Do not pursue
the outer conditions
nor dwell in the inner void.
Rest yourself in oneness with
things and all barriers
will disappear.
Do not pursue
the outer conditions
nor dwell in the inner void.
Rest yourself in oneness with
things and all barriers
will disappear.
In the
pursuit of learning,
every day something is added.
In the pursuit of tao, every
day something is
dropped.
Less and less
is done, until one arrives
at non-action. When nothing is
done, nothing is left undone.
The world is won by letting
things take their own
course.
If you still
have ambitions,
it’s out of your
reach.
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Dualistic thinking is
a sickness. Religion is a distortion.
Materialism is cruel. Blind spirituality is unreal.
Chanting is no more holy than listening to the murmur
of a stream, counting prayer beads no more sacred
than simply breathing, religious robes
no more spiritual than
work clothes.
If you wish
to attain oneness with the tao,
don’t get caught up in spiritual superficialities.
Instead, live a quiet and simple life, free of ideas and
concepts. Find contentment in the practice
of undiscriminating virtue, the only
true power.
Giving to others
selflessly and anonymously,
radiating light throughout the world
and illuminating your own darknesses,
your virtue becomes a sanctuary
for yourself and all beings.
This is what is meant by
embodying the
tao.
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It is
a fact of life that
times of decrease come upon us:
our resources are limited, difficulty surrounds us,
and our egos generate angry and unhappy emotions. Nonetheless,
such times are good for us. If we respond to them by quieting
our egos and turning sincerely to the Higher Power
for help, we emerge from the period of
decrease stronger, healthier,
and wiser.
When
we discover that we
are unable to achieve our goals,
our egos become infuriated. We are tempted
to harden into anger and bitterness, to lash out, to
desperately and aggressively grab for control
over the situation. If we do this,
however, we only push our
own salvation further
away.
The I Ching
counsels a withdrawal
into stillness now. The image is that
of a spring reverting to the inside of the mountain
during a time of drought. By returning to its quiet center
during the time of decrease, it avoids evaporating and exhausting
itself in vain. You would be wise to follow this example. To try
to force progress by arguing, manipulating, or making
excuses will only bring your own downfall. Instead,
disengage from your inferior elements —
however passionately they seek
expression – and turn to the
Sage for guidance and
assistance.
The
hexagram Sun
issues a call to sacrifice
negative feelings, accept the
powerlessness of the ego against the
currents of life, and return to contemplation
of the principles of the Sage. In stillness and
meditation we enrich the higher parts
of ourselves and thus bring
an end to the time of
decrease.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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book.
Remind
yourself every morning,
every morning, every morning:
“I’m going to do something. I’ve made a
commitment.” Not for yourself, but
beyond yourself. You belong to
the collective. Don’t go
wandering off or you
will perish.