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Door to All Wonders Application of the Tao Te Ching
Mantak Chia and
Tao Huang
Edited by:
Dennis Huntington
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Editor: Dennis Huntington
Editorial Assistance: Colin Campbell Design and Production: Saniem Chaisarn Illustrations: Udon Jandee Project Manager: W.U. Wei
© North Star Trust
First published in May 2002 by:
Universal Tao Publications 274/1 Moo 7, Luang Nua, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, 50220 Thailand Tel (66) (53) 865-034 & 495-596 Email:
[email protected] Web Site: www.universal-tao.com ISBN: 974-88307-9-9 Manufactured in Thailand
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission from the author, with the exception of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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Contents
Contents Contents................................................................................... i About the Authors Mantak Chia ........................................................................ vii Tao Huang ........................................................................... xi Acknowledgments ................................................................ xii Preface..................................................................................... xiii Words of Caution..................................................................... xx Editor’s Introduction: Taoist Bone............................................. 1 Taoist Collaboration.............................................................. 1 Reference Base of Chinese Mystical Culture ................... 3 Biographical/Cultural Resources .................................... 3 Cultural Orientation ......................................................... 3 Prophecy in his Family Graveyard—Destined to be a Healer or Shaman ............................................ 4 Previous Incarnations ...................................................... 4 Chi Kung Practice—Healed his Physical Problems ....... 4 Heart-Sealed Awakening Through Lao Tzu..................... 5 26th Lineage of the Dragon Gate School......................... 7 Master Chia’s Lineage, Longevity, and Immortality ........ 9 Education and Body Wisdom .......................................... 11 Taoist Bone: Spiritual Will..................................................... 13 The Story.......................................................................... 13 Inventing the Story ........................................................... 14 Spiritual Will ..................................................................... 16 Background of Developing the will to Live........................ 16 Master Chia’s Life, Different but Parallel ......................... 18 Quest for the Secret Code .............................................. 19 Story of the Just-Born-Baby and Just-Deceased-Old-Man 21 I Ching/Genetic Code Summary......................................... 23 Purpose ........................................................................... 23 Perspective ..................................................................... 24 I Ching Lines, Diagrams, Trigrams and Hexagrams........ 25 I Ching Divination Process ............................................. 27 DNA Notes, Basic Concepts and Vocabulary ................. 28 Concluding Comments ................................................... 32 Taoist Practices Infused with the Virtue Energy of Te ........ 34 Reference Source ............................................................... 36 -4-
Contents
Chapter I Wordless Uttering Sound: Tao................................................. Defining the Tao ................................................................... Communicable Tao.......................................................... Inner Voice ....................................................................... Incommunicable Tao ....................................................... Connection In-Between .................................................. Usefulness of In-Between ............................................... Nature of the Tao ................................................................. Tao: Beyond the Senses ................................................. Knowing of the Origin of the Tao: Thus ........................... Empty Harmony – Action of the Tao .................................... Returning ......................................................................... Bellows – Function of the Tao ......................................... Bellows-Like Meditation ................................................... Mystic Female – Source of the Tao .................................... Water – Symbol of the Tao .................................................. Lao Tzu and the Tao ............................................................ On the Tao ....................................................................... Discipline ......................................................................... Teaching and Learning .................................................... Warning ........................................................................... Advice ..............................................................................
37 37 38 39 40 41 41 42 43 43 45 46 48 50 53 54 55 55 56 56 57 58
Chapter II Sensory Perception................................................................. How We Perceive ............................................................... Spiritual Sensitivity .......................................................... Development of Five Senses .......................................... Meditative Perceptivity ..................................................... Sensory Receptors ......................................................... Vulnerable Sensory Organs ................................................ Mawangdui Text ............................................................... Five Elements – Sum of Stimuli ...................................... Pressure upon Five Senses ........................................... Stop Victimizing your Sensory Organs ............................... Away from Motivational Stimulus .................................... Being Productive: Ego’s Weapon ................................... Sickness of our Persuasion ................................................ Idea of Ownership ...........................................................
59 59 60 62 69 70 71 71 73 74 76 76 77 78 78
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Be Content with Enough .................................................. 80 Beyond Persuasion ............................................................. 82 Chapter III Walking the Way: Spiritual Cultivation...................................... 84 Chinese Psychospiritual Somatology ................................ 86 Historical Picture ............................................................. 86 Three Mystic Fields ......................................................... 88 Two Openings ................................................................. 90 Reactionistic Map............................................................. 92 Two Orbits ....................................................................... 96 Heart of Troubles ................................................................ 98 Carnal Body – Root of Trouble ........................................ 98 Formula for Six Organic Systems ................................... 100 Desiring Heart – Owner of the Troubles .......................... 110 Frolics of Five – Animals (Wu Chin Xi)............................ 111 Vitalizing the Body ............................................................... 114 Emotional Mood – Activation of Troubles.......................... 115 Formula of Five Emotional Colors ................................... 116 Chapter IV Embracing Oneness................................................................ 119 Perceptual Unification of the Oneness ............................... 121 Taoist Approach ............................................................. 122 Scientific Manipulation ..................................................... 125 Belly – Energetic Bank of Oneness ................................ 127 Fungi – Food of Oneness ................................................ 127 Vision of Oneness .......................................................... 128 Psycho – Spiritual Unification ............................................. 129 Biophysical Oneness – the Androgynous Self ................ 129 Psycho-Spiritual Oneness – the God-Like-Self............... 131 Mystic Female ................................................................. 132 Nature and culture of Psychospiritual Oneness.............. 134 Three Oneness ............................................................... 136 Power of Keeping the Oneness .......................................... 138 Oneness-Child of the Tao ................................................ 139 Outcome of Cultivation .................................................... 141
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Chapter V World of the Sage.................................................................... What is a Sage? .................................................................. Sage’s Physical Condition................................................... On Water ......................................................................... Sage’s Mental Condition ...................................................... Wu Wei ........................................................................... Wu Zheng ........................................................................ Shan ................................................................................ Xian .................................................................................. Calming the Mind ................................................................ Pursuing the Tao .............................................................. Embracing the Simplicity ................................................. Richness of Frugality ....................................................... Non-Dualistic Mentality .................................................... Quality of Sage’s Life........................................................... Capacity of Natural Rejuvenation..................................... Suffusion of Self............................................................... Wisdom of an Old Boy.....................................................
143 143 145 146 150 150 152 153 154 157 157 159 160 161 163 163 163 164
Chapter VI Uplifting Te................................................................................ What is Kind Action?............................................................ Use of Language.............................................................. Uplifting Te ....................................................................... Accumulation of Te .............................................................. Nature of Kind Action ....................................................... Capacity of Kind Action ................................................... Humiliation ....................................................................... Accumulation of Kind Action ............................................ Ji Te .................................................................................. Equilibrium of Kind Action ................................................ Cultivation upon Kind Action ................................................ Nature of Cultivation......................................................... Entering the Mystical Te ................................................... Kind Action - The Only Measurement .............................
167 168 168 173 174 174 175 176 177 179 180 182 182 184 186
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Chapter VII Between Palace and Temple................................................... 188 Loving the People................................................................. 193 What are “People”? ......................................................... 193 How to Love People ........................................................ 195 How to take care of People ............................................. 195 The Formula before the Fear............................................ 196 Practical Success ........................................................... 197 Governing the Country ........................................................ 197 Nature of a Country.......................................................... 197 Ways of Governing the Country........................................ 199 Mutual Existence of Countries ......................................... 200 Military .................................................................................. 201 Nature of War................................................................... 201 Military - Strong Army ...................................................... 204 Mentality of Winning ........................................................ 205 Military Strategies ........................................................... 206 Kingship ............................................................................... 207 Widow or Orphan? ......................................................... 207 Supportiveness of the Tao ............................................... 207 Chapter VIII Longevity and Immortality........................................................ Tapping the Gate of Longevity ............................................. Reasoning, Out................................................................ Distilling the Mental Clouds ............................................. Calling upon the Valley Spirit ........................................... Visioning Immortality ....................................................... Moving Along the Living Reality ........................................... Nature of Changing .......................................................... To Suffice Oneself with Presence.................................... Reversing the Process of Entropy................................... Reconnecting the Source of Longevity............................ From Longevity to Immortality ............................................. Walking through the Death .............................................. Open to Longevity ........................................................... Lasering into Immortality.................................................. You Choice Matters..........................................................
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209 210 210 211 212 213 214 214 215 217 219 221 221 222 223 224
Contents
Chapter IX Faithfulness.............................................................................. 225 Initiative Engagement of Faithfulness: Speech ................... 228 Nature of Speech ............................................................ 228 Character of Speech ....................................................... 230 Quality of Speech ............................................................ 232 Speechless Action .......................................................... 233 Trustworthiness .................................................................. 235 Establishing a Trusting Environment ............................... 235 Mechanism of Trust ......................................................... 235 Way of Trustworthiness ................................................... 236 Faithfulness ......................................................................... 237 God of our Spirit ............................................................... 237 Virtue of Faithfulness ....................................................... 237 Beyond the Transformation of Life................................... 239 Appendix I Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching ....................................................... 242 Appendix II Binary System and I Ching ................................................. 271 Universal Tao System Overview..................... Overview 1—35
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About the Aithors
About the Authors
Mantak Chia Master Mantak Chia Master Mantak Chia is the creator of the Universal Tao System and is the director of the Universal Tao Center and Tao Garden Health Resort and Training Center in the beautiful northern countryside of Thailand. Since childhood he has been studying the Taoist approach to life. His mastery of this ancient knowledge, enhanced by his study of other disciplines, has resulted in the development of the Universal Tao System which is now being taught throughout the world. - 10 -
About the Aithors
Mantak Chia was born in Thailand to Chinese parents in 1944. When he was six years old, Buddhist monks taught him how to sit and “still the mind.” While still a grammar school student, he learned traditional Thai boxing. He was then taught Tai Chi Chuan by Master Lu, who soon introduced him to Aikido, Yoga and broader levels of Tai Chi. Years later, when he was a student in Hong Kong excelling in track and field events, a senior classmate named Cheng Sue-Sue introduced him to his first esoteric teacher and Taoist Master, Master Yi Eng (I Yun). At this point, Master Chia began his studies of the Taoist way of life in earnest. He learned how to circulate energy through the Microcosmic Orbit and, through the practice of Fusion of the Five Elements, how to open the other Six Special Channels. As he studied Inner Alchemy further, he learned the Enlightenment of the Kan and Li, Sealing of the Five Senses, Congress of Heaven and Earth and Reunion of Heaven and Man. It was Master Yi Eng who authorized Master Chia to teach and heal. When Mantak Chia was in his early twenties he studied with Master Meugi in Singapore, who taught him Kundalini, Taoist Yoga and the Buddha Palm. He was soon able to clear blockages to the flow of energy within his own body. He learned to pass the life force energy through his hands also, so that he could heal Master Meugi’s patients. He then learned Chi Nei Tsang from Dr. Mui Yimwattana in Thailand. A while later, he studied with Master Cheng Yao-Lun who taught him the Shao-Lin Method of Internal Power. He learned the closely guarded secret of the organs, glands and bone marrow exercise known as Bone Marrow Nei Kung and the exercise known as Strengthening and Renewal of the Tendons. Master Cheng YaoLun’s system combined Thai boxing and Kung Fu. Master Chia also studied at this time with Master Pan Yu, whose system combined Taoist, Buddhist and Zen teachings. Master Pan Yu also taught him about the exchange of Yin and Yang power between men and women, and how to develop the Steel Body. To understand the mechanisms behind healing energy better, Master Chia studied Western anatomy and medical science for two years. While pursuing his studies, he managed the Gestetner Company, a manufacturer of office equipment and became well acquainted with the technology of offset printing and copying machines. - 11 -
About the Aithors
Using his knowledge of Taoism, combined with the other disciplines, Master Chia began teaching the Universal Tao System. He eventually trained other Instructors to communicate this knowledge and he established the Natural Healing Center in Thailand. Five years later, he decided to move to New York, where in 1979, he opened the Universal Tao Center. During his years in America, Master Chia continued his studies in the Wu system of Tai Chi with Edward Yee in New York. Since then, Master Chia has taught tens of thousands of students throughout the world. He has trained and certified over 1,200 instructors and practitioners from all over the world. Universal Tao Centers and Chi Nei Tsang Institutes have opened in many locations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 1994, Master Chia moved back to Thailand, where he had begun construction of Tao Garden, the Universal Tao Training Center in Chiang Mai. Master Chia is a warm, friendly and helpful man who views himself primarily as a teacher. He presents the Universal Tao System in a straightforward and practical manner, while always expanding his knowledge and approach to teaching. He uses a laptop computer for writing and is totally at ease with the latest computer technology. Master Chia estimates that it will take thirty-five books to convey the full Universal Tao System. In June, 1990, at a dinner in San Francisco, Master Chia was honored by the International Congress of Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong (Chi Kung), who named him the Qi gong Master of the Year. He is the first recipient of this annual award. In December, 2000, the Tao Garden Health Resort and Universal Tao Training Center was completed with two Meditation Halls, two open air Simple Chi Kung Pavilions, indoor Tai Chi, Tao Tao Yin and Chi Nei Tsang Hall, Tai Chi Natural Swimming Pool, Pakua Communications Center with a complete Taoist Library, Internal World Class Weight Lifting Hall and complete 8 Court Recreational Facilities. In February, 2002, the Immortal Tao practices will be held at Tao Garden for the first time using Dark Room technology, creating a complete environment for the higher level Taoist practices.
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About the Aithors
Master Mantak Chia has previously written and published these twenty-three Universal Tao books: Awaken Healing Energy of the Tao - 1983 Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy co-authored with Michael Winn - 1984. Taoist Ways to Transform Stress into Vitality -1985 Chi Self-Massage: the Tao of Rejuvenation - 1986 Iron Shirt Chi Kung I - 1986 Healing Love Through the Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy - 1986 Bone Marrow Nei Kung - 1989 Fusion of the Five Elements I - 1990 Chi Nei Tsang: Internal Organ Chi Massage - 1990 Awaken Healing Light of the Tao - 1993 The Inner Structure of Tai Chi co-authored with Juan Li 1996 Multi-Orgasmic Man co-authored with Douglas Abrams 1996 - published by Harper Collins Tao Yin - 1999 Chi Nei Tsang II - 2000 Multi-Orgasmic Couple co-authored with Douglas Abrams 2000 - published by Harper Collins Cosmic Healing I - 2001 Cosmic Healing II co-authored with Dirk Oellibrandt - 2001 Door of All Wonders co-authored with Tao Haung - 2001 Sexual Reflexology co-authored with W. U. Wei - 2002 Elixir Chi Kung - 2002 Many of the books above are available in the following foreign languages: Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Malaysian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, Spanish and Turkish editions are available from the Foreign Publishers listed in the Universal Tao Center Overview in the back of this book.
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About the Aithors
Tao Huang
Tao Huang was born and grew up in Dingxi (Settling West) County in Northwest China. Tao Huang was destined to be a healer or shaman according to the prophesy revealed in his family graveyard. In previous incarnations he was twice a Buddhist and spent two lives as a native Indian spiritual practitioner. He began chi kung practice during his teenage years, right after the Cultural Revolution, and healed his physical problems. While visiting the United States at the age of 24 on an exchange program, he found Taoism among other spiritual disciplines, such as Christianity and Buddhism. After returning to China a year later, he searched for a temple to begin his Taoist pursuits. But instead, on the winter solstice of 1988, he had his heart-sealed awakening through Lao Tzu to live and preach Taoism in the West. Later, he was ordained into the 26th lineage of the Dragon-Gate School, and received the teachings of talisman, Yellow Court, inner alchemy, and mystic practice. He came to the United States as an immigrant in 1990 to present the teachings of Laoism and practices of Taoism under the spiritual name, Valley Spirit. He is the author of Laoism, the Complete Teachings of Lao Zi. His biography was recently published (2000) in the Ways of Spirit. He is now a Taoist practitioner managing his Tao Healing Arts center in Lakewood, Ohio. He is currently working on the Taoist Trilogy, Jing, Qi and Shen, and the teachings of the eight spiritual meridians. He may be contacted by email:
[email protected] Telephone: (216) 521-9779 Mail: Tao’s Healing Art 14419 Detroit Ave. Lakewood, Ohio 44107 USA - 14 -
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments The Universal Tao Publications staff involved in the preparation and production of Door To All Wonders: Application of the Tao Te Ching extend our gratitude to the many generations of Taoist Masters who have passed on their special lineage, in the form of an unbroken oral transmission, over thousands of years. We thank Taoist Master I Yun (Yi Eng) for his openness in transmitting the formulas of Taoist Inner Alchemy. Thanks to Juan Li for the use of his beautiful and visionary drawings, illustrating Taoist esoteric practices. We offer our eternal gratitude to our parents and teachers for their many gifts to us. Remembering them brings joy and satisfaction to our continued efforts in presenting the Universal Tao System. For their gifts, we offer our eternal gratitude and love. As always, their contribution has been crucial in presenting the concepts and techniques of the Universal Tao. We wish to thank the thousands of unknown men and women of the Chinese healing arts who developed many of the methods and ideas presented in this book. We wish to thank Dennis Huntington for his editorial work and writing contributions, as well as his ideas for the cover. We appreciate his research and great labor. We wish to thank Colin Campbell for his editorial contributions on the revised edition of this book, as well as thanking our Senior Instructors, Rene J. Narvarro and Annette Derksen, for their insightful contributions to the revised version. We thank Joost Kuiterbrouwer for his suggestion on choosing the book title and numerous insights. We thank especially Marion Knabe for her many times of editing over the past three years before the draft reached Dennis’s hand. A special thanks goes to our Thai Production Team for their cover illustration and book design and layout: Raruen Keawpadung, Computer Graphics; Saysunee Yongyod, Photographer; Udon Jandee, Illustrator; and Saniem Chaisarn, Production Designer.
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Preface
Preface For over 2500 years, the five thousand pictographs/words of Tao Te Ching, the Scripture of Laoism and the Bible of Taoism, have been regarded as among the greatest treasures in the world. Li (plum), born around 640 B. C. with a personal name Er (ear), compiled the text in Midwest China. His legendary name, Lao Tzu— meaning the old philosopher or the ancient child—rose from his mother’s lips as she delivered him under a plum tree. His white hair gave him the countenance of an aged man, which elicited his mother’s cry of joy upon seeing him emerge into this world. During his lifetime he worked in the capital as a keeper of the Imperial Archives. This enabled him to reconstruct the paths of many enlightened sages and holy men who came before his time. After having meditated for three years inside a cave in Northwest China (now known as Lao Tzu’s Cave), he achieved his enlightenment. Before disappearing from the society, Lao Tzu wrote his farewell gift—Text—to a Tao-pursuer, who was a Passer (like a highway gatekeeper). Confucius gave him a name—Dragon—after the visit. The Text contains two sections. The first is Tao Ching (Ching meaning classic), and the second is entitled Te Ching. The word Tao in the literal sense means God, God’s creation, nature, universal essence and its manifestation, the Way of life and its practice. Te refers to action, virtue, morality, beauty, and gracious behavior. Many years after these writings came into existence, He Shanggong, The Man-On-The-Riverbank, who was believed to be the reincarnation of Lao Tzu, divided the Text into 81 chapters. Numbers have always figured prominently in Chinese philosophy and symbolism. Tao Ching has 37 chapters and Te Ching is composed of 44. To assess this numerically, we see that three and seven is ten, and four plus four equal eight; together they are eighteen, or double-nine, which when multiplied equal 81. Individually, three represents the multiplicity (seed), and four portrays the foundation (cross). Seven represents the masculine spirit (horse) and eight, the feminine spirit (sheep). Biologically, fetus growth takes thirty-seven weeks to complete; spiritually, the seed of Tao is contained in the thirty-seven chapters. Each spiritual being contains the copy of three, the dual souls of seven and eight, and the two deaths of four: one for flesh and the other for soul. The sacrifice of - 16 -
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double four (double-cross) for the nurturing and cultivation of spiritually reborn seed: the transformation of love and virtue into pureperson (the oneness between spirit-nine of pure soul and God’s nine of pure spirit).
Tao Te Ching translated into English. We are presenting Tao Huang’s English translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching for your reference in Appendix I after Chapter IX, the last chapter of commentary. Lao Tzu’s Text of Tao Te Ching receives a fresh translation from the original Chinese Text in Door to All Wonders. Avoiding accumulations that have accrued to the Standard Version over the centuries, Tao Huang (with the assistance of Professor Edward Brennan) translated the Text assembled from the Mawangdui texts. Huang commented, “Chinese archaeologists unearthed them in 1973. These are the oldest texts extant. There is a new edition on Guodian’s unearthed material (about 100 years or more before the MW texts), but there are missing words, phrases or chapters in so many places that it is impossible to rely on that edition faithfully. We respect the originality and simplicity of the Mawangdui Text. The Mawangdui Text and the Standard Version of the Text are mixed in our translation in a few places. We use the Standard Version only to fill in the blanks in cases where there are words or phrases missing in the Mawangdui texts.” Throughout its history, the Text has merged through a myriad of changes due to the translations of various commentators and translators. The process of word-interpretation, philosophical rationality and speculation defeat the mystical application and wisdom illumination. More ideal explanations and linguistic understanding shadow its innately meditative experience and spiritual insightfulness. Yet, regardless how philosophers rationalize, leaders manipulate, military strategists deploy, scholars garble, meditators chant and religious people worship, the Text remains virtuously untouched, unscathed by time. In viewing the variations found between the Mawangdui Texts (the oldest existing copy unearthed in 1973) and the original standard version, the problems are astonishingly and clearly evident. Throughout history, the philosophical Laoists have tended to standardize the Text as their own teaching by dismissing its practical application, central to its essential meaning. There are also many - 17 -
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that have changed their vision quest into the more religious practice of Buddhism. Together, they have declared the Text to be rife with abundant tricks and sophistries, bearing no more stance or justice. This sullied reputation arises from justifying the criticism of the believers’ misleading attitude. These mental configurations of the Text can be observed in various Chinese titles such as LaoTzu, The book of Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Te Tao Ching or The book of Lao-Tzu Tao Te Ching. Equally, the translators have run a similar course. The examples of English versions, though relatively new, are derived from Chinese and other sources as well. The first English title is The Speculations on Metaphysics, Policy and Morality of the “The Old Philosopher,” Lao Tzu – translated by John Chalmers in 1868 from French to English – put “the thought of Lao Tzu into a readable English dress.” However, he did not realize that his work would become the model of the practice of copying, just as Lao Tzu himself expands into all sorts of Laoism/ists/schools. His Text reaches a more descriptive scale than the historical Chinese commentators could hope to achieve. Some of the copies are: Taoist texts, ethical, political and speculative (Frederick Henry Balfour, 1884), The Remains of Lao Tzu (Herbert A. Giles, 1886), Tao-Teh King (James Legge, 1891), Lao-Tsze=s Tao-Te-king, (Paul Carus, 1896, the first American version and revised in 1913 as The Canon of Reason and Virtue), The Light of China (Heysinger, 1903), The Sayings of Lao Tzu (Lionel Giles, 1904), The teachings of the Old Boy (T. MacInnes, 1927), The Way and Its power (Arther Waley, 1934), The way of acceptance (Herman Ould, 1946), The Wisdom of Lao Tzu (Lin Yutang, 1948), The Tao, the Sacred Way (Tolbert McCarroll, 1982), The Way of the Ways (Henrrymon Maurer, 1982), The essential Tao ( Thomas Cleary, 1991), and The Tao of the Tao Te Ching (Michael LaFargue, 1992), Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching ( Ursula K. Le Guin, 1997), The Living Tao (Stephen F. Kaufman, 1998). The above list is just a small sampling of the existing copies found in English. Unpredictable numbers of new copies will flourish in the future. To go beyond this fruitful result, the English readers must endeavor to connect to Lao Tzu’s original mind, not others’ mindless minding of Lao Tzu. They desperately need the energetic vibration generated through Lao Tzu, not the linguistic interpretation. They need a direct spiritual sensation passed down by Lao Tzu. It is to this societal need that we are destined to - 18 -
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restore the original image of the text. We wish to capture the original state of Lao Tzu’s simultaneously mindful conscious flow, and to sense the vibration of the wordless uttering sound of Tao: the voice of our own truly naked sexless being.
Essence Trans-Illuminated Regarding his relationship to Lao Tzu, Tao Huang states that he has a direct connection to the the “Old Master,” Lao Tzu himself! “The transmission of Lao Tzu took place on the Winter Solstice in1988. He came to me through meditation, and I wrote automatically what my life should be in the West. It was the beginning of the heart-sealed teaching of my life, or direct spiritual initiation.” In terms of writing ‘The Door,’ Master Huang explains, “I have carefully divided eighty-one chapters into nine. In each chapter for this book, I have selected all the words and phrases in the Tao Te Ching related to the main topic for the chapter. For example, in Chapter One, there are 32 chapters in the Tao Te Ching represented that mentioned or stressed the word Tao. This book is so important in many ways. Firstly, it is the first in English history that has the integration of meditation, interpretation and illustration together. Secondly, there is no Chinese commentary to do so. Thirdly, we have rearranged the chapter division to present the true meaning of the integration of heavenly power and human power in the mystic field within us. “The essence of this project is more experiential than conceptual in nature, even though it is laced with all sorts of Taoist concepts. Taoism is all about experience: words are the final elixir, or the representations of that elixir, being crystallized. They are like DNA in a living flesh.” The Door to All Wonders is neither a translation nor a transliteration of Tao Te Ching. Even though Lao Tzu’s words can be translated, certain Chinese words cannot. English has no equivalent words for Tao or Chi; nor does Chinese have its equivalence for English words such as mind or God. Even though His teaching has been passed down through literary form, the essence could not be transliterated. It has to be transmitted through faithful devotion and trans-illuminated through heart awakening. Faith opens the door to the wisdom mind, allowing the power of teaching to be illuminated within the golden chamber of the heart. - 19 -
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We, as ethnic Chinese, have witnessed how the original text of Tao Te Ching has become proliferated through personal or literary censorship. Equally, as we are destined to present the teachings of the Tao in the West, we are also Westernized, capable of navigating between Chinese and English like a universal citizen. Yet, words serve best for the purpose of conveying the meanings of insightful or enlightened life experience—just like our vessels glorify the power of God through their destined journeys. To this end, we have digested all the words in His teaching, knowing how they should be registered in the mind and echoed in the heart. By the time we reach the point that we can neither translate the power of the Tao nor demonstrate its virtuous action through words, we are trapped in a dead-end, lost in the wilderness as the words are blown off life’s footprints by the cosmic wind. The light comes from above, opening our hearts; the wills are charged, demonstrating the quality of teaching. The universal power transcends the cultural characters as the teachings are relived through the sacred vessels locked within the heavenly numbers. The marriage of Tao and Te are completed. The two-volume text integrates our body and mind, as its eightyone chapters seal our nine bodily holes with their shining words pouring through our channeling fingertips. We italicize them as our conscious expression marches through topics of all subjects. The thirty-seven chapters of the Tao become the first five chapters in our presentation: the five elements in Chinese mind or the five chambers in the mystic apple. The forty-four chapters of Te (the original double-cross) become the living cross we each carry under the universal chariot or within the completion of ten symbolized in Chinese.
Note on Transliteration There are different systems for transliterating Chinese words into English. For this book, we have opted to retain the spelling of selected words to remain consistent with the standard used in Master Chia’s previous books (based on the Wade-Giles system). We are using the spelling Tao, Lao Tzu, Chi and Ching. In the Pinyin system, these words would be spelled Dao, Lao Zi, Qi and Jing. Other Chinese words may appear as spelled in the Pinyin system.
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Cosmic Bridge The title, Door to All Wonders, comes straight from the last sentence—actually, the last phrase of the first chapter of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. First of all, the door is an eye opening and a conscious connection with the wonders of the universe, or God’s creation. The ‘Door’ functions as a middle point between the internal world and the external world, between the information within and without—or between those who have been initiated, ordained, or baptized and who have the gifts of God but have not established a cosmic bridge within themselves. To the Taoists, the bridge is the North Star, the Big Dipper, the violet color and golden elixir. We do not train people in the other six hues of the rainbow colors, but only focus on the last one, the violet color that makes Taoism so special, so lonesome, and so wonderful. We have no time for pre-elementary school, nor middle or high school or college. We only take the post-graduate course. This is because in the Taoist belief, each one of the seven rainbow colors takes one lifetime to complete, if you are lucky enough. That is why it must take seven lifetime practices in order to produce a Zhen Ren, Pure Person—or White Horse in Christianity. Therefore, the door becomes a necessary vehicle for people’s communication on both sides—such as the teachers, who are always inside the door, and the students, if not initiated, who are wondering (or wandering) outside the door. In order to open the door, the readiness of heart and completion of purification must take place first. Otherwise, the heart-sealed teachings between teacher and student cannot begin. Ultimately, the door refers to a specific realm of consciousness of God, a line connecting two sides, or a flowing river covering both sides of the riverbed. Shoel is the word in the Bible. Taking another example, Shakespeare’s plays are doors, which are carried out either by readers and writers, or between stage players and audience. This is the precise functioning of a door, a cosmic vehicle connecting heart and mind, Xing and Ming, soul and spirit. What, then, we have presented you now is our transmission, as Lao Tzu’s words are italicized as stone-carved letters in the depth of our conscious flow. You cannot read Lao Tzu here; He has died into our hearts. You cannot objectify his teachings from - 21 -
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our transmitted teachings; his words are now our words. What transmission you will receive depends on how your heart is driven by your faith. As you go through the book, read the words as listening to a storyteller, hearing your inner conscious dialogue, and talking back and forth dreamingly between your true self and God. Now move on, cast your eyes upon your hungry souls; the messages in the teaching will shine upon you. By presenting the four techniques in Chapter III—“emptying the mind, vitalizing the stomach, softening the will, and strengthening the character”—we hope to justify the societal need as we see it. “Emptying the mind” requires a complete realization of self and society before the mind can become tranquil and return to its infantile stage. Only when the mind is empty will the body be fat with love and the spirit be able to present itself. “Vitalizing the stomach” is filling the stomach with purified Chi. “Softening the will” discusses the process of fully accepting the body/mind and world by diminishing the ego anticipation: the will of self-deception/punishment. And finally, “strengthening the character” is standing up with one’s authentic character—the true self—and allowing the body to be dusty and the mind shining. To achieve this is the answer to the Door to All Wonders: why Tao is always present, the Text always alive and Lao Tzu always smiling like a child. It is the key to the Door of All Wonders—open to those who wish to step into the mystery of life and beyond.
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Words of Caution
Words of Caution The practices described in this book have been used successfully for thousands of years by Taoists trained by personal instruction. Readers should not undertake the practice without receiving personal transmission and training from a certified instructor of the Universal Tao, since certain of these practices, if done improperly, may cause injury or result in health problems. This book is intended to supplement individual training by the Universal Tao and to serve as a reference guide for these practices. Anyone who undertakes these practices on the basis of this book alone, does so entirely at his or her own risk. The meditations, practices and techniques described herein are not intended to be used as an alternative or substitute for professional medical treatment and care. If any readers are suffering from illnesses based on mental or emotional disorders, an appropriate professional health care practitioner or therapist should be consulted. Such problems should be corrected before you start training. Neither the Universal Tao nor its staff and instructors can be responsible for the consequences of any practice or misuse of the information contained in this book. If the reader undertakes any exercise without strictly following the instructions, notes and warnings, the responsibility must lie solely with the reader. This book does not attempt to give any medical diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or remedial recommendation in relation to any human disease, ailment, suffering or physical condition whatsoever.
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Editor’s Introduction
Editor’s Introduction Taoist Bone By Dennis Huntington
Taoist Collaboration The following chapters are the result of the collaborative efforts of two distinct Taoists. They have different backgrounds in their lives and different orientations, as they see it, in their practices of the Tao. Master Chia is like an older brother in some ways, a more experienced teacher of the Tao in Western cultures. He teaches an ascending range of practices designed to culminate in the Wu Chi, spiritual immortality and physical/spiritual immortality. However, at this point he is most famous for teaching people Taoist fundamentals for health and inner peace—which include understanding, cultivating and gaining mastery of their sexual energy. The younger Taoist, Tao Huang, commented to me: “Master Chia has devoted his entire life to the teaching of the Tao, and it is in him that I see the hope and joy of devoting my life as fully as possible into the practice and teaching of the Tao. … Sexuality is the base of everything, but mystic insight is the seed. This is the ultimate yin and yang, the harmony of body and mind. This is perhaps the most help Master Chia did on my behalf: He made me like Jung with his Freudian approach. … I know it is difficult for you, but that is the nature of life. It is even more difficult for Master Chia this time, because we simply view and walk the Tao differently. In our Taoist tradition, we are all in agreement on the oneness of Tao, the power of Virtue, the duality of Ming and Xing, the trinity of Ching, Chi and Shen, and the pentagram of all the fives we have—and for that matter, that the universe also has. How to walk the momentary individual path among these agreements is the path of understanding, love and mutual acceptance. That is all we have, and that is the will of blood we have all inherited as long as we call ourselves Taoists.” - 24 -
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You will find Tao Huang’s commentary on immortality, based on Lao Tzu’s references to it in the Tao Te Ching. Lao Tzu is one of thousands of immortals known in Taoist lore. There are eight famous immortals, referred to simply as the Eight Immortals. Each of them is unique in his or her background, style of life and in their practices for approaching the Tao. Yet, they all share a commonality of experience as they evolved into the oneness of the eternal, immortal, universal void of the all-encompassing Tao. While Master Chia and Huang may have attained different realms of expertise in their approach to the Tao, their ultimate destination is the same. We are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of their combined offerings. I have elicited responses from Master Chia. His responses echo—in a sense of yin/yang polarity—the sentiments expressed above about viewing and walking the Tao differently. His general characterization of Master Tao Huang’s practices might be represented by his comment to me one morning. Regarding their acquaintanceship, which began in 1995, he said: “It seems like he’s always telling me about some experience he had in a dream the night before.” This comment is consistent with the impression offered in the introduction to Tao Huang’s biography that was published in the Ways of Spirit by Dandelion Books in 2000. To wit: “Tao has shared with me how he works closely with his dreams to inform his daily reality. In fact, he knows ahead of time when I am going to call him, telling me he dreamed it the night before.” These characterizations no doubt reflect Huang’s introspective efforts in his quest for emotional/psychological liberation, his practices akin to dream yoga, and his ‘neidan’ meditation practices. Whereas, Master Chia’s focus in his teaching is all about energy: Sense the Ching and Chi. Cultivate this life force energy; conserve it and refine it into Shen. Use the Shen to enter the Wu Chi, to return to Tao, and to attain immortality. His focus is on practical cultivation: “You do it; you get it!” Door to All Wonders contains some descriptions of, and references to, Taoist practices. Huang has laid the foundation of the text with his commentary and practical information related to Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Master Chia provides complementary perspectives and practices refined from his extensive experience of teaching people from all over the world. The thrust of the book is directed to the practical significance and ramifications of cultivat- 25 -
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ing the Tao and Te—regardless of the exercises one may employ for training. The mindfulness of Tao and Te in our lives and in our cultivation practices streamlines the effectiveness of all that we are and all that we do.
