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 18 Mar 2010 @ 15:22
Dispel time
And you will
Dispel fate.
Fate is the force that interferes with our lives, wrecking things at the worst moments. Yet what we call fate is nothing more than the consequence of our own actions. Each time we act, we generate a chain of events that is tied to us completely. The faster we run from these links, the faster they follow us. They cannot be severed; our every act binds us further.
The operative element here is time. The events of the past are the curse. Beginning followers of Tao learn to manipulate past, present, and future. They learn how circumstances operate and seek to take advantage of that. More advanced followers of Tao eschew this process of manipulation. They obliterate all regard to past, present, and future as definitions in order to negate the concept of fate.
In order to attain a state of being where there is no past to weigh upon the present and no future to be determined, followers of Tao must reach a profound merging with Tao. The follower then acts no differently than Tao would. There is no fate to oppose them, for they are existence, they are causality, they are Tao itself.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 17 Mar 2010 @ 13:00
What exactly is meditation? You can reach the realm of meditation by emptying yourself, while allowing the universe to fill the void. This is the meaning of all those interesting quotes you find on the box of Meditative Time tea made by the Yogi Tea brand.
To reach a deep state of meditation is to reach a state of true freedom successfully. First, you must release the negative tension and relaxing, much like having a nice hot cup of tea, especially the kind that has you going, mmmm. Remember, the best mantra is not the one you do rather it is the one that does you.
Meditation assists us in evolving to the sound of a perfect being, which is mmmm. This is symbolic of the Norse Rune, Mannaz, which is a capital M that has an x on the top of its two vertical lines, instead of a v at the top like a regular M. These represent our legs. Polarities unite at the center of this x. The place in our bodies this refers to is the area of the belly or midriff. This place is earth or Midgard, in the spiritual cosmology of the Norse. As a visual meditation, you can visualize a red Mannaz, which represents the energy of fire. Simply meditate while gazing at its center.
One method for relaxing it to focus attention on your breathing, simply sit somewhere comfortable and quiet, with good posture and pay attention to your breathing. However, do not merely notice your breathing rather love every single breath you take in. Experience with the air you breathe, while your belly expands with air coming in and your belly contracting as your release the air. The belly signifies the heart, as in pumping rich red blood and stimulating the air.
Concentrate on the Hara, which is the belly. Do this for a while, and then focus on your navel. This was once your source of life when connected with your mother. The belly protects and nurtures new life while being transformed into a human child. The belly is the place of harmony and spiritual beginnings, which find nourishment, materialization and release. It is the earth, a spiritual center within the universe; it is a crown jewel of creation. Here all elements join. As humans, we can consciously go back into the belly, while allowing the developmental process to continue into a rebirthing. This is a great thing.
Alchemical Taoism considers the area just beneath the navel is your power center or the Elixir Field, Tan Tien or Cauldron. To find your power center, stand and move your body from side to side and back and forth. This is your center of gravity. Once you find it, stop and be still, concentrate on this area. You may experience a feeling of heat in this location. Heat is both a rejuvenating and soothing energy. You will take pleasure in every move when you are doing things, since you radiate this energy. Many individuals achieve this by practicing Tai Chi.
By our busy minds, while worrying or thinking we become disconnected and ungrounded. How do you escape the hectic ramblings within your mind? You can consciously go to your center, the belly. Remember all powers circle around the belly or earth. This is the seat of passion, which contains the essence of life. Since everything connects to the center, it makes sense that you go to your center for connection. All become the now, past, present and future. As earth and heaven unite and the yin and yang balance in paradise as does the God and Goddess. In our deepest sleep, this is where we go. We may not remember our experiences of complete and utter ecstasy when we arise. We feel refreshing energy on a new day, because of its influence.
An old parable tells us that the angels held the responsibility of hiding the key to paradise. Rather than being hidden within the depths of the mountains, the oceans or in outer space, they hid the key within our own bellies. They figured here we would never think to look.
To find our center of the universe, we must go within. As we go into our center, we emerge into the universe. We find our center is within and without, while our limits are boundless. As we allow the universe to take us, be become the universe, there is no separate self. Here we surrender what we are to transform into our destiny.
