮 不 可 名 ， 復 歸 於 無 物 。

是 謂 無 狀 之 狀 ， 無 物 之 象 ， 是 謂 惚 恍 。

迎 之 不 見 其 首 ， 隨 之 不 見 其 後 。

執 古 之 道 ， 以 御 今 之 有 。

能 知 古 始 ， 是 謂 道 紀 。

what is looked for but not seen is disregarded as alien;

what is listened for but not heard is disregarded as peculiar;

what is analyzed but not understood is disregarded as irrelevant.

these three paradoxes are meaningless unless they are seen to refer to one mystery.

it rises and nothing is illuminated, it sets and nothing is benighted.

it is a thread that cannot be described, for it always leads back to formlessness.

its essence is a state of non-being, a symbol with no reference, it is insight without thought.

you greet it without identifying it, you follow it without going along behind it.

it is the ancient way that still rules the world today.

to know its beginning is to know its entire history.

老 子 : 道 德 经 : 第 六 章

谷 神 不 死 ， 是 謂 玄 牝 。

玄 牝 之 門 ， 是 謂 天 地 根 。

绵 绵 若 存 ， 用 之 不 勤 。

the divinity of the crevasse never dies– this is the mysterious power of the womb.

the gate of the dark womb is known as the source of everything in the universe.

its gentleness seems infinite, you dont need to work hard to benefit from it.

老 子： 道 德 经： 第 五 十 四 章

善 建 者 不 拔 ，

善 抱 者 不 脫 ，

子 孫 以 祭 祀 不 輟 。

修 之 於 身 ， 其 德 乃 真 ﹔

修 之 於 家 ， 其 德 乃 餘 ﹔

修 之 於 鄉 ， 其 德 乃 長 ﹔

修 之 於 邦 ， 其 德 乃 丰 ﹔

修 之 於 天 下 ， 其 德 乃 普 。

故 以 身 觀 身 ，

以 家 觀 家 ，

以 鄉 觀 鄉 ，

以 邦 觀 邦 ，

以 天 下 觀 天 下 。

吾 何 以 知 天 下 然 哉 。 以 此 。

that which is properly established will not be uprooted,

that which is properly cherished will not be stripped away,

families that honour their ancestors will not die out.

develop virtue in your self, and you will know truth;

develop virtue in your family, and you will have more than you need;

develop virtue in your city, and it will grow and endure;

develop virtue in your country, and it will provide abundance;

develop virtue in the world, and it will become universal.

therefore the self takes care of the self,

as the family takes care of the family,

as the city takes care of the city,

as the country takes care of the country,

as the world takes care of the world.

how do i know the ways of the world? by means of this.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 十 九 章

絕 聖 棄 智 ， 民 利 百 倍 ﹔

絕 仁 棄 義 ， 民 復 孝 慈 ﹔

絕 巧 棄 利 ， 盜 賊 無 有 。

此 三 者 以 為 文 ， 不 足 。

故 令 有 所 屬 ：

見 素 抱 朴 ，

少 私 寡 欲 ，

絕 學 無 憂 。

when those in authority abandon dogma, the masses will benefit 100-fold;

when the benevolent cease to rely upon contracts, the masses will rediscover filial love;

when the powerful no longer seek profit, crime will disappear.

these three cultural principles are not the whole story.

they are examples of their common cause:

pure thinkers cherish simple things,

reducing selfishness divorces you from desire,

ceasing to speculate eliminates anxiety.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 七 十 一 章

知 不 知 ， 尚 矣 ﹔

不 知 知 ， 病 也 。

聖 人 不 病 ， 以 其 病 病 。

夫 唯 病 病 ， 是 以 不 病 。

to know what we do not know is admirable;

to not know what we do know is insanity.

the sage is not insane, because his insanity has gone insane.

(i.e. that which he does not know does not know what it knows.)

a man whose insanity has gone insane cannot be insane.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 二 十 五 章

有 物 混 成 ， 先 天 地 生 。

寂 兮 寥 兮 ， 獨 立 而 不 改 ，

周 行 而 不 殆 ， 可 以 為 天 地 母 。

吾 不 知 其 名 ， 字 之 曰 道 ， 強 為 之 名 曰 大 。

大 曰 逝 ， 逝 曰 遠 ， 遠 曰 反 。

故 道 大 ， 天 大 ， 地 大 ， 人 亦 大 。

域 中 有 四 大 ， 而 人 居 其 一 焉 。

人 法 地 ， 地 法 天 ， 天 法 道 ， 道 法 自 然 。

there was an undifferentiated oneness before heaven and earth were born.

silent…empty…independent but without structure, inclusive without exception, it gestates heaven and earth.

we do not know its name, we use the word ‘god’ (the way), and its power we call ‘great’.

greatness invariably passes away, passing away demonstrates distance, distance demonstrates opposition.

thus god is great, heaven is great, the earth is great, and even man is great.

in this place of four-fold greatness, mankind has a home.

