Daodejing, Verse 33

Daodejing - Other Voices

Internal Reflections -- Know Thyself
One step of dao cultivation that i have found to be invaluble; indeed the root/foundation from which all other lessons have grown from, is to know oneself.

What does it take to know oneself?

It is an on going process but some key elements i have found in knowling myself and growing internally are: -

To accept that if this life is it, it is our one shot when we die we go into the ground and get eaten by worms, decompose into the soil etc .... once one can 100% accept that with no fear (and often it takes some time to accept and unattach from our attachment to living as long as possible come what may) then one has learnt a great deal about oneself, learning how to begin letting go of fear and attchment along the way.

Once we can accept the above we will find it easier in some respects to unattach from people, to learn we can no more hold people or things to us than we can capture the wind; all we can do is get in a mess in the attempt ....

in knowing the above and hence ourselves we can then know how to live life and enjoy each moment, whatever that moment brings.

None of this means we do not love or cherish familiy, friends or lovers - just that we do not grasp onto them - we allow them like the wind to be themselves and walk their own path, sometimes it will be with us sometimes not.

Indeed the above can leads us to the knowledge that as much as we interact with others, and walk alongside them on occasion, we walk similtaneously, alone & as part of the whole - alone and together: -

This is of course just the process explored; the epiphanies we find about ourselves will be in many areas unique to each person.

Chapter 33
Those who understand others are intelligent
Those who understand themselves are enlightened

Those who overcome others have strength
Those who overcome themselves are powerful

Those who know contentment are wealthy
Those who proceed vigorously have willpower

Those who do not lose their base endure
Those who die but do not perish have longevity
~ from Drops of Water, author Becca James, original post date: 9/15/08 ~

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