The Tao of Dark Sages - Chapter 5, Part 2

The Tao of Dark Sages
by Scott Bradley

Sue-tzu, I am surprised that you never seem to mention meditation. Do you not feel it is necessary? Do you not meditate?

I admit to having a reluctance to speak about meditation. And the reason is that, when I started on my path, I began by reading books written by those totally fixated on meditation. And in the end I found this fixation counter-productive. And, to be honest, Mr. Monkey Mind usually got the best of me when I did meditate.

Those fixated on meditation, realizing that fixation, emphasize meditation not as a method or a means to an end, but as an end in itself. I fail to see how that removes the fixation, however. In any case, there are worse ways to spend your time. Watching daytime TV or destroying multitudes in video games, for instance.

There are, of course, many ways in which to meditate. If you find meditation helpful or think it might be indicated for you, I suggest you explore these various methods. As for me, my meditation is unstructured and perhaps what might best be called devotional in nature. I spend time with my inner self in openness to Tao. That Chuang-tzu and the boys meditated in some form is pretty clear.

I think I can give you a quote from memory with a bit of accuracy. Chuang-tzu has Confucius say, "...let your soul be open to receive in true sincerity. The Way is found in Emptiness. Emptiness is the fasting of the heart....Take a look at the room that is shut off, the empty room where the true light is born, there is contentment and stillness."

That empty room is your inner self. ‘Fasting of the heart’ is finding the emptiness within. That is meditation. What we don’t find in these writings are long-winded descriptions of methodology and psychological subtleties. Simplicity is often mentioned as an attribute of Virtue.

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here.