How can you blend into the universe? Make yourself some tea. While you are making tea, the herbs infuse themselves into the water. When you drink it, you experience a bit of joy. When you place yourself into the fiery energy of your belly, you are infusing yourself with the multi-dimensional universe. When you get especially good at it, you experience Nirvana. This is meditation, relax and let it happen.
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 17 Mar 2010 @ 12:59
SANCTITY
Every soul is inviolable,
Any thought can be private.
The deepest goal is to
Find sanctity's source.
The body may be ravaged and hacked to pieces, but the mind may never
be invaded. It is only when we permit others to influence us that our
minds may be entered. Evil may thrive on enslaving us physically,
emotionally, or mentally, but it can do so only by deception. That is
why we must remember the sanctity of our own souls. Our thoughts are
private. As long as we are determined, evil cannot sway us. People think
that others can read minds or that the gods watch our every movement. No
master, no psychic, no god can enter our inner gate if we choose not to
let them in.
By withdrawing into the sanctity of our souls, we can also know
ourselves. This effort cannot be carried forth by others. It can only be
accomplished through the self-effort of living and engaging in ongoing
contemplation. Only we can enter the most sacred core of our beings and
find the secrets of life.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 17 Mar 2010 @ 12:58
BREAKTHROUGH
Lake shadows color of cold,
Willow branches weep ice.
Swan rises dazzling in the sunlight.
After long self-cultivation, one's accumulated energy reaches a
threshold and then bursts out full, breathing, and vibrant. Without the
careful building of momentum, this moment of release would never have
been possible. With long years of preparation and experience, the
freeing of the soul will not be mere dissipation but will be so strongly
focused that it lifts one into a higher state of awareness. When one's
spiritual energy emerges, it feels like a swan rising from the water.
Once you have reached this level of stored energy, you will be a
different person. On one hand, you may take genuine comfort in the point
of attainment that you have made. On the other hand, you now see all the
other possibilities that remain for you to explore.
With the emergence of great possibilities comes the need for
responsibility. If you diverge from your life's path in order to explore
new vistas, remember how far you are flying, and remember to return at
the proper times. Only you can decide how to arrange your life. Once you
are a strong flier, you must still use wisdom to direct your flight.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 14 Mar 2010 @ 19:54
AFFIRMATION
Stand at the precipice,
That existential darkness,
And call into the void:
It will surely answer.
The precipice represents our dilemma as human beings, the sense that
this existence is all too random, all too absurd. Is there order? Is
there a force directing things? These are the important issues, so
important that we cannot rely on scripture, but must instead explore on
our own.
The followers of Tao compare the void to a valley. A valley is void,
yet it is productive and positive. The emptiness of the valley permits
water to accumulate for plants. It allows life-giving sunlight to flood
its surface. Its openness gives comfort to people and animals alike. The
void should not be frightening. Rather, it contains all possibilities.
Peer into it, call out, not just with your voice, but with your whole
being. If your cry is deep and sincere, an echo is sure to return. This
is the affirmation of our existence, the affirmation that we are on the
right path. With that encouragement, we can continue our lives and our
explorations. Then the void is not frightening, but a constant
companion.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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13 Mar 2010 @ 22:10
DISCOVERY
Seize the mountain spirits,
Make them divulge their secrets.
Only with strength is there discovery.
The scriptures say that the mountains contain the answers.
Generations of seekers have gone into the wilderness and have
encountered spirits both benevolent and terrible. Though the possibility
of great discovery is mixed with the threat of misadventure, we must all
go into the mountains to seek these answers.
We should understand that these mountains represent the unknown
aspects of our own minds. Meditation is a process of discovery, of
slowly exploring how you function as a human being. Through walking in
the vastness of this land, you can resolve the problems of your psyche
and seek the treasures buried in your soul. Like actual mountain
exploration, this process is not without danger. Failure means falling
into insanity and obsession. Success is to find treasures without
comparison anywhere in the world.