man is ruled by the earth, the earth is ruled by heaven, heaven is ruled by god, and god is self-determined.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 十 六 章

致 虛 極 ， 守 靜 篤。

萬 物 並 作 ， 吾 以 觀 復。

夫 物 芸 芸 ， 各 復 歸 其 根 。

歸 根 曰 靜 ， 靜 曰 復 命 。

復 命 曰 常 ， 知 常 曰 明 。

不 知 常 ， 妄 作 凶 。

知 常 容 ， 容 乃 公 ，

公 乃 全 ， 全 乃 天 ，

天 乃 道 ， 道 乃 久 ， 沒 身 不 殆 。

to achieve the end of illusion, maintain quiet sincerity.

all worldly things act in concert; as we watch, they regenerate.

like a plant, things grow and then retreat into their roots.

the return to the root teaches serenity, serenity teaches accordance with destiny.

accordance with destiny teaches banality, knowledge of banality teaches enlightenment.

without knowledge of the banal, rash actions are inappropriate.

knowledge of the banal has an explicit form, and this form leads to justice,

justice leads to rulership, rulership leads to divinity,

divinity leads to the way (god), the way is eternal, so there is no anxiety when the body is given up.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 十 一 章

三 十 輻 ， 共 一 轂 ， 當 其 無 ， 有 車 之 用 。

埏 埴 以 為 器 ， 當 其 無 ， 有 器 之 用 。

鑿 戶 牖 以 為 室 ， 當 其 無 ， 有 室 之 用 。

故 有 之 以 為 利 ， 無 之 以 為 用 。

30 spokes come together at one wheel-hub; because of this hole, the vehicle can be useful.

shape clay to form a vessel; because of the emptiness within, the vessel can be useful.

cut out doors and windows to make a room; because of these spaces, the room can be useful.

so, while matter is effective, emptiness is useful.

老 子 : 道 德 經 : 第 二 十 九 章

將 欲 取 天 下 而 為 之 ， 吾 見 其 不 得 已 。

天 下 神 器 ， 不 可 為 也 ， 不 可 執 也 。

為 者 敗 之 ， 執 者 失 之 。

是 以 聖 人 無 為 ， 故 無 敗 ﹔

無 執 ， 故 無 失。

夫 物 或 行 或 隨 ﹔

或 噓 或 吹 ﹔

或 強 或 羸 ﹔

或 載 或 隳 。

是 以 聖 人 去 甚 ， 去 奢 ， 去 泰 。

to want to take the world for yourself– we know that it cannot be done.

the world is a tool of divinity, not a servant, nor to be held.

the master of the world is defeated by it, the grasper of the world loses it.

therefore, the sage with no purpose shall not be defeated; who grasps nothing loses nothing.

in the case of all men and things, that which strives will follow;

that which inhales will exhale;

that which uses force will be frail;

that which rules will be overthrown.

therefore, the sage separates himself from happiness, from extravagance, and from tranquility.

老子：道德经：第六十九章

用 兵 有 言 ：

「 吾 不 敢 為 主 ， 而 為 客 ﹔

不 敢 進 寸 ， 而 退 尺 。 」

是 謂 行 無 行 ﹔ 攘 無 臂 ﹔

扔 無 敵 ﹔ 執 無 兵 。

禍 莫 大 於 輕 敵 ， 輕 敵 幾 喪 吾 寶 。

故 抗 兵 相 若 ， 哀 者 勝 矣 。

warriors have a saying:

‘dont dare to act as a master, instead act as a guest;

dont dare advance an inch, instead withdraw a yard.’

this means march without moving; seize without a hand;

cast your weapons at no enemy; capture them without weapons.

disaster is greatest when you make light of your enemy. do so and our treasure will be lost.

therefore, when swords are crossed in battle, the one who grieves will be the victor.

“Quando reconhecemos o que faz o belo ser belo
Surge o feio!

Quando reconhecemos o que faz o bom ser bom
Surge o mal!

Por isto:
O ser e o não-ser surgem mutuamente
O fácil e o difícil complementam-se
O longo e o curto condizem
O alto e o baixo convivem entre si
O som e a voz casam-se
O antes e o depois seguem-se.

Por isto:
O homem sábio cumpre suas ações sem agir
Pratica o ensino sem falar
E as dez-mil-coisas agem sem serem impedidas.
Ele cria e nada possui
Atua e não guarda coisa alguma
Realizada a obra ele não se apega

E justamente por não se apegar, ela não se esvai.”

traduzido pela comunidade do wikisource

capítulo 3

todos os capítulos

L. Dwight Turner

Although many things in the modern world conspire to deafen us to the subtle voice of the Father, rest assured that his voice is indeed there. God calls to us continually, asking us to put down our nets and, like the fishermen disciples of old, come and follow. Jesus tells us in John 6:44 that no one comes to him unless the Father first draws him. What this means in highly practical terms is that we not only have a God, we have a proactive God that seeks relationship with us. Our end of the bargain is to put ourselves into a position of deepening receptivity, so that we might hear his voice more clearly and experience his love more intensely.

