Remember the Hua Hu Ching?

Ever since I wrote the series on the Hua Hu Ching, many people have accessed one or more of the associated posts. Well, I've decided to try out an experiment. I've taken all the posts from that series and turned them into one singular Google document. If you'd like to access it, click on this link. (You can read it online, download it in several different formats or print it out -- whatever winds your watch.)

If this works for people, I may work to do the same thing for other series, including the Wen Tzu. Let me know what you think.

Hua Hu Ching - Verses 48 and 51

This is a cross-post from the blog Tao Wow.

Verses 48 and 51 Hua Hu Ching - living
by Tao

The Rambling Taoist posting frequently on the Hua Hu Ching has lead me to re-read my copy again.

I was really hit by this final line to chapter 48

"Once you arrive there [spontaneous awareness of the Great Oneness], remember: it isn't necessary to struggle to maintain unity with it. All you have to do is participate in it."

Which really struck a chord with me as once we have our realization then it is simply a matter of remaining there in the center. Once you have recognized the true unity then you know you can not be separate from it and feeling so is a glitch, an error in perception or mind. If anything in life seems to be out of balance then just a simple self reminder should be enough to regain perspective and see things as they really are. Without this then it is easy in this world to lose touch with the truth and get whipped up by the seeming importance of minor aspects. Having once recognized your absolute unity with all things then it should not be work or effort to maintain it as it 'just is' so the tool is a long breath from the heels, a centering hand gesture, body motion or thought and to reaffirm unity.

So the master of Tao sees all but with the mind centered is not caught up in conflict with any passing action or emotion. A Hindu may compare a little act of selfishness that came there way to the motions of planets over several Kalpas, a Buddhist may say "nothing lasts" as recognition that this event is nothing to carry with you and will too pass. A Tao master would collect good from the bad by opening to the true balance of the situation. All very valid ways of remaining centered in truth as life bubbles away on her own path with you as the camera operator, afloat your boat, taking in the view.

Then this chapter 51:

"Those who want to know the truth of the universe should practice the four cardinal virtues. The first is reverence for all life; this manifests as unconditional love and respect for oneself and all other beings. The Second is natural sincerity; this manifests as honesty, simplicity, and faithfulness. The third is gentleness; this manifests as kindness, consideration for others, and sensitivity to spiritual truth. The fourth is supportiveness; this manifests as service to others without expectation of reward. The four virtues are not an external dogma but a part of your original nature. When practiced, they give birth to wisdom and evoke the five blessings: health, wealth, happiness, longevity, and peace."

This sort of language can have you feeling a bit like you're being told how to act with empty phrases such as "be virtuous" "be sincere" it may sound like religious dogma, but it is not at all. The idea is instead that "manifests as" and "not an external dogma but a part of your original nature"

Our original nature is that of the Tao, the mother of all of this, and that original nature is of course supportive to all life with no expectation of reward, of course it is kind and simple, of course she gives and gives with no prejudice to receiver, if tao were not like this she could not be infinitely creative and the source of all.

Taking that as our model shows us that when we give ourselves in line with that original nature we are right and when we hold back and allow reason to enter the equation we are instantly out of the flow. But why reason this? Just go with it, as when we do just flow then life is so perfect it needs no words to describe it, it is just magical and we all live blissfully in a way it was always supposed to be.

Acting naturally we are "blessed" with wealth, wisdom and so on. Of course we are not blessed in any materialistic "The Secret" way or blessed by any external source in quantifiable degrees of wisdom or finance but truly blessed with correct, simple, straightforward recognition of our true nature - that of Tao.

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

Reflections on the Hua Hu Ching

At this juncture, I'm going to sign off on the little trip through the Hua Hu Ching. Over the past 17 days, I've covered almost one-half of this work (40 of 81 verses). Throughout the coming days, weeks, months or years, I may return to it from time to time and -- who knows -- maybe at some point all 81 verses will be presented.

