All things go right as of their will.Everywhere we look -- books, magazines, podcasts, seminars and the internet -- there are scads of individuals and groups willing to "teach" us how to lessen the stress in our lives. Each methodology has its own steps and process. If only we can learn to follow these guidelines, we too can lead stress-free lives!
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
And in this way all things would be at peace.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
The world shall steady itself
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
and the world becomes a better place.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
But desiring to be desireless (i.e., stress-free) negates the aim. If you want to get rid of wants...ahem...that too is a want. It tends to generate stress as your desirelessness falls short of the desire not to have it.
None of us can desire not to have desires. Instead of wanting it, we simply need to become it.
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
And funny how people are willing to pay a LOT of money to "become it." A little like buying Papal indulgences.
ReplyDeleteI have just been reading "Soul Mind Body Medicine" by one Dr. Zhi Gang Sha, who, if you search, appears to lead a cultish following (like Ilchi Lee, Li Hongzhi, or even Mantak Chia, and any number of other guys of all kinds of spiritual persuasions who will happily take your donations to relieve you of your desires and stress). Dr. Sha seems well grounded in qigong techniques and Taoist theory, but apparently has become more than a little messianic.
In his chapter on "Preventive Maintenance" I read under the stress management section: Diet--"Try eating less, especially if you are concerned about excess weight. And "Eat more vegetables, fruit and proper protein." Duh!
This book sort of "came" to me (I didn't seek it out), and being interested in neidan and qigong, I wanted to see what was there. But as soon as he started advising "Say 'Hello' to your inner souls"--of which there are many--I became skeptical.
I don't quite know why I'm making this comment, except to agree that a lot of people don't have a clue as how to moderate or control their own desires and stress--so they pay someone to "help." Dr. Sha is in Atlanta as I write, offering to do "soul transplants."
(Funny--the word verification for this comment is "upcost." I think that is nice as a word for the price of spiritual uplift.)