Reference Base of Chinese Mystical Culture Biographical/Cultural Resources It became clear that I had to do some homework/research after my first reading of Tao Huang’s manuscript. In the biographical sketch we read: “… destined to be a healer or shaman—the prophesy revealed in his family graveyard … previous incarnations—twice a Buddhist, two lives as a Native American Indian spiritual practitioner … chi kung practice—healed his physical problems … heartsealed awakening through Lao Tzu … 26th lineage of the DragonGate School … spiritual name Valley Spirit.” Though interesting, these are not typical references that one would anticipate in a typical biography in a Western cultural setting—not, if you were a company personnel manager screening a candidate for a job! Likewise, if you were someone not familiar with the arts, sciences, and mythology of Chinese mystical culture, you might raise your eyebrows. I garnered further clarification and elaboration to render these biographical statements more natural and reasonable for the reader to entertain. In addition, research in the form of reading other source books supports most of his personal statements as being highly credible. Further elaboration of Tao Huang’s biographical/cultural resources that inform his writing is provided in the following paragraphs.
Cultural Orientation “Chinese mystic culture was rooted in Taoism, a combination of everything from sky above to earth below, and all things in the middle. The details can be found in the text. Taoism provided me a groundbreaking thinking path—while Western culture opens the landscape of norms for my liberal thinking, especially the Christ path of love. I am still experiencing it day after day.”
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Prophecy in his Family Graveyard—Destined to be a Healer or Shaman “According to Chinese geomancy, or feng-shui, the graveyard where a person was buried will influence the upcoming four generations. When the graveyard of the grandfather of Chiang Kai Shek (the founder of the nationalist party that is now based in Taiwan) was chosen, the best feng-shui master in that province predicted that on the third generation there would be an emperor. “Feng-shui is one of the Taoist’s four practices—weidan, neidan, fangzhong, and fangshi—and feng-shui is part of the fourth branch. Feng-shui has two branches, yang and yin. The yang branch deals with the living structure for those who are alive, while yin branch deals directly with the graveyard, dust to dust, and ashes to ashes.” This is the context in which Tao’s personal prophecy was revealed.
Previous Incarnations “My past life came through meditation—twice a Buddhist, two lives as a Native American Indian spiritual practitioner. During meditation for the last twenty years, some of the information dealt with past life experiences, such as incarnations as a Buddhist and as a Native American Indian. I have even met my former wives while taking the flesh as a Native American healer. Those are part of the past ways that have led me into the violet color Taoist practice.”
Chi Kung Practice—Healed his Physical Problems “Due to my very poor health, at age 19, I began to practice Chi Kung in my hometown. At first I taught myself by using one of the early copies of the book, Chi Gong, which had been published in China in the 1930’s. I found this book in the college library as I searched desperately for a way to heal myself. A sentence that struck me deeply was, ‘If you can utilize the Chi from earth and heaven, then you can have babies, regrow teeth, and change white hair back to black.’ This was the beginning of my attraction to Chi Kung, a practice that has remained in my life despite many ordeals, and the trials that come with the devotion given to one’s search for the meaning of life. “During my high school years, I had suffered from chronic indigestion, rheumatoid arthritis, and insomnia. My hair had turned two-
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thirds white while I was still nineteen years old. I began Chi Kung practice with one of Liu Yi-Ming’s students (Thomas Cleary has translated several of Liu’s books). Within three years of practicing Chi Kung, my hair had returned to black. Every morning I did a 30 minute standing meditation with my index and middle fingers stretched out before me, while quietly counting my in and out breaths. After only a few weeks of this, my insomnia disappeared and I began to enjoy sound sleep once again. In the third year of daily practice, my arthritis disappeared. When the healing Chi began to seep through my fingers and bones, it seemed almost more than I could bear. As it grew, the healing lifestream permeated my entire being. “With Chi Kung as an inner practice, little oxygen is consumed, while the absorptive capacity of the lungs rises significantly. This is not the case when engaging in extreme physical exertion, especially if competition is involved. It is rough on the lungs as well as the heart, and can be damaging to one’s overall health. Therefore, I gave up my practice of daily running, which left me feeling exhausted. Chi Kung always left me refreshed and regenerated. “In 1986, at age 24 (in my birth year of the Tiger), I had the privilege of coming to America as an exchange teacher. During that school term, I was invited to teach the Chinese language, as well as Chi Kung at a high school in Cleveland. This was a decisive year that changed my entire life personally, culturally, and spiritually. Personally, it awakened me to the path for my life’s journey— one that would prove to be lonely, but alternately rewarding. Culturally, I knew that my traditional culture offered something not only for myself, but also for the entire world. It encompassed the essence of Chinese medicine and Taoist Inner Alchemy. Spiritually, I had chosen Taoism over Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity.”
Heart-Sealed awakening through Lao Tzu “At 3:00 a.m. on the Winter Solstice, 1988, I awoke feeling stuffed, even though I had not consumed more food than usual. I lit an incense stick and began to meditate. Very soon, I experienced the spontaneous movements of all kinds of martial arts forms throughout my body (I later discovered this to be connected to past lives as a Buddhist monk and a soldier). I then felt a strong, cold energy pervading my fingers and toes, and heard a bubbling sound coming from my fingers. - 28 -
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“Afterwards, I lit a second incense stick. A strong feeling urged me to write to my girlfriend (who is now my wife). I was in a Chi Gong state through which I experienced automatic writing. The words that came through me were not my own thoughts, nor were they in my own handwriting. By the time ‘I’ signed it, to my amazement and disbelief, the signature turned out to be Lao Tzu’s spiritual name, ‘Supreme Master Lao Jun,’ or Tai-Shang-Lao-Jun in Chinese. I then felt a huge shaft of black energy rush out of my body and into the sky. “I felt overjoyed after going through so many disappointments— as I had received the Tao and was sealed internally with the power of the inner alchemy tradition. Later on I learned that this kind of experience is the norm in Taoist tradition. It is a method of singlelineage transmission of teaching from master to student. I was, from that day forward, surrounded by thousands of years of Taoist tradition, and connected to the sacred teachings through the power of Lao Tzu. “I had previously misunderstood the workings of the Tao. The sacred teaching of Taoism has never been lost; instead, it has been passed on only to chosen disciples when the time is right. I am pleased to be one of them, and grateful to bring this tradition into the West. Lao Tzu provided a second motivation for me to live in the West, and to become an American. “I was very happy, and felt very fortunate that I was able to have Lao Tzu as my Spiritual Master. This became the foundation for me to become a true Taoist. I could now practice Taoism not simply from personal beliefs, but from personal connection to and embracement with a real Master. “The heart-sealed teaching is the essential method in neidan practice. Just like a married couple, each is barren, having only half of the complete heart. When the teacher’s heart and student’s heart become one, or two souls become one pure spirit, the teachings are given and taken in their own way. This has been characterized by the eighth hexagram in I Ching, where two heads are cut off—only the two half-hearts merge into oneness. Essentially it is about two nines, one for our spirit/soul, and the other the cosmic/God consciousness. The oneness is the combination of white of seed/God consciousness and yellow court/sprout of spirit self. [More discussion on I Ching hexagrams is presented in another section herein.] - 29 -
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“Also, when the two hearts reach oneness, you cannot tell which is which. This is the most difficult situation for me to explain: which part of the exercises are inherently Lao Tzu’s and which parts are my own understanding or reflection upon his teachings—or revelation.” Editor’s Note: For additional commentary on this spiritual noumenon, there is an English translation, The Jade Emperor’s Mind Seal Classic.1 The Chinese characters for heart and mind are the same. Hence, this English translation of the Chinese text of the Taoist classic on the subject has used the word ‘mind,’ rather than heart, in contrast to Tao Huang’s choice of terms. Significance of Winter Solstice: “In Taoist tradition, we have four big times within a year, Winter/Summer Solstice and Spring/ Fall Equinox. The same way for each day, 11:00pm/am to 1:00 am/pm and 5:00am/pm to 7:00am/pm. These are the four corners of the year and of the day. The energy is much stronger than at other times. These times are when either the yang or yin Chi begins, or the yang and yin reach a balance.”
26th Lineage of the Dragon Gate School “Dragon Gate is a continuation of historical neidan practice, which emphasizes the Taoist trinity of Ching, Chi and Shen. It is also the unification of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. What I received was the path of heart and relocation from family name into spiritual name—from Zhi of intelligence to Chung of worship, the twentysixth character of Master Chou’s poetic verse.” Lineage Names: “Chung means honor or respect the mountain. In Taoist tradition, each religious or spiritual founder has written a poem, the first word of the poem belongs to the first generation of that lineage or disciples, and on and on. Chung is the 26th word written by Master Chou Chuji, the founder of the Dragon Gate lineage. Also, four years from now, Lao Tzu would celebrate his 2600th year birthday; he was born on the 15th of February in the Chinese calendar.” Personal Name: “Tao is the name given to me by my father, which is different from the word Dao. My personal name means the rising part of the wave in the sea. I like that name; even though it is different from the word Dao, in English I can mix it up. Huang is my family name. In Taoist tradition, we do not change family name, we only change from generational name into spiritual name, and - 30 -
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we also have the authority to give ourselves a spirit-name, besides a spiritual lineage name.” Spirit Name: “Valley Spirit, came to me after reading and meditating on the Tao Te Ching for many years. In Chinese it is called gu-xuan-zi: gu for grain or valley appeared in Chapter 6 of Tao Te Ching; and xuan, the mystic purple or violet, is the basic color of Taoism, which appears in many parts of the Tao Te Ching text. Zi is for seed or son. Valley is the nature of yin of the great mother; spirit is the son of God and oneness of spirit—together, it is the harmony of the Tao. I had the revelation when I was twenty years old when I read Lao Tzu in chapters 6 and 8. Valley is also referred to as grain.” Dragon Gate Initiation: “In 1992, upon my return visit from America, I revisited the Chincheng Monastery and received my initiation as a Taoist from the senior monk, Jiang Xingpin. He changed my family generation name into a religious generation name. My name was changed from Zhi to Chung, which means ‘exalt and worship.’ I now belong to the 26th generation of the Dragon Gate School of Taoism. The founder of the Dragon Gate School, Chou Chuji, or the Eternal Spring Pure Person, recognized and unified in his time the essence of the three teachings of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. If he could have had the opportunity to learn and experience the western teachings of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, I believe the Dragon Gate School would have become more universal and cross-cultural. This is the future development or evolution of human religious practice on earth. “There was a deep significance in this new name for me. From that moment on, I no longer belonged to my biological family. I was now a member of a spiritual family with a lineage of spiritual ancestors in the Tao. The name Zhi belongs to the entire male line of my generation and was written in my family tree book, which had been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. After the Revolution, the family generation name was discontinued. “All the initiates in the Dragon Gate School carry the same spiritual generational name. I was overjoyed and deeply grateful for the new identity that had been bestowed upon me. I felt reborn. Only gradually did I become aware of the deep implications it held for me. I had to make a choice between a social career and the pursuit of my spiritual vocation as a Taoist practitioner.”
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Editor’s Introduction
Master Chia’s Lineage, Longevity and Immortality Master Chia has accumulated different aspects of Taoist practices from a variety of teachers—and continues to actively gather useful knowledge from a variety of sources. He has integrated his experience and knowledge into the Universal Tao System of interrelated practices. However, his main spiritual teacher was Yi Eng. During my course of training for instructor certification, Master Chia talked about how he came to receive his spiritual transmission from his 90-year-old master (also known as White Cloud) in Hong Kong. He met with him for about twenty days almost daily for instruction and discussion until White Cloud determined that the time was right. He then transmitted spiritual energy to young Mantak Chia to awaken his consciousness and helped him to circulate Chi in his Microcosmic Orbit. He subsequently taught him the range of practices needed to open all the channels in his body. They maintained regular contact with close personal guidance until White Cloud had also conveyed those practices needed in order to achieve the inner alchemical transformations necessary for spiritual mastery, as well. Finally, he authorized young Chia to teach, and he counseled him to teach Westerners. What is immortality? Master Chia explained to us that immortality is the ultimate goal of Taoist practices, but that it is a big leap from the normal development in everyday society. What is more, it takes many years of conscious cultivation to achieve the full scope of physical/spiritual immortality. However, anyone can improve their everyday life in a practical sense by learning the basic practices. Just believing and having faith in spiritual/immortal reality is useful for focusing one’s commitments, but that alone does not get the job done. If people choose, they can also cultivate their experience to the higher levels of spiritual attainment—but first things first. What is important is to be present in this life, learn to transform stress into vitality and develop compassion through love. Then recycle that special quality of energy to keep the body healthy and in harmony with mind and spirit—and learn to cultivate true nature as spirit. Then you are open to develop possibilities beyond the cycles of life and death. Taoists value health and longevity for their benefits for enabling a better quality of life. In addition, they are valued because they provide the strength and time necessary for sustaining the prolonged effort necessary to achieve spiritual immortality. Due to vari- 32 -
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ables in individual circumstances, there is not just one time frame for everybody; so it is better to have more time available if it should be needed. Does longevity make one a sage or immortal? Such questions naturally arise from time to time. Master Chia has responded to such a question like this: “White Cloud told me his teacher, my Grand Master in China, was very old, more than 100, but I don’t know exactly. He had gone to a cave in the high mountains for prolonged meditation involving out-of-body travel in the higher planes and returning to the source. For that kind of practice, Grand Master had put wax in his nose and other orifices to keep out insects and dust. White Cloud had to make sure that the body was not eaten while his teacher’s spirit was away traveling to source. There are many stories like this where a faithful disciple or other attendant looks after an advanced meditator’s body. “Certainly if a person lives to be very old and has seriously applied themself in cultivating and transforming energy into spirit, it is very likely that they could become a sage. It depends on their level of practice. The same applies for immortality. If they haven’t finished transforming their energy, they could become a partial spiritual immortal or partial physical/spiritual immortal.” So what is immortality—does it mean keeping the same body forever? Not really. Or, is it awareness of your spirit in different incarnations? No. Though meditators often report an awareness of past lives in their meditation experience—and this may be useful and interesting—it is not what is meant as the attaining of immortality. One’s soul spirit has not been liberated when it is being cycled through various incarnations. it is still in need of purification until it achieves the evolved state of spiritual liberation. On different occasions, Master Chia has discussed the difference between spiritual and physical/spiritual immortality. It depends on the degree of practice one has mastered. The distinction is easy to grasp. For spiritual immortality, one has achieved the ability to withdraw one’s purified spirit energy from the body and traverse the inner regions independently—and merge in oneness with the eternal source, called Tao or Wu Chi or God, etc. In this state, the liberated spirit can manifest on the inner planes, but the physical body has returned to dust, and the spirit cannot return in the physical form. Whereas, one who has attained physical/spiritual immortality has been able to complete the more tedious and time consuming - 33 -
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process of transforming all of one’s physical, soul and spirit energy into the spirit body during the time of life in the physical body. Thus, gaining all the powers of spiritual liberation, plus the ability to manifest at will in the physical form. In other words, in the achieved state of physical/spiritual immortality, one has mastered the ability to dematerialize and rematerialize the human body.
Education and Body Wisdom “Back in America, I found myself avidly studying to integrate spiritual information and practices while desperately struggling with certain mindsets. Taoists have always questioned formal structures of authority and hierarchy. Perhaps because of my quite fierce Tiger character, I decided to discontinue my graduate work at the California Institute for Integral Studies. More and more I was sensing a clash between my spiritual awakening and the formal academic structure. They are two strange worlds of their own: one is original and authentic, and the other is corrupted and egoistic. “Through my break with academia, I regained a sense of freedom that made me feel spacious and joyful. It was as though I could breathe freely again and discover my creative spontaneity. I regained my ability to listen to my heart and what I felt in my gut. I began to reconnect with my sensory awareness, and was grateful to become aware of the life current in my body and in the universe surrounding me. I gradually learned to integrate my gut with my heart and mind. “In Chinese, the characters for heart and mind are the same, which reminds me of something I read in Carl Jung’s autobiography. When he visited Arizona in the 1920’s, Jung met an old Indian man whose name was Blue Lake. When Jung asked him what he thought of white people, Blue Lake said he felt they were all quite mad. When Jung asked him why, Blue Lake said it seemed that they were always agitated—incessantly running after things—and that they could think only with their heads. “Jung then asked him where he formulated his own thoughts. Blue Lake did not speak, but pointed to his heart. Jung went on to say that for the first time in his life, he had met someone who spoke the truth about Western culture. “My decision to end my graduate program at the California Institute of Integral Studies was closely related to the need to free myself from the conventional expectations that I had internalized in - 34 -
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the course of my life. My family generation name, Zhi, reflected the Confucian dream which parents held for centuries, perceiving success in terms of fortune, career and profession. The first obligation of a son was to contribute to the fortune and wealth of his family. That was the primary way to honor his lineage. The Taoist view radically challenges the Confucian family culture. It is a way of cosmic individualism, since the lineage is restored through spiritual ancestry to the primordial spirit of our beginning through the creator of our individual spirits—but not biologically, due to further corruption. “The new Taoist name reflected an entirely new perspective. The emphasis is to honor the spirit and rise beyond the ego and the boundaries of narrow self-interest that are so encrusted in the Confucian family ethos and in Chinese society at large. Although the long period of Communist rule had made inroads into our culture—in the unconscious of the people and the basic values of the country—Confucianism remained intact and was even reactivated. It served to consolidate the power of the Communist Party, effecting the domestication and subservience of the people to its authoritarian command structure. In contrast, the Taoist idea is to honor not the spirits of family lineage and the power of personal authority but to embrace the mountain power of the earth mother, where its power of stillness and spring interact to give birth to all things and welcomes them home after being lost or after death. “It is not surprising that the Taoists have been feared, threatened and persecuted—as they question all attitudes viewed as contrary to nature. Likewise, they question attitudes contrary to that which spontaneously arises in humans, that which is in alignment with the universe. In this context, we can observe that in the fine arts (such as painting), and in martial arts practice, movement as a skill and a technique has been systematically expressed in formal disciplines of teaching and learning. As a result, it tends to destroy the creative, spontaneous impulse in the learning process. “The Taoists’ emphasis has been on creating an open energy space for the cultivation of a natural, spontaneous energy flow as the intuitive awakening and manifestation of that which is intrinsic in the wisdom of the body. Hence, we may observe that in Confucianism, as well as in mainstream modern education, there is a form of domestication of self-reliance, and of multiple originalities of the expression of self. The cultivation of truthful intention, and of - 35 -
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inner emotions such as compassion, love, caring, generosity, and service are ignored and repressed. This results in stunting the personal growth and generating an all-pervasive neurosis and stress, as the body protests and seeks to be acknowledged and honored in its true being. “In the Taoist vision of the learning process, the body memory— through which the universe and nature express themselves, and through which we are connected with our biological and spiritual ancestors—is the seat of intuitive awareness and of the mind as consciousness. In this view, the mind consciously mirrors the body. We carry within our body the entire process of the evolution of humankind and its interconnection with the universe and with nature. In its natural state, our body is in resonance with the universe and nature through the very crystalline structure of its bones, its vaults, the feet, the pelvis, the chest, the palate and the cranium, as well as through its glands and organs.”
Taoist Bone: Spiritual Will
Taoist Story Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching and the Door to All Wonders are about how to cultivate Tao in our life with Te in order to achieve spiritual immortality. By the final stage, one must have attained a clear and unwavering state of spiritual will in order to be successful. In the original manuscript that I received, a ‘story’ appeared near the beginning of the first chapter in the section entitled Communicable Tao. In hindsight, I would now characterize it as a symbolic representation—an allegorical presentation—of a concise summary of the essential concepts (an abstract) of Door to All Wonders. However, my first few attempts at reading this arcane parable and other statements and passages in the manuscript left me feeling exasperated and frustrated because there was not sufficient supporting information. Consequently, I had to try to guess the meanings intended. As it turns out, Huang told me after I queried him, “The story is the result of my twenty-years searching, as we all do in each and every stage of life’s journey. Naming is the power of man, after being capable of ejaculating a spirit inside the - 36 -
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womb.” In this section, we will share some of the interesting background information that he has given me—plus, more snapshots of experience from the lives of both authors. I moved the ‘story’ into this Introduction, at the end of this Taoist Bone section—to be close to the discussion and background related to it. In our communications, I referred to it as the story of the JustBorn-Baby and Just-Deceased-Old Man. Like myself, many Western Taoist practitioners and readers do not have a meaningful sense of the “Chinese experieance’--a different cultural reference and way of thinking. Nor is one likely to be acquainted with other factors in Tao Huang’s personal life experience.
Inventing the Story In response to my queries, Tao replied, “That parable story, JustBorn-Baby and Just-Deceased-Old Man, is about spiritual will. The related Chinese character would be Taoist Bone. The nature of Taoist Bone is about our inherited gift from God, through the manifestation of body and mind. The only way to open this bone is the enlightenment upon death. The bone, by the way, contains all the genetic information of the body and mind. “Therefore, it is this Taoist bone coming again and again in the flesh form, which is announced by the birthing blood and the battling blood. Are we not battling with each and every breath for this blooded bone—whether our name, a conscious concept, or the cosmic mapping? Therefore, the battle of our life is the battle between blood and bone. We see the woman’s blood either after the moon or after giving birth. Likewise, we see the blood in the man’s battle or in the man’s consciousness—we see the cosmic dance between love and seeing*, between voice and word, and between country and flag. “It is such: my spirit-channeling story is as strong as a country or lineage, and is as strong as a woman’s identification with her blood. It is to this bloodline that spirit is aligned and God consciousness is mapped. “After spending twenty years of searching the love within my body and the will granted by God—called nature’s supply in Chinese or gift from God in English—I cannot find anything that is valuable inside related to a country’s territory or man’s words. God is nameless and Tao is nameless.
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“A couple of days ago when I turned on NPR [National Public Radio], a female reporter was speaking on the radio from Chechnya, in western Russia, saying that she could not understand why the majority of women were pregnant there. That phenomenon is how the dead soldiers are being reincarnated into flesh again. That is the bloodline between man’s battleground and women’s body. The blood never gets dried up, but circulates from flesh to flesh, love to love and spirit to spirit. “What are we doing in Taoist tradition? We carry on the will of blood. It is the same with every career and profession and makes no difference in the matter of race or culture or nation—or even time for that matter. We are the blood flowing animals and we carry the will of the Cross or Tao and Te on our shoulders and through our feet. “If not because of this blood, where are the passion and fire and stream of flow in life? If not because of the will, what is our connection to the inner and outer world, between ourselves and universe?” *Editor’s Note: The above word, ‘seeing’— in the context of “in the man’s consciousness, we see the cosmic dance between love and seeing”—carries a significant heightened sense of experience. In the mental process and experience of people that share a visual-image-based written language system, such as Chinese and Japanese, there is a consciousness phase that is different from sound based writing systems. There is a visual mental process that is a unique pre-verbal stage of consciousness. James Legge, in his Translator’s Preface (written in 1882) for his translation of I Ching, Book of Changes, elucidates this special quality of ‘seeing’: “The written characters of the Chinese are not representations of words, but symbols of ideas, and the combination of them in composition is not a representation of what the writer would say, but what he thinks. … When the symbolic characters have brought his mind ‘en rapport’ with that of his author, he is free to render the ideas in his own, or any other speech, in the best manner that he can attain to. … In the study of a Chinese classical book, there is not so much an interpretation of the characters employed by the writer as a participation of his thoughts—there is the seeing of mind to mind.”2
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Spiritual Will “The story of Just-Born-Baby and Just-Deceased-Old-Man is also a reflection of the door—the life connection of birth and death, the consciousness dividing into lineages and races and nations. It is what you will take. “We must be the slaves of God. To be a slave is to be Job in the Book of Job. We have been enslaved since birth, having work to do and taking pilgrimages. So above, so below; in order to be a master, first slave. It is all your decision to take your own path, to devote your own love. How to consume your Chi of love is how to be the slave of yourself and of God at the same time. But sadly speaking, we are double slaves—the slave of God and the slave of man. In order to reach a spiritual state, the death of government/flesh and the death of religion/soul are a must, called two deaths in Christianity, Crucifixion and Resurrection. “One more word on slave: It is true that for the entire Taoist path of internal liberation, we are our own boss and slave in the same body and mind. But in order to reach a complete liberation, work must be done, and karma must be dissolved. Otherwise, we would be still controlled by all realms of shadows—the shadows of colors, cultures, lineages, nations and races. The word ‘will’ is of spiritual will, like a steadfast rock of Peter, continuing the path of Christ love. It is this will that connects and relates all.”
Background of Developing the Will to Live “I was born at approximately nine p.m. on the third day of October 1962, in the Chinese calendar. It was the 30th day of October on the western calendar. I was the third child of my mother and the fifth son of my father. My father’s first wife left three sons after her death. The period of 1958 to 1960 was an extremely precarious time in the countryside where we lived. Few children were being born at the time. There was so little food that few parents were inclined to have another mouth to feed. In my birth year, however, there was a great leap in the birth rate, as the previous year had been rich in harvest, and China had no debt to pay to Russia. “At the time, my family in Northwest China was beset by great poverty, as most families were. The climate in our region, which lies in the central part of China in the heart of the central plateau, was quite inhospitable. Because of our difficult situation, severe malnutrition and poor housing, children were very prone to disease. - 39 -
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“I weighed less than four pounds at birth. My father, who was a relatively well-educated person and served as a secretary to the local community, did not wish to see my mother with more burdens than she already carried. He suggested she put me inside the “kang” to burn in the fire. My mother told my father, “I cannot do that—the baby is life.” This was how she saved me. She told me this story when I was a teenager, and my first reaction was to feel very indignant toward my dad. My anger lasted no more than a few hours, however, as I came to understand that my father had acted as any poor peasant would have under the circumstances. “After completing college, I was told by relatives that, out of his dozen grandchildren, my grandfather had loved me the most. When I was one or two years of age, he would hold me as I napped and take me on long walks. After two or three hours of walking, we would arrive home and I would awaken. My brothers and sisters would envy me my good luck as the recipient of this special act of love. “In honor of my mother, I want to say that she gave me all the love she could, but that did not help to improve my poor physical condition as a child. I felt desperate and helpless. I recall that when I had bouts of diarrhea and fever, she would take a bowl of cold water and stir it up with three pairs of chopsticks. Following this she would swing the chopsticks around my head both clockwise and counterclockwise. After that she would turn toward the East, take the water in her mouth and spit it out on the ground. As she swung the chopsticks before my face, I would become calm and peaceful, and immediately feel the heat from the fever in my body subsiding. I still recall in my body memory that cool flow of water and the loving warmth of my mother. “In winter, when a severe cold would set in, the atmosphere became very dry. Our hands and feet would wrinkle and blood would seep through the skin. My mother would put a bowl in the center of the room to collect the urine of the night. At dawn, the urine would be boiled and she would massage it into the skin of our hands and feet. It was a very effective remedy. In Chinese medicine, urine – especially a baby’s – is still regarded as a valuable remedy for many ailments, particularly abdominal problems. “When I return to the body-memory of my childhood and village, a deep sense of helplessness and despair overtakes me. It is not difficult to relive the sensation of pervasive hunger. We were never - 40 -
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certain of our next meal. At times there was no water to drink. Under these conditions, your body shrinks and dries out. Simultaneously, there is a deep sense of acceptance, of knowing how nature rules. “In hindsight, I realize that the lesson was to detach from everything, to have no expectations, and to accept what life offered. It helped me set aside personal goals and desires, and to follow the path that was revealed to me. The only permanent feature of life is change; this is the essential meaning of the I Ching. Only by understanding change can one follow it and thereby release any attempt to control a situation. Changes in nature are ruthless and merciless. We, the people on the yellow plateau, cannot now— and could not then—control and manage nature, even though Mao’s slogan, ‘Man must overcome Heaven’ was incessantly and loudly trumpeted into our ears.”
Master Chia’s Life, Different but Parallel On the point of urine remedies in Chinese medicine, if I may interject, there is a parallel in Master Chia’s life that influenced his early disposition towards a life of healing and of teaching the Tao. He began his life in Bangkok, Thailand, as a healthy baby of Chinese parentage. He was born in dramatic circumstances during World War II when American pilots were bombing Japanese targets in the Bangkok area. His parents, being devout Christians, reasoned that the Americans wouldn’t bomb a Christian church; so they went to their church to ensure a safe and secure delivery of their baby, Mantak. As a young child, he was a very healthy boy in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Though he was raised in a devout Christian family and was surrounded by the influence of Thailand’s pervasive Buddhist culture, he also thrived in an environment of Chinese Taoist culture. He was a healthy boy, and he was frequently asked to pee in a jar so that neighbors could use it as medicine when they were sick. After awhile, he began to think, “I must be special.” He felt proud that he could help people get well. From these early beginnings, he cultivated his knowledge of natural ways to live a healthy life and to help others to heal. While still working successfully as the sales manager for Gestetner Company’s Thailand head office in Bangkok, he opened his Natural Healing Center where he applied his skills for healing. - 41 -
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In the late 70’s, he moved to New York City where he had intended to market a Chi machine (a Chi generator for enhancing the body’s Chi) that he had invented. But, the American public didn’t know about Chi; so, there wasn’t a market for this health aid. However, while plying his healing arts in a health clinic in New York’s Chinatown, he was later ferreted out by eager American students looking for a teacher of Taoist practices. The rest is history.
Quest for the Secret Code Tao Huang continues, “There were two other books that I borrowed from the college library. One was the I Ching, and the other was The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud (Chinese translation). At the beginning of the Chinese Revolution, the I Ching had been forbidden reading. It was considered by the government to be a reflection of a pernicious feudal culture and a poisonous, conservative Confucian heritage. I had an unwavering desire to gain a thorough understanding of the I Ching, which was considered by the people to be one of the great treasures of China. It had always been valued as the foundation of Taoist Cosmology, and as the origin of Chinese traditional wisdom. “To my disappointment, the study of the I Ching left me feeling very confused. I was unaware at the time that throughout Chinese history, the interpretation of this work had provided an ideological battleground for commentators. It had been the subject of a deepseated conflict in the vision and worldview of Taoist practitioners and Confucian scholars. The Confucian interpretation focused largely upon linguistic explanation and analytical understanding. The Taoist version centered on practicality, on understanding natural events, and deepening one’s conscious process. I was becoming aware of the fact that the Taoist view of the universe and of nature, as well as of human relations and Chinese science, was at the very root of Chinese civilization. Conversely, Confucian ideology had served, since very early times, as a principal instrument of the feudal order. “I also realized that as Confucian culture had become domi-
nant, the Taoist worldview and its theory on nature-related practices had often been viewed by rulers as dangerous, weird, and obscure, despite its contributions to science, medicine and other areas of Chinese culture. I had been quite unaware of the extent to - 42 -
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which the Taoist worldview had been systematically repressed by the establishment, nationally as well as locally. “I also began to understand that in the Taoist tradition, the I Ching was considered a sacred book. It was understood to contain a secret code that would awaken human consciousness. It served to reveal one’s true destiny, and provided a key for transforming and enriching the life force we inherited from our ancestors and our parents, as well as the energies of heaven and earth. This view of life as a process of self-transformation—an inner journey—was rooted in the view that human beings are a microcosm that reflects the energies of the macrocosm. In the Taoist view there is no limit to the self-cultivation of one’s intrinsic creative and spiritual potential. “The Interpretation of Dreams had been declared taboo during the Cultural Revolution. It was viewed as a perverse product of Capitalism. In traditional Chinese culture, dreams had always been considered vital to predicting future events, collectively and personally. Freud emphasized the significance of dream interpretation as a means to understanding the present in light of the past. In his view, a key role was played by the libido. Obviously, the Chinese Communist establishment refused to see that its own taboo on sexuality and puritan attitudes were not so different from those reigning in Europe at Freud’s time, especially in Vienna. “Initially, I was quite attracted to Freud’s views. They opened for me a whole new world, giving me a sense of freedom in the face of my puritan culture. Yet I also realized that there was a kind of obsession in Freud’s ideas. When I undertook my undergraduate studies in psychology at Cleveland State University, I grew more and more dissatisfied with his position. I concluded that it reflected a pathological state in the elite of his time, which he then used as the basis for his views on sexuality. In my graduate studies at the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco, I realized that my major objection to Freud was that his view on sexuality was highly reductive. I cannot deny, though, that his teachings provided income for psychology professors. I became very uncomfortable within the academic environment for that reason. “My Chi Kung practice and its healing effects contributed to my changed attitude towards Freud. This shift was also dramatically influenced by my discovery of the work of Carl Jung and his ensuing break with the positivistic European tradition. His liberation from - 43 -
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that mold clearly manifested itself in his discovery of the phenomenon of synchronicity (events happening simultaneously that are not coincidental but predestined), along with his great empathy for the Taoist tradition. This shines through in his commentary on the Taoist classic, The Secret of Golden Flower, and in his introduction to Wilhelm’s first Western translation of the I Ching.”