 There are others who hear God’s voice and respond, accepting his offer of grace, forgiveness, and acceptance into his blessed family. These are generally sincere disciples and are often quite active in their local church fellowship. They also involve themselves in service work and serve the Master to the best of their ability. Yet it is these very people – these sincere followers of the Lord – who, in their heart of hearts, often find themselves asking, “Isn’t there something more to the Christian life? I feel like something is missing. I can’t put my finger on it, but there is a vague emptiness…”

 It is to these genuine disciples that the still, small voice comes beckoning in the silence of a sleepless night, or drifting in on the golden leaves of an autumn wind. That irresistible, persistent voice that repeatedly whispers:

 Come, follow me….

 When we find ourselves in such a situation, we need to recognize that we are both blessed and vulnerable. We are blessed in that the divine source, the creative power that put this awe-inspiring universe together, seeks relationship with us. The incomprehensible intelligence that maintains all that we see and even more remarkably, the mysterious quantum realm that we don’t see, together in harmonious balance desires intimacy with us – intimacy beyond anything we have ever known.

 Yes, friend, God calls to us in a gentle voice that only the mystic can truly hear. And in that persistent calling, the Creator invites us to join in the mysterious dance of spiritual transformation. Most amazingly, he is not calling us to go into a monastic hideaway or a hermit’s cave, but to stay put right where we are. And if we stay and we become open and discerning, he will use the mundane events of our daily round as his methodology of instruction. More often than not, God’s classroom is characterized by the pedagogy of the ordinary and it is precisely in the realm of the unremarkable that true divine alchemy occurs. Sue Monk Kidd, a woman who knows this process through personal experience, describes it this way:

 It seems to me that Christ continually calls us through the daily events of our lives…In moments like these God stirs the waters of our lives and beckons us beyond where we are to a new dimension of closeness with Him…God desires to transform certain experiences of ours into awakening events. These may be our most common moments, but if we let them they can become doorways to a deeper encounter with Him. Who knows at what moment we may begin to wake up to the astonishing fact that Emmanuel (God with us) is still God’s name, that every moment the Word of God, Jesus Christ, is coming to us.

 I know that in my experience, God calls me in ways I never expected. I have discerned his voice in the sacred silence of meditative stillness and his message has often slapped me to my senses as it spoke from the pages of Holy Scripture. I have also learned to be increasingly sensitive to his call as manifest in the choreographic harmony of the natural world and especially when it dances in the eyes of a child.

 If you want to validate the existence of this divine presence, forget your test tubes, your state-of-the-art laboratories, and your most advanced computer programs. Instead, go find a child and spend the day with them. Any kid can teach you more about the inner workings of this energy, what the Chinese call the ‘Dao, than an entire university physics faculty.

Children are one of the most spectacular yet subtly sublime gifts God can bestow upon us. God surprised and blessed my wife and I with the birth of Salina in May, 2004. For me, it was particularly surprising as I was 55 at the time. Now I am 60 and Salina celebrated her fifth birthday a few months back. In this past half-decade, I have been given a new perspective on why Jesus told us to be as little children if we wanted to see the kingdom.

Salina has always amazed me with her curiosity, her sense of discovery, and especially her spontaneous wonder and awe as she encounters things new and exciting. Further, she never tires of things that strike her fancy, especially if I do something that she likes but has never really seen before. I am reminded, for example, when I first showed her how to blow bubbles with bubble gum. For me, it was old hat – but for her, this simple act was like seeing a rainbow for the first time or discovering the wonders of ice cream. Whenever I produced a large, pink bubble as if by magic, she would pop it with her hand, laugh in that way that only children can laugh, and say, “Do it again, Daddy; do it again.”

This amazing ability to turn something new into an almost sacred event is, I think, part of that unsullied and untainted aspect of the image of God that we are blessed with in our creation. Moreover, children never seem to tire of monotony, at least until they get a bit older. At those miracle ages of two through five or so, kids just seem to revel in both newness and repetition. I am reminded of the famous words of G.K. Chesterton:

Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity to make all daisies appear alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never grown tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite for infancy: for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

Sometimes when I sit quietly and open myself to what Chesterton says in these few words and what the Holy Spirit speaks to me when I reflect on them, I am literally stunned into silence; and then I shiver.

Children have not forgotten how to experience our world with a sense of wonder and awe. Noted Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel, one of my very favorite authors, calls this capacity for reverence in life “radical amazement” and affirms that the spiritual journey cannot be completed until we reattain this inborn spiritual quality. Heschel makes this statement, “The beginning of awe is wonder and the beginning of wisdom is awe.” When I first discovered these words, I pondered on the meaning for weeks and eventually discovered by doing so I totally lost their true import. I have come to see that Heschel is alluding to the fact that true wisdom begins with the experience of awe, and this basic sense of “radical amazement” has its birth in a childlike wonder at the incredible thing we flippantly call “life” ; the unfathomable creation that surrounds us every moment. I will let Heschel say the rest:

The secret of every being is the divine care and concern that are invested in it. Something sacred is at stake in every event…..The meaning of awe is to realize that life takes place under wide horizons, horizons that range beyond the span of an individual life or even the life of a nation, a generation, or an era. Awe enables us to perceive in the world intimations of the divine, to sense in small things the beginning of infinite significance, to sense the ultimate in the common and simple; to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal.