In my view, the HHC is a good compliment to the Tao Te Ching. It expands on many of the same themes and adds a few of its own. In my opinion, it places a bit too much emphasis on the issues of sexuality and immortality -- mainly in the verses I chose not to present at this time -- but overall it does provide a lot of good food for thought.

One thing I will say is that I'm not convinced that this is an ancient text. It reads to me like something someone conjured up more recently, but I don't see this as a problem at all. Like any other philosophic tradition, Taoism evolves with time. There are authors writing in the current generation that offer the same depth of insight that Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu offered thousands of years ago.

One other note. Today I purchased the Book of Wen-Tzu via Amazon.com. It is another work supposedly attributed to the mythic figure of Lao Tzu. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the TTC and the HHC.

Who knows? Maybe another series will be in the offing?

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 81

Verse Eighty-One

With all this talking, what has been said? The subtle truth can he pointed at with words, but it can't be contained by them. Take time to listen to what is said without words, to obey the law too subtle to be written, to worship the unnameable and to embrace the unformed. Love your life. Trust the Tao. Make love with the invisible subtle origin of the universe, and you will give yourself everything you need. You won't have to hide away forever in spiritual retreats. You can be a gentle, contemplative hermit right here in the middle of everything, utterly unaffected, thoroughly sustained and rewarded by your integral practices. Encouraging others, giving freely to all, awakening and purifying the world with each movement and action, you'll ascend to the divine realm in broad daylight. The breath of the Tao speaks, and those who are in harmony with it hear quite clearly.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

I'm not going to add anything to the final verse and will let it stand on its own.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 30

Verse Thirty

Words can never convey the beauty of a tree; to understand it, you must see it with your own eyes. Language cannot capture the melody of a song; to understand it, you must hear it with your own ears. So it is with the Tao: the only way to understand it is to directly experience it. The subtle truth of the universe is unsayable and unthinkable. Therefore the highest teachings are wordless. My own words are not the medicine, but a prescription; not the destination, but a map to help you reach it. When you get there, quiet your mind and close your mouth. Don't analyze the Tao. Strive instead to live it: silently, undividedly, with your whole harmonious being.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

For a wordsmith like me, it's often hard to admit that words can be so limiting! If we could take ALL the languages of humankind and throw them into a huge barrel, there would be an almost infinite number of combinations. Even if we stuck to one modern language, the number of ways the words can be parsed together to form cogent ideas seems inexhaustible. Yet, for all this ability to pontificate, words only scratch the barest sheen of the surface of life.

How can a deep and enduring feeling of love be adequately expressed in words and sentences? How can the unbearable loss of a loved one be summed up in a paragraph or a song? How is it possible to explain the unexplainable so that it makes rational sense? The answer in each case points to the insufficiency of language.

We can describe aspects of a tree, sunset or child, but we can't delve into the essence of being for any of the three. About all that words can provide is a pale facsimile of the mystery.

So, while I'm happy that you have chosen to come here to read my words and thoughts, nothing I write can put YOU in touch with Tao. It doesn't matter how eloquently I describe things nor how poetically I may wax. It doesn't matter if you read the Tao Te Ching, Book of Chuang Tzu or the Hua Hu Ching or if you read each of them one thousand times.

If you wish to see Tao in your life, you must experience it for yourself.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 27

Verse Twenty-Seven

Do not imagine that an integral being has the ambition of enlightening the unaware or raising worldly people to the divine realm. To her, there is no self and other, and hence no one to be raised; no heaven and hell, and hence no destination. Therefore her only concern is her own sincerity.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

This verse overtly underscores the difference between a belief system that posits a creator versus philosophical Taoism. While the Abrahamic religions -- I'm most familiar with these -- see a distinction between each human and everything else, including their deity, Taoists see connection.