Story of the Just-Born-Baby and Just-Deceased-Old-Man Upon dying, the voice and name are extinguished by spiritual will— if one has developed it—enabling the person to enter into immortal and eternal life. There is a story of will that goes like this: Once, years ago, a baby came into this world crying tearlessly as its first action. It soon became aware of the sounds of crying voices coming from another source. People were mourning an old man who died at the moment the baby was born. During the course of the night, the newborn spoke with the deceased in a dream. The baby, pondering this course of events, inquired, “When I came into this world I cried, not because I wished to but because I had to. The doctor said that it was necessary to open my lungs to cause the exhalation that produced the sound of crying. The Buddhists say that it is a sad thing to be born into this world. But why are living persons crying for a dead man like you?” The deceased responded clearly, “The people who are crying are those who own either my blood or my will.” The baby then questioned, “Why did no one cry for me when I came into this world?” The dead person looked searchingly at the baby and explained, “See the blood that you are bringing into this world; someone needed to die in order for you to be born. The voice that you are crying with is the continuing voice of the one who has died.” “But why are you not crying for yourself? Are you not sad to be leaving this world?” the baby wondered aloud. “I could not speak a word when I exhaled my last breath. All I have to say has been written in my will.” replied the old man. “Will you show me your will?” the baby pleaded. “No, I cannot. You are not my blood. The will can only be obtained by those who have a blood connection.” Spurred on by the dream, the baby began searching for his crying voice, the blood-will he inherited. He found that from the sounds - 44 -
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of ma-ma and ba-ba to readable words and manageable numbers, all wills are the same: written with letters and numbers. They vary only in the right to claim and the ways to apply. Generation after generation, drops of blood have expanded into rivers of blood; the wills of the blood-flowing-rivers have been written time and again in the same format acquired through the same process: the willful ability to interpret. Each will involves blood and willful exchange, and each exchange involves the death of an older generation, an older race/culture and the birth of a new generation, a new race/ culture. Yet, the blood remains always the same. The format of these wills is forever changing with voices and names within the unchangeable sounds of male and female and with the symbols of letters and numbers. The sound transforms life as the symbols connecting the Ideal Image of God with the Realistic Land of countries. ——— End of Story ——— Get it? Could the baby have inherited the will through the family bloodline if he had belonged to the man’s family? Not from the blood! Consider this fact: In heredity, the oldest surviving records of ideas on the mechanisms of heredity are from the ancient Greeks. For example, Aristotle speculated that since blood perfused and nourished the organs of the body, procreation also must be via blood. He proposed that male semen was purified blood and that the female genetic contribution to the next generation was menstrual blood. However, these and other ideas made little or no contribution to the eventual development of our present understanding of heredity. After the Greeks, there was a 2000-year silence on the mechanisms of heredity. Genetics as a scientific discipline did not exist before the work of Gregor Mendel—in the middle of the nineteenth century.3 Therefore, the blood image must be a metaphor for something else. So, how does one get it, spiritual will? Hint: read the rest of the book on how to purify the ‘blood’ with Tao and Te.
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I Ching/Genetic Code Summary Purpose Throughout the text in Door to All Wonders there are references to hexagrams of the I Ching and the Chinese characters that name or otherwise describe them. We have included these images in the chapters for reader reference along with the text. Because of this pervasive presence of I Ching underlying Taoist thought and culture, we are including a simple introductory summary of the I Ching structure—as well as its amazing correlation to recent discoveries and developments in modern science. This knowledge has practical applications, especially in the area of molecular biology, the genetic code, our DNA, and the subatomic world of quantum mechanics. This translates into significant power for our life, our spiritual experience and for the fulfillment of our evolutionary birthright. For those of us who don’t have an understanding of the workings of the I Ching or the modern science of genetics, some streamlined basics will be presented in this section. The intention is to give a sense of their basic structure and functions, just enough to appreciate their value and significance. It is not necessary to have extensive knowledge in order to benefit from reading the ‘Door.’ In the Preface, Huang wrote: “… Tao Te Ching … The Text contains two sections. … He Shanggong (The Man-On-TheRiverbank), who was believed to be the reincarnation of Lao Tzu, divided the Text into 81 chapters. Numbers have always figured prominently in Chinese philosophy and symbolism. Tao Ching has 37 chapters and Te Ching is composed of 44. To assess this numerically, we see that three and seven is ten, and four plus four equals eight; together they are eighteen, or double-nine, which when multiplied equal 81 … the transformation of love and virtue into Pure-Person (the oneness between spirit-nine of pure soul and God’s nine of pure spirit).” We will not attempt to assess the system and symbolism of Chinese numerology in this introduction. But, we will help readers who haven’t studied the I Ching to know some basic concepts of the structure and dynamics of the I Ching. The “double nines” are number designations (to be mentioned later) of two of the lines found in the trigrams of some hexagrams of the I Ching. There are different aspects in the process of reading the hexagrams; the lines - 46 -
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are read from the bottom up. When reading the trigram aspect of the lines, the lower three lines are regarded as the Earth trigram and the upper three constitute the Heaven trigram. Each of the “double nine” lines referred to above is positioned in each of the two trigrams that make up the six lines of a hexagram.
Perspective The roots of the Tao go back perhaps 20,000 years.4 The legendary Fu-Hsi (Fuxi) is credited with compiling the ancient wisdom about 5,000 years ago. He created trigrams with broken and unbroken lines to represent the eight elemental forces of the universe and nature, and he arranged them in the famous eight-sided pakua figure (as seen in the Universal Tao logo).
Eight-sided Pakua with the Tai Chi Yin Yang symbol in the center.
By combining the eight trigrams as pairs of all the possible trigram combinations, he delineated the structure of the earliest version of the 64 hexagrams and the system that has come to be known as the I Ching. (See Fu-Hsi’s table of the I Ching below.) The hexagrams were later rearranged and written down by King Wen about 3,000 years ago. This version was further refined by one of his sons, the Duke of Chou. Confucius and some of his disciples then edited the Chou version (and added more refinements) about 500 years later—during the time of Lao Tzu. It may interest the reader to learn that the I Ching was recognized about thirty years ago as having the same mathematical structure as the genetic code.5 Watson and Crick had correctly described the structure of DNA in 1953,6 for which they received the Nobel Prize in 1962. We will also provide a simple non-technical
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summary for the matching structure of DNA, which correlates to the structure and dynamics of the I Ching. In 1975, the wave character, the ‘other half’ of the DNA system was discovered—the half that is complementary to the material aspect. This implies that there is a universal system of communication between the cells operating at much higher speeds than the humoral or neural systems previously known. Ultraviolet frequency biosignals ‘ride’ on the spirals of DNA and activate specific codons7 (biological information units in the 64-triplet code of DNA—analogous to the trigram combinations of the I Ching). This knowledge (as stated by Dr. D.A. Popp, discoverer of the wave character of DNA) leads us to the recognition that spirit can be transformed from matter, and matter only gains in significance through the spirit.8 Thus, from the Taoist perspective, it seems likely that our spirit/ consciousness can be cultivated to enhance the probability of the most beneficial possibilities in our lives.
I Ching Lines, Digrams, Trigrams and Hexagrams The “I” in I Ching generally means change, transformation. There is also an ancient definition in Chinese that defines it as ‘generating new life.’ This latter meaning is useful to keep in mind in correlating the structures and dynamics of the I Ching and the genetic code, DNA. Tao in manifestation is represented as the interchange of two interrelated primordial phases, yin and yang. In the I Ching system of representation, yin is characterized as a feminine, receptive, contracting quality of energy and is shown as a broken line (— —). Yang is the complementary component and is a masculine, donative (giving), expanding energy represented as an unbroken line (——). In the binary number system, yin and yang is represented as (0,1) or also written as (0,L)—which is great for computer analysis, etc. The yin/yang aspects, or tendencies, of energy, are not isolated as opposites, but rather, are conceived as being interrelated and working harmoniously for their common good. They are poles of an interconnected continuum of changing proportions, shifting by degree in relationship to each other. Thus, they are denoted as polarities of a whole, rather than as dualistic and separate opposites.
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Explaining the methodology and practice of the I Ching, Confucius said, “In ‘I’, there is Tai Chi (great void), which generates two poles, which generate four quadrants, which generate eight octants.” The two poles are the yang (——) and yin (— —) lines. The quadrants are the digrams made up of combinations of pairs of yin and yang. Digrams: Old yin Young yang Young yin Old yang 6 7 8 9 The digram number shown beneath each pair is the number that is assigned for that configuration as part of the divination process. The combinations of the two lines (poles) give rise to the double duality of the digrams—yin and yang furnish the basic duality or polarity, and one more line furnishes the additional duality of old and young. Adding one more line to the digrams results in eight combinations of octants—trigrams. Trigrams: Ken
Sun
Li
Chien
Kun
Kan
Chen
Tui
Kan Hexagram When the paired combinations of all eight trigrams are configured, the result yields the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. For example, combining two Kan trigrams results in the Kan hexagram. The eight hexagrams that pair two the same trigrams retain the same name as the individual trigrams, as in this example. Brief traditional texts—called ‘Images,’ ‘Judgments’ and ‘Oracles’—interpreting the meaning and structure of the hexagram have been appended to the hexagrams. The I Ching is capable of self-description and self-renewal and has a built-in mechanism for avoiding absoluteness—it is a Relativity Theory on a grand scale. - 49 -
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Fu-Hsi’s Table of the I Ching Upper Trigram Lower 2 Kun
23 Bo
8 Bi
20 Guan
16 Yü
35 Dsin
45 Tsui
12 Pi
15 Kiën
52 Gen
39 Giën
53 Dsiën
56 Lü
31 Hiën
33 Dun
7 Schï
4 Mong
29 Kan
59 Huan
62 Siau Go 40 Hië
47 Kun
6 Sung
46 Schong
18 Gu
48 Dsing
57 Sun
32 Hong
64 We dsi 50 Ding
44 Gou
24 Fu
27 I
28 Da Go 17 Sui
36 Ming I 19 Lin 11 Tai
3 42 51 21 Dschun I (Yi) Dschen Schï Ho 55 30 37 22 63 Fong Li Gia Bi Gi Jen dsi 41 60 61 54 38 Sun Dsië Dschung Gui Kui Fu Me 26 5 9 34 14 Da Sü Siau Da Da Tschu Tschu Dschuang Yu
58 Dui
25 Wu Wang 13 Tung Jen 10 Lü
43 Guai
1 Kiën
49 Go
I Ching Divination Process The I Ching is perceived as a ‘world formula’ consisting of 64 possible hexagrams that symbolize all states of being, or tendencies of energy orientation. Energy transformations occur in the unending flow of changes in life from the microcosmic through the macrocosmic levels of existence. Likely possibilities and probabilities of the outcomes of change may be ascertained—based on relevant variables present in a ‘snapshot’ of experience at a given moment in time. These possibilities and probabilities are arrived at through the ‘oracular,’ or divination, process in association with the appropriate hexagrams. This conception is the theoretical basis for describing the dynamics of the Tao in creation. It is the underpinning of Chinese mystical culture. The sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching can also be thought of as triads of digrams; that is, combinations of three of the four possible digrams. There are eight possible combinations of three broken/unbroken lines (resulting in trigrams as seen above). In addition to reading the trigrams, the I Ching divination process includes
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reading the digrams and their interrelated influence within the hexagrams and in relation to related hexagrams. Likewise, it reads the significance of individual lines in the context of a specific hexagram and related hexagrams. [Please refer to Appendix II for a complete listing of the hexagram configurations and Richard Wilhelm’s translation of their names.] The divination process serves to narrow the focus of probabilities and possibilities of transformations and outcomes—which can never be permanent and final, but only relative in nature. This is so, because—as Einstein has reminded us with his formula, E=mc2— even solid matter is a state of energy. The elements of the I Ching hexagrams represent 64 dynamic states of tension between the opposites of yang and yin in maintaining a particular state. At some point in the dual polarities, yang changes to yin and yin changes to yang, and the states of energy change.
DNA Notes, Basic Concepts and Vocabulary The biggest biological success story is the elucidation of how information becomes form. How genetic information flows, or how genes act, has been called the new paradigm of biology. We present here some basic concepts and vocabulary of current knowledge of genetics. Readers may take heart and be inspired with a sense of the practical probabilities of immediate benefits that one may influence in the genes. The principles of divination referred to above—which are determined as statistical probabilities and possibilities based on known variables and with considerations of chance and luck—also apply in the realm of genetics. Genes do not work in a vacuum, but interact with the environment at many levels in producing a phenotype (the expressed form of a character). The relationship of genotype to phenotype across an environmental range is called the norm of reaction. DNA is the common information storage and expression system for most organisms on the planet. It is a system in which information flows from DNA to RNA to protein. DNA is the informational basis underlying all the processes and structures of life. The DNA—DeoxyriboNucleic Acid—molecule has a structure that accounts for two of the key properties of life, reproduction and generation of form. DNA is a double-helical structure whose inherent design is such that it can be replicated to make two identical copies. DNA replication is the basis for all reproduction, cellular - 51 -
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and organismal. So DNA can be viewed as the thread that connects us with all our evolutionary ancestors. Furthermore, DNA generates form because a code that contains the instructions for building an organism is written into the linear sequence of the building blocks of a DNA molecule. We can view this as information, or “that which is necessary to give form.” DNA works in virtually the same way in all organisms. Most genes code for some type of protein: either active proteins such as enzymes or proteins that play a structural role in cells. A major landmark occurred in 1953: James Watson and Francis Crick proposed a double helix model for DNA structure. It showed that DNA could replicate by progressive unwinding of the two intertwined strands of the double helix and using the exposed strands as templates for new synthesis. Each one of the two intertwined strands of DNA is a chain of chemical groups called nucleotides, of which there are known to be four types. Each type is composed of a phosphate group, a deoxyribose sugar molecule, and any one of the four bases—adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). Two of the bases, adenine and guanine, have a double-ring structure characteristic of a type of chemical called purine. The other two bases, cytosine and thymine, have a single-ring structure of a type called a pyrimidine. Because proteins are strings of amino acids, a specific nucleotide sequence of DNA (a gene) contains coded information for specifying amino acid sequence and hence protein structure. In the process of protein synthesis, RNA is a mediator between DNA and the resulting protein. In the code for RNA—which reflects the properties of DNA from which it is derived—the base letter T (thymine) is replaced by U (uracil). A phalanx of ribosomes moves along the mRNA (m = messenger), each starting at the 5/ end and proceeding along the entire length of the mRNA to the 3/ end. As a ribosome moves along, it “reads” the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA three nucleotides at a time. Each group of three, called a triplet codon, stands for a specific amino acid. Since there are four different nucleotides in mRNA, there are 4 x 4 x 4 = 64 different possible codons. These codons and the amino acids they stand for are shown in the figure, “Table of the Genetic Code.” The combinatorial arrangement of triplets of digrams corresponds precisely to the way that the combinations of three bases in DNA generate amino acids in living cells. The four digrams that - 52 -
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combine in three’s to form hexagrams are analogous to the four bases, which combine in three’s to form genetic ‘codons.’ DNA is composed of two side-by-side chains (“strands”) of nucleotides twisted into the shape of a double helix, like a spiral staircase, with the strands running in opposite directions. In the double-stranded DNA molecule, the two backbones are in opposite, or antiparallel, orientation. The two chains are bound together by the pairing of specific bases: A with T and G with C. The bases of DNA interact according to a very straightforward rule, namely that there are only two types of base pairs: A-T and G-C. The bases in these two base pairs are said to be complementary. This means that at any “step” of the stairlike double-stranded DNA molecule, the only base-to-base associations that can exist between the two strands without substantially distorting the double-stranded DNA molecule are A-T and G-C. Second Letter C
UUU Phe UUC U UUA Leu UUG
UCU UCC Ser UCA UCG
A UAU Tyr UAC OCHRE UAA (STOP) AMBER UAG
G UGU Cys UGC Start UGA UGG Tryp
U C A G
CUU CUC C CUA Leu CUG
CCU CCC Pro CCA CCG
CAU His CAC CAA GluN CAG
CGU CGC Arg CGA CGG
U C A G
AUU AUC Ileu A AUA Met= AUG Start
ACU ACC Thr ACA ACG
AAU AAC AAA AAG
AGU Ser AGC AGA Arg AGG
U C A G
GUU GUC Val G GUA GUG
GCU GCC Ala GCA GCG
GAU Asp GAC GAA Glu GAG
GGU GGC Gly GGA GGG
U C A G
(STOP)
AspN Lsy
Table of the Genetic Code List of the amino acids and their abbreviations in the above code. Ala = Arg = Asp = AspN= Cys = Glu = GluN =
Alanine Arginine Aspartic acid Asparagine Cystine Glutarnic acid Glutarnine
Gly His Ileu Leu Lys Met Phe
= Glycine = Histidine = Isoleucine = Leucine = Lysine = Methionine = Phenylalanine
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Pro Ser Thr Trp Tyr Val
= Proline = Serine = Threonine = Tryptophan = Tyrosine = Valine
Third Letter
First Letter
U
Editor’s Introduction
At the end of replication of a DNA molecule, two molecules result. Each of these is a hybrid consisting of one of the parent strands intertwined with one newly synthesized strand, hence the term semiconservative. The coded information in the nucleotide sequence must be translated in groups of three nucleotides for each amino acid. In 1966, the complete genetic “dictionary” of all 64 possible triplet-coding units (codons) and the specific amino acids they stand for was deduced. Subsequent studies in many organisms showed that the double-helical structure of DNA, the mode of its replication, and the codon dictionary are the same in virtually all organisms, whether plants, animals, fungi, or bacteria. [“Notes”— gleaned from Modern Genetic Analysis.] By letting the above-mentioned nucleotide bases T (or U), C, G and A be expressed by the digrams of the I Ching—this correlation, if substituted in the “Table of the Genetic Code,” yields the same 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. Thus, the correlations are as follows:
Concluding Comments For the sake of brevity, the presentations of both the I Ching and the Genetic Code were grossly oversimplified and superficial. The purpose was to provide a sense of the validity and significance of the I Ching for the uninitiated reader, since it is referred to often in the text. Likewise, due to the tremendous advances in genetic science, it is inspiring to have a sense of how we come to be the way we are. Consequently, it may also support us in our practices to know that we really do have the capability to profoundly influence our health and evolution. By getting the good biosignals humming and riding up and down those spiral stairways in our DNA, activating those good codons in our cells, transforming spirit from matter, and at the same time enhancing the quality and significance of our physical being—who knows what limits we may transcend! That’s it! This is as far as we go in the discussion of the correlation between the I Ching and the genetic code. The key to the structure and dynamics of life in our genes is the same as the I Ching’s 64 dynamic states of tension between the polar opposites of yin and yang. It is the same as the wisdom, the cosmology of the world, embodied in the I Ching that was compiled 5,000 years ago by Fu-Hsi. Except that the I Ching has been further refined and enhanced by spiritually achieved sages who followed in - 54 -
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U=
C=
G=
A=
or T in the case of DNA (Preliminary trial, symbols exchangeable)
The I Ching transcribed into genetic code.
the millennia since Fu-Hsi. By comparing the charts of Fu-Hsi’s hexagrams and the Genetic Code’s triplet codons, feel a sense of awe for the beauty and power of truth in the microcosm in each of the trillions of cells in your body. As well, sense the polar connection with the complementary primordial Chi of the universe, the macrocosm. Be like Niels Bohr, one of the godfather’s of the modern science of the subatomic world—quantum physics. The result of his work and others has confirmed the dual polarity nature of the wave/particle reality in the subatomic realm of existence. After he had al- 55 -
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ready elaborated his interpretation of quantum theory—when he visited China in 1937, he was deeply impressed by the ancient Chinese notion of the complementarity of polar opposites, which paralleled his thinking. So much so, that when he was knighted in his native Denmark in 1947 in acknowledgement of his outstanding achievements—he chose the Tai Chi symbol and the inscription ‘Opposites are complementary’ for the motif of his coat-ofarms.9 Create your own coat-of-arms in your body’s consciousness in the core of your cells and manifest your body wisdom. The purpose of our Taoist practices is to enable us to be healthy, happy, conscious, evolving human beings and thereby be able to achieve life beyond life.
Taoist Practices infused with the Virtue Energy of Te Meditation/Exercise. Huang talks about the presentation of practices in the ‘Door’ from his traditional perspective: “There are two exercises that belong to traditional practices, five animals and six sounds. The rest are conscious guiding practices that gear to awaken specific organs and parts of the body. From inner self to the highest virtuous gathering, the Tao of seed and the Te of virtuous love will become one, as if body and mind become one. “I think that coming from the background where Master Chia has instructed in terms of exercises, it is a bit difficult to capture the exercise portion in the book. On the one hand, the presentation of exercises is sort of a reflection or revelation, and there are only two parts, or maybe three, which I just translated from the teachings of Hua Tue, one of the best known teachers in China; he is a Taoist and a Chinese doctor. The third one is from Master Chia’s Fusion of Five Elements. In Taoist tradition, we only reveal half of the meditation exercise in a pure literal presentation. The other half depends on the quality of the master and the readiness of the student. The purer the energy the master has within, the more powerful the exercise will be. “The most crucial part is that throughout Taoist history, there is no distraction or distortion upon the pure teachings, which are usually related to the specific location, the power of earthly Chi, and the personality of a master. Unless the student’s background is - 56 -
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cleaned, which has to do with family and social life, and unless he or she shows enough virtue and integrity, the teaching cannot be revealed. For example, I cannot reveal the exercise on Bigger Dipper unless s/he is under initiation and taking full responsibility for it. I cannot tell a person based on social or family hierarchy. “The third most sacred part of the teaching has to do with timing, both the cosmic time and the readiness of micro-time within each person. Besides the micro and macro time factors, are the special influences of the Winter/Summer Solstice and the Spring/ Fall Equinox. These yearly time periods of significance reflect the four time periods within a day, which are 11:00 to 1:00 am/pm and pm/am, and 5-7 am and pm. This has been summarized in the phrase: ‘If you catch a day’s time, you master the entire year.’ “The most intriguing situation is the trinity of three dantians (tan tiens) in our Taoist tradition. Because of the Chi that circulates between body and mind, and is independent by itself, there cannot be a single exercise for all. There is no such thing as an exercise that can open everything. This is why all the pressure points must be opened, and all the five levels of organs, skin, muscles, zang fu (glands), bone and bone marrow must reach a final completion before enlightenment can be achieved. “Because the body is so complicated due to the ancestral illnesses and social conditioning—and because of the interaction between body and universe, particularly the inner planets and close stars out there—each exercise must be treated specifically. It can be handled only through consideration of an individual’s quality. This is why in northern Taoist practices, we constantly use mind to guide the body, which generates movements or exercises as a result of experience. Also, when the two hearts reach oneness, you cannot tell which is which. This is the most difficult situation for me to explain—which part of the exercises are inherently Lao Tzu’s and which parts are my own understanding or reflection upon his teachings—or revelation. All the italicized words or phrases or sentences appearing in the book belong to the Tao Te Ching. “If readers or students have any questions, they must find or approach us directly in order to clarify the problems. We cannot just give them the meal and feed them at the same time. Only the right person can get the essential pictures of exercises. Or, if they are advanced enough, by reading the words, they get an energetic vibration right away. Then, they do not need exercises since the - 57 -
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channels are opened already. The above are my suggestions and personal experiences according to our tradition. We never give everything away through words. If so, what do we have in order to live and exist and survive?” Master Tao Huang’s Bottom Line: “In Taoist tradition, I have only one background, it is in the power of Lao Tzu. He chose me, and made me as a faithful dog, a devoted slave, a heart-connected student. If you question the materials in the Door, go directly and ask Lao Tzu, and we will reach a mutual silence—the heart-connected, stomach-drumming and brain-smoked passage of the Tao.” Editor: Dennis Huntington has been practicing the Tao of Master Chia’s teaching since 1986. He became a certified instructor in the Universal Tao in 1992, and then began teaching while living in Japan. He is now a resident instructor at the Universal Tao Training Center at Tao Garden Health Resort in Thailand. He returns to Japan regularly to teach, and he is Master Chia’s liaison assistant for affairs in Japan. He moved to Tao Garden in 1998 to enhance his practice and teaching of the Tao. He also assists in the publishing area as a contributing writer and chief editor. He had an inner voice experience when he was a young aviation electronics technician in the U.S. Navy. The inner voice experience itself excited his interest, and so did the message—to write a book. Before he came in contact with Taoist teaching per se, he conditioned himself with yoga practice. He experienced kundalini energy as a result of his hatha yoga and pranayama practice. When he began doing a simple form of meditation, he experienced the manifestation of the third eye, inner visual experience, out-of-body and dream experiences before he met any of his formal spiritual teachers in the physical body. He then practiced meditation of the inner light and sound current with the guidance of masters from India. After studying electrical engineering, science and math as an undergraduate student, and after a brief stint as an IBM sales representative, he entered graduate school at San Francisco State University where he studied English, creative writing, and education. He taught high school English in Oakland, California. While teaching, he also became involved in the Bay Area Writing Project at the University of California at Berkeley for teaching writing. He later lived in Tokyo, Japan, and taught English as a Foreign Language before moving to Tao Garden. - 58 -
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Reference Source: 1. Olson, Stuart Alve. The Jade Emperor’s Mind Seal Classic (St. Paul, MN: Dragon Door Publications, 1993), page 37. 2. Legge, James. I Ching, Book of Changes (New York, NY: Gramercy Books, Random House Value Publishing, Inc., 1996), page xix. 3. Griffiths, Anthony J. F. … [et al]. Modern Genetic Analysis (New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1999), page 18. 4. Ni, Hua-Ching. Esoteric Tao Teh Ching (Santa Monica, CA: Seven Star Communications Group Inc., 1992), page 2. 5. Yan, Ph.D., Johnson F. DNA And The I Ching: The Tao of Life (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1991), page ix. 6. Griffiths, Anthony J. F. … [et al]. Op cit, page 27. 7. Schonberger, Dr. Martin. The I Ching & The Genetic Code: The Hidden Key to Life (2nd Edition) (Santa Fe, NM: Aurora Press, 1992) pp.9—10. 8. Schonberger, Dr. Martin. Op cit, page 153. 9. Capra, Fritjof. The Tao of Physics, Second Edition (Boston, MA: New Science Library, Shambala Publications, Inc., 1985), page 160.
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Chapter I Wordless Uttering Sound: Tao Defining the Tao The word Tao or Dao (pronounced dow) is no longer a strange term in Western society. Understanding its meaning is paramount to viewing the magnificence of the Cosmos, tapping into the mystery of the universe, and searching for the origin of nature. It encompasses the vast outer reaches of the universe, invisible, unfathomable and unreachable, yet retains its remoteness, ancient and untraceable. It is too irrational to conceive, too abstract to connote literally, mystic beyond comprehension. It remains forever silent, unaroused, sublimely peaceful. Before the Tao the voice can no longer lower its pitch, eyes can no longer project their curiosity, and movement is halted in its forward journey. The veil of its mystery cannot be pierced. Philosophy cannot define its elusive word. Science cannot magnify its potential. Technology cannot digitalize its incalculable number. To define the Tao is to listen to the silence, observe the nakedness and activate the stillness. It can be likened to communicating with your inner voice, awakening your innate talent, finding a home with eternal beauty and releasing your full potential. There can then be no alienation nor intimidation of your ultimate power. To define the Tao is to catch your breath, focus your attention, calculate and refine your action, move with care, and make friends with the enemy. The breath is life’s inspiration, attention forms concentration, action results as meaning or consequence and stepping forward is the reward. As the enemy recedes in the shadow, the Tao permeates your aura. To define the Tao is to stand on the highest mountain peak, swim in an ocean of love, and soar with the dove in the valley of death. It is to connect with the power. To sense the Tao is to stand in a cool spring shower; to view the Tao is to observe from a high tower; to smell the Tao is to breathe in a fragrant flower. It is to sleep peace-
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fully behind a closed door, to peer through a window no more; to observe first the natural law, and to judge only the mind’s intractable flaw. To define the Tao can be anyone’s individual response, but is no one else’s business. To attempt to describe the Tao is a meaningless pursuit yet boundless in scope; to rationalize the Tao is futile; to reject the Tao is to render yourself powerless; to follow the Tao methodically is despairing; to know the Tao is to leave one breathless, to understand the Tao is to be deathless; to walk the Tao is to be weightless, to ignore the Tao is senseless. To define the Tao is to chant with Lao Tzu, to laugh with Chuang Tzu, to analyze Confucius, to understand Buddha, to love Christ, to listen to Muhammad, to follow Moses, to watch the Above, and to embrace the Ultimate.
Communicable Tao Tao can be expressed in many ways through our gifted power of communication. There are three forms of communication: oral, written and willful. Among these, oral communication is primary, resulting from the power of voice: the manifestation of inner consciousness and our spiritual trumpet. Verbalization is our first approach to living an independent life, finding the gateway to the Tao through the breath of life and vibration of sound. At the time that oral communication no longer served our human needs and expectations, letters and numbers were employed symbolically, marking the beginning of civilization as a cultural process. Embracing these two, the voice of will becomes the most powerful force reaching from one person (dead or alive) to the multitudes: the collective will. This sacred passage permits the self to be expressed, to touch hearts, to justify morality and verify deeds accomplished. Our inner justice is profoundly different from the legal practice of justice for the sake of justice. It is a direct spiritual communication that goes beyond ego-anticipation and social-culture, an actualization process of human willpower. Lao Tzu, the Superior Master Lao Jun, is forthright in his teachings of Tao Te Ching, stating that the Tao that is voiced is no longer that of eternal Tao. The name that is given is no longer that of eternal name. The Tao that is voiced defines the origin of the universe through subjective expression. This is, in essence, the com- 61 -
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municable Tao of inner self that connects deeply to both our microbiological and psychological self as well as our macrocosmic and celestial self. The name that has been written extensively objectifies any subjective expression of this inner voice. Anyone who has reached her/his prime can verbalize and name. Upon dying, the voice and name are extinguished by the will enabling the person to enter into immortal and eternal life.
Inner Voice Inner voice is the most sacred spiritual vessel. Without this inner voice, God is not alive, the Tao is not present, and the self is not active. This inner voice expresses and characterizes the beauty, the meaning and the strength of life. It is sometimes silent to the degree that there is no focal point while at other times it is immeasurably powerful. Yet, we often turn a deaf ear to this inner voice, refusing to abide by it or even give it credence. We choose instead to rely on an external world, that of authority and discipline, to define our life as something meaningful, leaving us with confusion and distortion of the true meaning.
Fig.1.1 When the hands, heart and mind are unified, the inner voice speaks itself. - 62 -
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In order to establish a clear relationship with this sacred vessel, the first set of meditation practices in this book begins with finding, restoring and listening to this inner voice in any given crisis. The exercises are: 1. Listen intently to the sound of silence: a combination of spiritual voice and personal voice. 2. Pay attention to the most immediate direction and clear message: the manifestation of your inner voice. 3. Verbalize it inwardly, whether or not it makes sense to you. 4. Name it with no preconceived notion. 5. Meditate upon it as a part of the visionary journey of your life before it actually takes place. 6. Connect your own name with it. See how it conforms to you and your personality. 7. Make it work for you. It is the divine plan and your decision must be made now.
Incommunicable Tao We have discussed the first part of Lao Tzu’s first two sentences: the Tao that is voiced and the name that has been written. The second part of the two sentences warns us that the eternal Tao cannot be voiced and the eternal name cannot be written. It deminstrates to us also that what has been voiced can never be the eternal Tao, and what has been given or written can never be the eternal name. The Eternal Tao can never be expressed completely and comprehensibly. The moment the mind’s intention joins with the focus of the heart, the Tao becomes lost. The mouth cannot express an image, a colorful vision or an awareness of the total environment while simultaneously penetrating the very subtle fine line. It is for this reason that voicing the Tao will automatically and instantly disconnect from the eternal Tao. When an inner message is verbalized, the speaker is lost and the listener will interpret the received message according to whatever s/he may hear, desire or wish. The eternal name is thus lost. Before something is named, it is subjected to how the observer regards it. Before Lao Tzu used the word Tao, many other words may possibly have been chosen. When something is named, changes occur due to its very nature or the nature of its creator or user. Thus, the word Tao has become a fixed word with fixed - 63 -
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meaning, far and away from Lao Tzu’s initial vision, and it is forever changing. This is why Tao has had many names, God has many names and we have many names. What has been expressed is not that which can be further described. No matter how hard we try, we are bound to fail.
Connection In-Between Between the mind and the heart, mouth and hand, the communicable and incommunicable Tao, are three bridges we must navigate: the inner voice, the mutual connection and the use of language. The first, the inner voice, is exemplified by the baby’s voice. There is no thinking or reasoning involved; only the sound of the voice. It is the soul of the Tao, the true innermost spirit of that person at that moment in that particular place and in that state of mind. The second bridge is the mutual connection between the speaker and the listener in the state of agreement and/or understanding. It can be linked by either verbal or nonverbal form. When two people hold an international phone conversation it is not the content that matters but the continuous connection between them. Advertising serves a similar purpose in that it is neither the truthfulness of the message nor the quality of the products, but the securing of a mass connection: the truth between demand and supply. The third bridge is in the use of language. When the expression is carried with clear and defining language, there will be no misunderstanding. The information is clear, as is the understanding of the listener, successfully serving the purpose of the construction and usage of language. When two people attempt to communicate using two different languages, their words sound like distinctive animal voices, incomprehensible to one another.
Usefulness of In-Between Throughout the history of human civilization—the course of mental objectification—we have evolved from the use of a single voice to the many faceted forms of oral, written and the digital-computerized audio-visual communication. It is remarkable to realize that we are now, in effect, moving backward. We simplify the use of language and shorten the spatial distance in presenting the spiritual communication by means of global telecommunication. The - 64 -
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methods have changed dramatically, but not the source. We remain as we are. Each momentary flash of an idea differs from other moments, and each individual idea differs from others, yet all the ideas are but the manifestation of mind through the expression of soul being guided by spirit. The eternal, invariable, unwavering, enduring and unchanging Tao is beyond expressing. How could we then know? Only through our own peace and desire can we open ourselves to its ever-presence. When we have peace and serenity, we capture its subtlety. While attracted and seduced by the passion of desire, we experience its manifestation as we distinguish it as individual or personal, always limiting it within our own boundaries. When we are relaxed and free from passion and excitement, we see beyond the futile pursuit of games being played. To be engaged in the passion and excitement of the game being played out is a deviation from our connection with the center and balance. We are divided when we enact our little scenarios. We become as two: being and non-being, birth and death, beauty and ugliness, good and bad. Being and non-being give birth to each other; difficulty and ease complete each other; long and short measure each other; high and low overflow into each other, voice and sound harmonize with each other; and before and after follow each other. This is how the world is harmonized in great accord. This ancient teaching enables us to become non-judgmental, non-prejudicial and indistinguishable. “In-between” these two lies the hidden mystery. The mystery within the mystery is the door to all wonders. This mystery is where the center, the medium and the equilibrium embrace, balance and unify from both sides and both ends, while maintaining the middle ground. It is where the emulation, competition and perfection face their extremes and opposites in a peaceful manner, and where beauty and ugliness no longer appear attractive or repulsive, where good and bad are no longer distinctive.
Nature of the Tao In order to understand the nature of Tao we must first define nature itself since Tao takes its origin from Nature. Taoists define nature as: “I don’t know why it is so, and I don’t know why it is not so; I cannot make it such, and I cannot make it not such.” The first part speaks of human comprehension and understanding while the - 65 -
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second encompasses human ability and capability. An example would be that a human is neither completely human nor even human. In Jungian psychological interpretation, a male necessarily harbors the co-existence of the masculine persona and the shadow of anima. Similarly, a female inherits within her persona the feminine as well as the shadow of animus. This is the mutual existence and transformation of their yin and yang characteristics. The second part of the definition places the human mind and its capacity in a very natural position. For example we can neither change a mountain into a river or a river into a mountain. We cannot prevent a mountain from expanding, as the Himalayas have done, nor can we renew the ravaging effects of wind and storm on its surface. In conclusion, in defining nature we can make known a changing connection with it, but we cannot actually change its true nature. Consequently, we can neither know nor name the ineffable Tao. Lao Tzu has explained succinctly that Tao is eternally nameless, is praised but is unnamable.