Deep in my personal spirit, when it is connected with and animated by the Holy Spirit, I know with certainty that my daughter Salina innately understands this. She cannot articulate it with the eloquence of Heschel but she expresses this sense of radical amazement nonetheless. Every time she giggles when Daddy blows a bubble; every time she sits on the deck and watches birds feeding in the back yard and cows feeding in the field beyond; every time her eyes dance with wonder when she sees a sunset and screams, “Look Daddy, God is smiling,” – I know she gets it just as much as Heschel ever did and just as much as I long to once again.

I am always amazed at how she sees the world in all its glory, the way God intended it to be seen, and responds without any sense of guile or bewilderment. Just yesterday we stopped the car along a rural lane near our home to watch a group of wild geese circle a field, then land in a large pond. My daughter’s eyes grew wide as she saw these birds gracefully glide almost silently on to the surface of the water. She sat there spellbound as she quietly took in this aspect of God’s remarkable world.

 My grandfather was in many ways my first spiritual director. Working as a game warden, a career that my father also pursued, he spent most of his time in natural settings and he had this uncanny ability to see the intricate and interconnected patterns that were everywhere to be witnessed if a person only had “eyes to see.” My grandfather often said that it was important to see each new day with what he called “fresh eyes.” A deeply spiritual man, he rarely attended the Baptist Church where my grandmother was an active member. Instead, he often went off into the woods of north Alabama with one of us grandkids in tow, giving us his own version of Sunday School.

 I don’t say this to discount the importance of church-going, only to say that, for my grandfather, it was not a high priority. Coming from a family with a long tradition of Quakerism, my grandfather treasured silence and solitude and often told me that my “inner light” could best be seen on a calm lake or pristine mountaintop. According to my grandfather, the best way to rediscover my “fresh eyes” was to go into nature and go into “the sacred silence,” then just notice what was going on around me. Yesterday, as I watched Salina as she “noticed” the geese as they went about their business, I understood deeply that she had “fresh eyes” and that most children possessed this significant talent, at least until they were educated out of it.

 I also understood why my grandfather never said I needed to develop fresh eyes; he always said I needed to rediscover them. The childlike perspective of awe and wonder that we all possessed when we were young is still there. Our task, with the divine assistance of the Holy Spirit, is to go through the cognitive clutter we have all accumulated and find it once again.

 On the way home I also recalled a passage from a remarkable little book, written by Jeanne Gowen Dennis. The book is entitled, Running Barefoot on Holy Ground and subtitled, Childlike Intimacy With God. A fine and educative book, “Running Barefoot” discusses the notion of having fresh eyes. Let’s listen to the author:

 “Why do children notice so many things that adults miss? Maybe being closer to the ground gives them an advantage. Perhaps it’s because they’re discovering the wonders of the world around them for the first, second, or twentieth time, and somehow the novelty has not yet worn off. Unlike most adults, little children also pay attention to details. We are so distracted by our responsibilities that we often miss what is right before us. Perhaps we should take regular walks with toddlers and let them lead us along. Still, we’ll only learn to see through their eyes if we use the time to exercise our sight, not just our bodies.”

 Having Salina around has been a blessing in many wonderful ways, but one of the most beneficial spiritual lessons she has brought my way is helping me rediscover my fresh eyes – helping me learn to see again. She has in some magnificent manner taught me the spiritual discipline of “noticing.” For example, there was the time she looked into a clear night sky at a quarter-moon and said, “Look, it’s just like my fingernail,” or the occasion when she sat in wondrous rapture watching three butterflies flitting about on our back deck. As the two of us “noticed” the choreography of their airborne dance, I became aware that I was, for a few brief moments, actually seeing what was going on. It was, in a word, exhilarating.

 All of this comes natural to children, but we adults must now somehow train ourselves to be open to the marvels God parades before us on a daily basis. It not only involves “slowing down to smell the roses,” no – it goes much deeper than that.  In my experience, I have had to learn to live in my body again; allowing myself enough time to become reacquainted with my five basis senses and perhaps discover a few I didn’t know, or more likely forgot, that I even had. In order to see like a child, I needed to rediscover how to experience life in the pristine clarity of the moment – unsullied by morbid memories or future fears.

 I not only needed to learn how to see – I needed to learn how to be.

 A good way to begin this process of rediscovery is by learning to pay attention to what is coming in through your senses. Pick on of your senses, say hearing, and go outside and just spend five minutes paying attention to what you hear – the birds chirping in the trees, a distant plane overhead, a passing truck on the Interstate two miles away. Don’t strain to do this; simply allow the sounds to come in and just notice them. Just allow them to be what they are and just allow yourself to just be. I have found it useful to spend about three days on each one of my senses and to keep a journal of my experiences. I record what I noticed and also what prevented me from being present to my surroundings. For me, as well as others I have taught to use this exercise, let the sense of vision be the last one you focus on. I can’t explain why this seems to be the best way to do this, all I can say is, for the majority of people, it works best that way.

