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2012: Exopolitics, Global Transformation and Personal Empowerment
CDHeal
By Sol Luckman E xopolitics is a wide-ranging and often controversial field of inquiry that has gained momentum throughout the world in recent decades. Arguably, based on overwhelming cross-cultural evidence dating back thousands of years,... More »
The Golden Rule- Humanity Healing
Resurrected1
The Golden Rule is the Ethic of Reciprocity. "Every religion emphasizes Human Improvement, Love, Respect for others, Sharing other people's suffering. On these lines, every religion had more or less the same viewpoint and the... More »
i'm not good at this blogging thing
tink76
but i'll try. today is the first day of me having internet access where i live. i've been without for almost a year. there were things i have wanted to look up on the internet... More »
Can you help?
Eric
Hi Everyone, I'd like to ask for your assistance with a scholarship contest I recently entered, the TEA USA Calm-a-Sutra Video Scholarship. I created and entered a 2-minute video, which you can check out... More »
A Fresh and Upbeat Perspective on 2012
Leigh
2012: EXOPOLITICS, GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION & PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT By Sol Luckman E xopolitics is a wide-ranging and often controversial field of inquiry that has gained momentum throughout the world in recent decades. Arguably, based on overwhelming... More »
Why reinvent the wheel?
martha
The other day I had this wonderful 'original' idea, which I called "A Five Minute Course in Comparative Religions" (and a hat tip to Father Guido). When I got to Sikh precepts, I found out... More »
2012: Exopolitics, Global Transformation & Personal Empowerment
Sol
By Sol Luckman E xopolitics is a wide-ranging and often controversial field of inquiry that has gained momentum throughout the world in recent decades. Arguably, based on overwhelming cross-cultural evidence dating back thousands of years,... More »
2012: Exopolitics, Global Transformation & Personal Empowerment
Phoenix Center for Regenetics
By Sol Luckman E xopolitics is a wide-ranging and often controversial field of inquiry that has gained momentum throughout the world in recent decades. Arguably, based on overwhelming cross-cultural evidence dating back thousands of years,... More »
brain gym
Nicole
var move = \'move\'; What Board would you like to move the thread(s) to? Jesus: God or man? the New Atheists (aka the New Anti-Dogmatists) Can God be discussed with words? Integral - First, Second... More »
"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet . Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said. "What's that?" the Unbeliever asked. "Wisdom from the Western Taoist,"I said. "It sounds like something from Winnie-the-Pooh ," he said. "It is," I said. "That's not about Taoism," he said. "Oh, yes it is," I said."
What is essential to practice the Tao is to get rid of cravings and vexations. If these afflictions are not removed, it is impossible to attain stability. This is like the case of the fertile field, which cannot produce good crops as long as the weeds are not cleared away. Cravings and ruminations are the weeds of the mind; if you do not clear them away, concentration and wisdom do not develop.
To regard the fundamental as the essence, to regard things as coarse, to regard accumulation as deficiency, and to dwell quietly alone with the spiritual and the intelligent - herein lie the techniques of Tao of the ancients.
When there is no more separation between 'this' and 'that,' it is called the still-point of the Tao. At the still point in the center of the circle one can see the infinite in all things.
Only the intelligent knows how to identify all things as one. . . . When one is at ease with himself, one is near Tao. This is to let Nature take its own course.
If a man is crossing a river and an empty boat collides with his own skiff, even though he be a bad-tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, he will shout at him to steer clear. If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, and yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty, he would not be shouting, and not angry. If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you.... Who can free himself from achievement, and from fame, descend and be lost amid the masses of men? He will flow like Tao, unseen, he will go about like Life itself with no name and no home. Simple is he, without distinction. To all appearances he is a fool. His steps leave no trace. He has no power. He achieves nothing, has no reputation. Since he judges no one, no one judges him. Such is the perfect man: His boat is empty.
All that is limited by form, semblance, sound, color is called object. Among them all, man alone is more than an object. Though, like objects, he has form and semblance, He is not limited to form. He is more. He can attain to formlessness. When he is beyond form and semblance, beyond "this" and "that," where is the comparison with another object? Where is the conflict? What can stand in his way? He will rest in his eternal place which is no-place. He will be hidden in his own unfathomable secret. His nature sinks to its root in the One. His vitality, his power hide in secret Tao.
The man in whom Tao acts without impediment harms no other being by his actions yet he does not know himself to be "kind", to be "gentle". . . . (He) does not bother with his own interests and does not despise others who do. He does not struggle to make money and does not make a virtue of poverty. He goes his way without relying on others and does not pride himself on walking alone. While he does not follow the crowd he won't complain of those who do. Rank and reward make no appeal to him; disgrace and shame do not deter him. He is not always looking for right and wrong, always deciding "Yes" or "No." The ancients said, therefore: The man of Tao remains unknown. Perfect virtue produces nothing. "No-Self" is "True-Self". And the greatest man is Nobody.
The true men of old were not afraid when they stood alone in their views. No great exploits. No plans. If they failed, no sorrow. No self-congratulation in success. . . . The true men of old knew no lust for life, no dread of death. Their entrance was without gladness, their exit, yonder, without resistance. Easy come, easy go. They did not forget where from, nor ask where to, nor drive grimly forward fighting their way through life. They took life as it came, gladly; took death as it came, without care; and went away, yonder. Yonder! They had no mind to fight Tao. They did not try by their own contriving, to help Tao along. These are the ones we call true men. Minds free, thoughts gone. Brows clear, faces serene.
Tao is obscured when men understand only one pair of opposites, or concentrate only on a partial aspect of being. Then clear expression also becomes muddled by mere wordplay, affirming this one aspect and denying all the rest. The pivot of Tao passes through the center where all affirmations and denials converge. He who grasps the pivot is at the still-point from which all movements and oppositions can be seen in their right relationship... Abandoning all thought of imposing a limit or taking sides, he rests in direct intuition.
The Taoist Temple
Ever have the feeling that, way down deep inside, you're a Taoist? Do you go with the flow... enjoy nature... see this life as just another step toward the Infinite? Then perhaps you ARE a... More »
The Global Daoism Pod on Gaia Community
The idea behind this pod on Gaia Community: Together we share thoughts about philosophical Daoism, in Mandarin it is called: DàojiÄ。It is a philosophical way to revise and change ourselves to be a better... More »
Taoist classics
All that ever stays the same is change. And I dream, I wonder… Taoism is not a religion, nor a philosophy - it is a way of life, a river flowing on and on… Traditionally,... More »
Followers of Tao
A group of people that are interested in Taoism and it's beliefs, ideas, etc.
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