Rather than being a specific entity, Tao is the essence that binds all things together. If we viewed the totality of existence as a body, Tao would be the blood that flows throughout. It does not possess feelings, emotions or intentions. It doesn't have the capability to form intimate relationships nor show concern for anyone or anything because it is part of everyone and everything and yet it has no sense of self.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 42

Verse Forty-Two

Nothing in the realm of thoughts or ideologies is absolute. Lean on one for long, and it collapses. Because of this, there is nothing more futile and frustrating than relying on the mind. To arrive at the unshakable, you must befriend the Tao. To do this, quiet your thinking. Stop analyzing, dividing, making distinctions between one thing and another. Simply see that you are at the center of the universe, and accept all things and beings as parts of your infinite body. When you perceive that an act done to another is done to yourself, you have understood the great truth.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

When I first contemplated creating this blog, I acknowledged to myself that no one should take anything I write with more than a grain of salt. Nothing here would be absolute. There are no insoluble truths that would be presented. The best that I could offer people would be my meager contemplations on the Taoist philosophy and my cat scratchings on a bevy of concepts and issues.

I have stuck by this belief ever since. It's not because I don't have confidence in my analytical and writing abilities -- I do -- but it has dawned on me over the past few years that nothing is absolute, including anything I might say or write.

Serious students of science should understand this perspective. Every time someone declares that a particular fact or theory cannot be altered or improved upon, someone comes along to do just that! The history of science is strewn with absolutes that have since been chucked to the curb: the earth is flat, the earth is the center of the universe, no other animal has the ability to problem solve, disease is caused by evil spirits and the list goes on and on.

The only way ANY of us could know something with all certainty is IF we had all the information of existence available to us. We would have to know everything about the past, present and future. Since this will never happen, we will never know anything absolutely.

But remember, take everything I wrote above with a grain of salt!

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 50

Verse Fifty

What good is it to spend your life accumulating material things? It isn't in keeping with the Tao. What benefit in conforming your behavior to someone's conventions? It violates your nature and dissipates your energy. Why separate your spiritual life and your practical life? To an integral being, there is no such distinction. Live simply and virtuously, true to your nature, drawing no line between what is spiritual and what is not. Ignore time. Relinquish ideas and concepts. Embrace the Oneness. This is the Integral Way.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

Back in the days of yore when I was a Christian, one of the many things that bothered me about this faith was the abject separation of one's spiritual life from everything else. It seemed like adherents would spend 6 3/4 days per week violating every known commandment and social more possible only to arrive at church on Sunday morning to say their prayers and sing hymns to God. As soon as the service ended, they would immediately return to their hedonistic ways.

Actually, it was quite interesting to watch people in the church parking lot. As they arrived, almost everyone gunned for the best parking spots. If two or more cars spied one of the choice spots, it went to the person who was the fastest and most aggressive.

In addition to watching the jockeying of vehicles, I also noticed that it was not infrequent that individuals or whole families seemed to be in very foul moods. They would argue and snipe at each other all the way across the parking lot...until they arrived at the front door. At this juncture, it seemed like a fairy had sprinkled magic dust all over them and they would enter the building like smiling cherubs.

I rarely ever heard any arguments of any kind within the walls of the church. To be certain, there were disagreements, but, with God ever close by, most people tended to be on their best behavior. Then it was on to the sanctuary where everyone would confess their transgressions, repeat mindless affirmations of faith and the Lord's Prayer, listen to laborious sermons, and sing their little hearts out celebrating the glory of it all.

Once the weekly festivities ended, the magic dust would suddenly disappear. People would go racing out of the building and return to arguing and sniping at each other. The mad exodus of vehicles from the parking lot often was downright hilarious! Vehicles would cut in front of each other and you'd sometimes be treated to seeing or hearing someone cuss out that "damn SOB who cut me off!"

Now I'm certain there are some Christians and adherents from other religions who try to fuse their spiritual lives with the entire lives, but, from what I've experienced, this number is very scant indeed! I suppose this is natural for those who see a dualistic world wherever they look.

But, as this verse so aptly points out, there should be no such distinction. Whatever we are -- physical, chemical, emotional, physiological, mental, spiritual, etc. -- is part of us at all times. Try as we might, we can't compartmentalize or cordon off particular aspects of ourselves. When we try, we mess ourselves up and the result is stress and tension (disharmony).