 In conclusion, let me suggest one other thing that might seem a bit silly to you. You may, in fact, think this is childish. Yet, when you think about it, that’s the whole point, isn’t it. Try doing things the way a young child does them. Experiment with your body and your posture. What do I mean? I’ll close with this quotation, again from Dennis’ book:

 “To see as children see, all our senses must be alert. New worlds open up when children exercise their power of sight. They see with fresh eyes – fully, simply, and in intricate detail. Young children experience each new discovery to the fullest, first with their mouths, then with their hands and fingers, and finally with their whole beings. They “see” with all their senses and in every possible position: on their knees, on their stomachs, on their backs, upside down, backward, and sideways. They explore the world with eyes wide open, closed, or squinted; through drinking glasses or cellophane; from inside cabinets, under coffee tables, and even in mirrors.”

 If you apply these ideas you may, like my daughter Salina and the great poet William Blake, discover (rediscover) that you “hold infinity in the palm of your hand.”

 © L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

Author: Guan Ming

[PureInsight.org] In the past, I was acquainted with some people who were eloquent and glib in their arguments. At that time, I thought it was their skill. I didn’t think carefully about the relationship between eloquence and good and evil. Later, I met some cultivators who endured disgrace but didn’t argue or fight. Then I could tell the big difference between the two groups of people. One day, when I read the end of Lao Zi’s Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), which said, “Sages do things but not fight for things,” I was suddenly enlightened. Clever talk and an ingratiating manner are not talents. Enduring disgrace but not arguing is the highest realm of life.

“Kind people don’t argue; people who argue are not kind” is from Chapter 81 in Dao De Jing. Chapter 81 says: “Honest words may not be pleasant to listen to; pleasant words may not be honest. Kind people don’t argue; people who argue are not kind. Smart people may not have a wide range of studies; those who are experienced and knowledgeable may not be smart.” Striving for virtue places value upon actions, not words. It is not necessary to debate the truth every day. An endless debate all day long wouldn’t necessarily argue the truth out. Every truth and righteous principle can only be comprehended through genuine and solid cultivation.

Confucius said in “Lunyu – Liren”: “Gentlemen are slow of speech but quick in action.” In “Lunyu – Xuer” he said: “Gentlemen eat but not eat their fill; they live but seek not an easy life; they are resourceful but cautious about their words.” It looks like people should talk less but do more. Both Confucius and Laozi agreed on this. So whatever we do, whether it is cultivation or social activity, we should do solid work without bluster and ostentation.

If we think about it carefully, a kind person with great abilities doesn’t need to argue with others. He wouldn’t use only words to prove he is right. Even in front of slander or personal attack, he can prove his innocence and be unsullied by his actions. Those who can endure the insults but not argue are usually those who work silently without publicity. They must have a mind that stands aloof from worldly success. On the contrary, those who argue everyday don’t really have capabilities, although when they argue they may seem to have great abilities. Kind people don’t need flowery words and cunning statements to win others’ praise. All talk and no deeds will achieve nothing.

The first thing to pay attention to in the cultivation of speech is to avoid loud and empty talk. Don’t criticize others from head to toe. Be sincere and kind to others. Don’t argue in front of and humiliate others. These are the things that upright gentlemen do.

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2009/5/25/59737.html

Knowing that one does not know is knowing at its best. -from the *Dao de Jing*

Some say knowledge is everything, knowledge is power, the pursuit of knowledge above all else. But I say knowledge is really only part of the picture. Because no matter what you know, Life comes in and dive bombs your little towers, your ivory thrones, your mighty protectorates of the mind. Life throws all the books off the shelf and burns your house down.

Knowledge will only get you so far, and not always in the best direction. When knowledge is institutionalized it is pure poison, and there are institutions everywhere, even as systems of belief. Even outside religion there are new forms of ritual to keep us distracted these days. Buy this book. Do this yoga. Wine & dine your chakras because someone who has money says so. Watch these videos for only a few dollars a week, and you will be enlightened, you will have the Truth, and the Wisdom, and the KNOWLEDGE. But really?

No. Way. That’s not it. If you have to look outside yourself for moving into the beyond, it’s not it. There’s not many more ways to explain it. It is what it is, and what is is inside you. The way-making is already there, and there are no instructions. Knowledge is friggin’ hilarious, if you look at it tongue-in-cheek. Learn, but don’t take it so seriously. Don’t look to knowledge to take you closer to something that can never be grasped anyway. There’s too much knowledge, too many systems, and we’re choking out the creativity. Blast it up a bit! Hop down from the tree of knowledge and put on your jester cap from time to time. Trust your heart and your mind and don’t look to figures of authority. Of any kind.