Tao: Beyond the Senses Tao is formless and functions in empty harmony. This empty harmony cannot be grasped by the senses. Our human eyes and ears and hands are rendered helpless in this endeavor. Look into it, and there is nothing to be seen. Listen to it, and there is nothing to be heard. Use it, but its use is inexhaustible. When the Tao is spoken, it is very plain, with no excitement and no stimulation. It is close to silence and has no flavor at all. How can we become excited about silence or sense that which is beyond the senses?
Knowing of the Origin of the Tao: Thus As Lao Tzu reluctantly chooses the word Tao to describe and share his great wisdom and insight, his direction leads him to an illumination of the origin of the Tao. From thus, as is explained in chapter 21, he knows the substance and the self-functioning Tao that inexhaustibly creates all things in their beginning, is the very ancestor of myriad things in the world. Although not knowing whose son it is, Lao Tzu is certain that it stands preceding the Heavenly Emperor. Rephrased in chapter 62, Lao Tzu realizes that by seating and entering thus, Tao is the conductor of all things: the treasure of the - 66 -
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good and the protector of the bad. By not rejecting or judging what is good from what is bad, he is not desirous of being presented with jade in front of the team of four horses but rather of having without asking and forgiving the wrong doing. What is “thus”? It is awareness of self and universe by being one with the creative force and seeing through what is limpid, after blunting the sharp edge, unraveling the tangles, husbanding into light and being as ordinary as dust. Seeing through that which is limpid is analogous to entering into the realm of the kingdom of light. Blunting the sharp edge means diminishing all the desires of heart. Unraveling the tangles is dissolving and clarifying the constant puzzles generated by mind. When the body returns to its infantile stage and mind is completely cultivated, one is with the limpid light. In Taoist tradition this light embraces both universal light and bodily light through the transformation and purification within the trinity of Jing, Chi and Shen. According to modern quantum theory, photons or particles of light, have the ability to share their existence mutually. Electrons, on the other hand, have the ability to exclude each other from entering their territory. When sexual electrons and light photons are joined, their union is transformed into golden elixir. This is the meaning of husbanding into light. As the spirit enters its limpid state, the body returns to its original quality: dust. Lao Tzu is aware that the substance of Tao seems boundless and unfathomable. Since the substance of Tao is not a concrete form, it cannot be perceived symbolically other than in the symbolic sense. As unfathomable and boundless as it seems, there is form in it. It can be said that its form is the form of the world: the image appears but is not yet apparent. Still this form seems boundless and unfathomable, there exists matter in it. The matter looks embryonic and dark, there is essence (Jing) within. The essence is very pure and complete, and there is trust in it. Because of this trust, from now to the days of old, its name never dies even though its name cannot be defined in human terms. From substance to form, from form to matter, from matter to Jing, and from Jing to trust, it is as though we are viewing an object from a satellite or under a microscope. First, when we concentrate on the outer formation of the world (the substance of Tao), we picture a great body of land, our continent (form). From this continent, we focus on a country or region (matter). From the region, an ob- 67 -
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ject (essence), such as a license plate, can be pinpointed and projected. The object is pure and complete. As we examine this same object under a microscope, the space of its substance appears larger and larger. Its mass accumulates until it becomes the substance of Tao that forms the chaos of macro/micro-chaos. Being as large as it is and as small as it is, it remains pure and limpid, yet ineffable and immutable. What more do we need other than the trust of the object itself? It is this very trust that connects Lao Tzu’s heart with the origin, the substance and the self-functioning of the Tao. Lao Tzu foregoes human comfort in order to have a trusted connection with the Son of the Heavenly Emperor. He denies himself the comfortable life that can necessarily hold but one future: death. He gives up his mind—the real exhaustive device of life force and himself—the identity of ego and illusion of mind. What he ultimately receives is thus. Nothing more than thus and nothing other than thus. What an enormous, powerful and all-consuming thus this is!
Empty Harmony – Action of the Tao
Tao functions in its empty harmony. Harmony is where and how the matter of the Tao produces, promotes, regenerates and renews itself in its constantly full state. Since the action of the Tao is in its non-formed state, or emptiness, its best harmony is within itself where nothing is yet produced and nothing can be lost. It also remains in its constant fullness, wholeness and completion by preserving its unused and potential perfection. When used, it remains full. Even as the Tao is producing, promoting, preserving and regenerating at the same time, it utilizes both heaven and earth as its strawdogs (scarecrow) in order to conceive its formless state of oneness: nothingness. It functions in its weakness and infinity by preserving its fullness and perfection. This source is undoubtedly the very ancestor of the myriad things. It is equally important to note that Tao moves by returning. As we know, all things under heaven are born of being. Being is born of non-being. Being forms the creatures that result from the process of the Tao to one, one to two, two to three, and three to all things. Therefore, the Tao of oneness is the very Tao of oneness, - 68 -
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and the Tao of all things is the very Tao of all things. This is why we have the Tao of heaven, the Tao of earth, the Tao of human beings, the Tao of plants and animals, and the Tao of sand and rocks. This is why competition of any sort has no value or reality; it is nonexistent in the scheme of things. In our modern society, we have evolved from animal-eating predators into self-striving competitors. The gains and losses conceal each other; master and slave thrive on each other; wandering souls and hungry ghosts abound between heaven and earth. Stress is the consequence of our society, anxiety is the tactic employed, and loss of self-esteem is the price we pay. Unless the awakened mind is re-centered, the soul restored, kindness (Te) enriched, the self, individually and collectively, will never survive. Remember the word “return” reminded by the action of “returning”: body to its destiny, mind to its creativity and spirit to its oneness. Humankind is returning to earth since humanity takes its origin from earth. Earth is returning herself to heaven since earth takes her origin from heaven. Heaven is returning itself to the Tao since heaven takes its origin from Tao. The Tao is returning itself to Nature since Tao takes its origin from Nature. This is the ultimate reality: returning is the cornerstone of being Taoist. Only through this practice can we find the way, the one direction, the means to returning to our youth, our birth, our source, becoming one with the Tao. This is the unwavering path leading to the door of mystery where we will join and be the son who is exceeding the Heavenly Emperor.
Returning In Taoist inner alchemy, the empty harmony refers to the Cinnabar Field or Cauldron where elixir is refined. Cinnabar initially represents the raw reddish stone used by outer alchemists in the process of refining golden elixir. The cauldron is a cooking vessel used by the outer alchemists, while the inner alchemists define it as the empty center area in the abdomen. It contains the golden elixir crystallized from yin and yang Chi between the body/mind and universe. The yin Chi is in the valleys of the earth and kidneys in the human body, while yang Chi is in the entire cosmos and human mind. The yin (water) Chi in our body comes from the bladder, ovaries/testicles and prostate gland; whereas the yang (fire) - 69 -
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Chi in our consciousness and spirit arises from the heart and mental awareness. When these two kinds of Chi (called Kan and Li) are unified to form harmonious action, golden elixir is produced.
Upper Tan Tien (Upper Brain) is the Center of Observation. Middle Tan Tien (Middle Mind) is the Center of Consciousness.
Lower Tan Tien (Lower Brain) is the Seat of Awareness.
Fig. 1.2 Three Tan Tiens
The Taoist returning practice is that of fusing these two energies. The key to this is to empty the fullness of mind through emptying of the heart. To take this one step further, returning means not following any outward or worldly direction. This applies as well to sexual urges, common to us all. We need to practice returning sexual energy to the chest as selfless love, and to the brain as spiritual wisdom. For the male, no loss of such precious sexual energy means no regret and no violence. For the female, when the menstruation or the blood of sea is absent, the virgin state returns, the light returns, and power returns. This is what we refer to as returning to oneness: the original consciousness, the original love and original gut awareness as one. Without returning to this sacred-state, life is lost, the dream is lost and the spirit is lost. - 70 -
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There are Taoist practices for cultivating, conserving, recycling (inward and upward instead of down and out of the body), and refining sexual energy within the body. Pineal Gland beneath Crown (Enlightenment Gland, Gland of Direction) Pituitary Gland (Mideyebrow) Crystal Room Cavity of the Spirit Tongue
Yui-Gen (Cranial Pump) Ta-Chui (Central Control of the Tendon Connections of the Hands and Spinal Cord)
Hsuan Chi (Throat Energy Center) Shan Chung (Thymus Gland) Rejuvenation Center
Gia-Pe (Opposite Heart Center)
Chung Wan (Solar Plexus, Pancreas)
Chi-Chung (Adrenal Gland Center at T-11)-Mini pump
Chi-Chung (Navel, Spleen) Ovary/Sperm Palace
Ming-Men (Kidney Point - Door of Life); Prenatal energy storage safety point.
Extra 31 (He ding)
Chang-Chiang, Coccyx (Sacral Pump)
Wei-Chung BL-40; extra Spirit Energy is stored here.
Hui-Yin (Perineum Gate of Death and Life)
Functional Channel
Governor Channel
Yung-Chuan K-1 (Bubbling Spring)
Fig. 1.3 Learn to circulate your Chi in the Microcosmic Orbit to assist mastery of semen retention and transformation of sexual energy.
These practices enrich the quality of one’s life and fuel the process of spiritual “returning.” This can be achieved in the context of celibacy, sexual monogamy or multiple partners—depending on the individual and circumstances. The key is to merge sexual energy with loving compassion.
Bellows – Function of the Tao Since the Tao is all-pervading, it operates on both the left and the right. It fuses into every corner at all times with full anticipation. Yet
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it occupies no space, holds no form. It is like the emptiness inside the hub that makes the vehicle useful even though it is connected with spokes. It is like the hollowness that makes the vessel useful even though the vessel is molded and colored. It is like the empty space that makes the room useful even though it is framed with windows, doors, and walls. This Tao is also like the water flowing in the river, creating both the river flow and its supporting bed. It embraces both the mountain breast and ocean valley. The flow of the river facilitates, energizes, operates all things existing on either side by providing the power of not-having, not-occupying, not-attaching and not-framing. This form of spatial-energized operation is metaphorically described by Lao Tzu as a bellows. Whether the matter is leading or following, strengthening or weakening, enhancing or destroying, the bellows is the same regardless of what passes through its empty space. A bellows contains nothing. Its usefulness develops with the working relationship between what has been put in and what will then be expelled. Yet, if the input is slow and weak, nothing will be produced. When the force is too fast or too hard, it does not maximize the wind flow and could destroy the usefulness of the bellows. The secret to this practice is gentleness, steadiness and consistency. The bellows can accurately and clearly represent the flow of life: one side for the input of the Tao of life and its masculinity, and the other side for the output of the Te of love and its femininity. The two sides are constantly merging yet standing alone to generate their harmonious flow.
Fig. 1.4 We inhale the power of Tao into our life and return it with the virtue of Te. - 72 -
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Bellows-Like Meditation Meditation is, in a sense, expanding our mental space into the vastness of the universe. Human life and its existence on this planet depend on creating and discovering the most useful space to occupy, then utilizing it fully and gratefully. When a person finds a suitable space, they will survive and live a long life. This space can be both physical and mental: a good physical space implies a good location, good living conditions and a good business opportunity while a good mental space must have the capacity for flexibility, allowance and acceptance. These two are equally important and often difficult to occupy, expand and preserve. During our lifetime we are all granted a natural space in which to dwell and make our life meaningful, enabling us to realize a dream to make the heart joyful, and delight the spirit. Living in this environment we can exercise our kingship within our own precious kingdom. In meditation practice we utilize the bellows—the three precious spaces—within our body. The first bellows is the function of lungs, the working breath of life. The second bellows is the perineum, the gate to all-sea-flow. The third bellows is the third eye, the opening gate to the reality of mystery. Conscious breathing is the proper means to effect this procedure. 1. Breath-Related Problems: An array of chronic problems existing in the chest area and brain—bronchitis, chest pain, tightness of shoulders, poor digestion, neck pain, sleep problem and more—are the result of poor or improper breathing. If you are experiencing a sleep disorder and desperately desire a good sleep, lie on your back, place one foot over the other, and cross your hands on your chest. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath. As you listen to your breathing, you will soon drift into a deep and restful sleep. Before you realize it, it will be morning. You will generate more productivity within this creative environment with less time and effort.
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Fig. 1.5 Breathing into the dream of healing and empowerment (The position of hands and feet are opposite to each other. If you are right handed, place the left foot on the top of right one, and vice versa.)
2. Perineum: If you have lower back problems, constipation, frequent urination, poor or irregular menstruation and urination, and other related problems you must pay attention to the perineum pressure point. It is the key to a happy, healthy and energetic life. Kneel down with toes in standing position. Bow forehead to the floor and place hands together flat on the floor in front of the brain. Take a deep breath and contract the perineum and muscles as firmly as possible. Hold the breath and retain the contracting position for as long as possible. Then release quickly. Relax for a few seconds allowing the breath to run smoothly. Then begin the second phase of breathing using the same technique. Practice this for at least fifteen minutes. This exercise can also be done whether standing, sitting or lying down.
Fig. 1.6 Connecting to the earth mother.
You may experience pain in all related muscles, joints or organs, as healing commences. Pain is the first step in healing. - 74 -
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When the lower part of the body is fully open and relaxed, the entire back, neck and brain will become open and relaxed. You are becoming your own best doctor. The benefit of this exercise is beyond measure. Your appreciation of yourself and your life will expand as you continue this practice.
Perineum
Fig. 1.7 Drawing the energy into the body. Inhale, hold breath, contract perineum area. Release and relax.
3. Third Eye: In order to open your third eye and expand your consciousness in both waking and dreaming states, practice the following. Kneel, bend your head forward with hands flat on the floor and tap the forehead on the floor in rapid momentum. You may experience temporary pain and dizziness. That is a prelude to the joy that will ensue. When you no longer experience pain when following this practice, the spiritual eye is ready to open. You then focus on the pituitary gland. Inhale and mentally gather the cosmic light into the pineal gland through the yang third eye in the middle of the forehead. As you exhale, visualize the energy being condensed and sent forth to the yin third eye at the crossing-point between the two eyes. You may visualize numbers flashing on your mental screen as you count your breaths. When you are able to see a white dot, the cosmic door is ready to open. This is the key tool in Taoist healing diagnoses. When you develop this ability, you will learn to see and read illness.
Fig. 1.8 Receiving the light from within. - 75 -
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Mystical Female – Source of the Tao
The tranquility of the valley-spirit of the mystical female is the mother that creates the root of heaven and earth. Without tranquility, the source of Tao cannot be retained, the seed of pre-creative force cannot be nourished and the process of creation cannot be grounded. The Valley is the base upon which the land and mountains sleep. This valley of tranquility is the mystic gate that stimulates the dreaming wanderers and adventurous actors and actresses. It provides the echoing wall that responds and resonates honestly to original voices. It is the abyss that receives the power of penetration, and it is the graveyard that lays to rest the fallen bodies and returning spirits. Its spirit never dies but is always filled with endless vitality. The light cannot expand it, the darkness cannot exhaust it, no action can burden it and affairs cannot alter it. It is constant, indestructible, always there, ready to receive, respond, retrieve, refresh, regenerate and reenergize. In the very beginning, Lao Tzu instructs us that the door of all wonders is the mystery within the mystery, the mother of the universe. He experiences this by engaging in simple practices such as closing the mouth and nose and taking sustenance from the mother source—not his biological mother but the mother of the world. He promises that although the body dies, there is no harm. He uses two analogies for mouth and door (nose): narrow and broad. The explanation of narrow suggests that when the mouth is closed, there can be no disclosure of information. When you know yourself, no explanation of your being is necessary. No one in this world understands yourself better than you do. Those who know don’t speak and those who speak don’t know. The broader explanation is that there can be no outward flow of Chi. When the earthly door or sexual organ is withheld, when the heavenly gate—the mind’s eye—is inwardly preserved, there is a conservation of spiritual force. By closing your mouth and shutting the door, there can be no wearing down of life. When opening the mouth and pursuing your affairs, life cannot be preserved. When the mouth (or mind’s eye) is closed, and nose (or earthly door) is pinched closed, one sees what is small. Seeing what is small is discernment. Through discernment, one can preserve subtlety. - 76 -
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Preserving subtlety is having strength within. By utilizing this strength, one can draw on the light for discernment. When the center of the body is preserved, eternity becomes apparent.
Water: Symbol of the Tao
What is the model of being one with oneself; how does one lose his selfishness? Water is the answer. Water provides the life force for all creatures. It nurtures them, satisfies them, sacrifices itself, and once again purifies itself. Water, on earth, is life. Nothing can live nor complete its journey without water. This is the power and virtue of water. This is the material that resembles most closely the nature of the Tao. Water is soft and gentle; nothing can compete with it. It occupies more area than anything on the face of the earth does. Water is weak and pliable, yet nothing can fight against its power since it remains proportionate as well as ageless. Water is clean and pure; nothing can contaminate it since it purifies other matter by purifying itself. Water is at peace with nature; nothing can surpass it as a tranquilizer, since its murky states are stilled by its inner tranquility. Water is inactive, yet nothing can be more active than water itself; it is everywhere, ceaseless in its wanderings. Water is noncompetitive, conquers all. Water is always happy in its present dwelling place. Pouring as rain and drifting as snow, water travels endlessly through the seasons. Forming dews, storms and glaciers, existing as solid, fluid and steam, it continues its endless forms of processing. It washes away all toxic materials that harm living creatures. Being noncompetitive enables water to remain at peace at all times. Water joyfully speaks its true faith, but our poisonous understanding of it dispels its tranquil state. Water is content to follow its course, but our mismanagement of worldly affairs has diminished our course. Water acts in its own right time; we manipulate our affairs with an imaginative clock that destroys the natural rhythms of our bodies. Water dwells within earthly creatures, and reveals itself as the largest substance on earth. There is no need to demonstrate, prove or dignify itself. The yielding strategy it employs enables it to be - 77 -
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flexible, adaptable, and unattached by retaining its freedom. The ability with which it is endowed enables water to run along both sides of the stream or river, yet it remains unbiased in its singular mindset. It trickles or races on, embracing and returning to its destination with no need for refined strategy. Lao Tzu concludes that nothing in the world is softer and suppler than water. When confronting strength and hardness nothing can overcome it. Using nothing simplifies. Using water overcomes strength. Using weakness overcomes strength. Everyone knows it, yet none can apply it. Following this, the sages’ wisdom tells us: Whoever can bear the disgrace of the country is the ruler of the country. Whoever can bear the misfortune of the world is the ruler of the world.
Lao Tzu and the Tao On the Tao Through the reverse process of regaining his youth by transforming his life force into spirit, Lao Tzu expresses that matter or existing material is formed from chaos, which precedes that of heaven and earth. Silently and formlessly, it stands alone, never changing. It is eternal, penetrating every area of the universe, never growing, never changing, and never dying. It enables itself the mother of heaven and earth. Lao Tzu said to himself, I don’t know what name it has. With reluctance, I pronounce it Tao and deem it to be great. Great as it is, it remains at most a symbolic expression well beyond our mind’s comprehension. Symbolically far-reaching, it penetrates the mind’s spirit. Far-reaching becomes returning, like sky and ocean or earth merging seamlessly at the horizon, then returning to us. This Tao is truly great, and that of heaven is also great. That of earth is equally great. That of kingship is realistically great. Lao Tzu is forming with great caution and meticulous care, the word Tao. Tao is Nature, which is wordless, nameless, formless and motionless. No one, not even Lao Tzu, can have a clear, concrete, precise and absolute definition of Tao. He is unable to summon up a portrayal because he believes that knowing that you don’t know (everything) is superior. Not knowing that you don’t know (ev-
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erything) is a sickness. He rationally states that the best he can do is to call it Tao. He is certain that it precedes the Heavenly Emperor even without knowing whose son it is. The word Tao is simply a sound uttered through Lao Tzu’s mouth. He doesn’t create it; he states it arbitrarily. Clearly, Lao Tzu must employ a sound or a word. When the right understanding appears, words disappear; they are no longer necessary. When the right spirit appears, understanding disappears. Which would you choose? Lao Tzu defines himself by saying “people are calling me nature. ”He is neither smaller nor greater than nature is. He furthers states that everyone in the world says I am great, great without parallel. Being without parallel is what enables greatness. If there is a long-standing parallel, it becomes small. The following are other various self-defining descriptions from Lao Tzu: 1. I am desireless and without anticipation, like a baby who does not yet smile, gathering energy together, entering the abyss beyond the point of no return. 2. I am a fool at heart, as a water droplet is to the spring. 3. I am alone unintelligent. 4. I alone am dull and unsophisticated. 5. I alone maintain the living essence within. I alone stay with a unitary source, as if stubborn. I want to be wholly different from everyone else, by taking my sustenance from the mother source.
Discipline I always have three treasures: first is compassion, second is frugality, third is to not act in front of the world. So compassion enables courage. Frugality enables abundance. Not daring to act in front of the world enables the mechanism to endure. Through compassion, fight and win; defend and be secure. When the heaven establishes itself, it relies upon compassion.
Teaching and Learning Due to his heartfelt and wordless teaching method, Lao Tzu’s words are easy to understand and simple to apply. They are easy and simple because they are plain, nothing further is to be seen or - 79 -
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heard. Because this is so, his words are few and few people can understand them. He is precious and his teaching is precious; he wears shabby cloth but holds a treasure within. Words have their origin and events have their master. By reaching the ultimate emptiness, concentrating on the central stillness, he found that all things work together. From this I observe their returning. He concludes that truthful speech seems paradoxical. Besides, being overly informed leads to exhaustion, and facile promises necessarily result in little trust. Because of the discrimination of this paradox, Lao Tzu comprehends the knowledge to walk in the great Tao and know there is no reason to be fearful. The only fear is what is other than that. This is the most profound paradox of life. It serves as a powerful spiritual awakening practice and self-realization practice as well.
Warning Seeing what desire and ambition invite, Lao Tzu warns that I see clearly that those who want to take over the world and manipulate it do not succeed. No one can surpass the wonder of nature. The sacred mechanism of the world cannot be manipulated. Those who manipulate it will fail. Those who hold on to it will lose it. If Lao Tzu is right, the manipulation of scientific exploitation in its many various forms, including that of us, will necessarily bring about self-destruction. As the nuclear bombs and arsenals proliferate around the world, due to man’s pursuit of profit and power, there could come a time of total self-destruction. In regarding government, Lao Tzu asserts that the more prohibitions there are in the world, the poorer the people will be. The more and sharper the weapons the people have, the more chaotic the nation will become. The more know-how people have, the more bizarre things will appear. The more rules and demands that flourish, the more thefts there will be. Instead, just let people enjoy the food, appreciate the cloth, delight in customs, settle into their living conditions. The neighboring countries are in sight. The sounds of dogs and chickens are heard. People grow old and die without interference from each other. Spirits are calling, but bodies are at peace with nature. The other warning sign Lao Tzu declares is that whenever people are afraid of death and are acting contrary, I will catch and kill them; - 80 -
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who else can act so? People are generally not afraid. Whenever people are unafraid of death, how can killing be used as a threat? If fear arises, it will be a great fear. As a result, nobody can kill the fear of a nation. People will protect themselves out of their own fear. As for himself, Lao Tzu is never fearful because he has no place to die.
Advice To expand on the above paradox, Lao Tzu cautions using the right lawfulness to govern the country, using nonexpectancy to conduct the battle, using disengagement to take over the world. When I am inactive, people transform themselves. When I abide in stillness, people organize themselves lawfully. When I am disengaged, people enrich themselves. When I choose non-desire, people remain simple.
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Chapter II Sensory Perception
How We Perceive To perceive is to be aware of our surroundings as stimuli by the means of senses. All living things from plants to insects and animals possess sensory abilities. Plant life carries the most simple form of perception, that of transforming water and light through minerals. All species of insects live on germs and viruses, whereas animals depend on their five sensory receptors to recognize, identify and utilize their needs. Plants and rocks are active inorganically or vegetatively. Deriving from their inherent abilities, animals have developed inter/intra-organic capacities in order to live actively and escape safely through their sensors. Their rudimentary abilities enable them to interact with the five sensors of eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin. The human hands and feet as well as animals’ claws and birds’ wings, etc., are essential to their corresponding senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Humans have also developed the ability to think and reason, to make and utilize tools. Although mankind is incapable of running as fast as jaguars, jumping as high as fleas, flying as high as birds or swimming as well as fish, we are the masters of sensory manipulation, making the most creative use of all things as well as the most destructive use. Along with five senses, all animals possess souls or animal spirits of that intrinsic and independent power. Taoists call this form of spirit po, which is instinctive, vegetative, selfish and egoistic. Just as plant lives range from seasonal to perennial, animal spirits exist from cyclical to eternal. All animal spirits are cyclical, but the human spirits, being the most highly evolved, can reach the eternal. All animal spirits are self-protective since they must safeguard their own existence. Only human beings are consciously aware of their traits of selfishness and are willing to somehow extend this - 82 -
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power beyond death. All animals are realistically selfish; only humans can sacrifice today for the benefit of tomorrow. When a spirit/soul is regenerated into a physical body, it unifies its organic ability with the conscious ability to form ego: the master of the five senses. In the Taoist interpretation, ego, as a powerful and destructive sensory receptor, manipulates both the biological and instinctive awareness of po and the conscious and mental awareness of hun. The human conscious awareness perceives both the present reality (natural or cultural) and the projected reality (wished or planned). We define a natural presence (such as time) through a consciously perceived presence (such as a specific time of a day), and project it into a future outcome (such as predicting the weather).This is made possible through the interaction of the conscious spirit, the anticipating power, the make-believe of ego and the foreseeing and fear-controlling capability. With spiritual discipline we become fully aware of the biological and receptive presence, the consciously perceived and planned presence, and the spiritually awakened and transcended presence. This is the presence of oneness, a composite of matter, force and the momentum of their interaction. This is the presence of spirit and its wisdom force. In spiritual manifestation, the world is not only perceived but perceivable as well. The perceived world is the realistic world we now inhabit. The perceivable world remains forever present and mystic. Therefore, in spiritual cultivation practice, the senses are organic and inorganic, biological and psychological, instinctive and conscious, egoistic and willful. Our sensory power represents the power of nature, mind, force, and matter.
Spiritual Sensitivity Everything is perceivable as it is perceived; Nature in God’s creation is perceivable and the Tao in life is a perceived journey. In spiritual discipline, everything has its intrinsic healing power. To perceive the power of each individual creature is exceedingly difficult because of its own sacred secrecy and interactive capacity. On the one hand, when the secrecy is open the sacred becomes manipulative. When an individual is isolated and becomes naked, plain is the presence and simplicity is the workstation. On the other hand, only when one is naked does one reveal its natural secrecy; only when there is no more magic visible does it conceal the true - 83 -
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magic within: the gift of spirit. Between this paradox lies the nature of mind and faith, underlining the path of research and returning. The mind steals as many natural things as possible by exploring their nakedness, disregarding each one’s privacy, giving no credence to the nature of secrecy, and paying no respect to the beauty of simplicity. The scientific mind willfully and egoistically locks the door to any naked entrance through the possible reconstruction of elements and making the beautiful fruits of motherhood a profitable outcome. Equally alarming and tragic is the religious view of abandoning the body, the love and the flow for the sake of institutional practices, making the sacred power of church (body and son) deviate itself from its source, love and resource: the sacrificial power of mother. The world begins with the mother as its source. When you have the mother, you know the son. The Mother is the undivided natural form of Maker, and her creative power is the mechanism of all creatures and their functions. Knowing this, the smallest and the subtlest particle of the seed and the son, the orphanage of your true self, is through your innate experience. This is the understanding of the science of each individual substance and its function, from images to ideas to structures and to numbers. This is the source of our mind’s search, both realization and actualization, and our returning path.
Fig. 2.1 When the bodily parts work together, the spirit senses all. - 84 -
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So we must die, as the son and the sacred church, in order to return to the source. When you know the son, turn back to preserve the mother. Although the body dies, there is no harm. When you know your true self within, return to embrace your procreative mother, your divine source and your creativity. This is the meaningful duty of religious spiritual practice, returning to the original state by embracing the original undivided source. This is the spiritual discipline. Love lies within our receptive minds with our trembling sensations of oneness with God’s love bestowed on each of us. Truth is not inside the monastery; it is inside our spirit. Faith is not within a teaching; it is the true magic of the world. Together, the spiritual sensitivity will be established. There is no rejection of science before religious belief, and there is no denying spiritual faith before any experimentation. This is the message that Lao Zi has provided. This is the power of spiritual sensitivity.
Development of Five Senses
Fig. 2.2 Five Senses
Five senses are developed within the entire animal kingdom, coordinated through the primitive brain, or cerebral cortex. In humans, the term cerebral cortex describes the thick layer of gray matter encasing the cerebrum, just as fruit encircles its kernel. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, consisting of two hemispheres separated by a deep longitudinal fissure. It is the central authority for sensation as well as for all voluntary muscular activities. It is the seat of consciousness and the center of the higher mental faculties such as memory, learning, reasoning and emotions. It consists of four lobes: occipital lobe for visual association, parietal - 85 -
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lobe for touch and taste, the temporal lobe for smell and hearing, and front lobe for the motor activities of thinking and reasoning. All sensory activities governed by the cerebral cortex are centralized through the thalamus glands and executed through the limbic system—the name being derived from “limbus,” the Latin word for “ring.” This ringing system enables us to learn and to memorize. This ability is the conductor of sound and its vibrating frequencies, ensuring the person of the next breath, the next meal or opportunity. Prior to development of the limbic system, all species possessed a brainstem that encircled the top of the spinal cord and was poorly developed, particularly among fish and insects. The brainstem, even more primitive than the limbic system, directs (as it is preprogrammed to do) the functions of breathing and metabolism. It controls our stereotyped reactions and movements as well. It is vital in maintaining our conscious wakefulness and alertness. The primary functions of life—heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing, coughing, breathing and unconsciousness—are charged by the brainstem. The alarm system in the brain, the reticulating activating system (RAS) consists of a reticular formation, subthalamus, hypothalamus, and medial thalamus—with hypothalamus serving the highest purpose of all. It contains many tiny clusters of nerve cells called nuclei monitors that regulate body temperature, food-intake, water balance, blood flow, sleep-wake cycle and the activity of the hormones secreted by the pituitary glands. Thalamus Hypothalamus Pineal Gland
Pituitary Gland
Fig. 2.3 Crystal Room - 86 -
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The brainstem, in Taoist practice, comprises the first storeroom of sexual energy as it rises through the spinal cord. It then further nourishes the pituitary gland and pineal gland in meditation practice at the second level: transforming Chi into Shen, then Shen into Emptiness and finally Emptiness into Tao. Its primary factor is its ability to regulate the hypothalamus gland. The meditators who fast long periods of time without sleeping are capable of unifying this gland by constantly drawing light into the brain and body through the pituitary gland. By keeping the adrenal hormones at their lowest levels, the inner peace will remain undisturbed. In such a state, the sensory receptors that are controlled by the thalamus gland, with the exception of the olfactory, will consciously withdraw. Thus, breathing activity substitutes for the restfulness of visual and auditory function. In complete darkness, as is found within caves where the meditators engage in their highest form of practice, the visual and auditory abilities become ever more powerful. By drawing the unconscious light from the adrenal glands that are being charged by the primordial sexual energy, the mind sees the light and the inner ear hears the cosmic vibration within both the body/mind and the mother earth. Mysteriously, the cave and the hollowness within the bones echo each other, making the cosmic vibration visibly meaningful through the conscious eye. The olfactory becomes the chief organ to supply the minimal energy needed for the body/mind. Thus the thalamus glands are actively shut down. The pituitary gland—the master gland for bodily hormones—becomes distilled by the exchange of energy in the body/mind needed for spiritual awakening power. The hypothalamus gland alternates peacefully, remaining in perfect balance between wakefulness and sleep. The pineal gland, secreting melatonin to control the subtle bodily rhythms, is alternated by the vibration of earth and the scanning light, no longer being driven by the instinctive drive from adrenal power and conscious awareness of the thalamus gland. In this state, wakefulness is a dreaming state and dreaming consciousness is awakening consciousness. They become the functions of spiritual stars and planet earth, rather than the rotating power of the earth, the sun and the moon. This state is the final stage of the returning process on earth.
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With the development of the brainstem, the emotional or adaptive center emerges, enabling the body to function more actively both organically and emotionally. The root word for emotion is “motere”, the Latin verb “to move.” By adding prefix “e” to the word “motion,” we see the correlation of organic life in circulating and retreating from its very basic mechanical function. The Taoists view emotional activities as energy diffusions. The seven emotional expressions of organic function with the passion of the heart are closely connected with the seven openings in the face expressing happiness, rage, sadness, joy, love, hatred and desirable action. The first six are the organic expressions of heart, liver, and spleen. The desirable action is the egoistic mental action. The primary organ for these emotional activities is coordinated through the function of the two amygdala (taken from the Greek word for “almond” because of its fanciful resemblance to almonds). In Taoist tradition, this is the crowning center where both the light and visual frames register, such as the image of sun or of a snake. As the sexual power engages with the light above the brain to form sweet dew, the light in the pituitary becomes graywhite. When it radiates, the two amygdala glands are activated, allowing the Chi to circulate on either side of the head above the ears and around the temples. As the light moves forward, the third eye—the essential tool for healing diagnosis—will be opened.
