Verse EightI confess that there is nothing to teach: no religion, no science, no body of information which will lead your mind back to the Tao. Today I speak in this fashion, tomorrow in another, but always the Integral Way is beyond words and beyond mind. Simply be aware of the oneness of things.~ Translated by Brian Walker ~
This verse underscores the irony of blogs like this one. While I and other philosophical Taoists (see the right sidebar) fill the space with thousands of words, sentences and paragraphs on this subject matter, we aren't truly teaching Tao. More than anything else, we're merely trying to motivate readers to be open to the idea of Tao.
If you think about it, how could I explain the unexplainable to anyone (including myself)? How does one paint a picture of an object too transparent to see? How does one replicate a sound too silent to hear?
The answer is simple: it can't be done.
So, all I'm doing is pointing in the general direction. I try different gambits and use differing metaphors to try to get you to see things in a new way and, through your comments, you do the same for me and others.
That's all we can ever hope to do.
This post is part of a "miniseries". For an introduction, go here.
If you think about it, how could I explain the unexplainable to anyone (including myself)? How does one paint a picture of an object too transparent to see? How does one replicate a sound too silent to hear?
The answer is simple: it can't be done.
So, all I'm doing is pointing in the general direction. I try different gambits and use differing metaphors to try to get you to see things in a new way and, through your comments, you do the same for me and others.
That's all we can ever hope to do.
This post is part of a "miniseries". For an introduction, go here.
You can't force someone to see the moon, but you can point to it. ;^)
ReplyDeleteAnd they still might not get how beautiful it is...
The nun Wu Jincang asked the Sixth Patriach Huineng, "I have studied the Mahaparinirvana sutra for many years, yet there are many areas I do not quite understand. Please enlighten me."
The patriach responded, "I am illiterate. Please read out the characters to me and perhaps I will be able to explain the meaning." Said the nun, "You cannot even recognize the characters. How are you able then to understand the meaning?"
"Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon’s location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?
Thanks for sharing that. It provides more depth to the post.
ReplyDelete