People ask, "Is meditation necessary?" If you want to explore the
innermost parts of your mind and ascertain who you really are, there is
no more ideal method. Mere introspection is not deep enough, and
psychological counseling will not necessarily bring you face to face
with all parts of yourself. Only the depth and solitude of meditation
can help you learn everything. Discoveries are there. We need only enter
the mind to find them.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
Deng Ming-Dao
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 12 Mar 2010 @ 04:09
ENTERTAINMENT
The mind that turns ever outward
Will have no end to craving.
Only the mind turned inward
Will find a still-point of peace.
It seems people never tire of seeking new thrills. They crave entertainment, and they want newer, sharper experiences. Events do not even need to be actual -- people are more than content with recreations, displays, and stimulating machines. Music must be amplified. A historic location must have museums, shops, and festivals. Life must have elaborate ceremonies with images, music, speaking, dining, and drinking.
Followers of Tao regard all reality as being projections of our minds. All phenomena are subjective and relative. Therefore, it is folly to further entangle ourselves in confusion. True reality lies in withdrawal from the swirling variations of the outside world. It lies in looking within and then slowly peeling away the layers of subjectivity. What will remain is not a core of objectivity, but a kernel of truth that absorbs rather than reflects. If we enter into this kernel, our minds cease to continue their habits of creating stimulating realities, and we enter into a silence that feels perfect and whole.
365 Tao: Daily Meditation
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12 Mar 2010 @ 04:06
INDEPENDENCE
A solitary crane
In winter snow
Needs no jewels.
A single crane standing unconcerned in the falling snow is the very image of independence. It needs no one, it is secure in its environment, and it is capable of going through life alone. Its independence stems from self-sufficiency.
It needs no clothing, no building, no wealth, no status. It is content, even glorious in its naked identity. So too with ourselves: There is no need for dazzling clothes, an impressive career, an awesome temple, nor a bejeweled master. What we want is something far beyond such externals.
What facets of your personality are encumbrances? What personal aspects prevent you from being independent? These are the areas that will define your self-cultivation, for you must strive to stand alone. This doesn't mean that you won't ever join with others, but you will do so as an individual who will cooperate just as much as is necessary. In this way, you will never be lost in a group, and you will never fear being alone More >
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 9 Mar 2010 @ 02:15
ASCENT
Chill morning, stone steps.
The path to the temple is steep.
We may stumble at times,
But we must always get up again.
Spiritual cultivation is a daily activity. No matter how much we
achieve one day, we must continue the next. Progress is often so subtle
that we may feel the effort futile, and it is hard to get up each
morning and try again with the same enthusiasm. Yet this is precisely
what we must do.
If we have the benefit of guidance, talent, and the proper
circumstances, then the bulk of our attention has to be paid to such a
simple day-to-day effort. No person ever leapt to heaven in one bound.
Spirituality is achieved by steady climbing, like a difficult journey to
a mountain temple. The number of steps is in the thousands; the way is
steep. It takes a long time to get there, and we must content ourselves
with the panoramas along the way and think that the view at the summit
will be best of all. If we fall, we must pick ourselves up and get back
on the trail again.
Success in spiritual life is measured not by spectacular events but
by daily devotion. This iron will, this deep sincerity maintains our
ascent.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 9 Mar 2010 @ 02:14
CYCLES
Dawn is a shimmering of the horizon.
Dusk is a settling of the sky.
Dawn and dusk together represent the measure of a day. When the sun
rises, the moon sets. When the moon rises, the sun sets. This represents
the cycle of existence, for without such alternation, the power of the
universe could not be generated. When the sun reaches its zenith, it
will inevitably begin its descent toward its nadir. All events --
including our own plans and activities -- follow the same pattern.
It is wisdom to know the cycles of life and where any particular
circumstance that we are involved in stands on the curve. If we want to
perpetuate something, we should join it to new growth to compound our
progress. If we want to destroy something, we need only lead it to its
extreme, for all things decline after their zenith.
All too often, people express uncertainty about where they stand in
life. It's important to examine both the short-range and the long-range.
