Verse Four
The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled.
Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things!
Blunt the sharpness,
Untangle the knot,
Soften the glare,
Merge with dust.
Oh, hidden deep but ever present!
I do not know from whence it comes.
It is the forefather of the Gods.
~ Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English translation ~
In western society, we continually strive to qualify and quantify the world around us. We try to ascertain the parameters and definition. It is by developing words, concepts and formulations that we seek to create slots that each and every thing can be placed into.
But Tao foils this process because it is part of everything. It is everywhere, yet is never seen. It can be sensed, yet is never felt.
When we try to capture the essence of Tao with our rational minds, we fail. It is a process that cannot be grasped. The only chance we have of catching a glimpse is by emptying ourselves completely and allowing our intuitive side to move to the forefront.
When we look without looking, hear without hearing or think without thinking, we can become the empty vessel that is used but never filled.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
But Tao foils this process because it is part of everything. It is everywhere, yet is never seen. It can be sensed, yet is never felt.
When we try to capture the essence of Tao with our rational minds, we fail. It is a process that cannot be grasped. The only chance we have of catching a glimpse is by emptying ourselves completely and allowing our intuitive side to move to the forefront.
When we look without looking, hear without hearing or think without thinking, we can become the empty vessel that is used but never filled.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
this is almost a shamanic concept. in order to enter a dream state, you have to be able to completely empty yourself of your mind and your expectations, and even your identity. only when you are "empty" do you have the freedom to travel and seek answers.
ReplyDeleteit's actually pretty intuitive- in order to listen, you have to first be silent. but few people understand that understanding requires listening... not just hearing words, but spiritual listening, which is much harder to accomplish. :P
Agreed. Most people don't get it. Even worse, most people who DO get it still have a hard time actually doing it.
ReplyDeleteMerge with the dust.
ReplyDelete"Who can free himself from achievement and 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." Thomas Merton's adaptation of Chuang-tzu's Chap. 10.
Becoming nothing and nobody, you become all things. Passing through the hole of infinite nothingness, you pass into infinity.
So true ..... an empty / quiet mind / vessel facilitated through qi gong / meditation, will let flow into it universal qi / insight / awareness and subtle discoveries that go beyond mere words and descriptions...
ReplyDeleteIf your cup is full, there is no room for it to contain anything else.
The cup is bigger than all of us.
ReplyDelete