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 25

Verse Twenty-Five

Not all spiritual paths lead to the Harmonious Oneness. Indeed, most are detours and distractions, nothing more. Why not trust the plainness and simplicity of the Integral Way? Living with unconditional sincerity, eradicating all duality, celebrating the equality of things, your every moment will be in truth.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

One aspect of Taoism that seems to befuddle the western mind is the idea that each being must find its own path. For a lot of people, this sounds like a subversive concept. If there are no strict external standards, then anyone can choose any path and it should receive the Taoist seal of approval!

Unfortunately, such a formulation is too simplistic. While it is true that each of us must forge our path independently, this does not mean that every path will lead to the same source. Many paths lead away from Tao and toward nothing more than self-imposed stress and imbalance.

So, while no one else can tell us which path to take, the great Taoist sages CAN point at some of the lamp posts along the route. If we get right down to it, that's what these classic works and today's contemporary contemplations are all about -- helping each of us to identify the variables that we need to work into our own individual itineraries.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 45

Verse Forty-Five

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place. This is true because the mind is the governing aspect of a human life. If the river flows clearly and cleanly through the proper channel, all will be well along its banks. The Integral Way depends on decreasing, not increasing; To correct your mind, rely on not-doing. Stop thinking and clinging to complications; keep your mind detached and whole. Eliminate mental muddiness and obscurity; keep your mind crystal clear. Avoid daydreaming and allow your pure original insight to emerge. Quiet your emotions and abide in serenity. Don't go crazy with the worship of idols, images, and ideas; this is like putting a new head on top of the head you already have. Remember: if you can cease all restless activity, your integral nature will appear.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

Everything related to human life begins with our minds. It is what interprets all the stimuli and sensations around us. It warns us of danger and makes sense (well, sometimes) of great pleasure and ecstasy. It is what tells us that you are you and I am me.

In a manner of speaking, the mind is humankind's greatest achievement, yet it's also our collective downfall. The cultivation of mind has allowed us to create beautiful works of art, develop dazzling displays of technology, postulate complicated theorems and formulations, and build a world full of creature comforts.

But the mind is also that mechanism that gives each of us the illusion of disconnection. The concept of self is derived from it and perpetuates it throughout our lives. It sets us apart from each other, all life forms and the mysterious Oneness.

As long as we each remain cogent, this separation -- in some measure -- will remain. There's no way around it. While disciplines like meditation and Tai Chi can allow us brief glimpses beyond the veil, the vast majority of our lives will be lived in the land of self.

Since we are each burdened with this same yoke, we can mitigate it somewhat by keeping ourselves clear of unbridled desire and emotional complications. It is by leading a simple life in service to others that we can mentally bridge the chasm of separation.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 41

Verse Forty-One

Good and bad, self and others, life and death: Why affirm these concepts? Why deny them? To do either is to exercise the mind, and the integral being knows that the manipulations of the mind are dreams, delusions, and shadows. Hold one idea, and another competes with it. Soon the two will be in conflict with a third, and in time your life is all chatter and contradiction. Seek instead to keep your mind undivided. Dissolve all ideas into the Tao.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

Here's a verse that should not be taken literally. If you or I never held an idea, we wouldn't be able to function very well in society. It would be next too impossible to attend school, hold a job or do most anything else. So, it might seem like I think this verse is a crock.

Not so! The underlying message is a powerful one as long as we don't employ it to the extreme.

The point that I believe the author is trying to get across is to be more open. Too often, we latch onto particular ideas and no amount of new information nor new insight will move us to reevaluate our position. We behave as if to say, "This is what I've always thunk and I ain't gonna think on it no more."

Of course, many of our thoughts and ideas are far off base and simply don't flow with the given situation. It's like we're paddling against the current, yet we can't figure out why we're not getting anyplace!