If you want to go far in a decade, you have to go far each year. If you
want to go far each year, you have to make sure that you do something
significant each day. Use the cycles of life to establish a measure to
your life, and then arrange your plans according to the units that you
have chosen. Then there will be no fear of not knowing your own
progress.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 9 Mar 2010 @ 02:13
RETURNING
Angles against lavender sky
Flung far across heaven's vault.
Unfettered, swallows
Circle back to the nest.
Swallows are famous for their daring speed and the unpredictable
paths that they take in flight. Yet no matter how far they fly, they
circle back to their nests.
The idea of returning is significant for all of us. We must work,
explore, travel, and make our achievements in life. No matter how much
we strain and how wide we wander, we all need some lodestone, some
center from which to operate. For some of us, this is a place, a home.
For others, it is merely withdrawal into our own hearts.
Followers of Tao believe that there is a core spirit to which each
of us should return. This core spirit is increasingly obscured by our
own thoughts and the complexity of civilization. All education, while a
necessary evil, is a stain upon the primal soul. Therefore, returning is
a process of simplification that throws off the unnecessary problems of
socialization. One gradually peels back the layers and makes one's way
back to the unsullied, pure inner person. The time to do this is long,
and one needs a great deal of guidance and self-cultivation to achieve
it, but until one returns to the natural state, one cannot truly hope to
be one with Tao.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 6 Mar 2010 @ 01:21
UNBOUND
Bird song flies unfettered
Over blue sky and green fields.
Once you feel Tao run,
Give way, give way.
What is it like to feel Tao? It is an effortless flowing, a sweeping
momentum. It is like bird song soaring and gliding over a vast
landscape. You can feel this in your life: Events will take on a perfect
momentum, a glorious cadence. You can feel it in your body: The energy
will rise up in you in a thrilling crescendo, setting your very nerves
aglow. You can feel it in your spirit : You will enter a state of such
perfect grace that you will resound over the landscape of reality like
ephemeral bird song.
When Tao comes to you in this way, ride it for all that you are
worth. Don't interfere. Don't stop -- that brings failure, alienation,
and regret. Don't try to direct it. Let it flow and follow it. When the
Tao is with you, put aside all other concerns. As long as the song
lasts, follow. Just follow.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 4 Mar 2010 @ 16:06
ARTICULATION
Rain dripping from eaves
Sounds nature's poetry.
We speak and write to
Explain to ourselves.
Knowledge of Tao lodges in the same part of the mind as poetry. That
is why the ancients expressed themselves in verse : There is the same
quick perception.
When we are in touch with Tao, it is not our academic learning that
is speaking, but the spirit of Tao itself. The old texts are very
specific about this. That is why there is such a vast difference between
the words of scholars and the words of a practitioner, just as the words
of academics differ from the words of poets.
At the elementary stages of study, we need to articulate our
experiences and let Tao flow through us. Followers of Tao frequently use
writing, art, and even poetry as tools for self-discovery. By
articulating their experiences, it helps them to understand the stages
they are going through. Once they can do this, it satisfies and
neutralizes their rational minds. The process clears away
intellectualism and leaves the true Tao, which is not subject to words
or images.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 3 Mar 2010 @ 12:27
SORROW
Rain scatters plum petals;
Weeping stains the earth.
One can only take shelter
And wait for clearing.
When sorrow comes, its bitterness soaks everything. The sages say
that life is illusion, but does that change its poignancy? Let us be
sad; it is feeling that makes us human. If we gain enlightenment,
understanding all life to be a dream, sadness and happiness will fall
away soon enough.
The greatest sorrow of life is witnessing. Experiencing our own
sufferings is not as difficult as watching others held in fate's mighty
grip. Bearing our own problems is easier because we are always aware
that we can exercise other options -- up to the final one. However, it
hurts the most when we can do nothing for others. The greatest sorrow is
to see those we love suffer helplessly.
When faced with a sad situation, it is best not to languish in it.
We can change things by being with different people, moving to other
places, or, if all else fails, adjusting our own attitudes to take the
initiative. Sadness is transitory, like everything else. If we want to
deflect it, we need only alter its context and allow it to be subsumed
back into Tao.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 3 Mar 2010 @ 12:21
INTERPRETATION
All that we experience is subjective.
