Do not pursue
the outer conditions
nor dwell in the inner void.
Rest yourself in oneness with
things and all barriers
will disappear.
Posts Tagged → mind
the mother of the universe
Something mysterious
and perfect existed before even heaven
and earth were born. Silent, immeasurable,
standing alone and unchanging, moving
without end or exhaustion, it is the
mother of the known and
unknown universe.
I don’t know
its name, so I call it by an
alias: tao. Forced to describe
it, I only say, “It is
great.”
That which is great continues.
That which continues goes far.
That which goes far returns.
Therefore tao is great,
Heaven is great, earth is great,
a person of tao is great. These
are the four greatnesses
in the universe.
A person of tao follows earth.
Earth follows Heaven.
Heaven follows tao.
Tao follows its
own nature.
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Wei wu Wei Ching, Hua hu Ching, and
Art of War for iPad/Phone, Kindle,
You
can now buy
Tao te Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
lessen the power of the ego
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
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
the I Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
a commitment beyond yourself
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.
the sea is king of the valleys
The sea is
king of the valleys
and streams because it
is willing to be beneath them.
One who wishes to guide people
should be humble in her speech
toward them. One who wishes
to lead people must learn
the art of following
them.
The sage
is above the people,
but they don’t feel her weight.
She stays ahead of the people,
and no harm comes to them. She has
the affection of the whole world.
Because she contends with
no one, no one can
contend with
her.
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Wei wu Wei Ching, Hua hu Ching, and
Art of War for iPad/Phone, Kindle,
You
can now buy
Tao te Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.