It can be difficult not to enter situations and circumstances without preconceived notions, but when we approach things in this way, we're setting ourselves up for problems -- sometimes really big problems. It's not infrequent that the facts of the situation don't match up with what we believe to be true and these differing perspectives give rise to conflict.

The wise person greets every situation in life anew and forms their opinion based on the specific circumstances at hand.

Needless to say, this is far easier said than done. ;-)

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 24

Verse Twenty-Four

Subtle awareness of the truth of the universe should not be regarded as an achievement. To think in terms of achieving it is to place it outside your own nature. This is erroneous and misleading. Your nature and the integral nature of the universe are one and the same: indescribable, but eternally present. Simply open yourself to this.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

I think we each know individuals (including ourselves) who like to trumpet their achievements in everyone's ears. Such people like to point out that they are more virtuous, worldly, pious, charitable, environmentally-conscious, intelligent or helpful than others. My all-time favorite is when someone boasts that he/she is more humble than the average person! Talk about a contradiction in terms!

True wisdom is not something you can set out to obtain. It's not like deciding on a college major or plotting out a career strategy. You can't arrange certain activities in a prescribed order and check them off one-by-one on the road to sagacity. In fact, if you pursue wisdom in this manner, it will forever elude your grasp. Every rung you climb will bring you no closer to the sought after goal.

For this reason, people who try to coach you into celebrating their wisdom unwittingly are proving their lack thereof. A person who is genuinely wise would never admit to it! This disavowal is not due to a faux veneer of humility; it's due to the knowledge that there is always more to learn.

You see, many people view wisdom as a static state. It's like winning a ribbon or trophy. Once you've arrived in the land of sagaciousness and the medal of wisdom has been pinned upon your bosom, many people believe it will remain there forever more.

But wisdom is anything but static. The wisest person today can be tomorrow's biggest fool or a person can be wise in one area in life and a complete nincompoop in another. In other words, wisdom is fluid and often transitory!

That's why the truly wise person would never pronounce him/herself a sage.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 40

Verse Forty
The natural laws of the universe are inviolable: Energy condenses into substance. Food is eaten through the mouth and not the nose. A person who neglects to breathe will turn blue and die. Some things simply can't be dismissed. It is also a part of the cosmic law that what you say and do determines what happens in your life. The ordinary person thinks that this law is external to himself and he feels confined and controlled by it. So his desires trouble his mind, his mind troubles his spirit, and he lives in constant turmoil with himself and the world. His whole life is spent in struggling. The superior person recognizes that he and the subtle law are one. Therefore he cultivates himself to accord with it, bringing moderation to his actions and clarity to his mind. Doing this, he finds himself at one with all that is divine and enlightened. His days are passed drinking in serenity and breathing out contentment. This is the profound, simple truth: You are the master of your life and death. What you do is what you are.
~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

Years ago, when I was the manager of a progressive gift shop, we sold a bumper sticker that read as follows: Your Hate Becomes You. A lot of people didn't really get it. In their mind's eye, the message read: Your Hate BECOMES you. However, I'm fairly certain that it should be read: Your Hate Becomes YOU.

Throughout my life I've noticed that people who are filled with thoughts of hate, revenge, retribution and suspicion are not very happy people. These individuals will tell you that they're happy, but their words and body language (at least, that's what people tell me re the latter) gives them away. Many of them are wound so tight that you fear they could explode at any moment and you certainly don't want to be around if that happens.

But it's not just hateful people. Every one of us has our own personal delusions. Some people are narcissists or egomaniacs. Some people are greedy and conniving. Others are slothful. Me, I'm overly anxious. I rarely meet a situation that I can't figure out some way to fret about it!

While the adage "you are what you eat" rings true, too many of us don't extend this idea far enough. How we comport ourselves impacts our lives a lot more. If we live a life of harmony and balance, then nothing can truly harm us. This is not to say that bad things won't happen in our lifetime, but we will be able to take what this life dishes out in stride.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 23

Verse Twenty-Three

The highest truth cannot be put into words. Therefore the greatest teacher has nothing to say. He simply gives himself in service, and never worries.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

It's a sobering reminder that, regardless of what or how well I write posts on this blog, I can't genuinely teach you anything. Yes, I may succeed in motivating you to look at the world anew, but the truth you find owes not one damn thing to me.