Amygdala Fig. 2.4 Function of Amygdala
The overall functioning of the amygdala is related to the energy of the kidney Chi (among adrenal glands, kidneys, bladder and ovarian/prostate glands), particularly the will/fear expression. Fear is - 88 -
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the oldest negative emotion. It is felt by all animals, and is even stronger among humans since they have so little power to protect themselves, especially the newborn. The longer history required for organic development makes fear the basis of the entire civilization process: to protect ourselves and achieve higher potential. Kidneys have their corresponding facial locations within the temples and ears. When your kidney Chi is vibrant and flows freely to the brain, there is no blockage in either temporal lobe or around the umbilical cord. The energy flows freely to create pure emotional vibration: compassion. The temporal lobes govern all auditory, somatic, and motor sensitivities. The breath coming through the nostrils as well as light shining upon the amygdala charge these sensory activities. The adrenal glands, responsible for releasing dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, become the seat for true inner stillness. This inner stillness is opposed to the extremely fearful reactions that manifest in response to life-threatening situations such as freezing, numbness and immobility. In this state, everything is in the harmless and loving present. Being neither fearful nor excited, the heart remains calm with no attachment to anything internal or external. The dopamine’s main effect, increasing the pumping of the heart and blood flow, dissolves and transforms itself into healing power. The primary action of norepinephrine, primarily responsible for freezing the muscular and organic expansions, becomes chilled. These two catecholamines then coalesce with epinephrine. This phenomenon increases the production of glucose from glycogen that is produced in the liver. This results in increased energy to the eyes and temples, consequently diminishing or greatly reducing the activity of the gastrointestinal system. The energy coming through the liver adds additional power to the cerebrospinal fluid necessary for the cell function in the brain. The breath becomes deeper, longer and smoother, yet more subtle. Revolutionarily speaking, when the meditator’s breathing condition becomes as such, animals will retreat from this seemingly dead body. Rather, they choose to make friends with it rather than viewing it as a meal. The animals are curious to learn what had come over their food-supplier. In time they become inspired to enter a life of service to those few highly advanced people. This serves as one example of the earliest history of domesticating wild animals. In many cases, those animal friends took on the role of pro- 89 -
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tectors who fought for their masters. For example, in ancient China there are many written descriptions of the highly skilled commanders and martial artists employing wild animals in battle. This is perhaps the earliest meditative power exerted by humans in dealing with their predators. Gradually, throughout the history, we have internalized this skill into a two-sided, built-in self-preservation technique: positive and negative. The negativity freezes or numbs the body/mind subconsciously in its confrontation with danger. The positive side exercises the human willpower to swiftness and fearlessness as characterized by kingship, noble men and sages. Action (Te) in its profundity is like a newborn baby. Poisonous insects and venomous snakes do not sting it. Predatory birds and ferocious animals do not seize it. In ancient literature, stories were written about kings, noblemen and sages as examples of sovereignty, to be regarded by the commoners as spiritual or god-like creatures, worthy of worship. They needed leadership, guidance, a common hope and belief. Since the majority of the population was unable to survive due to rampant disease, lack of food or becoming the food-supply of the stronger wild animals, they were destined to die at a very early age. The few who survived honed their skills in order to transform their fear and reverse the prevailing life-threatening situations into a positive outcome. According to pre-heaven theory in Taoist tradition, the abdomen is yang and brain is yin. In the beginning of its life within the womb, generally within three to five months, the body turns upside down with the water at the top and the fire at the bottom. This flow is the function between the North Star and the sun: tailbone and fontanels. The North Star provides the holy water and spiritual light, while the sun ensures the biological formative power and the conscious nutrients: blood and fire. The tailbone provides and directs the initial spinning, rotating or swinging power. It also provides flexibility for the pelvic structure to accommodate the birth process. The fontanels, serving as the cosmic urinary and defecating gates, channel the communication between the fetus and mother. As a fetus grows, the nutrients coming through umbilical cord and placenta shower through the sacral bones to the entire body. The spine becomes like a riverbed, allowing the water Chi to flow and nourish the organs, muscles, tissues, bones and other bodily parts, enabling the fetus to rotate, moving from side to side and up and - 90 -
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down. The ears become as the mouth of this river flow, ready to receive the vibration between the fetus and mother, and communicate between the skin and the amniotic fluid. The umbilical arteries and veins within the cord provide the vital energetic circulation of blood. Unlike other species in the animal kingdom, human babies hang upside down in the mother’s abdomen until the birth process begins. Animal mothers give birth while standing on their four legs; therefore there is no fear of darkness in baby animals. In contrast, the human baby’s brain is always held vice-like in its mother’s pelvis, looking down into darkness, causing the fear of darkness to become a built-in biological reaction.
Fig. 2.5 Pre-Heaven Life
In post-heaven life, the nine sacral and tailbones are fused into two, enabling the trunk of the body to stand upright. The resultant walking ability defines the natural difference between a human baby and an animal baby. It takes a period of six months or more for a human baby to develop the ability to stand on its feet and walk, while only a matter of minutes for a baby animal to do so. However, later on in adulthood—in cases where lifestyle effects have resulted - 91 -
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in ossification-like conditions in connective cartilage and other connective tissue between the sacrum and bones in the pelvic area—the sacrum and the affected bones of the pelvic girdle become effectively fused together. The fused bones prevent independent movement of the sacrum, and flexibility of the sacral area is lost. In meditation practice, if the sacrum bones are not reopened, there can be no free flow of kundalini power for the total awakening experience. In higher stages of Taoist meditation practice, we are told that unless the sacrum and coccyx (tailbones) are reopened, it is not possible for the neck muscles, cervical spine and throat to operate freely. The Chi-energy body (fluid state) cannot be upgraded into the Shen-energy body (illuminating state) until this process is completed. Sacral Canal
Sacral Foramen S1 S2 C1 C2 C3 C4
Sacral Hiatus
S3 S4 S5
Fig. 2.6 Sacrum and Coccyx
Meditative Perceptivity Humanity has developed abilities through their evolution to distinguish the differences among colors, sounds and smells with the aid of the five senses. Possessing these facilities, we humans experience other more subtle senses. Some examples are pressure, temperature, weight, resistance and tension, pain, position, perceptional and visceral and sexual sensations, equilibrium, hunger and thirst. All these sensations arise from the interaction between internal organs and the external world. The primary role of the senses—to ensure our survival and avoid any dangerous and disastrous situation—enables us to discriminate what is good from that which is harmful, and what is valuable from what is useless. Upon optimizing these sensory abilities, we gradually become more - 92 -
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artistic, instrumental and possessive. We continually strive to improve those abilities to discern or perceive the natural forms, to make life simpler and more peaceful, ever more meaningful and wonderful. In spiritual practice two things are required. The first is to perceive something exactly as it is. This is the precision of accuracy. The other is selflessness. When the self is absent, the discrimination and judgment will be absent as well. There can be no space for duality when the true value of perception is apparent. Passing judgment is the real poison to our life, our health and our spiritual environment. True spiritual judgment is selfless: perceiving things as they are and responding accordingly. In life, all good things are transformative gifts and all bad things are valuable learning and transforming materials. Understanding this reality—the meaning of perception—is the beginning of Taoist awareness practice. It is being consciously aware that the perception of eyes, nose and ears functions to form the greatest portion of information. When we reach the point where what we perceive is ideal to what our consciousness is perceiving, life then presents its true meaning to us. At this point, the sensory organs are not only reliable tools but also valuable conscious and spiritual vehicles. Through this organic awareness, deeper emotional and spiritual nature will be awakened and comprehended. Only the true self is needed to achieve this. With the aid of light, all things can be seen. To know the Tao, no special talent is needed and no perceivable knowledge is required. All things on earth are sacred, gifted and selfless. To know this is to know your true self and how to apply the skill of spiritual perception. With this device, we can know not only the worldly appearances we observe but also their hidden messages. Then oneness is achieved, making human perception a joint venture between our biological, emotional and spiritual world within as well as the external world negotiated by the mind and heart. The perception of the world, of the Tao and of God is then achieved as life flows on of its own accord.
Sensory Receptors Do you know why all sensory receptors are located in the front of the body? It is to direct us to move always forward, using colors, - 93 -
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sounds, tastes and pressure till our body finally dies. From its very beginning our life is lost until death returns to take us. During the day, we march forward. At night we return during sleep. However, when sleeping on our backs, we block our spiritual communication as dream-work replaces spirit-traveling.
Fig. 2.7 Sensory Receptors
When you learn to see things through the back part of your brain, listen to sound through the center of your brain and breathe through the navel, you become one with yourself and the universe. If you cannot do so now, following the techniques outlined here will show you the way. They will guide you through the outside world into your inner world, not through hopes gathered in the forefront of your imagination but with the dreams held back in your subconscious mind. That is the meaning of meditation: returning to oneness.
Vulnerable Sensory Organs Mawangdui Text Five colors blind the eyes. Racing and hunting madden the heart. Pursuing what is rare makes action deceitful. Five flavors dull the palate. Five tones deafen the ears. This is the content taken from chapter 12 in the Mawangdui texts, believed to be the original and least articulate copies now in existence. Mawangdui is the name of a village in South-Central China where the earliest known texts (two copies altogether) of Tao Te Ching were unearthed from a Han tomb by Chinese archaeologists in 1973. There are over sixty chapters in the standard version, which differ in words and phrases and sentence arrangements from the original Mawangdui texts. For example, the standard version lists the “three fives” first (five - 94 -
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colors, five flavors and five tones), followed by Racing and pursuing madden the heart, and Pursuing what is rare makes the action deceitful. The standard version rigidly and forcefully places the “three fives” together through the “mental word processor” of logical reasoning. It disguises the tragedy of human interaction with simple calculation: compressing the human experience in a short summarization. The artistic demonstration in the standard version loses the most vital point: the position of heart and the center of action. Compared to the standard version, the Mawangdui texts show more originality and are less wordy and polished. This expresses the nature of Tao, responding naturally by ignoring completion and perfection. Grand perfection seems lacking, yet its use is never exhausted. Grand fullness seems empty, yet its use never comes to an end. Grand straightforwardness seems bent. Grand skill seems clumsy. Grand surplus seems deficient. This is an honest reminder of how we should avoid becoming entrapped and being satisfied with momentary limitation. Hopefully, through this naturally inspired and personally experienced reminder, we will walk through this chapter and the entire book with grace, realization and liberation. Most importantly, the Mawangdui’s arrangement in chapter 12 has its own conscious sequence. It is not in the logical art of language but spoken to the natural conscious order: a combination of intuition and rationality. It explains the process of using our immediate senses of colors, heartbeat and excitement first, followed by sounds, smells and flavors. It concerns itself with the organic interaction of self with the world. It treats the mental reflection of the world’s appearance and other qualities as an interactive and inseparable unity to be acquired from both biophysical experience and conscious understanding. This is the nature of all recorded wisdom traditions. In Lao Tzu’s spiritual conscious order, the sentence five colors blind the eyes reveals the eyes as one of the primary sensory receptors. Colors are the first visible objects in the universe and the most powerful natural stimuli. Their significance is so important to our life, both biological and artistic, that we dye our fabrics with colors, stain utensils with color, paint our rooms and houses with colors, and express ourselves through colors. And we are the consumers of colors. When colors, as the spectrums of light, enter - 95 -
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the heart through eyes, the heart is fired and maddened, and the body is driven by the “go for it” message. Racing and hunting commence. Completion then comes into play since our survival depends on the colorful fruits of mother earth. The more rare an object is, the more intensely the body/mind pursues it. Pursuing what is rare makes action deceitful: the beginning of human sinfulness. The word “rare” is used in reference to the most sought after stimuli since that which is rare pleases the heart, satisfies the ego, escalates the position and increases the value. Cheating, fighting, disguising, lying, envying, admiring, appraising, degrading, denying, hiding, exaggerating, labeling, disregarding, abusing, humiliating, killing, on and on endlessly. All for the purpose of pursuing five flavors and enjoying the five tones: the rewards of racing and hunting. As the eyes are blinded, palate dulled, ears deafened, the body becomes toxic and the mind numb. In spiritual discipline, the body is the ‘cycling’ temple of the spirit. The mind is the directing wind of spirit. Their vital force or spiritual elixir should be used for two purposes only: to give birth to God’s beloved and spiritually connected children, and to return us all to the true nature of self: the spiritual and Godhead self.
Five Elements – Sum of Stimuli Since we are exposed to the stimulation of matters and forms of this world, their invitations can become inescapable. The colors, sounds, smells and motions of natural substances and their various forms constantly “invade” our micro-biological matter and form. When we follow the natural pattern of day and night, we awaken to the shadow part of the light produced by the sun at dawn (the darkest time) and again in the morning just before sunrise. It is a powerful alarm clock ringing in our unconsciousness. When the persona of the sun, bright and glaring in its light, is activated above the earth, the body hair of the earth—plants and flowers and trees— are holistically massaged by its soft, gentle yet subtle and penetrative invasion. And we are hopelessly vulnerable to its immense power; we revel in it. It is this invitation from nature that allows us to go with the flow of the outside world. This ability is innate to us and there is no need to develop it. It is a given. Going with the flow is an optimistic response that deals with a notion of selfless anticipation and mindful - 96 -
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engagement as expressed in Eastern philosophy and religion. The Chinese have summed up the world or universe as being comprised of the forms that are pictured or symbolized with five elements (“forms” or “appearances” or “phases”). These five elements are charged by the two opposite yet coexisting yin and yang forces. All natural things, in the Chinese mind, are immersed in this “quantumized mechanical bang.” For example, the five seasonal changes (spring, summer, late summer, fall and winter) produce five colors (green, red, yellow, white and black) and five flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, tart and salty). They activate five tones (call, laugh, sing, cry and moan) through the five facial organs (eyes, ears, nose, mouth and tongue) and five internal organs (liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys) as well. In turn they are charged by the kidney Chi produced from five kidney organs (two inner kidneys, two outer kidneys and one sexual organ). All these fives are conceived within the bodily five elements (a body with two arms and two legs); expressed with five emotions (anger, joy, worry, sorrow and fear); and manifested with five fingers. The five fingers are the ultimate inspiration that completes the structure of theory-making practice: the yin-yang-five-element theory symbolizing the cosmological and mythological structure of the universe within ourselves.
Pressure upon Five Senses Our life cycle is determined by the interaction of eternal and external stimuli. The initial excitement then emerges as competitive action that will reap the rewards of food, drink, sex, and being surrounded by possessions and values. They become our status symbols. The Chi is further consumed in dealing with dual reactions such as happiness and joy or anger and frustration. The war begins and the life grinds on to the end. This is what Lao Tzu has surmised as the reason people are not serious about death is because they seek the burdens of life. The sensory organs gradually become vulnerable as they succumb to their burdens. During much of the time the organs can do nothing independently. They merely facilitate our means and the derived benefits. They are driven constantly by internal demands and external pressure. As the five receptors become jammed, the sixth sense—the bodily sense—is scorched by the fire, and the seventh sense—conscious awareness—is cluttered by the words - 97 -
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and beliefs. Naturally, these things never entice us, please us or do harm to our sensory organs or us. We cannot be slaves to either materials or sensibilities. Since large or small, many or few, rewards or punishment, are all being done through Action, we must practice non-doing, engaging in non-affairs and savoring non-flavor. This action is the real product of the mind and heart. The mind pursues and the heart rewards. There is no need to hasten our own demise by driving ourselves to defeat. In following this practice of non-doing, we must give attention to each and every stimulating agent, whether internal or external. Everything that exists exerts its neutral position, which is altered by how we utilize it. According to Taoist inner alchemy and Chinese medicine, colors, flavors and tones may cause an organic imbalance, which could then lead to emotional turmoil and spiritual distortion. The five colors, flavors and tones impart corresponding internal organic reactions, including biological, emotional and intellectual orgasm. When the pressures exerted by these stimuli become overwhelming, there will be a blockage to the sensory receptors of eyes, ears and mouth. The inner organs will then be harmed: anger frustrates the liver; hate causes rage in the heart; worry eats away at the spleen; sadness depresses the lungs; and fear distills itself in the kidneys. In like manner the high frequency brought on by shouting or blatant noise can inflict damage to the heart; drinking can poison the liver, pornography leeches away at the kidney Chi. Then much needed energy is required to detoxify and restore the body/mind to its normal state. Speaking in further detail, the liver for example, has the emotional attributions of kindness and anger. When a person’s liver Chi is pure and strong he is kind and passionate. Should the liver Chi be deficient, terror can be experienced. An over abundance of terror-Chi produces anger. As the anger backs up in the liver, the mind becomes deranged, losing its control and clarity. Muscles in the genitals contract and cramp. Constant expansions of the chest and rib cage area bring about the onset of palpitations, irritability, quick temper, obsessions and excessive dreams. Deadly consequences may loom on the horizon.
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Stop Victimizing your Sensory Organs We now understand the vulnerability of our sensory organs and the need to balance them. Rather than honoring and respecting them, we burden them mercilessly with self-abuse. When the eyes become tired, we continue to look. When the ears are jammed with excessive sound, we continue listening. When the stomach is full, we continue to eat. The eyes become shortsighted and the ears deafened. The body loses its sense of balance and one’s health is at stake. As a result, the more you cling to, the more you lose. In the sense of Tao, this is said to be eating too much and acting too much. What should we do?
Away from Motivational Stimulus We are easily bored and grow tired of our routine and surroundings. This motivates us to seek more stimulation. At times we are so highly motivated by the drive of our ego persuasion that we reach for perfection. Searching for answers to the purpose of our life journey is the highest form of motivation to be cultivated. We are what we are. Living through what we are is the answer, but we sometimes refuse to accept it. When Buddha became enlightened, his dream-come-true teaching attracted many followers and has continued to do so for generations. Yet, his teachings arouse dogmatic behavior in some and rejection in others. The dogmatic behavior fixates upon the word of realization; rejection pays no regard to suffering. Buddha is enlightened but his teachings are only partially there. How then can we search the way to enlightenment through Buddha or his teachings? When we refuse to accept the truism that we are what we are— and in our momentary need, we are compelled to add colors, labels and meanings—the ego-mind believes that if we are highly determined we can be anything we want to be. This is how we dream and teach our children. We then empower our ego to demand and direct our actions instead of listening to the warning signals and devoting ourselves to virtuous action. Credentials, marriages and other artificial practices retard and destroy our sacred sensitivity, our going with flow. This is the exorbitant price extracted by our egoistic demands. If our minds are not constraining the living environment, they do not get bored by life. Because they do not get bored, there is no boredom. - 99 -
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Being Productive: Ego’s Weapon During the course of our continual forward march toward civilization, we become emotionally entrapped. We are intellectually encouraged to believe that being productive is of value and the reason to live. Since our productivity must be measured according to given standards, we look into all manners of what we consider to be desirable goals: positions in social, political and religious organizations. Upon achieving these positioned comfort levels, we feel justified for having paid such a high price. As individuals we are always alone and bear no measurable traits. Within an individual life, the ego cannot attain inner satisfaction; it requires an “expanded” environment. This drive pushes the body/mind into an arena of activity within groups and organizations. Then ego devises endless lists of names and titles to decorate ego-defined body/mind. As these groups and organizations prove their existence, legislate and demonstrate their power dominance, the newcomers—young and old—struggle to become a part of them. The social organizations become fully established, firmly entrenching the future generations. This feeds their desire for more security, getting more education, and meeting higher standards of civilization: being more productive. At the same time schools, corporations, churches and many other establishments process this mentality of “being productive” passionately, forcefully and violently. In so doing they can attract each other, abuse each other, and ultimately destroy each other. The assumption of “being productive” implies that we must make a good impression, be young, smart, creative, hardworking and most importantly, obedient and pliable. The social organizations are anxious to “hire” these qualities and make full use of them. Their expectations are that we will improve, become more efficient and productive in order to set an even higher standard of success for others to follow. Those that follow us proceed to compete with us and eventually take over our own hard-won illustrious positions. What is happening? We have sold ourselves to the highest bidder. Few people live with ease. Among the extremely talented and high-ranking professionals, their ego allows them to be used and exploited to the fullest as they consume the average and cast off the worthless. The extremely talented ones have achieved everlasting “social” status. Even though they are few, they fall into two - 100 -
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distinct groups. Those in the first group purify themselves within and forget about the existence of the world because they are enlightened and have always been. They are themselves and not themselves: what they are as themselves is what others cannot know or don’t want to know; what they are not as themselves is the way they are known. Plato, Lao Tzu, Shakespeare, Rumi, Beethoven, Einstein, Van Gogh, and others are among this select group. Those in the other group sacrifice themselves and unify themselves with God and the hearts of people or individuals: Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Washington, and Martin Luther King are examples. These individuals cannot exist by themselves, and their followers will live in the wilderness without their image and guidance. Who is the greater: you or someone in these two groups? Three makes the great.
Sickness of our Persuasion Idea of Ownership In the realm of ego life, there is no word strong enough to equal it. There is never enough of anything. Ego uses a great deal of physical and mental space to fill and store its ambitions and to preserve and expand its possessions. Consider the physical space it occupies as an explanation. There is no way to measure how big is big enough. An apartment may not be as good as a house, a house not as good as a mansion, a mansion not as good as a country, a country not as good as the kingdom of mind. Worse yet, the insatiable individual ego projects and transforms itself into a collective group ego. The idea of ownership is no more than social approbation and culturalized ego possession. When a person owns a decent house, they proudly announces ownership. The papers are signed and legally approved. This person never realizes that the first master owner of the house is the earth mother herself. The present owner can trade the house, but cannot take the “ownership” away with them. From the dawn of early civilization, our ancestors realized that owning land means owning all the possessions on it, i.e., food and water. The pride and power of ownership have been and will - 101 -
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always be marked in one way or another on the earth itself. All creatures living on earth will fight for food, sex, and shelter. Only humans have lost the beauty of flow by accumulating things and declaring ownership. This ownership then extends from the head of a family into a tribe and ultimately into a country. As the head of the family finally becomes the king, the president, or highest official, his personal rules become the far reaching rules of a country—called government—the second master. The land of a country has been watered and washed down and will continue to be, by its patriotism. Yet, all the blood is directed by the third and the most powerful owner: the mind of the ruler. Owning the mind means owning the body, the land and richness of life. From the wisdom and intellectual mind, all is created and all others are manipulated. In our modern day society, intelligence and technology become the main source of the power structure to transform natural resources and raw materials into commercial goods. Many third world countries, while lacking in well-trained intellectuals and well-equipped technology, have more natural resources but are poor. There has never been a time in human history during which the mind is more precious and invaluable than it is today; mind is profit, especially an intelligent mind. There has never before been a time when man made materials are more valued than natural products. For example, a plane or a rocket is much more highly priced than a piece of jade or a diamond. Similarly and exquisitely, the ultimate owner of our minds is the heavenly father: God. The lands of heart, mind and earth are all His creative belongings. God doesn’t need a physical space, a piece of land. God resides in the land of the heart and within the ownership of faith. Heart is the vast land of mother, light is the most powerful mind of God, and Love is their product. We are all the slaves of our body/land, and our mind/master. Mother Goddess owns this land, and father God controls this master. Tragically, for thousands of years, all three religious organizations in the West have declared themselves the ultimate owner of this Holy Land: Israel, the kingdom of heaven. This has no bearing on the land itself, but is the declaration of “mental seal” of ownership. The world of land is enormous, the world of God is everywhere, but the “mental seal,” the true owner is here on earth, standing before you. Moses, Jesus Christ and Mohammed established themselves in this Holy Land. Their followers have been fighting for - 102 -
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their own master and their own God. Their “mental seal” has become a mixed entity of religious ownership and national censorship. They fail to realize that they all worship the same God; their masters are children (within the same family lineage) of the same God. Are they fighting for their hearts or their egos? Are they worshiping their hearts or their faith?
Be Content with Enough Once ownership is established, business deals are made to enhance the growth and maintain ownership. The possessive ego never wants to “stop” since ego serves only its possessiveness. Therefore ego cannot distinguish between name and body, body and possession, or whether life or death holds more meaning. Which is more cherished, the name or the body? Which is worth more, the body or possessions? Which is more beneficial, to gain or to lose? Extreme fondness is necessarily very costly. Name can be changed; the body will die. Neither is truly cherished. Since the body will necessarily die, what is the value of it? If the ego can be completely abandoned, how can it be possessed? Since gain and loss complement each other, how can we have one without the other? We come from nothing and we have nothing. We gather nothing on our journey to death other than our own energized deeds. What we gain is what we will lose. The more we gain, the more we will lose. The more you cling to, the more you lose. The hope and the loss are equally important and mutually proportional; each hope generates a loss and each loss is a loss of energy driven by/toward hope. So in order to know the world, do not step outside the door. In order to know the Tao of heaven, do not peer through the window. The further out you go, the less you know. Door doesn’t refer to the door of a house, church, temple, or an office. Structurally, door is the image of a space occupied by self. Behaviorally, door stands for the initial step toward action: a coordinator between head and feet, a reminder of the conscious eye. Spiritually, the door is a gateway through which the lost soul finds its way home, the wanderer’s spirit embraces the mystic field, and the eye of wisdom interacts with the flesh of mystic creation. In Taoist tradition, the phrase “entering the door” is employed to express the initiation of a student. The last student is called the closing-door-disciple, permitting the - 103 -
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master to transmit everything to him and then announce his retirement. Equally, when we go outside the house for food or adventure, we know we must return. The further we go, the further away we are from home. The window represents the attractive beauty and sensational mystery. It is the pull of the wanderer, the intention of soul, the readiness of action, the patience of heart, the agitation of passion, and the defense of protection. A window cannot reveal God’s image, but only projects our own reflection. It draws the connection but denies the action. It invites without permeating and accepts without releasing the information. It peers through curiosity, directs our anxiety, leads to suspicion, is examined by the untrustworthy and guided by the wanderer. A wanderer never leaves his room: the border of his true nature. Yet he wonders about the usefulness of his room, the meaning of his border, and the value of his nature. A wanderer does not concern himself with his appearance; he is inside his image. He marches across the landscape of fresh-smelling soil. He never considers himself to be affectionate, but always loveable. His mind has stepped outside rationality and his heart is faithful to his spirituality. He does not search in his journey, but only measures within each step. He never stays inside his house, but is always at home. The window reflects his own being, and the door connects his spiritual consciousness with his overall behavior. He looks at the all but sees the one. He listens to the cosmic vibration but hears the silent wave. He rubs his fingertips for the sensational feelings of inner calling. He expresses his loving tenderness by crying for any peaceful solution. The Door to All Wonders is wide open, whether the wanderers are at home or wander and dream breathlessly. The body is the door and the feet are the ensuring doorsteps. The mind is the window as spirit reflects its virtuous freedom within the dancing soul: the dreams of wonders.
Beyond Ego Persuasion Our ego attempts to play its game between our body and mind, the cosmic body of memory. Ego is very conscious of this. During our life span we experience three kinds of memory: biological, psychological, and spiritual. Biological memory is our instinctive behavior. - 104 -
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Sensory perception is, mostly if not entirely, biologically determined. How to breathe, see, listen, sustain and procreate is all built into our biological memory. Psychological memory is the master game of ego. It stands between mind (soul) and heart (spirit), gliding back and forth, up and down. Due to this, ego does not need to be mortal or immortal. It is the transmission between beauty and ugliness, the “speaking man” between good and bad, and the “beneficial character” between justice and injustice. Ego occupies the largest space in our world, much larger than our biological self, and larger than our human soul can encompass. When something extraordinary occurs and the egoistic conscious effort can neither anticipate nor let it go, it will cause psychic conflict leading to a physical defensive reaction. This is because ego doesn’t want the hun—the conscious soul—to anticipate; nor the po—the instinctive soul—to become reactive. Ego knows and controls the po very well but never trusts hun. Many chronic problems, some organic ailments, and all the psychosomatic symptoms are caused by this conflict. When the psychic conflict becomes more intense, ego will go to any extreme to keep po’s reality alive. This situation is similar to a person clutching something valuable, but having no ability or skill to make use of it. If the ego’s tension is released, it will create a valuable spiritual journey, a deep realization, a total internal cleansing and a new freedom of life. Many traumatizing events become transformed to bliss for those who have mastered them. The mechanism is our conscience, love, compassion, kindness and faith. The conscience is one of the highest forms of activity that the soul can conduct. There is a connection between soul and spirit on the conscientious level, but spirit is free and permits hun to conduct most of activity with stillness of spirit, insight and swiftness. Love, compassion, kindness and faith are the greatest assets in spiritual practice. This capacity to express with strong energy is the qualified character of extraordinary leaders, both political and religious. Those with this kind of character serve as a magnetic field to draw people’s hearts together. They are given a sense of belonging with a wish and hope for the future. Under the supervision of spirit, all realms of conflicts will be dissolved through virtuous acts, such as acceptance, forgiveness and inner trust. The highest form of socially recognized self-identity is the full display of self and self-related knowledge guided by dignity. Pre- 105 -
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serving face, keeping face behind the ego and being fearful of losing face are the best qualities of dignity. The roles of manager, faithful follower and fundamental nationalist belong to this category. They find themselves in the combined role of self-identity and dignity and willingly sacrifice their lives for it. These kinds of people make excellent leaders because they have a sense of deep inner psychic connection as well as the ability to direct their spiritual power to their followers and energizing them. When they become deenergized, however, they can be like a hungry dog, a killer without mercy or shame. Dignity is next to spiritual willpower, but the latter has no need to prove and qualify itself. It has already been qualified by God and proven by spirit.
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Chapter III Walking the Way: Spiritual Cultivation
In the previous chapter, we dealt with the descending and suffusing order of the evolutionary process being undergone by our sensory receptors. These have since become characteristic to us. Our intent at this time is to explain how these characteristics merged from being different to being the same through the process of returning practice. It commences with the simple practice of walking—a natural process—that follows the development of inner strength. As the legs gain enough strength to stand upright, the child begins the human way of walking, thereby abandoning the animal mode of crawling on all fours. Thus, the pilgrimage begins and cultivation begins. The art of walking the way does not apply to the physical act of walking, but centers on our drive to follow our dreams and achieve our goals: the journey of our soul. On this journey, although each step forward may prove difficult, it leads necessarily and naturally to the next: geared always toward the final restful eternity. To die but not be forgotten is to be immortal is the heart of Taoist pilgrimage. Taoism has accumulated only a handful of documented teachings but provides endless practical and advisable suggestions. They contain few rules to be followed but offer rich and invaluable direction. There are no commandments to obey but only mindful heartfelt revelations to be explored. Many enlightened teachers are here, ready to guide your pilgrimage, to help you understand your body, and to teach you how to distill your mind. You will then awaken to the harmonious flow of universe where you will dwell within the procreative state. The teaching focuses essentially on the purification of Jing-ChiShen into its final product: the elixir of pure-person. Jing is interpreted as the essence of our biophysical body. Chi manifests as - 107 -
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psychopersonal energy between body and spirit. Shen represents the cosmic/wisdom spirit. The elixir is the particle that manifests as the true self. Pilgrimage then emerges as a Chi-gathering practice, or cai-Chi with “cai” meaning “collect, gather or pick up.” Thus, the spiritual pilgrimage becomes the practice of plucking and gathering the Chi of dews, pollens and elixirs from flowers, mountains, spirits and stars, into the jing-body: the vessel of spirit.
Fig. 3.1 Small Mystic Field (Xiaochu) of 9th Hexagram
Fig. 3.2 Larger Mystic Field (Dachu) of 26th Hexagram
In Chinese, this jing-body is called “chu,” constructed with strokes of “xuan” meaning “mystic” and “tian” meaning “field.” All living vessels are mystic fields. In I Ching, there are two mystic fields: Small Mystic Field (Xiaochu) of 9th hexagram and Larger Mystic Field (Dachu) of 26th hexagram. Xiaochu deals with the animal body and its spirit while Dachu refers specifically to the human body and its spirit. How to integrate these two fields into oneness of spirit with universal Chi is the essence of Taoist inner alchemy. Without earth mother’s field, we would be unable to live on fruits and vegetables, corns and seeds. Yet, without liberating ourselves from our own animated field, we cannot sustain the source of mother, and our spirit would be unable to walk through the way of beauty, values, justice, longevity and immortality. The complete Taoist pilgrimage consists of learning the process of planting a seed of pure-person in our two mystic fields: body and soul. This is accomplished through the practice of gathering, circulating and crystallizing the yin-yang Chi of the universe in our energy centers: cauldron, yellow court and crown. Through this practice of calming the desire of the heart, abandoning the minding mind, and tranquilizing the confused spirit, these three - 108 -
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conscious realms will be unified into one-spirit within the cosmic void. In order to merge three into one, we must be in harmony with two. Just as the book Tao Te Ching has two distinct sections, Tao and Te, our spiritual practice concerns the application of the seed of Tao—spirit self, and the kind action of Te—virtuous deeds. As the seed and love become one, we are our true spirit. This chapter is devoted to learning to purify the small/animal field so that the spiritual field can be retained. The exercises include: 1. How to reopen the Chi-blocked meridians, joints, muscles, organs and intra-organic functions; 2. How to gather and store Chi; 3. How to transform our body into the likeness of a mother’s womb (a harmonious empty valley) where the son (seed) of oneness becomes unified in the cauldron (the stomach). Our first approach will be devoted to the theoretical foundation of the cause of Chi-blockage as well as the purpose of cultivation.
Chinese Psychospiritual Somatology Historical Picture The heart of Chinese culture lies within the energetic connection and symbolic understanding of intuitive sensitivity as it manifests through mindless concentration and visual imagination. Rationality, however, serves as the primary mechanism to facilitate the intuitive picture of the energetic emptiness in the universe and its harmony. The minds of the Chinese cultural innovators were not programmed by rational creativity and speculation; they were screened with meditation awareness and awakening understanding. With such a mental function nothing logical or analytical can be withheld. It is within this realm that the early cultural formations, such as I Ching and prehistorical shamanistic Taoism, were construed upon cosmic dimension. They would first draw all the natural symbols such as sun, earth, mountains or lakes, into their viscera. Then they gathered the fluctuating and flattering energies of concrete symbols such as wind, thunderstorm and rain into the body/mind’s energetic channels: meridians. Finally, they allowed the body/mind
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to permeate carnal organs within the body as well as ethereal organs within the universe. Instead of passively attuning themselves to the mystic function of symbols, the cultural followers were empowered to devote their lives to producing “golden elixir”. This was carried out by utilizing earthly substances such as metals and minerals, or through internal Chi-practice. The first group, called outer alchemists were the first scientists to work as a group. Unfortunately their most triumphant productions turned deadly, poisoning dozens of emperors as well as many others. Their methods also advanced the hand-knife-arrow weapons into the devastating explosive weapon of gunpowder. In the meantime the second group, the inner alchemists, focused on inward Chi cultivation by gathering the worldly Chi field into the cauldron, thus producing the refined product: elixir of pure-person. The Chinese have a clear and insightful theory concerning all natural beings on the face of the earth. This theory advocates that water/fire have Chi but no being. Grass/trees have Chi and being but no consciousness. Birds/animals have Chi, being and consciousness but no righteousness. Human beings have Chi, being, consciousness and righteousness. Sages/holy men can rise beyond the limits of human freedom. Non-beings (water and fire) are the invisible substances used to construct beings. Beings are the biomechanical formations between earth and heaven. Human beings or Homo sapiens stand firmly on two legs with feet planted on the ground, facing the sky. The body/mind is itself a cosmic body, a cosmic tree, and a mystic field. The five fingers on each hand represent the five elements of universal construction as well as underlying phenomena, thereby connecting the earthly kingdom of five (monera, protista, fungi, plantae and animalia). The three concrete elements of water, fire and earth (dusts), coalesce with two other intermediate elements: wood and gold. Fire descends from heaven. Water rises from earth. Earth stands on top of water. Wood represents the soft, watery and murky element of evergreen. Gold forms a hard, dry crystal. All plants are devoid of the gold element, whereas animals have all five elements. All plants and most sea creatures are devoid of blood. Their bones, if any, are very soft. Only animals possess all five elements: bodily water, conscious fire, the governing element of muscles and glands (earth), the constructive element of blood (wood), and skeletal element of proteins and mineral (gold). - 110 -
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Between the process of asexual procreation and sexual reproduction of all earth creatures, human beings live in their own distinctive pattern. They are not influenced by temperature as alligators are, nor are they transsexual within the hetero-sex as are plants, nor from one to another as certain fish. Rather, human eggs are influenced by the moon and their aging process is expressed through transforming heavenly hair—brain hair—from whatever colors they may be (black, brown, reddish, etc.) into white. This is why we are not only psychosomatic but also psychospiritual. Animals possess an animated bodily spirit that manifests only on a somatic level such as the fluctuating cycle between waking and sleeping, consuming food and enjoying climax. Only human beings are capable of engaging with spiritual mates and marrying God/ Goddess.