There is no sensation without interpretation.
We create the world and ourselves;
Only when we stop do we see the truth.
The world exists, but we cannot truly be one with it in our normal
modes of consciousness. Our minds know the world by constructing
conclusions from the data of our senses. All that we know is filtered
and interpreted.
Therefore, there is no such thing as objectivity or direct knowledge
of the world. Everything is relative because we are each condemned to
our particular vantage points. As long as we all have different
perspectives, as long as perception relies on our senses, then there
cannot be an absolute truth. All knowledge from experience, valuable as
it may be, is imperfect and merely provisional.
Inner truth is only glimpsed by disconnecting the mechanism of
interpretation. If we can withdraw the activities of the senses and
isolate that part of the mind responsible for filtering sensory input,
then we can temporarily shut off the ongoing process of interaction with
the outside world. We will then be in a neutral place that is wholly
turned inward. We are left with an absolute state, entirely without
distinction or relativity. This is called nothingness, and it is the
truth underlying all things.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 28 Feb 2010 @ 03:14
OPPORTUNITY
A green bird darting in the night.
Will you be able to see it?
Will you be able to catch it?
Cling to Tao like a shadow.
Move without a shadow.
Times of oppression and adversity cannot last forever. How is the
transition made to new and better situations? In the midst of great
difficulty, a tiny opportunity will open, if only by chance. You must be
sharp enough to discern it, quick enough to catch it, and determined
enough to do something with it. If you let it pass, you will be filled
with regrets.
Stick to Tao like a shadow. Wherever it goes, you go. As soon as it
throws something your way, catch it by sheer reflex. It is like the
bird: If you try to catch it, you will miss. If you are always with it,
moving at its speed, as much a part of it as its own shadow, then it is
easy to seize it.
When you act, however, you in turn must have no shadow. In other
words, what you do must leave no messiness, no leftover consequences,
nothing that will haunt you later. That is one of the ways in which you
avoid creating more bad situations for yourself: Your every movement is
traceless.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 26 Feb 2010 @ 01:23
IMBALANCE
Sleepless nights.
Diet, mind, conditions
Hold the possibility of correction.
Whenever you feel out of sorts, or cannot sleep, or find it hard to
work and think, you are separated from Tao. If you want to get back in
touch with it, ask yourself three questions: Am I eating right? Is my
mind tamed? Is my world safe?
It is not facetious to look at the way you eat whenever you feel out
of step with life. Many problems can be alleviated by feeling better
physically, and even if this doesn't remedy things, it will give you a
good basis for coping. Eat a balanced diet rich in nutrients. Take the
time to understand proper nutrition and eat a large variety of foods
according to the seasons. The skillful use of foods is far superior to
medicine.
Next is the difficult mind that seems to have its own interests,
habits, and excesses. The only way to counter this is to guard against
worry, stress, intellectualism, scheming, and desires. This can only
happen through a strong philosophical grounding and by methodical
meditation.
Finally, environmental factors such as weather, natural and man-made
disasters, and socioeconomic problems can break our unity with Tao. To
cope with this, gain as much control over your environment as possible.
Keep your home a haven, have control over your work place, and be
independent enough to face emergencies. It is inevitable that one will
fall in and out of Tao. The wise arrange their lives so that they can
always return to balance.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 26 Feb 2010 @ 01:22
ADVERSITY
A tree hemmed in by giants
Requires tenacity to survive.
Times of adversity inevitably confront us all. We are denied
influence, people will not listen to what we have to say, and we are
restricted by circumstance. In this situation, followers of Tao must
rely on their determination. Without that, they cannot emerge
successfully from the danger.
During times of adversity, vision and determination decide the
outcome. Mere doggedness never served anyone well. Observe carefully,
and try to act. If you find yourself tested by the situation, take
comfort in the fact that adversity frequently forces one to consolidate
one's resources. You can often emerge from adversity stronger than
before. Don't be overcome by fear. Take calculated risks if you must, or
face danger if you have to. If your mind is focused to the utmost, you
will triumph.