This is not to suggest that we can't learn from others. We can learn new skills and gain new insights from teachers, family, coworkers and friends. But the truths of Tao cannot be transmitted to you by me or anyone else.

You alone must find them. You alone must embrace them. You alone must be breathe them. You alone must live them.

And when you alone are able to see the ordinary in the mystery, then you will fast discover that you are not alone at all.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 22

Verse Twenty-Two

How can the divine Oneness be seen? In beautiful forms, breathtaking wonders, awe- inspiring miracles? The Tao is not obliged to present itself this way. It is always present and always available. When speech is exhausted and mind dissolved, it presents itself. When clarity and purity are cultivated, it reveals itself. When sincerity is unconditional, it unveils itself. If you are willing to be lived by it, you will see it everywhere, even in the most ordinary things.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

Why is it that, from almost the beginning of human society, so many people have looked for supernatural explanations? Why do so many people look for divine signs and spectacular miracles? Why do the vast majority spend their lives searching left and right, high and low, forward and backward for a hint of the glory of creation?

If there is such a thing as miracles, they can be found right under our noses at any time. We don't need to pray to see them nor do we even need to meditate. No, all it takes is to look with your senses.

Everything before us is the essence of life! A butterfly. A tree. A chair. The gleam in the eye of your beloved. Your own reflection in the mirror. Even a dust ball dancing its way across your dining room floor.

We need to quit looking for the mysterious and the hidden. We need to touch that world of things, people, beings and ideas that envelops our existence every single moment.

It is when we embrace the ordinary that we become extraordinary.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 16

Verse Sixteen

Most of the world's religions serve only to strengthen attachments to false concepts such as self and other, life and death, heaven and earth, and so on. Those who become entangled in these false ideas are prevented from perceiving the Integral Oneness. The highest virtue one can exercise is to accept the responsibility of discovering and transmitting the whole truth. Some help others in order to receive blessings and admiration. This is simply meaningless. Some cultivate themselves in part to serve others, in part to serve their own pride. They will understand, at best, half of the truth. But those who improve themselves for the sake of the world--to these, the whole truth of the universe will be revealed. So seek this whole truth, practice it in your daily life, and humbly share it with others. You will enter the realm of the divine.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

What motivates you to try to lead a loving and virtuous life? Are you trying to emulate someone who came before you? Are you trying to honor someone or something you worship? Do you do it in the hope you will receive prime seating in the afterlife or to avoid being sent to the fiery basement?

Too often, the answer to each of these questions is derived from our sense of self. Whether we acknowledge it or not, what motivates each of us the most is what we believe will serve our needs and interests the best. In a manner of speaking, this constant self-interest negates our supposed aim. While our actions may be pointed outward, the impetus is pointed inward.

It is only when we selflessly work for the betterment of others -- with no expectation for fame, recognition and fortune -- that this impetus of self-interest melts away. We no longer worry about saving ourselves; we focus on saving the entire world and, in focusing on the cosmos, we discover the sacredness and natural divinity of our own.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 18

Verse Eighteen

There is no one method for attaining realization of the Tao. To regard any method as the method is to create a duality, which can only delay your understanding of the subtle truth. The mature person perceives the fruitlessness of rigid, external methodologies; Remembering this, he keeps his attitude unstructured at all times and thus is always free to pursue the Integral Way. He studies the teachings of the masters. He dissolves all concepts of duality. He pours himself out in service to others. He performs his inner cleansing and does not disturb his teacher with unnecessary entanglements, thus preserving the subtle spiritual connection with the teacher's divine energy. Gently eliminating all obstacles to his own understanding, he constantly maintains his unconditional sincerity. His humility, perseverance, and adaptability evoke the response of the universe and fill him with divine light.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

One of the Taoist themes I harp on incessantly is that each person must find their own path. You must find what works for you and allows you to live a life of service to others and contentment within your own being.

