Hua Hu Ching - Verse 5

Verse Five

Do you imagine the universe is agitated? Go into the desert at night and took out at the stars. This practice should answer the question. The superior person settles her mind as the universe settles the stars in the sky. By connecting her mind with the subtle origin, she calms it. Once calmed, it naturally expands, and ultimately her mind becomes as vast and immeasurable as the night sky.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

The chaotic mind is never at peace. When we take on too much at work, at home, at school, in the community or our minds simply are crammed full of worries, anxieties, calculations, opinions, information and feelings, we create unnecessary agitation. After awhile, everything starts to run together into a whirlpool of increasing stress.

I'm fairly sure each of us has experienced this phenomena. The more stress we generate, the more we try to think our way out of it. Yet, no matter how hard we concentrate, the string keeps getting wound tighter and tighter.

When the pressure becomes too much, we often turn to our vices to release this self-imposed tension. We get drunk or stoned. We overeat. We become abusive -- physically and/or mentally -- to those we care about. We engage in self-destructive behaviors.

Unfortunately, all these strategies only provide a brief respite from the pressure. Before we know it, it's building up again and again and again. So, we return to our vices and the cycle only becomes more entrenched.

As this verse aptly points out, the best and most healthy strategy simply is to clear everything off of our mental plate. Calmness and emptiness are the cures for chaos. Once the tension has dissipated and the mind is clear, we can begin our lives anew.

This post is part of a "miniseries". For an introduction, go here.