Without the difficulty of being hemmed in, the tree in the forest
would not be forced to marshal its power to grow toward the light. It
must truly bring forth all its inner strength to spread its branches. If
it becomes grand, it is in part because of its suffering. Thus the times
of adversity can be crucial to the development of one's inner
personality.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 26 Feb 2010 @ 01:21
DIVISION
Problems cannot be
Resolved at once.
Slowly untie knots
Divide to conquer.
In order to solve problems, it is helpful to first understand
whether they are puzzle, obstacle, or entanglement. A puzzle need only
be analyzed carefully : It is like unraveling a ball of yarn and
requires patience more than anything else. An obstacle must be overcome
: We must use force and perseverance to either destroy or move away from
what is blocking us. An entanglement mires us in a maze of limitations :
This most dangerous of situations requires that we use all our resources
to extricate ourselves as quickly as possible.
No matter what the problem, however, it is important not to take the
thing on whole. Break it down into smaller, more easily handled
components. Most problematic situations are combinations of puzzles,
obstacles, and entanglements. By fracturing them into these more basic
elements, they can be managed easily. Even the greatest of difficulties
can be resolved when they are slowly reduced. Then the knots of life are
untied as easily as if we had a magic charm.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 26 Feb 2010 @ 01:20
MUTENESS
The more you dwell in the spirit,
The farther you are from common ways.
If you want to speak of Tao's wonders,
Few will listen.
If you spend a long period of time in study and self-cultivation,
you will enter Tao. By doing so, you also enter a world of extraordinary
perceptions. You experience unimaginable things, receive thoughts and
learning as if from nowhere, perceive things that could be classified as
prescient. Yet if you try to communicate what you experience, there is
no one to understand you, no one who will believe you. The more you walk
this road, the farther you are from the ordinary ways of society. You
may see the truth, but you will find that people would rather listen to
politicians, performers, and charlatans.
If you are known as a follower of Tao, people may seek you out, but
they are seldom the ones who will truly understand Tao. They are people
who would exploit Tao as a crutch. To speak to them of the wonders you
have seen is often to engage in a futile bout of miscommunication. That
is why it is said that those who know do not speak.
Why not simply stay quiet? Enjoy Tao as you will. Let others think
you are dumb. Inside yourself, you will know the joy of Tao's mysteries.
If you met someone who can profit by your experience, you should share.
But if you are merely a wanderer in a crowd of strangers, it is wisdom
to be silent.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 23 Feb 2010 @ 23:23
Taking a 90-minute nap the day of a test or presentation sounds like a ludicrous luxury. But a recent study on the brain's ability to recall facts found that napping at noon could mean a lot more brain power at 6 p.m.
see more More >
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 21 Feb 2010 @ 22:18
NONCONFORMITY
The world is dazzling,
I alone am dull.
Others strive for achievement,
I follow a lonely path.
Followers of Tao are nonconformists. The conventional label our
behavior erratic, antisocial, irresponsible, inexplicable, outrageous,
and sometimes scandalous. We hear other voices, respond to inner
urgings. We have no interest in the social norm; we only care about
following Tao. It does not matter if no one can understand us, for we
are nurtured by something most people do not sense. Awakening to this
inner urge, and distinguishing spiritual impulses from the merely
instinctual, is one of the crucial goals of self-cultivation.
We all have many voices, personalities, ambitions, and tendencies
within ourselves. The ability to distinguish between them, and the
ability to silence all the voices save for Tao's, is imperative if one
is to reach this state of being. Once one is in touch with the true Tao,
there are no doubts, and the murmuring of others cannot have any effect.
One is as comforted as a child at its mother's breast.
The more one walks in Tao, the more one is interested in
self-perfection. All that matters is constant cultivation to be with
Tao. This is a lonely path. There are others who follow Tao, but it is
not always possible to meet them. That is why is takes someone both
sensitive enough to hear the call and strong enough to walk the solitary
path.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 20 Feb 2010 @ 23:27
BEAUTY
Lavender roses.
Incarnate fragrance,
Priestly hue of dawn,
Spirit unfolding.
Even on the road to hell, flowers can make you smile. They are
fragile, ephemeral, uncompromising. No one can alter their nature. True,
you can easily destroy them, but you will not gain anything; you cannot
force them to submit to your will.