[Added Later:] I’m not saying not to seek or go deeper. Become as much as you can become in this lifetime. But give yourself some credit. Stop looking for the next big thing, the next dogma, the next set of instructions. Go out there, meet people, dive.

© Kristen Michelle Håvet

***
image by Wholovesduck at deviantART.

Heaven and Earth last forever.

Why do heaven and Earth last forever?

They are unborn,

so ever living.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing (simplified Chinese: 道德经; traditional Chinese: 道德經; pinyin: Dàodéjīng), originally known as Laozi (simplified Chinese: 老子; traditional Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ), is a Chinese classic text. Its name comes from the opening words of its two sections: 道 dào “way,” Chapter 1, and 德 dé “virtue,” Chapter 38, plus 經 jīng “classic.” According to tradition, it was written around the 6th century BC by the sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, “Old Master”), a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court, by whose name the text is known in China. The text’s true authorship and date of composition or compilation are still debated.[1]

The Tao Te Ching is fundamental to the Philosophical Taoism (Dàojiā 道家) and strongly influenced other schools, such as Legalism and Neo-Confucianism. This ancient book is also central in Chinese religion, not only for Religious Taoism (Dàojiào 道教) but Chinese Buddhism, which when first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, aided by hundreds of translations into Western languages.

The Wade-Giles romanization, Tao Te Ching, dates back to early English transliterations in the late 19th century, and many people continue using it, especially for words and phrases that have become well-established in English. The pinyin romanization Daodejing originated in the late 20th century, and this romanization is becoming increasingly popular, having been adopted as the official system by the Chinese government. See Daoism-Taoism romanization issue for more information.

Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching

Tuesday, August 25th, rolled around bright and early.  And by early, I mean early, as I woke up at five (okay… five thirty) in the morning so-as to catch the action at the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.

Tsukiji is the largest fish market in the entire world, moving over 2000 metric tons of seafood every day, to the tune of over 200 billion dollars a year.  It employs over 14,000 people in an area that, really, is not big enough for that much fish and that many people.  (I was nearly run over about 80 times.)

The foreigners who visit Tsukiji are both a blessing and a curse for those fishermen who work in the market, since we popularize the destination and add fuel to the fire regarding Tokyo’s plan to move the fish market to a somewhat polluted site.  However, we also stop in the middle of crowded, narrow walkways to take pictures and rarely buy anything.

I tried to get out of the way wherever possible.  Only one man yelled at me for stopping.  I consider that a job well done.

(I didn’t buy any fish.  It was six in the morning!  I can’t eat sushi at six in the morning.  Gross.)

Getting ice to keep that fish fresh.

I had no idea shrimp could be so colorful!

These fish were terrifying. Why? BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL BREATHING!

A wide angle of some of the madness.

And, of course, my favorite from the day:

It takes at least three men to cut fresh tuna.

In any case, the moral of the story is that, despite the chaos and my guilt for being nothing more than a camera wielding tourist, I really enjoyed myself at Tsukiji and I’d recommend it.  If you can, go earlier than six, as then you might be able to see the tuna bidding process, which I’ve heard is really interesting.  It’s also shocking to see the men cut frozen tuna–they use a power saw!  !!!  No, I’m not kidding.  It’s insane.

However, when shopping in Tsukiji, please be aware of the problems of overfishing.  Shop for yellow fin tuna, crustaceans like shrimp or scallops, and the like, as, in some point in the future, many of the fish species currently on sale in Tsukiji will be endangered and maybe even gone.  I want to keep eating my sushi, so let’s make it green, folks!

Anyway.

At about nine am, I went back to the hostel to take a nap.  I woke up from said nap at 11:30.  Found a bookstore.  Bought books.  Then I took the train back to Shibuya (time #3!) and… well, did something a little impulsive.

I gots a new tattoo. Sorry, dad:

道可道非常道

名可名非常名

It means, in case you care:

The way that can be known is not the eternal way.

The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

From the first chapter of the chinese philosophical classic, The Way and the Power by Lao Zi, written (supposedly) around 500 BC.  Laozi’s name, actually, is typical Daoist contradiction in that “Lao” is the character for old and “Zi” is the character for child.  Just saying.  It’s an amazing, thought-provoking treatise with lots of good-old-fashioned feminine worship, too.  I’d recommend it.

Anyway, back to Japan.  Right, I’m in Japan, not China.

Because I’m super twitchy, the whole thing took about two hours to complete.  By this time it was 4pm, and I was meeting Tomo-chan for dinner at 7pm.  I sat at a random table between Shibuya and Harajuku, back ramrod straight, for three hours, reading The Mysterious Benedict Society, which was actually quite amusing, if a little predictable.  I’ll probably get the sequels.

I met Tomoko and two of her friends (Yuki and… AHHH I FORGOT THE OTHER GIRL’S NAME) for Vietnamese food, which was delicious.  Especially the Pho.  But then pho is always delicious.  There was lots of giggles, lots of very confusing sentences with both Japanese and English intertwining in no semblance of sense, and finally it was time to go.