No one knows you better than you. No one else knows what makes sense to you. No one else knows what stirs you deep within your being. No one else can see through your eyes, hear through your ears, smell through your nose, think through your mind or touch with your hand.

When we allow others to determine our path FOR us -- religion, family, friends, partners, celebrities, etc. -- we become estranged from ourselves and, if we're all connected, then we become estranged from everything else too!

Put another way, when we permit others to define what our lives mean, then we negate the most elemental definition of what life means itself. By feebly attempting to draw ourselves closer to the Oneness, we're really pushing it away from us.

If I had to boil down into one sentiment my message to the world, it would be this: Unfetter yourself! Break the chain of slavery that keeps you tethered to a dualistic world.

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 17

Verse Seventeen

Do not go about worshiping deities and religious institutions as the source of the subtle truth. To do so is to place intermediaries between yourself and the divine, and to make of yourself a beggar who looks outside for a treasure that is hidden inside his own breast. If you want to worship the Tao, first discover it in your own heart. Then your worship will be meaningful.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

If I get right down to it, this verse contains my central disagreement with the concept of religion. I don't accept the notion that I or anyone else needs an intermediary to explain the unexplainable.

To posit that such an entity is needed is to see oneself as distinct from that one worships. If I and the divine are one and the same, who would know how best to connect with it other than me? Who can tell another person what is in their heart? It can't be done.

Besides, if we look at the annals of human civilization, middlemen are an unsavory lot. Almost without fail, they skim profits off the top, misrepresent things to build their stature or to protect themselves from ruin, and victimize whomever (and whenever) they can get away with it.

Why then would I willingly and voluntarily place someone between myself and the sacredness of life?

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

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 8

Verse Eight

I 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.

Hua Hu Ching - Verse 37

Verse Thirty-Seven

A superior person cares for the well-being of all things. She does this by accepting responsibility for the energy she manifests, both actively and in the subtle realm. Looking at a tree, she sees not an isolated event but root, leaves, trunk, water, soil and sun: each event related to the others, and "tree" arising out of their relatedness. Looking at herself or another, she sees the same thing. Trees and animals, humans and insects, flowers and birds: These are active images of the subtle energies that flow from the stars throughout the universe. Meeting and combining with each other and the elements of the earth, they give rise to all living things. The superior person understands this, and understands that her own energies play a part in it. Understanding these things, she respects the earth as her mother, the heavens as her father, and all living things as her brothers and sisters. Caring for them, she knows that she cares for herself. Giving to them, she knows that she gives to herself. At peace with them, she is always at peace with herself.

~ Translated by Brian Walker ~

I don't know how anyone who claims to be a Taoist could not be an environmentalist. Those with a green perspective tend to understand the idea that all things are connected. That's precisely why environmental activists always are talking about e-c-o-s-y-s-t-e-m-s. Every time one species or aspect is affected by a human decision, all interrelated life forms are affected as well.

As was discussed in the TTC series, every thought and action creates a ripple or wave. Like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripple begins from a center point and the waves spread out from there in a widespread arc. Often times, the waves spread much further than can be seen from that center point and so we never know all the effects of our actions.

If life could be represented as a large pond, it would be much easier to understand and manage if only one rock broke the plane of the surface at any given time. We could stand there at the water's edge and lazily watch the ripples spread in all directions. What makes our lives so complex is that billions upon billions of rocks hit the surface at all times. This creates more ripples than we can keep track of. Heck, we're often not even sure which of the ripples are caused by our own words, thoughts and actions and which are caused by others.

Those who understand this dynamic are ever mindful that even the seemingly mundane thought or action can cause serious repercussions. And so, such individuals tend to tread lightly upon our earth. Unfortunately, far too many people willfully ignore the ramifications of the ripple effect and act like a bull in a china shop. They charge into situations half-cocked and only plan for their own short-term successes at the cost of other people and nature's misery.

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