Flowers arouse in us an instinct to protect them, to appreciate
them, and to shelter them. This world is too ugly, too violent. There
should be something delicate to care about. To do so is to be lifted
above the brute and to go toward the refined. When we offer flowers on
our altar, we are offering a high gift. Money is too vulgar, food too
pedestrian. Only flowers are unsullied. By offering them, we offer
purity.
The tenderness of flowers arouses mercy, compassion, and
understanding. If that beauty is delicate, so much the better. Life
itself is fleeting. We should take the time to appreciate beauty in the
midst of temporality.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 19 Feb 2010 @ 14:38
INTERACTION
We make life real
By the thoughts we project.
The panorama of the objective world is meaningless until we interact
with it. For example, if there is a rock that we pass day after day but
we do not notice, then that rock has no significance for us. If we
decide to make that rock a votive object and pray to it for decades,
then that rock becomes quite important. To an outsider who does not
subscribe to the rock's assigned meaning, it will continue to be just a
rock. In all cases, the rock was just a rock. It was only human
interaction that created its meaning.
It is a mistake to assume that the meaning we give to something is
as concrete and tangible as the object itself. We should not confuse the
two. For example, our house may be precious to us, but our sense of
preciousness has nothing to do with the building -- it comes from the
values and memories we associate with it. If we lose our house, we must
remember that it is the feeling we have for it, not just the building
itself, that determines our loss.
If all perception of reality is subjective, some schools of thought
suggest that we should therefore see everything as unreal. By contrast,
followers of Tao maintain that we must still interact with the world. If
we do not take initiative and work with this phenomena of projecting
meaning and receiving its echoes, we fall into a state of dormancy, and
the world will not exist for us at all. As long as we remember that
meanings we attribute to objects are subjective, we will avoid mistakes.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 18 Feb 2010 @ 14:10
DEATH
Death is
The opposite
Of time.
We give death metaphors. We cloak it in meaning and make up stories
about what will happen to us, but we don't really know. When a person
dies, we cannot see beyond the corpse. We speculate on reincarnation or
talk in terms of eternity. But death is opaque to us, a mystery. In its
realm, time ceases to have meaning. All laws of physics become
irrelevant. Death is the opposite of time.
What dies? Is anything actually destroyed? Certainly not the body,
which falls into its constituent parts of water and chemicals. That is
mere transformation, not destruction. What of the mind? Does it cease to
function, or does it make a transition to another existence? We don't
know for sure, and few can come up with anything conclusive.
What dies? Nothing of the person dies in the sense that the
constituent parts are totally blasted from all existence. What dies is
merely the identity, the identification of a collection of parts that we
called a person. Each one of us is a role, like some shaman wearing
layers of robes with innumerable fetishes of meaning. Only the clothes
and decoration fall. What dies is only our human meaning. There is still
someone naked underneath. Once we understand who that someone is, death
no longer bothers us. Nor does time.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 17 Feb 2010 @ 15:44
KNOWLEDGE
Life is
Beauty,
Terror,
Knowledge.
A crucial part of following Tao is seeking knowledge. All the
efforts of self-cultivation are meant to make us a fit vehicle for that
search. Sometimes what we learn is not pleasant. With learning, we
glimpse life as it really is, and that is difficult to bear. That is why
spiritual progress is slow : not because no one will tell us the
secrets, but because we ourselves must overcome sentiment and fear
before we can grasp it.
There is an underbelly of terror to all life. It is suffering, it is
hurt. Deep within all of us are intense fears that have left few of us
whole. Life's terrors haunt us, attack us, leave ugly cuts. To buffer
ourselves, we dwell on beauty, we collect things, we fall in love, we
desperately try to make something lasting in our lives. We take beauty
as the only worthwhile thing in this existence, but it cannot veil
cursing, violence, randomness, and injustice.