I miss Tomo-chan already.  :(

????, Tomo-chan, Me, and Yuki at the Vietnamese restaurant in Yokohama.

And that was pretty much it.  The new tattoo kept me from doing too much active stuff on Wednesday before I caught my plane (and it also made it difficult to carry my camera backpack)… but I made it back home.

Overall, I had a fantastic time in Tokyo.  There’s still plenty of things I’d like to see–more museums, for instance, with Studio Ghibli on the top of the list.  And I of course want to see Tomoko again, though she’s promised to visit Iki next summer.  If I had to do it again, I don’t think I’d change a thing.

Well, I might not have flirted with Edmond so much.  And I probably would have slapped the random Japanese guy who propositioned me on my way back to Shibuya from Harajuku, rather than just ignored him as best I could.

But those aren’t big deals.

 Any questions?

Off to South Korea tomorrow, so there’ll be a blogging blackout for about ten days.  Cross your fingers that there won’t be a typhoon, as apparently one is predicted.

The government that seems the most unwise,
Oft goodness to the people best supplies;
That which is meddling, touching everything,
Will work but ill, and disappointment bring.
- Tao Te Ching

The way that can be walked is not the ever-abiding Way

Nor is the way that can be discoursed or described

The name that can be applied is not the ever-abiding Name

Nothingness defines All, it is the source of the Universe itself

Being defines individual things, and is their mother

Be without desire and intent to perceive the subtlety and wonder of the Way

But retain them to perceive its manifestations

Nothingness and Being arise together, and are different only in name

Their unity, their oneness, is the deepest and darkest of mysteries

The gateway to all mystery

The End

http://indonesia.siutao.com/pengenalan/empat_arti_tao.php

EMPAT ARTI TAO :

I. Tao sebagai “TAO”.
TAO () tidak berbentuk, merupakan “Sesuatu” yang sudah ada sebelum semuanya ada.   Arti TAO sulit dipahami, artinya sangat luas sehingga sulit diterangkan secara jelas dan rinci melalui sebuah kalimat atau kata-kata.

Arti TAO yang paling sederhana adalah “Jalan”. Ada juga yang mengartikannya “Kelogisan”, “Hukum”, “Pedoman” atau “Aturan”.    TAO adalah “Sesuatu” yang mendasari dan berada dibalik segala peristiwa yang terjadi di alam semesta ini.

Kenapa bumi berputar mengelilingi matahari ?
Kenapa bumi mempunyai gaya gravitasi ?
Kenapa oksigen dan hidrogen bisa membentuk senyawa menjadi air/H2O ?
Kenapa air pada suhu 100C mendidih lalu menguap menjadi gas dan kenapa air pada suhu 0C membeku menjadi es ?

Semuanya ada “Hukum”-nya, ada “Aturan”-nya, ada “Pedoman”-nya, ada “Kelogisan”-nya dan ada “Jalan”-nya. Semuanya karena TAO ().

Ikan berenang di air, tetapi tidak mengetahui adanya air.
Burung terbang menunggangi angin, tetapi tidak mengetahui adanya angin.
Manusia berada dalam TAO, tetapi tidak mengerti apa itu TAO !!!

II. Tao sebagai “Filsafat Tao”.
Filsafat TAO () sangat populer, kitabnya yaitu Dao De Jing/Tao Tek Cing ( ) sudah diterjemahkan ke dalam berbagai bahasa.    Isinya sangat padat dan sulit dipahami. Kitab tersebut adalah karya Laozi ( ), seorang Nabi Agung TAO.

Kitab ini tidak hanya digunakan oleh kaum Tao saja, tetapi ada beberapa aliran agama dan spiritual yang juga ikut mengambil manfaat dari kitab ini.

III. TAO sebagai “Agama TAO”.
Sebagai suatu agama, TAO () merupakan Agama yang tertua. Sejarah ajarannya dimulai dari Hwang Tee (Oei Tee), kurang lebih 2698SM – 2598SM, dipopulerkan dan berkembang ditangan Laozi ( ) dan diwujudkan sebagai agama oleh Zhang Dao Ling (Cang Tao Ling).

IV. TAO sebagai suatu “Spiritual”.
Pedoman TAO () yang selalu harmonis dan seimbang sesuai dengan lambangnya Yin Yang, menjadikan spiritual TAO tidak hanya memperhatikan masalah kerohanian saja, melainkan juga keduniawian. Melatih raga dan sukma, menggabungkan ilmu pengetahuan dengan agama. Diibaratkan berjalan dengan dua kaki, tidak pincang.

Jika tidak ada langit, mana mungkin ada bintang.

Bagaimanakah caranya mempelajari Tao ?

Itulah tugas anda!

From the mountains, Wu Wei 无 为[i] flows. The ocean is Śūnyatā[ii]. They are the keepers of solitude; of change; of bringing to the forefront the true and natural feeling of transients.

The Mountains (¦¦|) of the mind seem to never change, eventhough we feel that it makes all things possible in the Voids of the Act of Change 易.