Three Mystic Fields In the human body there exist three mystic fields. They represent the flesh of Lower (xia) Tan Tien, the soul of Middle ( zhong) Tan Tien and the spirit of Upper (shang) Tan Tien, all concerned with abdominal, chest and brain fields. The human voice carries three characteristics—individual, regional and linguistic—that originate from and return to the fourth: silence. Likewise, these three energetic fields are further connected with four other fields, two arms and two legs, open and closed through nine holes: seven in the face and two at the bottom of the trunk. All the fields are channeled by the energetic nerve lines in the body—meridians—for a total of twenty: eight for heaven and twelve for earth. These are the components representing the steps to be encountered and walked through. They are the given messages to be revealed along the pilgrimage. There are three stages to be followed in the oriented practices of these energetic fields. The first stage is the gathering of Chi at the cauldron or the Lower Cinnabar Field inside the stomach. This Chi will produce a “Pearl,” vitalizing the stomach (with Chi) as Lao Tzu has expressed it. The exercise is xia ozhou tian or Microcosmic Orbit. Sexual organs in the Lower Cinnabar Field represent the power of biological production in concert with spiritual liberation. Although we are born with a mechanical and manipulative ability to design and produce many things, without the kidney Chi we could - 111 -
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not exist. The energy center for spiritual life is in the abdominal area. The brain is but an empty storage space waiting to house all our thoughts and desires. To vitalize the stomach is to retain physical health and mental stability, while abundant kidney Chi furnishes the drive to make life meaningful and practicable socially, politically and spiritually. In the second stage, through the fusion of five elements, the five psychosomatic Chi are unified into a single psychospiritual Chi: Love. Heaven and earth combine and allow sweet dew is the literal representation. This results from gathering yang Chi in the universe and bringing it into the Yellow Court at the Middle Cinnabar Field where it harmonizes the Chi lifted from cauldron into a Pearl. The color yellow refers to earth or golden season of spleen: the energy distribution center. Microcosmic Orbit and Six Healing Sounds are purposefully designed for this stage. In this psychosomatic center, nutritional materials (e.g. air, food and water) absorbed into the mouth and nose are generated into Chi-form, necessary to maintain bodily equilibrium. This manifests through corresponding organs as emotional attributions and supplementary personality characteristics. The challenge is how to transform the emotion into motionless, how to change personal into impersonal, and how to purify selfish love into selfless love. The practical solution is inner marriage between twin souls where negativity no longer exists, where no more karma needs to be met, where there is no more dual existence of male and female, where only the true selfless self of pure-person and oneness are apparent. In the third stage, the sweet dew “invites,” “attracts” or “steals” God’s creative force of spirit in the Upper Cinnabar Field. The golden elixir or pure-self will result in preparation for flight. This stage is characterized as “the three flowers unify in the head and the five Chi return to the ethereal state,” the state of the Tao since Tao is beyond danger even when the body perishes. When a meditator reaches this state, they will literally “see” the three different flowers at these energetic centers: Buddha is seated on the lotus flower; Jesus Christ adorns the snow-flaked flower; and Lao Tzu embraces the star-shaped flower. In this psychospiritual center, shen is the residence and master of hun (the heavenly spirit submerged in human soul form) and po (the earthly animated soul form). It is where the secret of natural mechanism is disclosed and their mechanical copies (mental products) are researched. - 112 -
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The brain, of itself, does not produce energy. The so-called psychospiritual energy is essentially supplied through the biomechanical energy from the lower center, the psychosomatic energy from the middle center, and the light from above. The undeniable fact is that the brain is the most energy-consuming organ of the body, pleasing the desirable assistance of po—the animated spirit—through the dissolving of life force or libido for pleasure. The mind makes human beings the most sexually active animals on earth, engaging in sexualized fantasy, imitation and manipulation. During the mature stage of life, eyes fire the sexual desire; mouth transforms the sexual expression; and voice emits and expels the precious kidney Chi. All this is due to the powerful domination of po and the conscious anticipation of hun. Hun activates the kidney Chi through the power of the liver and the memory cells in the brain. Po controls the lungs that transmit the kidney Chi in conjunction with the heart. The Taoist way of life is to direct the treasured life-force downwardly/outwardly only for the purpose of procreation. At all other times preserve it upwardly/inwardly to nourish the brain and rejuvenate the bone marrow. In this manner, by reversing the act of the Tao, you choose the road to restoration of the pure-self.
Two Openings In Taoist tradition the inner marriage is the performance of the inner cosmic dance between virgin boy and virgin girl. This is made possible by closing the heavenly gate and the earthly door. The condition is pure love or Christ Love, the state is eternal, the substance is light, the seed is virtue, and the result is pure-person. Virgin girl is Mother: colors, creation, purification, yin, chromosome Y, snake, lake and mountain. Virgin boy is Father: light, power, transformation, penetration, yang, chromosome X, dragon, thunder and star. To experience the inner marriage is to know the cosmic marriage, to enjoy the eternal love, to act through selfless love, and to preserve the cosmic Chi. The two openings in our body/mind are the heavenly gate—the third eye—existing at the top, and the earthly door—perineum pressure point—at the bottom. The bottom opening is locked before the pubic stage begins, and closed after menopause or with the absence of sperm, but opens fully in the productive stage and when sickness manifests. - 113 -
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Fig. 3.3 In spiritual practice, keep the earthly door locked by opening the heavenly one.
When the power of perineum is locked within, the energy will travel upward through the spine to the top part of the front lobe, which is open in its infantile state. Many people have the ability to lock up the lower opening in order to utilize their kidney Chi for higher purposes. Some examples could be rock stars, singers, politicians and priests. The top one can open occasionally during shen’s pure states of consciousness, such as altered consciousness, profound religious experiences, peak meditative and creative states, or lucid dreaming states.
Perineum Fig. 3.4 Perineum in the Female and Male Bodies
These are the only occasions in our human life during which we experience a sense of living with God. In the history of human evolution (both evolution and involution), as well as in religious experience, scientific findings and the creative arts, all trace their origins to this mystic source. - 114 -
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Reactionistic Map In Taoist mentality our entire life, troubled by its inevitable illnesses, is determined by the interactive results of Chi circulation of jingchi-shen and hun-xin-po.
Jing-Chi-shen
Hun-Xin-Po
Chi works between Jing and Shen just like xin (heart) balances the forces of hun and po. By applying Lao Tzu’s Tao-Te-form-matterjing-trust, this suffused model assures us that heaven (the nature of Tao) within us is Te, and the earth within us is Chi. When the Te flows forth and Chi pervades everywhere, being forms. The origin of being is jing. When two jing(s) are joined together, they become shen. What comes and goes with shen is hun, and what goes back and forth with jing is po. Jing, shen, hun, and po are the four names of the fundamental building blocks in the structure of Chinese biology, physiology, psychology and spirituality. Shen is the pure yang shen or spiritual form residing in the head, while hun is the yin shen or human soul. Jing is the biological substance of the body, and po is the animated soul of jing within the body. Aside from these four building blocks, Chi is the power source, and xin is the working mind. Everything operates through the Chi; anything that goes through the body must also go through the mind. Looking at the concept of Chi in the traditional Chinese view as well as libido in modern psychology, we see the diversity of this energy manifested in two cultures. In Chinese, Chi is universal and organismic, collective and individual, biological and spiritual. In psychology, particularly Freudian psychology, libido is nothing other than self-directed sexual pleasure and its gratification. The misuse of Chi or libido contributes to both the Taoist idea of loss and Freudian psychoanalytical concept of neurosis. Yet, to the Taoists, Chi, especially concerning sexual energy or life force, is the most precious treasure in the world; any misuse of it causes irreparable damage to life. In Freud’s opinion, this portion of Chi is gratified either by artistic and intellectual romance, or suppressed in daily life as a sickness. There is no middle ground. The Taoist approach can make a valuable contribution to modern psychology and spiritual - 115 -
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practice, whereas Freudian pathological analysis offers little to enhance Taoist cultivation practice. The only known psychologist with a sense of the Taoist flavor was C. G. Jung. He had the insight that Taoist practice would be a special science (1931), but he did not realize that the concept of hun and po was far greater than his symbolic terms logos and anima could imply. He didn’t agree with Wilhelm’s idea that hun is equivalent to his idea of animus, and was also unaware that hun never dies. Hun and po are not only distinguishable psychic factors, but are diversified organic dynamics. They represent the touchstone between the pure self and the egoistic self and are distinguishable in terms of psychosomatic functioning. It is very interesting to see that the character of hun consists of the strokes of “cloud” and “wraith,” and that the character of po consists of the strokes of “white” and “wraith.” The basic stroke “gui” for “wraith” or “dead ghost” in the characters hun and po is combined with the strokes of “white” and “heart.” The “white heart” here indicates the image of a person before death, the white or pale face, symbolizing the death of spirit, or white horse. According to Taoist interpretation, when spirit (shen) resides in the body after birth, it has its dualistic functioning of soul: the fireChi of hun and water-Chi of po. Hun is the spirit of Chi while po is the essence of body. Accordingly, all sensory activities, e.g. visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, are animated from po. Conscious activities, e.g. intuition, insight, and panoramic awareness, are generated by hun. Again, in Chapter 10 of Tao Te Ching, the word “spirit” in donning the spirit and soul and drawing them into Oneness is the translation of the Chinese character of yin, which is hun. Hun is the seed of endless reincarnation. It can be a person or a ghost, saint or sinner. It arises before the body exists and departs after the body ceases to breathe. Hun is independent: always moving and wandering, coming and going, cycling unceasingly, enduring without exhaustion. The headquarters of hun is the liver and it originates from shen in the brain, the base of the day-time-yangChi or manifested consciousness, and the source of desires from the organs emerging as emotions. Hun is the embodied soul or human spirit, the outward manifestation of heavenly yang Chi in the bodily caged yin form. When hun becomes the organic functioning inside the liver, it is grounded: creative, planning, and capable of changing and exerting action. It is also vigorous and - 116 -
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penetrating, attractive, and at the same time, mistrusting, mysterious, and illusive. The center for po is the lungs and it originates from both the kidney-Chi—the Water-Chi as the substance of bodily existence— and the energy supply through the umbilical cord. Water-Chi is bodily yin Chi Po is the receptive, productive and obsessive action of eating, sleeping, and sexual reunion of animated spirit. Lungs replace the umbilical cord in post life to channel the earthly yin breathing of air. Po is the center for “gross” bodily activity (food, sleep and sex) and the night-time-yin-Chi manifestation, namely, dreaming consciousness and other murkiness. When a person is controlled by po, metaphorically speaking, the po becomes a living ghost inside the body. The body sickens; the mind becomes callous, egoistic, possessive and obsessive. Hun’s bodily yang Chi, the conscious activation of warming, caring, kind and open-minded character, is replaced by po. The po person is greedy, rude, jealous and disguised.
Three Hun
Seven Po
The spirit, at the onset of its independent life, radiates in the form of three spiritual souls—(hun) on the left governed by Wuying, and seven vegetative souls—(po) on the right governed by Baiyuan. Hun forms a triad structure. The three spiritual souls are the tranquil spirit, embryonic light and dark essence. They exist as three corpses or three insects. The one hun in the head is obsessed with the pursuit of treasure: the pure and harmonious spirit. It drives the mind into darkness. The center spirit of the second hun is excited and enticed by the five flavors: the transformation of yin Chi of embryonic light. It is trapped by excitement and rage; lacking in kindness and clear consciousness. It makes one cunning and possessive and invites trouble and punishment. The third hun at the bottom is driven by sex, food and sleep: the essence of mixed yin Chi. It destroys the pure yang Chi and eventually exhausts the life force. Jing is infused into physical form where it collaborates with primordial Chi. The seven po(s) are as follows: the first one is the dog cadaver; the second is the hiding arrow; the third is the black yin; the fourth - 117 -
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is the gluttonous thief; the fifth is the strong poison; the sixth is the abandoned seduction; and the seventh is the diseased lungs. These seven po represent the seven emotional attributes, leading inexorably to possessive action and self-destruction. In biblical tradition they are the seven bowls or seven deadly sins. As Lao Tzu questioned which is more cherished, the name or the body? Which is worth more, the body or possessions? Which is more beneficial, to gain or to lose? This bespeaks of the desire and drive of egoistic heart. By getting nutrition from the spleen and stomach (the energy center for digesting food), the light from sun, and the air from lungs, the psyche or xin has the necessary tool to produce blood: the kinetic energy supply for the body from the embryonic light. Xin is the origin of human desire (for the basic bodily existence) and action (mobility). The Chinese concept of xin for heart is “xin originates from matter and dies with matter.” If there is no light outside the world, xin cannot be conscious of itself; if there is no biological form of bodily existence, xin has no need to live with po’s instinctive behavior of estimating things and being protective. Po or ego is a very powerful concept but is empty on its own merits. Its powerful nature goes to Western culture, which is active, demanding, dominant, pragmatic and controlling, whereas the Buddhism’s empty view and Taoism’s non-minded, non-egoistic action in the East stress the usefulness of emptiness. Since ego is directly linked with the subjective conscious self I, it surfaces through the consciousness of hun and subjectivity of po to manifest with xin’s passion and obsession. It is from this observation that we draw an equation that xin and nao (brain) are the Chinese equivalent of heart and mind.
Ming
Xing
Xin
Nao
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When the biological memory for food and water is stimulated by light upon shen’s tabula rasa, memory of xin becomes consciousness (yi). When the consciousness is preserved, it becomes will (zhi). The transformation of will is thought, or the thinking process (si). When thought is extended by the will, it becomes a plan (lu). When the plan is projected upon matter, it is the manifestation of intelligence (zhi). And intelligence is the source of longevity, which means dying but not be forgotten. This is how we function psychologically and why we exist beyond our biological life. This is the Chinese map of xin and nao, or “biopsychology” and “neuropsychology” as you may wish to call it. It is not a rational glittering; it is the flow of Chi, a combination of cosmic wind and breathing air. The last two words concerning psychospiritual faculty are the destiny of life (ming) and the natural character of life (xing). These two words are the principal characters in the Taoist manner of walking into the spiritual terrace of cosmic mind. Xing is the character, the personality and the spiritual quality a person within ming, aside from ming and beyond ming. It is concrete, dynamic, essential, characteristic, penetrative, representative, symbolic, becoming and divining. The destiny of life ming is formative, structural, mechanical, realistic, accepting, obedient, surrendering and submissive. Xing is what a person exemplifies, and ming is the manner in which they embraces life. Xing is the essential construction of a person while ming is their potential activity during the course of life. Xing is the governing body of a society with ming operating as the social and cultural practice. Xing is the land and ming is what the land produces. Xing is the light and ming is its colors.
Two Orbits The Chinese discovered the energetic channels—meridians— based on the practice of meditation, acupuncture, massage and spiritual healing. These meridians can be charged and recharged by the two internal orbits: xiaozhoutian (Microcosmic Orbit/Circle) and dazhoutian (Macrocosmic Orbit/Circle). Xiao means small or little; zhou is a 360-degree circle; tian indicates heaven or day, and da connotes big or large. The Medical Microcosmic Orbit circulates between the Governing and Protective Meridian. Its Medical - 119 -
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Macrocosmic Orbit completes all the meridians which is Taoist Microcosmic Orbit. Taoist Macrocosmic Orbit is the oneness between the body/mind and the universe. They both exhibit two major techniques: “Waterwheel Irrigation” and “Building the Bridge.” “Waterwheel Irrigation” is for the purpose of preserving the yin sexual Chi (from the sperm of ejaculation and the eggs of menstruation produced from the invisible yang sexual Chi) from being manifested outwardly. “Building the Bridge” in Taoism means to restore the Governing and Protective Meridians to its fetal state. When these two meridians are connected meditatively via the tongue, the bodily Chi circulates inwardly to receive the fresh Chi and outwardly to discharge the useless Chi. Balance is then restored and sickness disappears. The technique is to press the tip of the tongue against the harder palate (convex edge extended from the root of upper teeth) during breathing. The detailed practice for Microcosmic Orbit requires that during inhalation, the meditator visualizes a white line moving from the Lower Cinnabar Fields down to the Sacral Pump, up to the Cranial and then contracts the muscles around the anus. As the Chi flows up to the pituitary gland in the head it activates the healing power, opening up the spontaneous knowing and interactive abilities as they form golden elixir. While exhaling, follow the line from where it has stopped in the pituitary gland and divide it into two lines. Then move them down in front of the ears to the joints between the upper and lower jaws. The two lines then meet inside the mouth at the tip of the tongue. Through the tongue, the merged line moves down to the lower jaw, throat, neck and chest into the Middle and Lower Cinnabar Fields, where it becomes an energetic drumming process.
Fig. 3.5 Circulation of Small Heaven - 120 -
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During inhalation with the Macrocosmic Orbit, the mental concentration begins at the Lower Cinnabar Field. As it travels up to the chest it divides the line in two in order to connect the armpits with the three hand-yin-meridians that run to the fingers. Round the fingers with the “line” from the small finger to the thumb in order to join the three hand-yang-meridians. Then move the lines up the outside of the arms, merging them together at the C-7 and up to the head. During exhalation, mentally draw the yang Chi from heaven to the crown point of the head, down through the spine to the tail bone. Then separate the line into two. Move each line down along the three leg-yang-meridians to the feet and around the toes. Then return the lines to join the three leg-yin-meridians up to the Sacral Pump. As they merge together as one, the white line travels up to the Lower Cinnabar Field.
Fig. 3.6 Circulation of Big Heaven
Heart of Troubles Carnal Body – Root of Trouble Life is always troublesome, regardless of how the individual is bounded by it. Suffering is the central theme in Buddhist philosophy; sinfulness is overly emphasized in Christianity; Taoism values the trouble as you do the body. Why so? If I did not have a body, where would the trouble be? Body doesn’t understand the meaning of suffering; it is the conscious mind that embraces all feelings, sensations and the meaning of suffering and sin. The egoistic mind deals with it as an intellectual concept. To the religious it - 121 -
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is an effective inducement to the cause. This explains the reason that many religious followers actively blind-side their true selves in misinterpreting the nature of life. They are unable to cast off their negative memory, experience and attitude; they choose to retain it through fear of the unknown. They fail to understand the obvious sameness of both sides and equal ends: merging with extremes from black to white, carefully embracing virgin boy and virgin girl within. Body is the structure of human physical existence, the foundation of mind and spirit, as well as the beauty of the form. Without the bodily form being taken there can be no communication with the growth of mind, spirit and culture. Without the body, materialistic and spiritual possessions would have no place to dwell. Without the body, the beauty of human life would be devalued into the state of dust blowing in the wind. Human life would cease to exist. It is without question, beyond any rationality, that the body is the most beautiful object in the world: the source of attraction for love, longing and marriage, biological and spiritual. Body can also be regarded as the most valuable treasure in the world; when it is strong and healthy, we have the best of all worlds. When the body grows old and dies, it is no longer of this world. If we value the world as we do the body, we can be entrusted with the world. If we love the body as we love the beauty of the world, we can be responsible for the world. This means that body, in its image of the world, is the greatest treasure in the world. The price that mind assesses to the body is essentially the price the body has set for itself (Ask any movie star, top athlete, political candidate; what is their set price?). Through the practice of traditional and long-held beliefs, Taoists regard their bodies with the same equal and respectful attention they do the country. A country has a physical foundation (land, rivers and forests), emotional characters (culture and customs), and a spiritual origin (the founding fathers and mothers). The same truth applies to each and every individual. Body is the foundation for personality and emotional qualities that reflects the inner self. Faith is the heart of connection. Unfortunately, we often display beauty by masking the real source: ugliness. Communications may reach the point where ugliness reigns and sickness arises. Everyone recognizes beauty as beauty since the ugly is already there. Real beauty is the blending of good and bad, perfection and imperfection. This is the immeasurable power of hu- 122 -
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man communication, the aggregate of all things good and bad, learned and experienced, realized and mysterious. It is the power predominately yet mysteriously exhibited in our most valuable art objects; they harbor not only their natural quality of “fine art” but both explicit and implicit ugliness and imperfection as well.
Formula for Six Healing Sounds
The theory and practice behind the six words formulas are that natural sounds can vibrate our inner organs by stimulating the organic receptors and their corresponding centers. The expressive sounds are then connected with the desire of the heart toward the objects that produce sound. For example, when the feeling is grief, due to either blockage of an inner organ or stimuli from the outside, the voice resonates between low frequency and low force. When the feeling is joyful, the voice resonates in tones from smooth and steady to noisy and excited. Extreme positive or negative creates disharmony within the organic system. The six words we discuss at this time are the six healing sounds being paired to either replenish or dispense with the inner blockage of Chi in the six paired organs. Translated Traditional Chinese Text and Personalized Teaching for Westerners. The nature of the six sounds has to do with the five organic (vital organs) sounds, beginning with the lungs— plus the triple-warmer sound, like “Y” as the English vowel. Each organ has three sounds: the neutral where the organ generates its own purest expression and dual sounds where the Tao and Te, or inhalation and exhalation are used, or the mental sound/physical sound, or male/female sounds. That is why in the six healing sounds, there are two distinctive sounds. The six healing sounds presented in the text herein are the direct translation from Hua-to, one of the greatest Taoist (and medical) doctors in China. And, in the beginning of his title, he used Lao Tzu’s spiritual name—tai-shang-lao-jun, “the Supreme Master LaoJung”—as the title, just like most of the writers of Buddhist literature do in honoring the teachings of Buddha. The six sounds are about twelve meridians connected to twelve organs. Consequently,
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the sixth [dual] sound presented in the text of this section refers to the relationship between the bladder and the gallbladder, which comes from a medical context. The other sixth healing sound, the triple warmer sound—used in the Universal Tao System—is not related to any particular organ; it is not included in the text discussion. It is hard to say whose system is authentic unless our organs are clean to produce their own authentic sounds. The five vital organs each are connected to an associated organ(s) as well as to a sense organ. For example: heart, small intestine and tongue. In the chakra system, the first five sounds connect to the first five chakras, from sexual organ to vocal cord; the sixth is about the third eye sound, the awakening of the Goddess’ sound within. Only when the five Chi-sounds are completely integrated and reach a perfect silence, can the sixth sound arise; it cannot manifest by itself. Also, the first five sounds are about the five animal kingdoms, or the five senses within humans. The human sound, which is the spleen sound, connects the four animal deities—Green Dragon, Red Phoenix, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise—through the Yellow Court (spleen, pancreas and stomach). The spleen is the largest node of the lymphatic system, technically not an organ—but due to its importance in the immune system and, energetically, in Chinese medicine—it is regarded as a vital organ. As the triple-warmer is activated, the trinity of the hun is also activated, thus connecting the three Tan Tiens: the upper conscious, the middle emotional, and lower physical. When the hun connects the four animal deities, the seven is completed. The crown is awakened. Since the translation is strictly literal, and Master Chia’s teaching is personal, whether created by him or transmitted from another teacher, the six sounds he is teaching are the six neutral sounds. Master Chia has simplified the sounds by using the Inner Smile process for neutralizing negative energies in the respective organs before activating the appropriate sound and physical position. The processing of emotions is different from the descriptions in the translated text. Also, he has further streamlined the procedure by activating each vital organ and its associate organ—there is a recognizable interconnectedness—at the same time (i.e., lungs and large intestine). Each sound is then performed three to six times as needed for maximum benefit.
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The sounds are always performed in the creative cycle of energy relationships of the five elemental phases of energy (which correlate to the characteristic energies of the organs). Thereby, the supportive relationship between the primary vital organs as well as their associate organs is maintained. Since the kidneys (bladder) support the liver (gall bladder) in this creative cycle sequence, the relationship between the bladder and the gallbladder meridians is activated—as mentioned in the sixth sound (triple warmer) of the translation. In the Universal Tao teaching, the triple warmer sound is included as the sixth sound to provide the harmonizing and unifying benefit in the Three Tan Tiens. Thus, the sequence for performing the healing sounds in Master Chia’s Universal Tao system is as follows: lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, spleen, and triple warmer. The translated text of the traditional Chinese description of Six Healing Sounds is juxtaposed with the simple illustrated instructions for each vital organ sound and the triple warmer sound taught in the Universal Tao. There are apparent differences in the procedures and qualities involved in the translated text version and the Universal Tao presentation of the healing sounds. Therefore, for the graphics illustrations, the hexagrams shown correspond to the description in the translated text. Since the teaching of the sounds shown in the illustrations is based on the simple qualities of the five elements, we will identify the dominant quality of the chi for each sound by naming its element and the trigram that represents that element. Hence, lungs, metal (quality of the high mountain), ken (gen); kidneys, water; liver, wood; heart, fire; spleen, earth; and the triple warmer for the Three Tan Tiens is not associated with any specific element. 1. Map of the Lungs (si-sound is for replenishing and hu-sound is for dispensing): The lungs are the Chi of the Dui (lake) hexagram, the essence of gold and the color of white. The lungs master po (animal soul) by transforming themselves into a seven-inch-long jade infant. Their spirit is the white animal that protects the body. Lungs connect internally to the large intestine where they master the nose externally. Their emotional expression is that of saddness, emanating when they are losing their po. The lungs are thin and bright, and have little endurance against the cold. When they are white, there is no existing dis- 125 -
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ease. A sound in the large intestine indicates a blockage of Chi. A frequent xu-sound (wheezing) signals a debilitation of the lungs. The lungs master the Seventh Palace: the Golden Gate. At 7:00 a.m. on the first day of the fall season, the meditator should sit facing west, perform the beating-heaven’s-drum exercise seven times, and swallow the jade well’s stew (saliva) three times. Then close the eyes and concentrate on the Tui Palace (mouth). Allow the white Chi to enter the mouth, and swallow three times. The infant spirit will be tranquil; the hundred demons will not invade the body, and the soldiers cannot use weapons.
Fig. 3.7 Lungs are the Chi of Tui (Lake) Hexagram
Rotate your palms and bring them up above your head.
Become aware of your lungs and smile into them.
Mouth Position for Lung Sound “Sssssssss”. Close the jaws so that the teeth meet. Draw the corners of the mouth back. Fig. 3.8 Lung Sound and Exercise Metal element (high mountain) Ken - 126 -
Close the eyes; breathe normally; smile down to the lungs.
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2. Map of the Kidneys (chui-sound is for dispensing and si-sound is for replenishing): The kidneys control the essence, the Chi of the Kan (Water) hexagram, and their color is black. They are circles. One of their names is “ferment.” Their spirit is a white deer, and it transforms into two foot-long jade infants. The myriad things are ruled by the essence, developed by the will, perfected by the purity, and harmonized by the tranquility. The kidneys are connected to the bones, and their facial organs are the ears. If the back cannot stretch, the kidneys are cold. At 7:00 a.m. on the first day of the winter season, sit facing North, clicking the golden roof five times, drinking with the jade-well three times, breathing in the black Chi of the Mystic Palace (ovaries/prostate), in order to nourish the jade infants. The spirit is harmonized and the body is at peace. This enhances longevity.
Fig. 3.9 Chi of the Kan (Water) Hexagram
Round the lips, making the “Choooooo” sound one makes when blowing out a candle after the initial “ch.” Become aware of your kidneys.
Hook the hands around the knees.
Close your eyes and Press the middle abdomen toward the kidneys. smile down to the kidneys. Fig. 3.10 Kidney Sound and Exercise - Water Element, Kan - 127 -
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3. Map of the Liver (xu-sound is for dispensing and chui-sound is for replenishing): Liver is the Chi of the Chen (thunder) hexagram, the essence of wood, and the color of green. The liver controls hun. Its spirit is dragon-like, and it transforms into two seven-inch-long jade infants: the green one clings to the dragon and the yellow one holds jade-dew. One who wishes to age in peace must return to the eminent tranquility. The liver connects to the tissues and fibers that compose the muscles. The eyes are the liver’s facial connection. When the eyes become hot and reddish, something is amiss in the liver. The liver controls the spring and manifests as the essential Chi of spring. The bloom of myriad things follows the Tao of yang Chi. At 3:00 a.m. on the first day of the spring season, sit facing the East and click the teeth three times. Inhale seven times. Hold the breath after each inhalation. Inhale the green Chi of the Chen Palace (liver) three times, then swallow it. This nourishes the two infants of the liver.
Fig. 3.11 Liver is the Chi of the Chen (Thunder) Hexagram Push out at the heels of the palms. Push more with the right arm.
Become aware of the liver, smile. Raise the hands out to the sides.
Exhale on the sound “Shhhhhhh”. Close your eyes and smile down to the liver
Release the intertwined fingers. Press out with heels of the palms.
Fig. 3.12 Liver Sound and Exercise - Wood Element, Chen - 128 -
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4. Map of the Heart (ker-sound is for dispensing and xu-sound is for replenishing): The heart is the Chi of the Li (Fire) hexagram, the essence of fire, and the color of red. Its spirit is rosefinch and it transforms itself into an eight-inch-long jade maiden (the heart organ). To pacify the spirit and perfect the form (body), one must return to essential harmony. The heart connects to the small intestine, and controls the blood. The tongue is its corresponding facial organ. When blood circulation is obstructed, it shocks the tongue, which in turn is insensitive to the flavor. When the heart becomes disturbed, the xu-sound (panting) increases.
Fig. 3.13 Heart is the Chi of the Li (Fire) Hexagram
Assume the same position as for the Liver Sound.
Become aware of the heart; smileinto it.
Open mouth, rounded lips Open your mouth somewhat, Push more with the left arm. round your lips and exhale on the sound “Hawwwww”. Fig. 3.14 Heart Sound and Exercise - Fire Element, Li - 129 -
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The heart controls the Ninth Palace, the alarming gate. When it is harmonious, the form is perfect. At 7:00 a.m. on the first day of the summer season, sit facing the South, clicking the golden roof (upper teeth) nine times, bubbling the mystic well (saliva), then swallowing it in three even portions. Concentrate steadily on inhaling the red Chi at the Li Palace (heart), then swallow the red Chi three times in order to nourish the jade-maiden in the spiritual Li mansion. When the spirit is pacified, the body is at peace. Though a hundred disasters may arise, they can bring no harm. 5. Map of the Spleen (hu-sound is for dispensing and ker-sound is for replenishing): The spleen is the Chi of Ken (Mountain) hexagram, the essence of earth, and the color of yellow. It is like the cover of a tub. Its spirit is phoenix-like, and it transforms itself into a six-inch-long jade maiden.
Fig. 3.15 Spleen is the Chi of the Ken (Mountain) Hexagram Spleen
Press in with the fingers, more to the left side under rib cage. Exhale on the sound “Whooooooo”.
Become aware of the spleen.
Close your eyes & smile down to the spleen, pancreas and stomach.
Feel the sound in the vocal chords.
Breathe into the spleen, pancreas and stomach. Fig. 3.16 Spleen Sound and Exercise - Earth Element, Kun - 130 -
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The spleen connects to the eminent yin, and its corresponding facial organ is the mouth. When its appearance is moist and soft, there is no problem. The spleen has no fixed position, as do the other inner organs. It changes within an eighteen-day period during each of the four seasons. At 5:00 a.m., sit at the Central Palace (triple warmer, thymus) and avoid breathing five times. Practice the beating-the-drum exercise seven times, and then imagine the yellow Chi of the Central Palace, and swallow it. Drink the jade-dew in order to reach a sublime state. Humans depend upon the Tao of heaven to regulate vital Chi. Preserving the essence of one’s sexual Chi attains longevity. Concentrate on the pearl-pond (mouth) and drink the jade-juice (saliva), the harmonious Chi will then regulate all the meridians. Hold onto essential source, sustain purity, and eliminate aging. This process is called the secret formula for concentrating on purity and sustaining longevity. 6. Map of the Gall Bladder (xi-sound is for dispensing and xusound is for replenishing): The gallbladder is the essence of gold, the Chi of water, and the color of blue. Its spirit is tortoiselike, and it transforms into a foot-long jade maiden, who is very brave. The gall bladder connects to the bladder. When its color is dark blue, there is no problem. During the first month of every season, sit facing the Mystic North and inhale the black Chi into the mouth, swallowing the Chi of the jade-well nine times. Ecstasy and anger do harm to the personality; sorrow and joy damage the spirit. When the spirit is damaged, life is endangered and the innate personality is destroyed. Cultivate the personality in order to generate Chi. Preserve the spirit in order to rest the heart. When Chi is pacified, the body is balanced, the essence is perfected, and the heart is rested. This is the formula for cultivating purity, preserving spiritual essence, and enhancing longevity.
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Triple Warmer 1. Lie down on your back. 2. Close the eyes and take a deep breath, expanding the stomach and chest without strain. 3. Exhale on the sound “Heeeeeee” made sub-vocally, as you picture and feel a large roller pressing out your breath.
Upper Warmer
Middle Warmer
Lower Warmer
Exhale on the sound “Heeeeeee”
Beginning at the top of the chest.
Continue down through the chest.
Ending at the lower abdomen. Fig. 3.17 Triple Warmer Sound and Exercise Three Tan Tiens, No specifice Element.