Only knowledge removes this fear. If we were shown the whole truth,
we could not stand it. Both lovely and horrible details make us human,
and when knowledge threatens to show us our follies, we may realize that
we are not yet ready to leave them behind. Then the veil closes again,
and we sit meditating before it, trying to prepare ourselves for the
moment when we dare to part the curtain completely.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 16 Feb 2010 @ 15:41
IMPERMANENCE
Tidal windstorm
Splits trees and rock,
Yet cannot last a day.
So much less, man's work.
When a storm hits, an entire ocean of wind and rain is spent upon
the land. Leaves are turned inside out, branches are torn, and even hard
granite is worn away. But such gales seldom last an entire day. In spite
of the tremendous amount of force that is released, the storm cannot
last.
If heaven's works cannot last a day, human works must be even less
lasting. Governments barely survive from year to year, the rules of
society are constantly being challenged, the family erodes, personal
relationships decay, and one's career topples. Even the monuments of the
world are now being destroyed by air pollution and neglect. Nothing
lasts. It is simple fact that no event set in motion by human beings
lasts forever.
All our efforts are temporary. They borrow from preexisting forces,
ride the current of natural events, and disappear according to the
dictates of the situation. It is best to realize the transitory nature
of things and work with it. Understanding the world's ephemeral nature
can be the biggest advantage of all.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 16 Feb 2010 @ 00:08
ORGANIZATION
Pattern and creativity
Are the two poles of action.
It is wise to plan each day. By setting goals for oneself and
organizing activities to be accomplished, one can be sure that each day
will be full and never wasted.
Followers of Tao use patterns when planning. They observe the ways
of nature, perceive the invisible lines of destiny. They imagine a
pattern for their entire lives, and in this way, they ensure overall
success. Each day, they match interim patterns against their master
goals, and so navigate life with sureness and grace. It is precisely
this ability to discern and manipulate patterns unknown to the ordinary
person that makes the follower of Tao so formidable.
When unpredictable things happen, those who follow Tao are also
skilled at improvisation. If circumstances deny them, they change
immediately. To avoid confusion, they still discern the patterns of the
situation and create new ones, much like a chess player at the board.
The spontaneous creation of new patterns is their ultimate art.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 15 Feb 2010 @ 04:34
CIRCULATION
Spirituality begins in the loins,
Ascends up the back,
And returns to the navel.
Spirituality is not just mental activity. It is also an expression
of energy.
The source of this energy is physical, rooted in the basic chemistry
of the body. Self-cultivation refines this energy for spiritual
attainment. Enlightenment, for a follower of Tao, is therefore a
psycho-physical achievement : It is a state of being rather than mere
intellectual understanding.
Once the energy is awakened through special exercises and
meditations, the follower of Tao knows how to draw this energy upward.
The force begins from the genitals and rises up the spine. On its way,
it nourishes the kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels. When it passes the
base of the skull, the nervous system and the lower parts of the brain
are stimulated. Reaching the crown, this river of energy opens the
entire subconscious potential of a human being. Descending downward, it
nourishes the eyes, the senses, the vital organs. Cascading toward the
navel, it returns us to our original state of purity. From there, it
returns to the loins again, ready to be drawn into another circuit. Just
as all existence operates on a continuum between gross physical matter
and the most subtle levels of consciousness, so too does the follower of
Tao utilize all parts of body, mind, and spirit for spiritual devotion.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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 15 Feb 2010 @ 04:20
STRETCHING
When young, things are soft.
When old, things are brittle.
Stretching -- both literally and metaphorically -- is a necessary
part of life.
Physically, a good program of stretching emphasizes all parts of the
body. You loosen the joints and tendons first, so that subsequent
movements will not hurt. Then methodically stretch the body, beginning
with the larger muscle groups such as the legs and back, and proceed to
finer and smaller parts like the fingers. Coordinate stretching with
breathing; use long and gentle stretches rather than bouncing ones. When
you stretch in one direction, always be sure to stretch in the opposite
direction as well. If you follow this procedure, your flexibility will
undoubtedly increase.
Metaphorical stretching leads to expansion and flexibility in
personal growth. A young plant is tender and pliant. An older is stiff,
woody, and vulnerable to breaking. Softness is thus equated with life,
hardness with death. The more flexible you are, the greater your mental
and physical health.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations
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