The voids of Yin[iii]阴 fulfill the emptiness of Yang[iv]阳. While Yang 阳 is forever the missing Wu Wei of never flowing mountain.

The Mother Yin 阴 awaits the coming, as she patiently sits in her quit childless rooms. Her children always going, but never returning. The Father Wu Wei Yang 无 为[v] 阳 is always there, but never understanding. Both always waiting.

      Yin knows not how to wait.

      Yang knows only waiting.

      We Wei knows both, but does neither.

      They do not sleep, but are forever trying to wake.

      The Mother Yin is creation.

      The Father Yang lives for creation.

      Wu Wei knows this.

      Wu Wei understands this.

      Wu Wei keeps this secret very well.

In the Book of Changes hides these secrets. For the limited thoughts of Yin and Yang, only the letters that form the words are understood. Only the Originators of the Act of Change 易 can understand the word Śūnyatā?

 The true things of today’s Now will be the Voids of tomorrow. The Voids that flow into Śūnyatā; the Wu Wei that never returns from the oceans of man’s elusive Now. His forever unmoving mountains.

The mountain can keep still for it has nobody. The ocean is never still, because it is the body. Yin and Yang are always thinking, “I am still and I am unmoving.”

      Is the Ocean ever still?

      Is not wet dry to some?

      There is dry Air and there is wet Air.

      How many will understand this?

      Wu Wei, the unborn, has understood long before his birth in man’s mind.

      And the fish of the rivers flow towards the oceans of life.

      Knowing that their destination will surely bring death.

      So who is to say, “What is and what is not?”

      Who is to say, “This is and this is not?

      Was the Old Boy confused when he returned from the Ocean?

And these are some of the elusive THINGS of Wu Wei that they are tirelessly seeking.  In time, one realizes the Atman[vi] .

[ii] Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit noun from the adj. sūnya – ‘void’ ), Suññatā (Pāli; adj. suñña),

[iii] yin – simplified Chinese: 阴; traditional Chinese: 陰; pinyin: yīn

[iv] yang – simplified Chinese: 阳; traditional Chinese

[v] Wu wei (traditional Chinese: 無爲; simplified Chinese: 无为; pinyin: wúwéi)

[vi] Ātman (Sanskrit: आत्मन्) or Atta (Pāli) literally means “self”

From the mountains, Wu Wei 无 为[i] flows out to the ocean of Śūnyatā [ii] always thinking of tomorrows finished goal of reaching the other side.

This seems to be a simple thing and for in the mountains (¦¦|) the confusion of the mind makes all things seem possible in the Voids of the Act of Change 易.

The voids of Yin[iii]阴 patiently awaits for the fulfillment of Yang[iv]阳. And the Yang 阳 is forever dreaming of the Wu Wei that hides in the valley, after flowing from the mountains.

The Mother Yin 阴 awaits the coming. For without Yang 阳 her children will never be. The Father Wu Wei Yang 无 为[v] 阳 is the bringer. Never coming and never going, always waiting.

      Yin knows Dao De but not Tao Te.

      Yang knows Tao Te, but not Dao Dee.

      We Wei knows both, and fears their knowledge

      They do not sleep in the morning, nor do they dream in the evening.

      The Mother Yin lives and is full of empty Voids.

      The Father of Fathers spawns, never creating, never being created.

      Wu Wei knows this.

      Wu Wei is this.

Can the Book of Changes bring such pictures to the mind? Can the limited thoughts of the mind comprehend the ceaseless changes that these pictures conjure? Can the origins of the Act of Change 易 ever foretell of the the peace of Śūnyatā?

 The true things of today’s Now will be the Voids of tomorrow. The Voids that flow into Śūnyatā; the Wu Wei that never returns from the oceans of man’s elusive Now.

Only the foolish, will think that they can keep still, by sitting still. Only the foolish, will think that they can still the mind, by stilling the body. Always thinking foolish thoughts of, “I am still and I am unmoving.”

      Is the Ocean ever still?

      Is not wet dry to some?

      There is dry Air and there is wet Air.

      How many will understand this?

      Wu Wei, the unborn, has understood long before his birth in man’s mind.

      And the fish of the rivers flow towards the oceans of life.

      Knowing that their destination will surely bring death.

      So who is to say, “What is and what is not?”

      Who is to say, “This is and this is not?

      Was the Old Boy confused when he returned from the Ocean?

And these are some of the elusive THINGS of Wu Wei that they are tirelessly seeking.  Each time one realizes the Atman[vi] .

[ii] Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit noun from the adj. sūnya – ‘void’ ), Suññatā (Pāli; adj. suñña),

[iii] yin – simplified Chinese: 阴; traditional Chinese: 陰; pinyin: yīn

[iv] yang – simplified Chinese: 阳; traditional Chinese

[v] Wu wei (traditional Chinese: 無爲; simplified Chinese: 无为; pinyin: wúwéi)

[vi] Ātman (Sanskrit: आत्मन्) or Atta (Pāli) literally means “self”