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Desiring Heart The Owner of the Troubles The desiring heart (wang xin) is a joint venture between soulful spirit hun and animated spirit po. Xin is the ruler of the body and the master of the human spirit. It is the foundation of self and the trajectory of egoistic mind. Xin exists with material things and dies as a result. The reversed situation would be “out of sight, out of mind.” This is because of its device, the eyes. Eyes are the window of hun and po, and tears are the manifestation of joy and of loss. Xin’s stimulus comes from the eyes and the eyes are the medium and connection between light and energy, and colors and passions. The heart reflects the materialistic world and the inner state of mind. Bio-somatically speaking, the blood, our main energy supply, comes from the nutritional Chi of spleen and stomach. Under the streaming of solar light that enters through the eyes as well as the body, the nutritional Chi changes its color into red and then distributes itself throughout the whole body. In the eyes of Taoism and Chinese medical theory, the heart of the mind is the shen that is stored in the heart and governs all the activities of the body/mind. The pure function of shen, which is spiritual, suffuses into mentality and connects with the emotional organs. Intuitive knowing, complete anticipation and subtle understanding are the picture of shen. Conscious thinking or reasoning and moral conduct are the services of shen. The triangular organic connection of shen is heart, eyes and brain. Brain is the headquarters; heart is the energy supply; eyes are the expressive outlet. The organic (biological) nature is that five zang (liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys) and six fu ( stomach, bladder, gall bladder, large intestine, small intestine and the triple warmer) are constantly vying for energy. As a result, there are six desires (color, sound, fragrance, texture, flavor, thought or reaction). Color is the desire for sex; sound is the desire for voice; fragrance is the desire for smell; texture is the desire for touching and skin connection; flavor is the desire for food; and thought or reaction is the desire for attention and understanding. According to Taoist practice, those biological behaviors are not instinctive. Breathing is the most instinctive behavior of the body. Meditators can gradually reduce the frequency of breathing to that of the earliest embryonic breathing stage. The following exercises are designed to achieve this purpose. - 133 -
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Frolics of Five Animals
Wu Chin Xi As one of the most popular holistic exercises, Frolics of Five Animals (daiyin) has circulated among meditators, healers and martial arts practitioners for thousands of years. Modern bionics and animal research rely on the same resource from animals. By observing the natural behavior and activities of animals, the corresponding human organs and abilities will be awakened. The ancient sages could stretch their body and bend their necks like a bird, allowing the energy to circulate outside the skin and inside the body so that the sinews and joints remained smooth and flexible. Its purpose is to relax the body, eliminate bad Chi, strengthen physical power, and heal disease. This is the way to challenge disease and the aging process of life. Tiger’s Game: Drop to the ground with both palms and feet flat on the floor, rock forward and draw backward three times. Then stretch the back upward and forward as high as possible without allowing the palms and feet to leave the ground. Then raise the head up to face the sky, walk forward and backward seven times with both hands and feet on the floor.
Fig. 3.18 Tiger Form - 134 -
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Bear’s Game: Lie down on your back holding the knees with both hands. Raise the head and lean over to the ground alternating both left and right side seven times each. Then squat on the ground with hands pushing down on the ground. Do seven times each, left and right.
Fig. 3.19 Bear’s Form
Deer’s Game: Stand on all fours, both hands and feet, stretch the neck up, move the head to the left three times and then to the right three times. Then, while moving the head to the left, stretch the right leg. While moving the head to the right, stretch the left leg. Following this, stretch the neck and tuck in the head three times.
Fig. 3.20 Deer’s Form
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Monkey’s Game: Hold onto a supportive object, raise and lower the body seven times. Then hook the feet around the supporting object and swing the body forward and backward seven times. Sit and hold both feet with hands, then touch them to the head seven times.
Fig. 3.21 Monkey Form
Bird’s Game: While standing, raise one leg and strenuously stretch both arms while raising the eyebrows fourteen times. Do the same with the other leg. Sit, stretch out the legs, hold the feet with hands, and move each foot forward and backward seven times.
Fig. 3.22 Bird Form
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Vitalizing the Body The cultivation upon transformation marks the gradual process of walking the way of the Tao. It must necessarily begin with a healthy condition (physical, psychological and spiritual), self-awareness and self-trust. With inner trust, action will be willful, practice will be diligent, and learning will be the inevitable result. This walking process time and again reexamines, reevaluates and redirects the self: a scientific practice in its spiritual discipline. The fundamental requirement for this cultivation is developed with the aid of sensory and visual abilities. They will enable you to transform the negative perceptual reaction into a positive one. In the Taoist view, the positive refers to the yang force, the masculine energy of heavenly light, while the negative is consigned to the yin force or earthly formative energy. A common misconception in Western society holds that the mind is programmed and reinforced by only that which is considered good, positive, productive and beneficial. The outcome between positive and negative forces becomes a rationalized expectation, a desire-driven aspiration, and a constant turmoil. While one side is seemingly so desirable, marketable, healthy and valuable, the positive itself becomes a negative and the other side is distanced, fearful of being troubled, suspiciously incomprehensible, frightened of acceptance. It menacingly approaches evil, the monster, the sickness, the loser, and death itself. This situation should not be misconstrued as the manifestation of its dualistic nature. It is due largely to the absence of rational mentality from its physical sensibility and the mental visualization created by the mind. In Taoist practice, without physical sensitivity and mental visualization, cultivation is seen as nothing other than mechanistic movements and mental hallucinations. The body must learn to feel its various energetic patterns and their circulation, just as the mind must be “visible” in order to “imagine” the energetic patterns of colors, lights, organs, and cells. Therefore, cultivation becomes an artistic performance. The colors of the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, as well as organs and the meridians are the instrumental requirements. Mental concentration represents the canvas; energetic visualization and biological circulation are the tools, pens and brushes; and body/minded reaction is surrendered - 137 -
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to the readers or audience. The entire cultivation forms the learning process of spontaneously knowing, readily evaluating, and timely readapting and reinforming the unpredictable certainty. No one values us more than we ourselves do; no one knows us better than we ourselves do. Maintaining a strong and healthy body/ mind prevents disease from establishing a foothold. The greatest mystery of disease lies in the fact that all negative conscious structures are causes of illnesses, not the cellular formations toward illness. Cells are not the root of the problem since cells derive from non-cells. Consciousness is the underlying root of all, both health and illness. Viruses are neutral, a bridge between health and sickness. Medicinal treatments cannot cope with them all. Cultivation provides the power. Mind over body is not only the most ancient formula but also the most powerful and practical.
Emotional Mood – Activation of Troubles The weather condition of our life—the mood—is mostly organismic. The seasonal changes, colors, sounds and flavors in the outside world, are invasively stimulating to our seven facial openings. Through the five organic transmitters, the five mood stimuli connect with their internal organs (wuzang) by responding psychosomatically. In Chinese medicine, there is no single headquarters for mood and emotional characters; they are scattered through the area between the trunk and the brain. This differs from Western theories in the fields of phrenology, psychology and neuroscience that stress the mental connection, the power of brain. The energetic meridians in the body are multi-dimensional and create a functional interaction between the body/mind and the universe. These energetic patterns are the personality, character, mood, emotional attribution and vibrational love. Meridians have been subjectively experienced, transpersonally applied, and mechanically diversified depending on specific energy supplies (physical, mental and electronic). Historically, before herbs were meditatively tested and clinically prescribed, meridians were the main communication tools or symbols between the healers and their patients. The Chinese understanding of mood and its emotional functioning is organically connected and holistically manifested. In the West it appears to be more biologically determined and - 138 -
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psychologically interpreted. Stress, in terms of the Taoist explanation, is a mixed reaction between desire and mood. If there is no desire, the mood is stable. If the desire is high, strong and pervasive, there will be an overwhelming emotional reaction. When the organs can no longer regulate each other, the bad Chi alters the healthy bodily condition. Somatic disorders and psychosomatic symptoms appear as stressful characteristics in the body/mind.
Formula of Five Emotional Colors The purpose of this exercise is to visualize, by drawing the universal energetic color forces. The negative, imbalanced or disharmonized Chi will be either exhaled or transformed, and the positive energetic forces are then restored. Emotional organs become harmonized and pure. 1. Kidneys: Visualize the bright blue light in the sky above; draw the light mentally into the kidneys; let this virtuous energy of gentleness permeate the kidneys. Form it into a virgin boy or virgin girl and let the virgin child breath out the blue-color-breath as a deer. Then form the water element force within the body into the image of a big, black or dark blue turtle (the Black Warrior) which will then capture the deer. Place the turtle on the back of the body as the protective animal.
Fig. 3.23 Kidneys: Shown projecting to the Back and attracting the Turtle Earth Force of the North. - 139 -
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2. Heart: Visualize the bright, red light above the head and in the sky and draw the color mentally into the heart. Feel the illuminating message, the virtuous love, joy, and happiness in the heart. Form it into a virgin child and let it breathe out the redcolor-breath as a red pheasant. Then form the fire element force within the body and let the red pheasant embrace the force. Place the red pheasant at the front of the body to serve as the protective animal.
Fig. 3.24 Heart: Shown projecting to the Front and attracting the Pheasant Earth Force of the South.
3. Liver: Visualize the bright, green light above the head and in the sky and draw the color mentally into the liver; let this pure, virtuous energy of kindness penetrate the liver. Form a virgin child and let it breathe out the green-color-breath as a green dragon. Then form the evergreen wood element force within the body and let the green dragon embrace the force. Place the green dragon at the right side as the protective animal.
Fig. 3.25 Liver: Shown projecting to the Right and attracting the Dragon Earth Force of the East. - 140 -
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4. Lungs: Visualize the bright, white color above the head and in the sky and draw the light mentally into both lungs; let this virtuous energy of encouragement pervade the lungs. Form it into a virgin child and let it breath out the white-color-breath as a white tiger. Then form the universal creative force—white—within the body and let the white tiger embrace the force. Place the white tiger on the left side as the protective animal.
Fig. 3.26 Lungs: Shown projecting to the Left and attracting the Tiger Earth Force of the West.
5. Spleen: Visualize the bright, yellow color above the head and in the sky and draw the light mentally into the spleen; let this virtuous energy of fairness and openness vitalize the spleen. Form it into a virgin child and let it breathe out the yellow-color-breath as a yellow phoenix. Then form the earthly creative force—yellow—within the body, and let the yellow phoenix embrace the force. Place the yellow phoenix at the top center of the head as the protective animal.
Fig. 3.27 Spleen: Shown projecting toward the Above and attracting the Phoenix Earth Force of the Middle. - 141 -
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Chapter IV Embracing Oneness
As you begin walking the way of your pilgrimage, your body will be gradually detoxified and vitalized, the mind distilled and tranquil. Life history, whether at the present time or since the beginning of its ageless spiritual core, becomes a vibrating tool for the pilgrim to teach and people to follow. His preaching voice and welcoming arms draw the gathering crowds and clarify the confusion while his wordless teaching and inner discipline generate trust and elevate the spirit. The pilgrimage of spiritual walking is both a purification process and a liberating time, as well as an inner journey and an expressive path. As the pilgrimage continues its course, the body and mind begin their inner and ultimate marital relationship. Within this true spiritual family, the feminine role of realistic attendance harmonizes with the masculine role of self-disciplined guidance. The experiential journey and awakening path walk side by side, promote one another, and refine each other to produce the pure-self. All the personal, social and ancestral relationships are vehicles facilitating this inner sacred relationship. This is the undertaking of the real task of your own pilgrimage, walking with your own past within the confines of your own family.
Fig. 4.1 37th Hexagram (Family)
In I Ching, the 37th hexagram (Family) expresses this notion precisely, the family of two seeds: the conscious head and instinctive head of man within the family of sun, solar light above and solar wind below. In this hexagram, the wind constantly blows the fire at bottom, spreading nutrition to all the living creatures and serving as a guiding angel to the existing souls on earth. The function of wind in Family is obvious: to awake, guide, direct and discipline. As described in the Chinese dictionary, the character “wind” - 142 -
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represents the driving force that gives birth to worms and parasites.” A biological worm normally takes eight days to transform itself. An annual cycle takes eight wind-periods to blow from one Winter Solstice to the next. The eight wind periods within a year guide accordingly the eight moon phases within a month, with 45 degrees in each phase, manifesting together daily, with 45 days in each period. This all lies within the power of eight, the shao (young) yin, the sheep, and the separation after union. The Chinese character “ba” for eight indicates the separation of the union from six (liu) and the breakthrough of seven (Chi). Its structure depicts two persons sleeping back to back. This is also the power of eight hexagrams in I Ching, the trinity of the harmony of yin and yang, the inner and outer connection of the four corners of the world, and the manifestation of three. Tao gives rise to one. One gives rise to two. Two gives rise to three. Three gives rise to all things. The meditative power of wind, representing upper trigram in Family hexagram, is located in a northeast direction: the trigram of Ken (mountain). It applies to the gentle, warm breezes of gentle spring wind. It represents conscious awakening, tender loving, peaceful awareness, and careful direction. Wind is the inhalation of cosmic breathing while light is that of exhalation. In our body, wind represents the respiration of lungs, the wheel of the thighs, the drumming of the ears, and the vibration of temples. The personal wind is the conscious sensation and reflection; physical wind is the psychic direction; family wind is the father’s guiding role; social wind is the governing principle; inner wind is the holy fire/ water, or the spiritual mind. In the worldly sense, wind represents the direction of physical sensation, the degree of cosmic vibration, and the intensity of interaction between light and its form: the void. In contrast, the fire, being at the bottom position, represents the power for purification and transformation. Heat generated through fire must be in a condensed flowing form to allow its flame to purify all things along its awakening course: a combined task of inner consciousness and biological process. The inner consciousness, representing the spiritual wind and stillness, chills down or heats up the intensity of loving fire, thereby ensuring purification, completion, and transformation. Meanwhile, there must be a place to produce the heat. Fig. 4.2 50th Hexagram (Cauldron) - 143 -
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This place is called cauldron (50th hexagram), the family kitchen within the body, an empty center in the abdomen. This center is neither an organ nor a gland, but the imaginary space in between. Cauldron is the invisible spiritual womb, the holy embryo. The holy water of biological fluid is contained within the cauldron with conscious fire of love boiling and cooking beneath it. The stillness guides the individual process with its relaxed posture and focused awareness. The internalized heat boils the biological water—sexual fluid—into elixir. Without this, self is lost, family is in turmoil and society becomes chaotic. Walking the way in this lifetime can be likened to walking through the jungles, undergoing trials and puzzles of life by restoring your own child-like free-flowing nature. This is referred to as returning to childhood and becoming a “born-again,” the process of embracing the Oneness, or knowing the son and holding onto the mother, or donning the hun and po and drawing them into Oneness. Oneness is the first and the oldest child of Tao, permitting all manifesting, total embracing, subtle penetrating and complete managing. This Oneness is the seed of whole, concord and integrity. It is the single, pure, primary, primordial and illuminating yang Chi of the Universe. It is also the hermaphroditic Godhead, or the androgynous womb of the world. The activity of embracing is a process of gathering energy through the concentration of mind: a psychospiritual process of unifying heavenly and earthly Chi. The purpose of preserving Chi is to unify both sides of the complete self, a biological process of returning to an undivided form of androgyny. This is the “pure matter” of Oneness: the necessary preparation to complete before entering the heavenly realm.
Perceptual Unification of the Oneness The practice of unifying all perceptual faculties is a practice of unifying the feelings, sensations, inspirations and wisdom into one: one-sense, God-sense, true sense, and pure sense. It is a total and comprehensive body/minded awareness, complete and spontaneous interaction, subtle and penetrative knowing around. It is comparable to seeing one’s entire history from birth to death, encompassing the known and unknown. In high stage meditation practice, the six senses (visual, auditory, smell, taste, touch and thinking) must be united. All aspects of a person, biological, emotional, - 144 -
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intellectual and spiritual must be unified into one perception: the combination of original spiritual perception and actual realistic perception. The spiritual perception is the highest form of perceptivity as well as the guiding principle of knowing and understanding. The actual realistic perception we can aspire to is the most reliable and trustworthy perception. The underlying path is the experiential journey: the divine meaning of the wisdom tradition.
Taoist Approach The gut feeling is the most instinctive common experience shared by all, whether it arises as doubt or misunderstanding, trust or mistrust. The information is immediately perceived with no time or opportunity for organic interaction and emotional counter-play. This is the cleansing, the formation and the flow of the world. In this perceptual and perceived environment, all the five sensory abilities and five organic functions are completely centralized. The three energy Fields are in one place, with no mental distraction and no spiritual wandering. As the opening at bottom is closed, the sexual Chi flows upwardly and inwardly. Lao Tzu has summarized this as thirty spokes joined at one hub, yet it is the emptiness inside the hub that makes the vehicle useful. Thirty spokes refer to the five facial organs (eyes, ears, nostril, mouth and tongue), five internal organs (liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys), ten fingers and ten toes. The one hub is the one spinal column of vertebrate, particularly the tailbone, which connects to the empty center of heart. This is based precisely upon the numerical changes of universal orders appearing between the River Chart (He-tu) and the Luo Drawing (Luo-shu).*
Fig. 4.3 River Chart (Hetu)
Fig. 4.4 Luo River Graph (Luoshu) - 145 -
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When the cosmic completion of ten was eliminated because of corruptive creation, the three rings from the River Chart were combined as a single ring in the Luo Drawing. Thus, birth (inhalation), life (transformation) and death (exhalation) are integrated between the original creation of ten (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) and the outer ring of thirty (6 + 7 + 8 + 9). The outer ring of thirty is the meaning of thirty spokes.
*Mystic Chart of I Ching, Hetu, or the River Chart The only difference between Eastern mysticism and that of the West lies in the difference that in the east the numerical construction is 55 while in the west it is 76 or 78. The total number presented in Hetu is 55, and it has four rings. In the center is the cosmic five elements. Surrounding the five is the completion of ten, in all realms. Then, outside the ten is the company of another ten, the sum of one to four, as the four corners of the universe and internal construction of universe within. The outer layer is thirty, six to nine, which is what Lao Tzu referred to as thirty spokes in chapter eleven. The original God’s completion changed from Hetu to Luoshu, the Luodrawing. The ten in the second ring are destroyed, due to the cosmic corruption. The three outer rings are blended into one ring as a result of the change of direction. Three in the left and seven in the right becomes the 37 seven chapters in the Tao Te Ching. This is due to the change of the center—the seed in the middle accompanied by the four numbers around. So only 45 is left in the Luo-drawing, which is the magic box of nine, the arrangements are: 2-9-4 are in the top role, 7-5-3 are in the middle role, and 6-1-8 are in the bottom role. As for this order, any of the combination is 15, or three-fives, which are the Confucian’s teaching of three disciplines and five orders. Also, mystic power of eight extra meridians are arranged as follows: First, there are four or eight in the lower dantian (Tan Tien), two adrenal glands work together with two ovarian/testicle glands, two kidneys working together with small/large intestines. The center is bladder, the fifth or eleventh one. This is the original map of eight meridians, depending on the thrusting power, the power of will and sexual expression, going either upward/inward, or downward or outward. If it is the internal power, it is the spiritual procreation; if the second, it is the offspring. As these eight meridians move up, there are two other sets of eight circulating in the brain. Among them the thalamus, hypothalamus and pituitary glands are the triad of three in the brain. If they are controlled by the amygdala, it is the emotional, intuitive and psychic awareness. These four glands work together with the four ventricles inside the brain.
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Words have their origin, numbers have their meanings, and events have their leader. Lao Tzu seldom used numbers in his teaching, but all the numbers he did choose to use in Tao Te Ching have precise meanings. For example, the phrase “ten and three” represents a genetically coded and cosmically numbered journey of life within the completion of ten and trial function of birth, life and death. Ten in Chinese culture represents the completion of numerical functioning coming after nine, which is the biggest and highest cardinal number. Ten and three represent the numerical order of universal manifestation. All matter lives within the cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth, within the cyclical manifestation of ten and three. Without ten, there will be no complete and perfect presence of matter with its myriad forms and motions. Each stage and every state is perfect in itself, but hardly permanent because stage and state are ever in constant flux. Yet all the perfection as well as the shifting variations are within the mechanism of the universal secret coding system: three from one. This is the way the universal matters transform themselves from the cyclical and incarnating process of production into the recycling and reincarnating process of repetition. On and on, over and over, ceaselessly, there is never a resolution. This is the nature of the heavenly product, the completion of ten. This is also due to the universal cyclical number of three that contains the mechanisms of yin and yang and their harmonious flow: the representation of multiplicity. Acts upon/within good timing is an accurate characterization of the flow.
(*Continued) If the three glands are controlled by the pineal gland, it is spiritual, wisdom and intellectual power. The four lobes surrounding the brain are the illuminating, echoing coming through these four glands. So now we have two interactive maps of eight extra meridians, between emotion and body or between wisdom and body. The two sets of four in the brain are the mystic functioning of 44, the volume of Te. This is the nature of transforming seven emotions and six desires in our Taoist tradition. As the positive emotions are transformed, they become the wisdom illumination. As for the negative emotions, they become the virtuous and mystic awareness practice. So, Tao and Te are unified, and body and mind reach their final marriage.
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Scientific Manipulation The historical development of science is based upon the rational mind, dogmatic institution and religious practice of Western culture. When the rational mind becomes the defining line between yes and no, when dogmatic institution separates man from God, when the religious practice condemns human beings as sinful by nature, institutional religious worship is transformed into personal scientific devotion. Rational dogma becomes scientific law. Mental products replace natural products. The position that the rational mentality takes is that “yes” is absolutely “yes” and “no” is absolutely “no,” having no connecting link. This mentality of separation and isolation gradually arrives at its dominant position in the history of human evolution. Its fine line becomes the lineal notion of universal law; its method and technical device become the social justice. Consequently, communication in our complex society thrives on the usage of scientific vocabularies, rational hypotheses and statistical lies. Those who are unfamiliar with the terms are often classified as uneducated and alienated indigenous beings. In our present time, the power of science can often supply instant gratification. Yesterday’s scientific fact may be disproved by tomorrow’s new theory derived from a different calculation through a more advanced technology. It is a merciless pronouncement, a dream-catching imagination, and an ultimate self-rejection. The scientific measurement is based upon the repetition of research and recycling between the two as well as the statistical calculation and evaluation of one and three: one is the discovery stage; three is the marketing practice; two is the marriage between subjectivity and objectivity. This is the abstract point, the rational law, and the fine line of scientific view as it results in a distortion of our natural rhythm. Harmony is diversified into classification and categorization, and flow is the commercial advertisement and stock fluctuation at the expense of a natural cycle. Lao Tzu’s statement of acting upon/ within good timing becomes an old-fashioned concept, one that is easily discarded. We have locked ourselves into a pattern of selfdestruction, forgetting that our advancement relies on going with the flow, on adapting and coping with changing circumstances. When an unexpected turn of events occurs, we are woefully unprepared to accept the changes. As the situations become more chaotic and beyond our control, the boss blames the employees, - 148 -
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the employees blame the bad road condition, and mind blames the natural “disasters.” When science discovered the growth hormone, its potential appeared to be unequaled but quickly went awry in experimentation, having developed as a malignancy in the stomach. Those affected could choose to either live with their condition or take drastic measures, including surgical removal of the resultant tumor. With the invention of the digital satellite cable communication system we could watch TV (our own image) in our home. Yet this advanced technology is hardly more than the small mirror carried in a woman’s purse. When scientific knowledge led to the invention of machines such as automobiles, the poisoned air of the exhaust system leached into our lungs. It then escalated further, developing into our present smog-filled polluted atmosphere that in turn led to an array of disabling diseases. When the scientists buried their nuclear waste in the ground, it seeped into our drinking water and contaminated the soil that grows our food and the home where we reside. With the invention of bottled formula, babies were deprived of nature’s perfect nutrition that would enable them to develop a strong immune system. Finally, organic receptors are extended by technological equipment; organic malfunctions are replaced with transplants. Satellites replace the welcoming open invitation of God in His heavenly realm; telemarketing becomes the biophysiological gratification; technological reinvestment and advancement become the ultimate psychospiritual gurus. All the mechanical techniques we have accumulated throughout our civilization, especially from the modern scientific revolution, are at the very least partially removed from the natural phenomena of change. Directed by the mind’s anticipation, natural reaction evolves into mental projection. The world shrinks, dominated by competition, verging on the catastrophic. As science progresses and matures, its natural limitation will invite a backlash, the ultimate punishment for manipulating the sacred mechanism of nature.
Belly – Energetic Bank of Oneness Lao Tzu ascertains that belly is the method of being. Belly is where God’s tombs—sacral and tailbones—rest, how the Chi of life is directed, and why we exist and continue to be. Through the navel - 149 -
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or the Old Gate in Biblical tradition, life is given. Cosmic knowledge of corruption becomes a biological mechanism, eternal life evolves into the two worlds—living reality and dream reality—charged by the changing modality of presence. When the energy gathered from above the head (the universal Chi) and below the feet (the earthly Chi) is stored at the Lower Cinnabar Field, it becomes a process of unifying all into Oneness. This is the only purpose as well as the habitual activity of Lao Tzu’s daily life practice to sustain from the mother source; experiencing the meaning and usefulness of Oneness. In daily life, the Lower Cinnabar Field becomes an energetic bank that generates the body and mind to act in a harmonious pattern rather than a reproductive device to discharge the vital force. In this “field,” the kidney “water” provides the basic nutrition for the body and mind by circulating its Chi up and down along the Microcosmic Orbit in the same manner as well water or a mountain spring.
Fungi – Food of Oneness In Taoist tradition, a fast is a discipline used to cleanse the body. It has been applied since early times to abstain from grain consumption, to enable the body to return to its nomadic diet of herbs, fungi and mushrooms. This ancient practice of abstinence is called “Bigu,” with “bi” defined as “be away from” or “cut off”, and “gu” for “valley” or “grain.” Grain in meditation practice is considered a solid food. To consume this heavy food hinders the practice of advancement, making it more difficult or even impossible. Each herb is a natural plant with its own energy quality of color, flavor and energy substance. By taking natural herbs and mushrooms, the body will return to its light condition allowing the Chi of air and light to easily enter and flow through. When water combines with air and light, the body receives the average adult requirement. The minerals in the body do not fluctuate at the same speed as vegetative elements. They are the basic substances and building blocks of the body, and fungi are most beneficial because they belong to the earliest family of biological formation on earth. By consuming this, the physical body, the most highly developed organism on earth, will revert to its original fungus state. You will come to rely more directly on the Chi of heaven and earth—oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and different particles that constitute heat - 150 -
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and light—to replace the ordinary food consumption. This is the practice of hibernation (as some animals do during winter season) and metamorphoses (transforming worm-state bodies into flying beings). Taoists follow this path. Meditating in caves, they will directly absorb cosmic yang Chi as well as air, water molecules and minerals. Meditation becomes the sum of all life activities. Gehong, a famous Taoist Master of the second century, wrote the first summary on the Taoist fasting practice of using natural elements such as fungi and herbs. He stated that those who consume plants are good at walking but dumb. Those who consume meat are more powerful but tend to be aggressive. Those who eat grain are intelligent but do not live long. Those who eat fungi become spiritual and will not die, because the spirit never dies.
Vision of Oneness Lao Tzu realized that when he centered himself, sensory receptors became useless before the “eye” of the Tao. Look for it and not see it, it is called invisible; listen for it and not hear it, it is called inaudible; reach for it and not touch it, it is called intangible. The invisible, inaudible and intangible is the manifestation of the Tao. Our bodily mechanical tools for seeing, hearing and touching are limited to the formal and materialistic environment. They manifest only through the appearance of the Form, the multiplicity of One, and the creation of Non-being. The nature of Oneness, at any level and any time, is beyond our bodily communicable capacity. The invisible is the fine color that eyes cannot see. The inaudible is the subtle vibration that ears cannot hear. The intangible is the pure appearance that the hands and bodily skin cannot touch. Pure color is beyond reckoning even if our eyes were endowed with the maximum capacity for sight to visualize as clearly as a microscope or a telescope. Our ears may be equipped with digital audio devices to enhance sound, yet subtle vibration is beyond our detection. Our hands reach beyond the tangible appearance of matter, yet we cannot grasp pure appearance. These three are beyond reckoning since Nature’s true state is beyond any mechanical calculation employed by our human mentality. Yet, when these three are merging together, they are One. As for this One, there is nothing above it remaining to be accounted for, there is nothing below it that has been excluded. Ever searching for it, it is beyond - 151 -
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naming. It returns to no-thing. Its state is described as no state, its form is described as formless. It is called the vision beyond focus. Follow after it, and it proves endless. Go before it, and no beginning can be found. By employing the Tao of today, we can manage today’s affairs and know the ancient past. Nothing is old and nothing is new. Everyday is the same day, and every year is the same year. Everything is here now and completely present before us. We have no need to study history to know the past, to live the present, and to predict the future. Whether yesterday was inaudible, or today is intangible, or tomorrow will be invisible matters not at all. This is the power of knowing around and the spiritual presence practice.
Psycho-Spiritual Unification The Taoist cultivation practice is psycho-spiritual in its nature. Willpower—the best weapon of mind—is essential for the transformation of the spiritual upon the biophysiological. Without psychological unification, the energy cannot be centered and crystallized. For example, the endocrine and immune systems, so essential to our existence, would dissolve into nothing more than superstitious institutional practice. The Oneness of yin and yang cannot possibly be reunited. Therefore, psychological transformation is a means and a must. Through this transformation, the process of drawing the spirit and soul into Oneness has its necessary outcome. The biophysiological nature of yin (female) and yang (male) will inevitably return to their complete and unified Oneness: androgynous unity.
Biophysical Oneness – the Androgynous Self In theology and spiritual practice, sacred water has been an inescapable topic. Primarily, it is used to purify the body and cleanse the spirit, which is accomplished through various religious ceremonies. There is a similarity in the conventional practice of Taoism in the aspect of healing. It defines the sacred water as the combination of bone marrow and hormonal fluid. In the depths of esoteric cultivation,sacred water or essential Jing from the Lower Cinnabar Field (cauldron) responds to the challenge of the sacred spirit. The pure person or androgynous self is then stored at the Middle Cinnabar Field (thymus/heart) through the fusion of five organic Chi. - 152 -
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By understanding the male and holding onto the female, we see that heaven and earth combine and allow sweet dew. When the essential Jing of kidney Chi along the spine reaches the cerebrum in the brain it will invite the conscious fire by gathering the ethereal breath: the pure light. The mixed yin essence and the ethereal breath unify to produce a material we call nectar, sweet dew or sacred water. As this nectar flows down into the mouth, it is no longer saliva but jade-fluid, prepared to assimilate with thyroid and parathyroid glands for the purpose of purifying the five organic Chi in the chest. The most effective times to purify sacred water and produce sweet dew are: eleven p.m. to one a.m., three to five a.m., and the emerging state of sexual arousal, what ever time that might be. From eleven p.m. to one a.m., the earthly yin Chi is replaced by the solar yang Chi. From three to five a.m., the kidney meridian activates kidney Chi, releasing both the essential sexual Chi produced and the leftover materials (urine and bowel activity). It is the time when the spirit power overtakes the ghost power. Yet, the sexual arousal state, called “huo-zi-shi” or live-eleven-one period, is the most precious time to practice the sacred water gathering.
Exercises: 1. For the male, place the thumb and middle finger of both hands together, then visualize the “head” of the standing penis. When the penis is relaxed, visualize your two testes with two eyes. After this, rest the conscious mind at the level of the cerebrum. The sexual Chi will then be reabsorbed. 2. For the female, massage the breasts as you visualize the clitoris and follow your breath. Then draw the sexual Chi from the clitoris upward following a line (the white line) to the central point between the breasts. Following this, connect this portion of Chi with the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Store the final Chi—mixed at the center between the second and third ribs—behind the sternum, that is the center of lungs and thymus gland. This crystallized Chi will cleanse the psychosomatic problems caged in the chest, reduce the amount of flow during the period, and invite the virgin boy (spiritual light) into the flower to produce the spiritual seed: golden elixir.
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As Lao Tzu has illustrated, understanding the male and holding on to the female refers to biological construction of yin and yang. Understanding the pure and holding on to the impure refers to the state of yin and yang. And understanding the white and holding on to the black refers to the appearance of yin and yang. The flow of the world, the cleansing of the world and the formation of the world are the three natural characters of yin and yang. Yin is female: the impure and black; yang is male: pure and white. The flow is the combination of pure and impure: the formation of black and white. The childhood is the unification of yin and yang: a simple state of cleansing and having an ongoing sufficed action that does not stray. This state is also an infinite state of the returning act of Tao; the mechanism is to simplify the action of pure yang and impure yin. From within the murky comes the stillness. The feminine enlivens with her milk. The seed of stillness is alive within the murky matter, the mother. In turn, the life force—milk—is produced to nourish the growth of a life: the transformation of seed. The mother has the murky body, draws the stillness, and produces the substances of the Tao: sacred water and milk. Keeping such a Tao, excess is undesirable. Desiring no excess, work is completed without exhaustion. From this, Lao Tzu says that the sage makes it the head ruler. By doing so, the great ruling never divides.
Psycho-Spiritual Oneness – the God like Self The religious notion of marrying God is described by Lao Tzu as donning the spirit and soul and drawing them into Oneness. Then the true self will never depart. This translates as: through reserving the action of flowing energy, the desire is reduced; through the process of gathering heavenly Chi, the conduct of po will be controlled. When there is a peaceful mind, hun’s mental conscious activity will return to shen’s pure conscious state: the ability of knowing and the capacity of anticipating within and without. This returning is the act of Tao. The psychospiritual Oneness is based upon the combination of biophysical Oneness and the heavenly yang Chi. It is pure light or the unified three states of color: the formal state (constructive state) of the golden spiritual light, the cleansing state (creative state) of the white evergreen blue, and the mechanical state (returning state) of the procreative universal white force. The psycho-spiritual One-
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ness is an energy manipulation process based upon the quality of virtue and its deeds produced. The person who works according to Tao unites with Tao. In the same ways he unites with Te. In the same ways he unites with loss. Uniting with Te, the Tao becomes Te. Uniting with loss, the Tao becomes loss. Tao never loses but is transmitted into either Action (Te) or loss. If your purpose in life is the acquisition of material things, especially the prominent name and possessions accumulated, you will inevitably end up with loss. If you want to unite with the Action of Tao, you will lose everything but not the Action of Tao. If you want to be united with Tao, you will lose everything but not the Tao. We can disregard our mental projections and appraisals to concentrate on making a right judgment of the reality of nature, embracing and uniting with it. There is little difference between a patriot and a killer, a party and a gang or a saint and a sinner. Since each depends upon the other for its existence, all that matters is the “fine line” where one is standing. This “fine line” is the intention of mind guarded by soul, heart and spirit, and the action of the body/mind process. If the intention is selfless, there is no cause for concern. Just be who you are and do what you must. You can save someone’s life through kindness or destroy a relationship by misusing the kindness. You can save someone’s life through justice or kill him by restoring the established justice. If an action requires you to step with the right foot, then action with the left foot will bring trouble.
Mystical Female The body is a mystic field, whether male or female. There are three areas representing the mystic female. The first area is that of the perineum where the biological seed of love that gives birth to new life is received. The second area is in the thymus gland for receiving the love of light and the lost self. The third one is the pituitary gland that receives the cosmic power and spiritual understanding.
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Pituitary
Fig.4.5 Well Valley, Thymus and Pituitary Glands are the Mystic Triad. The first area exemplifies the oceanic, unconscious and lifedeath state. When a practitioner concentrates on the perineum pressure point and muscles, they will experience the union between a vagina and its partner penis. For the female practitioner, when the energy runs directly from perineum to vulva and to clitoris, the heat generated from contraction will naturally run into the ovaries to internally transform the eggs into useful substances to sustain her body. In regard to the male, all the muscles around the perineum pressure point should be open and in a relaxed state. Restrained and tightened muscles signal all chronic conditions, e.g. lower back pain, sciatica, premature ejaculation, impotence, fear, low self-esteem and poor mental performance. Most importantly, lower sexual energy results in poor mental function and vice versa. The second area, for opening the gate of unconditional and selfless love, lies in the thymus gland. When the thymus gland lacks resource of itself, it reveals the traits of selfishness and discrimination and egotism. While unifying with the lost love, this gland becomes the sacred vessel in which to manifest a consciously selfless and blissful love. Anyone who has not unified with the lost love within, will become the loser in a love relationship regardless of past history. Any long-term relationship requires constant sacri- 156 -
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fice that in turn provides the opportunity for liberation and growth. Marriage, both biological and soulful, is a false promise underlying a karmic blockage between the two, and an opportunity to transform it. Neither participant can live what the other must and neither promising soul can satisfy the other lost soul. Terminating a relationship before transforming the karmic blockage will bring disaster to both the self and the ongoing relationship. A promise, in itself, demonstrates a precise lack of self-esteem and trust. Spirit has no reason to promise anything. The ultimate union—spirit and love—cannot live up to the high standard of self-promise and sworn vows. In the third area, the most rewarding experience is awakening the unconscious that is stored in the abdominal area and the emotional love residing in the chest. This can occur when the active mind is stilled and the pituitary gland is calm as its hormone-directing functions are balanced and minimal. In sustained conditions of darkness meditation (such as in a mountain cave), this desirable subtle effect is especially profound when the pineal gland becomes the energy center—the entire biological process of life is altered. The triad relationship among spirit, love and pineal gland will create the finest marriage on earth and in heaven: oneness.
Nature and Culture of Psychospiritual Oneness The time of year doesn’t matter as long as we can gather energy from the outside world. If we are capable of knowing, we have no need to protect ourselves. When we are united with Oneness, it is not necessary to name it. If we call it God, Brahma, Allah, Nirvana, the Ultimate, Tao, or “whatever” is immaterial. This is the nature of psychospiritual Oneness as experienced and embraced by all enlightened individuals, from the time of the earliest religious founders into the far-reaches of the unknown future. They have no need to be embraced or revered. They care only about their potential to be one with the Tao, not of our expectations, beliefs and values. They examine us with subtle understanding, offering no response to our demanding minds and adorned bodies. They are so immersed in remaining in this state that they value it more highly than they do their own lives. All they require from us is our readiness. What we must first know and understand is the prerequisite demand of total commitment to the connection between them and - 157 -
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us. The enlightened ones are the images, the pictures and the lights seen by our envisioned spirits. They can transform a certain power within us, but cannot maintain our physical bodies. Neither can we depend entirely on them. We must feed ourselves, which involves gathering the Chi and cultivating ourselves. Never think that because we believe them, they will supply us with everything we need. Know that our ego mind will not please them. There has been no evidence that any religious founder or a spiritually enlightened person did not need to first experience his biophysiological process from birth to death. What we are struggling to learn today is how to integrate their life experiences and fundamental teachings within our daily practice. A sage, a true spiritual doctor, can help us open the door to the wondrous core of our longings, but to do so we must surrender to our true nature—our complete self— to absolute freedom and creative spontaneity. Religious practice is partly cultural ramification; religious beliefs are culturally defined ideas. In Taoist terms the goal of entering the Tao is to be One with Tao. Certain useful cultural practices are shamanistic healing and I Ching counseling. The most powerful of these cultural aids are the Tao and yin/yang, but they are neither culturally concluded nor limited within their own cultural framework. Living beyond culture and self is the ideal model of Taoist cultivation towards psychospiritual Oneness. Historically, our ancestor(s) lived with only one connection, one faith and one belief. The connection is between the self and universe, the faith is between the self and God, and the belief is the pure spiritual knowing and the mental conscious practice. Since we have the connection between our biological parents and spiritual parent, we have more detailed beliefs than faith and more mechanical techniques than beliefs. We have moved from the river banks to the ocean beaches, and have shifted from a spiritual connection to scientific imagination. Our spring water is now a mixed drink, the spiritual belief becomes a scientific paradigm, and the mental connection develops into a mechanical operation. There is more pollution than there is untouched nature. There are more activities—a mixture of good and bad—than pure conscious acts and virtuous deeds. The greatest task in cultivation is the restoration of this. It can be accomplished by focusing inwardly where intention and perceptual awareness become totally interactive guiding steps. When - 158 -
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the organic functions are centralized, and their organic appearances merge with universal light, the “eyes” will see naturally the internal organic colors, their metabolic functioning, the past experiences and future events. The “ears” will hear the vibratory activities of natural phenomena. The mind regains its shen’s ability of knowing by unifying hun and po as well as reducing xin’s demands and po’s desire. Working hard for continuing existence will be replaced by active meditation practice. The daily conscious state and nightly dreaming state will merge into one. Sex life will be internally balanced and neutralized. Name and fame will be expanded into the image of universal activity. Possession and obsession transform into kindness, caring and giving. Out-of-body experience, near-death experience, extrasensory perceptions, being one with the universe, stoppage of time, and finally being One with God will be the accumulating grand experiences.
Three Oneness There are three types of reunions in life experience. They are namely: biophysical marriage, ideal connection, and spiritual reunion commonly called “marrying to God.” The biophysical marriage is the connection of the yin and yang kidney Chi. Climax is its peak experience, followed by the products of offspring. The ideal connection is the mental communication between yin type of humanly hun and yang type of universal mechanism. The peak experience is the insightfulness and thorough mental clarity. The products are the ideas, thoughts and all the manifested products dealing with understanding of nature and the evolution of civilization. Spiritual marriage is the connection of bodily pure yang force and heavenly yang force. The peak experience is bliss. The products are pure persons or God’s children. Among these three, the first reunion is the earthly one of a couple. Though they enjoy the process and experience Oneness, the act is a simultaneous exchange between death and birth. The Oneness is the reunion of the two suffused, separated and manifested entities of yin and yang, of male and female, of anima and animus. It is originally, in itself, the complete Oneness, which is also three. As for the ideal connection, the subjective side is the pure internal connection between mental flash and light, self and thought, insightfulness and experience, hun’s soulful consciousness and - 159 -
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shen’s pure consciousness, idea and reality, and reality and eternity. After these subjects are transformed into letters and numbers, tools and machines, their end result is totally unlike its original form. The process is ongoing from individual identity to professional practice, from self-discovery to social justification, from internal understanding to culturalization. Their duality exists between voice and order, conscience and justice, convenience and practice. It is this individual action and the cultural process that gives rise to inventions, which become highly prized and valuable, but serve only to make our lives more miserable. In life, we have innumerable choices but they are all based on the parents we chose. In society, we can enjoy freedom but perhaps not its cultural practice. In government, we speak out with conviction concerning our personal views but have little to say about its political structures. In worship, we can be entranced with esoteric experiences but cannot openly challenge any religious belief. We could blame our parents for our imperfections just as we could blame society for imposing its standard but limited cultural practices, which are based upon the mental creativity, discovery, legislature and sanction of a limited few. This is why the Taoist cultivation opens still another door, a new road for those who are unhappy with restraints inherited from their parents and their society, for those who long to be themselves. To be a Taoist is to have the smallest mind, make the least number of choices and enjoy the most freedom. The only choice to be made is to follow in the footsteps of the sage, going backward and being One with the Tao. It is not another mandatory rule; it is reverting to the original unified nature where we are meant to be. The life of a sage creates no social ramification since he lives beyond social qualification and cultural limitation. This is why being One with Tao means abandoning the egoistic mind and self-inhibited culture.
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Power of Keeping the Oneness To move forward is to have the actual experience of psycho-spiritual transformation. Without this valuable experience the transformation will appear to be a fictitious writing. It will be interpreted from the standpoint of liberal arts, and the writings will be treated as the writer’s creative thoughts rather than a truthful and earthly experience. Of course, one could still maintain that visualization is a tool for both creative writing and meditation practice. Without any hands-on experience, it would be a difficult task to differentiate between the scripture of the phenomenological results of meditation and the literature viewed as fictitious scenarios. Generally speaking, most people enjoy reading fiction rather than religious or meditative material. The main difference between meditators and writers is that meditators have no need to record the experience as has been done traditionally by all the esoteric religions. Jesus, one of the best meditators in the history of the world, wrote nothing himself. The purpose of writing is not the importance of the material itself as much as the preservation and passing on of the tradition. To those who do so, writing is their livelihood. If their writings are not published, staged, or screened into TV or movies, they have no profession. Another consideration is that some meditators may be writers, and some writers may be meditators. However, not all meditators are writers and not all writers are meditators. A good meditator has no need to write, since meditation is not based upon linguistic ability and writing skills. All that is needed is a good heart and a selfless faith followed by diligent practice. Heart carries the faith into diligent practice. By contrast, a good writer should be a good meditator. It is in the practice of meditation that thought surfaces, quality is ensured and the mind can express the meaning of words. Meditation experiences are based solely upon the careful preservation of retained Oneness.
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Oneness – Child of the Tao Ultimate Stillness
Yang
Creation
Yin
Super Cluster
Super Cluster
Tai Chi
5 Elements
Milky Way Galaxy
Earth
Fig. 4.6 Wu Chi - The Universe
Oneness is the first and oldest child to which the Tao gives birth. Existing within this oneness are the co-dependent, co-existent and co-supportive forces of two. This two is the harmony of yin and yang. When yin and yang unite, combining their opposite forces, three—the son of all sons, the copy of all copies, and the seed of myriad things in the world—is produced. This is the evolutionary process defined as Tao gives rise to one; one gives rise to two; two gives rise to three; three gives rise to all things. - 162 -
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When Tao enlivens, it fuses, suffuses and diffuses into the form of matters. The function of the Tao is the fusion within harmonious emptiness. The role of the Tao is taken over by the Action (or the virtuous Te) since Tao is lost into the harmonious existence of yin and yang. Through the goodness, kindness and nourishment of action by the Mystic Female or Divine Mother, matter enters into existence. This matter is the seed of all matters. It is the mechanism that generates and regenerates all existing matters. Matter is the form of the world, while mechanism is the operation of the world. In our everyday existence language is the mechanism of mind; cooking is the mechanism of the stomach; books are the mechanism of the scholar. Words and ideas are the mechanism of intelligence, machines are the mechanism of science, the surgeon is the mechanism of bodily reconstruction, nonattachment is the mechanism of a healthy mind, and illumination is the mechanism of spiritual enlightenment. Most importantly, sex is the mechanism of life and death. From the earliest beginnings of our human form, the original mechanism has been the single, pure, primary, primordial and illuminating yang Chi: the seed with the potential of suffusing into two. This seed carries the potential of the co-existence of Father-Mother or Progenitor-Progenitrix as well. The loving force of Chi draws them together into a temporal union, thus giving birth to the three: the origin of our biological self. Chinese mythology tells us that human beings have existed since the earthly Mother received Chi, God’s sexual energy of illuminating light and cosmic orgasm. She felt suddenly a complete orgasm (sexual, emotional, intellectual and spiritual) within herself. Her two children, brother/husband Fuxi and sister/wife Nuwa, became the common ancestors. Nuwa established the first law in China to abandon the practice of marriage between siblings as a result of their tragic experience. Fuxi went on to devise the practices of worship and accounting, as well as the understanding of the Eight Diagrams. He taught his children how to fish and hunt. The incestuous taboo between siblings is the most forbidding disclosure of our common secret: we are all brothers and sisters. Our parents as well as our grandparents were brothers and sisters. For this reason any sexual activity is religiously sinful. It sheds light on why, generation after generation, we have been constantly and continuously searching, trying to unify yet constantly and sadly - 163 -
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failing. The separated and lost Self opens its arms, always inviting us into its embrace, always elusive, finally rejected. We cannot grasp it. The sacred mechanism of the world cannot be manipulated. Those who manipulate fail, those who hold on to it lose. The hidden truth is that we all have the male and female selves within us: the brotherhood and sisterhood of our biological ancestor. We are as lonely as widow and orphan without support. Widow is our Great Mother, and orphan is her child who is not being supported and cared for by its heavenly Father. But Lords and rulers name themselves these. Any individual who is crowned becomes the ultimate orphan on earth and in that country, since no one else can sit in his chair and no other person can speak for him: only God. He speaks to the people on behalf of our creator God. This chair is the ultimate prison on earth, more solitary than spirit. Sage will never occupy the palace; he could never be happy nor even exist in such a self-restrained position.
Outcome of Cultivation Lao Tzu has written with detailed and poetic expression about the nature and the history of attaining and preserving the Oneness. He summarizes the lives of those in the past who have attained Oneness through natural phenomena of human experience. His defining words are: by attaining Oneness, heaven is clear. By attaining Oneness, earth is at peace. By attaining Oneness, the spirit is quickened. By attaining Oneness, the valley is filled. By attaining Oneness, the king puts order in the whole world. All these result from Oneness. Without its clarity, heaven is liable to explode. Without its peace, earth is liable to erupt. Without its quickening, the spirit is liable to die out. Without its fullness, valleys are liable to dry out. Without proper esteem, the king is liable to fall. Esteem is rooted in the humble. The high is founded upon the low. This is why the lords and rulers call themselves widows and orphans without support. Is this not the root of being humble? Much praise amounts to no praise. Without preference, being is as resonant as Jade and as gravelly as stone. Yield, and retain integrity. In the depths there is stillness. The hollow enables the plentiful. The old gives way to the new. The small allows for increase. Excess breeds confusion. Therefore the sage holds oneness as the shepherd of the world. The quality and meaning of life is all contained in the One. As - 164 -
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the Chinese have philosophically defined it: one is all and all is one. We have one life to live on earth at this time, regardless of the history of our past or the hope for the future. If we waste it or destroy it, there is no more chance at this life. Life is regarded as a very serious matter. If we do not open ourselves to this solemn truth, we will lose our spirit-self in our downward spiral to our ultimate destination: death. Lao Tzu has wisely concluded that the reason people are not serious about death is because they seek the burdens of life.
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World of the Sage
Chapter V World of the Sage What is a Sage?
Historically, the sage has occupied the highest intellectual position known to man, being possessed of the deepest moral responsibility while harboring the least material objection. A lonely figure, he holds the position between Truth and knowledge, transforms from wise to holy, evolves from the cyclical life to the eternal void. He is regarded as a legendary male figure, concerned only with sustaining purity and the completion of yang Chi: celestial energy. He disdains the firmly embedded and gender-biased view taken by the masses. We view the sage as the culmination of wisdom and immortality. Through his understanding being passed down to us, we are able to judge between the decisive acts of human beings and that of God. We are made aware, in our earthly existence, of the defining line between heavenly spirits and earthly souls. Because of him, we can rise above our circumstances in this human life; they are nothing, superceded by the dream of a heavenly life. In this context the Chinese mind regards the sage as the most revered individual between heaven and earth, the Ideal Model for a human being to emulate. Taoist inner alchemy cannot teach us “what” a Taoist is, but opens the mind to many “ways” in which to - 166 -
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become a Taoist, as transmitted to us by the sages themselves. From the legendary stories of the birth of the first human beings to that of the highest position in the country—the first emperor (ChinShi-Huang-Di 259—210 B.C.)—there has never been another individual source. The sage speaks from God’s exalted tone, acts on behalf of God’s will, and represents God’s most favored child. Taoism is, at most, a native religion but not a national one. From the ideal connection between man and heaven to the realistic practice between the power of ego and the freedom of mind, there has never been a national, dogmatic and institutional religion in Chinese culture. Being controlled by political power and the Confucian ethical practice, the Chinese people have been denied freedom of action but have always employed freedom of the spiritual mind. In the book of Tao Te Ching, the term sage is the most frequently used, appearing in twenty-one chapters. In those chapters, Lao Tzu depicts the sage walking through his human life within sagehood. He places a greater emphasis on the importance of being a sage than he does on the meaning of hearing of Tao. A sage is a meditator who has mastered the cultivation practice of body/mind into that of a newborn baby. He is a carrier of kindness whose moral nutrition is utilized in the people’s hearts but not clearly understood in their minds. He is a ruler in the world whose conduct imparts a state of being, whose position is lowly, and whose method is utter simplicity. The mechanism of the intellect is elevated into a mechanism of universal manifestation. The intellect is wise when there is no desire in the mind; while captured by demands, it becomes crafty. The act itself is kind when there is no competition; while searching for perfection, it becomes possessive. Thus, when Lao Tzu is describing a sage, he employs the qualities of “wise,” “kind” and “Wu Wei,” which are interchangeable definitions in their depiction of sage. Lao Tzu calls himself a sage. For example, the method of his cultivation practice outlined as emptying the mind, vitalizing the stomach, softening the will and strengthening the character, is labeled as the sage’s governing method. The following expressions are further examples: 1. Sage is for the belly not the eyes. 2. The sage wears shabby cloth but holds a treasure within. 3. The sage holds Oneness as the shepherd of the world. - 167 -
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4. Therefore the sage says: When I am in-active, people transform themselves. When I abide in stillness, people organize themselves lawfully. When I am disengaged, people enrich themselves. When I choose non-desire, people remain simple. To be a sage and to live a sage’s life is neither easy nor impossible. It is a life devoid of desire, ambition, name, competition, wealth, and possessions. The sage bears a wonderful name called immortality, a quality that cannot be defined socially and culturally. To reach immortality is to become self-effacing. Exercising only the right conduct of speech and action, doing no more and no less than what is required. It is acting at the right time with the right person within the right space, expressing no self-explanation and no self-advertising. Voice is the complementary vehicle of action; Tao is transformed into the virtuous Te of kindness. The term Taoism can be construed as “obscure,” “abstract,” “ethical” and “forceful,” but a sage’s behavior illuminates the Tao as alive, active, and achievable.
Sage’s Physical Condition Sage is the individual, collective and universal persona under which the trilogy of Tao, the meaning of Action. and the role of human being are uniformly embodied and characterized. Upon examination of the practical result of cultivation, we see that a sage’s body is an androgynous Chi body. With this invisible capability, a sage’s body is in unity with the mind, not a burden of perceptual and energetic limitation. Because of this total infusion, a sage’s body is a friend of life, not an object to be displayed. With its unique ability to rejuvenate, a sage’s body is a womb for producing a self-like baby, not a treasure to be preserved. Its completion and singularity serve as a cinnabar field to cultivate God-like self, but not a golden elixir to be held and treasured. As Lao Tzu continues to expound: Relaxing the body, the body comes to the fore. Beyond the body, the body comes to the fore. Beyond the body, the body exists of itself. Not even relying on selflessness enables the self to be fulfilled. The definition of relaxation is comparable to the Buddhist idea of readiness: no sickness, no frustration, no restraint, and no expectation. It is the overall meaning of presence. “Coming to the fore” doesn’t mean that the caretaker’s role is removed from the - 168 -
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mind, allowing the body to wander without direction, racing headlong to the edge of a cliff, nor is it expecting the body to confront risk with no assistance. “Coming to the fore” is permitting the body to by-pass mental calculation and expectation, being free to move with its own rhythm, at its own pace, measured with its own strength, and in its own time. Thus, the mind reaches beyond the body, yet, the stillness within holds it at bay. When the body comes to the fore on its own, poisonous insects and venomous snakes do not sting it. Predatory birds and ferocious animals do not seize it. Its bones are soft and its sinews supple, yet its grasp is firm; without knowing the union of male and female, its organs become aroused. Its vital essence comes to the point; crying all day, its voice never becomes hoarse. Its harmony comes to the point. The central and essential location arrives in the right environment at the right time, engaged in the right bodily conduct. This is why the mind must be removed, relaxed and returned. The arousal of organs supplies the power of willful penetration to grasp the central attention, and to voice the harmonious organic vibration. Softness creates the space of firmness, grounding generates the pointing power, and homesick crying is the voice of sobering souls. Because the sage values the world as he does the body, he can be entrusted with the world. Because he loves his body as he loves the beauty of the world, he can be responsible for the world. As strength, will and harmony is achieved, the value of body is displayed; the meaning of the country is revealed in its beauty: the treasure of sacred vessel. The sage, with his quiet strength and intrinsic value, bears the disgrace of the country and becomes the ruler of the country. With grace and beauty, sage bears the misfortune of the world and is the ruler of the world.
On Water Four meridians in the Chinese system are related only with water flow in and out of the body/mind. They are: bladder meridian, belt meridian, yin chiao and yin wei meridians. Ren, kidney and thrust meridians are also closely related to the water function. In Taoist healing practice, the first step is to reopen and rejuvenate the thrust and belt meridians. They are the first set of Kan (water) and Li (fire): without water, without kidney fluid and bodily - 169 -
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stream; without fire, without adrenal power and intellectual capacity. The next step is to open the yin chiao and yin wei meridians. The Chinese character chiao means “leap” or “jump”or “jiggle,” while wei means “surround” or “circle” or “gather.” These two meridians are engaged with the water function of life from plants, fruits and trees to animals, humans, and cosmic spirits on earth. In plants and trees they start at the root. Then they rise internally through the trunk to manifest as flowers and fruits. In the human body these two meridians are set in motion from the inner ankle and shin, traveling upward inside the legs and at the front of the body. Through the neck, wei remains within the thyroid and parathyroid glands while chiao travels to the eyes. Each side of the body contains one complete set of these meridians.
Fig. 5.1 Meditating to activate the wei meridians (inside lines) and the chiao meridians (outside lines).
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1. 2.
3. 4.
Exercises dealing with Four Meridians: Place both hands, palms facing and connecting with the navel. Visualize a small white dot in the middle of abdominal area. Mentally roll this small white dot forward and down, then backward and up with the rhythm of the breath. Inhale, visualize this dot moving forward and down, exhale backward and up to form the minutest circle. Continue this practice allowing the circle to become a bit larger each time. It will literally draw the testes Chi and ovaries Chi up to the chest when the count reaches 49. Stay for a while to experience the warmth and heat in both the abdominal and chest areas. Work backward from the previous exercise. Inhale, visualize the energy set in motion from the largest realm and moving down. Exhale and move up. After 49 times, it returns to the original white dot.
A: Beginning Level
B: Advanced Level
Fig. 5.2 Circulating the oceanic water within.
5. Now, feel the energetic change occurring in the body. Then inhale, press the hands flat against the front part of the abdominal area. Feel the connection of the front and back joining. 6. Hold the breath and feel the intensity of the air pressure or heat or warmth or whatever sensation appears. 7. When you can no longer hold the breath, exhale and let the pressure inside the abdomen escape. - 171 -
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8. Practice 5, 6 and 7 until you can feel the heat and steam literally fusing in the body.
Fig. 5.3 Condensing the Chi with hands.
9. Open the hands. Inhale, gently moving the heat around the belt meridian crossing the pelvic bone. Exhale and place the thumbs touching the tip of the pelvic bones (ilium) on either side. Join the hands together with four fingers from either side. 10. Feel the energy circulate for awhile before returning the hands to the navel area. Begin this practice again until you feel the energy circulating evenly in the entire abdominal area.
Fig. 5.4 Circulating the Chi through Belt Meridian.
11. Open the hands with palms facing the ground. Send the Chi from the palms down to the feet. Inhale, gather the energy up and into the belt meridian area. Exhale, feel the circulation within. 12. When you have sufficient energy surging up across the belt meridian, it will naturally move further to the chest and brain area. The highest point where the hands meet should be parallel with the eyes. - 172 -
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13. By the time the body is literally cooked, place the palms face up to the sky. This will cool everything down at once. 14. Massage any desirable areas in the body/mind.
Fig. 5.5 Circulating the Chi between heaven and earth
Sage’s Mental Condition The description of the mentality of a sage can become extremely wordy. A small sample could be: simple, clean and pure, penetrating, adaptive, flexible, careful, serious, kind, faithful, witty, experienced, nonjudgmental, non-competitive, self-fulfilled, self-realized, self-actualized and self-effacing. He also has the benefit of being aged and is physically withdrawn from desirable action. This can be summarized in Chinese, as encapsulated in four clusters—Wu Wei, Wu Zheng, shan and xian—translated as “non-desire” or “nonaction,” “non-competition,” “kindness” and “wise.” We will review these one by one.
Wu Wei Wu Wei has been an ideal phrase in Taoist philosophy, very close to the notion of “being” in Western philosophy. Combined with the character wu for “no” or “not” and character wei for “act” or “become,” the phrase can be translated as “inaction,” “non-action,” “in-active,” “not acting,” “non-doing” or “actionless,” depending on - 173 -
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the most suitable for the situation. Wu Wei doesn’t suggest “stay put,” “motionless,” “numb” and “without doing anything.” Nor does it mean “not to engage action” or “not to be mindful.” The essential meaning is “not to act desirably,” “not to engage egoistically,” and “not to become possessive.” Its thrust is the use of psychological action over philosophical speculation; leaning more toward mindful engagement than rational projection; reflecting spontaneous acting rather than mechanistic involving. Through living in actionless engagement and preaching wordless doctrine, Lao Tzu discovered that the myriad creatures act without inquiring, nourish without possessing, accomplish without claiming credit. In ordinary life, we are educated and trained to project a possible outcome before taking action, to foresee a planned result through action from ego-guided emotional sacrifice. We expect the acceptance of social values for an accomplishment before it is achieved. But when the ego is in remission the mind does non-doing, engages in non-affairs and savors non-flavor. Not even relying on selflessness enables the self to be fulfilled. When the self is active, the work is done, the body withdraws; this is the Tao of heaven. As the Tao is all-pervading, it operates on both the left and the right. Success is consequent to all affairs. It does not proclaim its own existence. All things return, yet there is no claim of ownership, so it is forever desireless. This can be called small. This is because mind can seek what is difficult with ease and effect what is great while it is small. From natural observation Lao Tzu realized that the most difficult things in the world are done while they are easy. The greatest things in the world are done while they are small, since what is easy necessarily entails difficulty. Thus the sage, through extreme trials, ends up with no difficulty. All things return, yet there is no claim of ownership, this can be called great. It is accomplishment without claiming credit that makes the outcome self-sustaining. The idea is essentially to become aware of the undeniable difference between an accomplished affair called success and a desirable result named success. The sage accomplishes greatness in not planning a great thing and not acting great; as it turns out, he accomplishes what is great. Through non-action, the sage does not fail. Not clinging, he does not lose. The cultivation outcome experienced by Lao Tzu is when I am ‘in-active,’ people transform themselves. When I abide in stillness, people organize themselves lawfully. When I am disengaged, people - 174 -
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enrich themselves. When I choose non-desire, people remain simple. The word “I” represents the pure spiritual entity and the word “people” encompasses the combined act of po’s bodily need and hun’s conscious activity. Lao Tzu’s statement can be interpreted thus: when the self is in-active, the body transforms itself; when the self abides in stillness, the body organizes itself; when the self is disengaged, the body enriches itself; when the self chooses non-desire, the body remains simple. Because he has rid his mind of murkiness, hun is prevented from playing its role. Shen regains self-awareness, self-clarity and self-expressiveness; po is no longer obligated to possessively supply the energy demand for the “whiteness” of bodily bones and fat. Desire and demand disappear naturally.
Wu Zheng The character zheng means far more than to “strive” or “compete” as demanded from the ego. It further represents mental confusion and intellectual challenge as in “disputing,” “arguing” or “debating.” The meaning of wu zheng is “not to strive for what is beyond self and not to pursue what does not belong to self.” People are inclined to project a negative attitude toward the transliteral meaning of “non-competition.” The term “non-competition” represents a person torn between two extremes: being magnanimous, overly generous and too accommodating, or conversely being too capitulating, withdrawn, vulnerable, soft, and feeble. The person could also be someone lacking confidence, self-respect, having no self protecting qualities and exercising no reservations. This is the ideal of quietism and passivism but unlike the nature of Tao. It is not the act of water, nor the complete expression of wu zheng: no giving in and no giving up. Everything deserves what it gets in return and everything should receive its due naturally, without manipulation. Equally, when the sage abandons extremes, extravagance, multiplicity. He desires not to desire and does not value goods that are hard to get. He learns not to learn, and restores the common people’s losses. He is able to support the nature of all things and not daring to impose action. Then what is the point of competing and what is the purpose of competition? In Mawangdui texts, the standard phrase of Wu Zheng in chapter 8 Text A is youjing. In Text B it is youzheng. You means “have” - 175 -
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and jing is “tranquil.” Whether the second character is either “tranquil” or “competition,” the first character means, “has” and not “has not.” The full sentence in Mawangdui texts can be translated as water is good at benefiting all things, yet it actively competes. Who can prove that water doesn’t compete; who is to say that water is not active? In human history people try desperately but unsuccessfully to control floods: the madness of rushing water. Untold numbers of lives, human and animal, have drowned and been obliterated by the fury of flooding. Water is the most active and powerful matter on earth, the very reason it can retain its inactive state. The special application is that when water retires to undesirable places, the stillness within the water embraces and balances all the competitive measures, leaving nothing undone. Thus, it is near the Tao. As the cultivation goes through the last loss, there is no negativity remaining as the desire and danger of mind is transformed into subtle awareness. The final competition will not be about gains, success, name and possessions, but the death of them all. Whoever overcomes death overcomes life, whoever lives beyond death lives beyond life. Sustaining the source of mother, the sage realizes that as soon as he exists for others, he has more. As soon as he gives to others, he has more. So the Tao of heaven benefits and does not harm. The Tao of humankind exists and does not compete. At this level, the sage is able to manage the loss that causes all losses; he uses all negative influence as the treasure of teaching. Thus, being a good warrior does not entail power. A good fighter is not angry. One who is good at overcoming the enemy does not contact him. One who is good at leading people acts humbly. This is called the Action of non-competition. This is called leading people. This is called the Ultimate as old as heaven.
Shan In the text of Tao Te Ching, the character shan is equated to “kind,” “good” or “compassion,” even though its original meaning in Chinese is simply “kind.” There are characters depicting “good” and “compassion” in the Chinese language, yet Lao Tzu strives to illustrate fully the meaning of shan. He emphasizes that kindness is the virtue of action: the sage is kind to those who are kind, he is also kind to those who are not kind. It is the kindness of Action itself. In this regard, the kindness of Action is not judged by the - 176 -
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hun’s conscious activity, nor is it preferred or disregarded by po’s ego anticipation. The performance of kindness should not be enhanced for the purpose of personal gain, nor should it be withdrawn if personal or social recognition is not forthcoming. Kindness is the representation of the grand master Tao. By employing kindness the sage has the ability to perform goodness. Consequently, no one is left out and no talent is wasted. Those who are slow or weak are encouraged and supported by kindness, whereas those who show talent and are quick-thinking will unfold and explore their full potential through kindness. Lao Tzu calls this being in the tow of enlightenment. For everything that is good is the teacher of the good person. Everything that is bad becomes a resource for the good person. No need to honor the teachers. No need to love the resources. This is because both yin and yang are emerging from and being generated by this action. The body and mind are the double mirror; the inner consciousness and outer behavior view themselves; love and insight are the dual action of oneness. As a result, the sage dwells in good places, draws from good sources, supplies from good nature, speaks with good trust, governs with good rules, conducts with good ability, and acts within good time. For this reason, there is no competition, there is no concern. By employing kindness, the sage acts with compassion (shan). Through compassion: fight and win; defend and be secure. When the heaven establishes, it always relies upon compassion. Clearly he is saying that if the sage must fight, he has nothing to fear, no concern. He must make a careful and complete judgment of his surroundings when confronted with danger. He must defend himself and others; there can be no miscalculation, nothing can be neglected. All that should be protected is secured.
Xian The term Xian in Chinese is equivalent to sage (holy man) in English. Among all the existing languages, the Chinese character xian is perhaps the clearest visual description for the life of the sage. It is composed with strokes of “human” (ren) and “mountain” (shan). In the ancient structure of language, the human stroke appears at the top and the mountain stroke at the bottom. It translates as “human stands on the top of a mountain.” Mountain is the ideal - 177 -
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location for man, whether sleeping, meditating or for viewing. Nothing on earth is higher than a mountain. Only the wind, clouds, and the standing tower of a human form can loom above the mountain peak. When the character was later rearranged, the “human” stroke was placed at the left side, and the “mountain” stroke was set at the right side. Perhaps the change was made because it symbolized cold, dry, windswept, and lonely. Or perhaps the emperor resented a human form other than his own occupying the highest position on earth. He ordered the linguists to reconstruct the character, placing a prone sage sleeping side by side with the mountain. In this position there was no one standing at the top to threaten his image. His prestige and unequaled power were restored. The emperor could then fully enjoy his family life and resume conducting his business affairs within his palace, reigning supreme. The soul seeker, the wandering pilgrim, anyone on the spiritual quest prefers to dwell in a mountain cave rather than a warm house or grand palace. Mountains are the symbols of life on earth. The earth without mountains could be compared to a mother without nourishing breasts. Mountains contain a vast amount of nutrition for the survival of all earthly creatures. The flow of nature enables the natural formation of rain and snow, the activity of clouds and winds, the circulation of dry air and exuding moisture. They are formed in the range and scope of latitude, the degree of warmth and cold, the condition of light and shadow. In the exchange of bright and darkness, the lanterns of sun and moon, and the cycles from summer and winter, we continue to exist. The generating, developing and transforming power of earth lies in the vastness of mountains. In contrast, valleys are their resting ground, echoing place, and rejuvenating resource. The image between a mountain and a valley is similar to the images between life and death: male and female, heaven and earth, being and nonbeing. Because of mountains, the gravitational force generates the winds and clouds, rain and snow, plateau and plain, sufficing the needs of all creatures. Thus, they are the most sacred places on earth. In their nurturing atmosphere consciousness is expanded and sickness is detoxified. Walking the way becomes the returning journey; external search becomes internal embracing.
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Fig. 5.6 24th Hexagram (Act of Harmony)
The son returns home as expressed through the 24th hexagram. This returning process is a unification process, an act of harmony, a restoration of totality, and a combination of heaven and earth. The unified oneness need never return to its separated state—the polarized structure—but remains with the harmonious act. It demonstrates the action of selflessness, never that of selfishness. It does not extend only to the nearest points within the dimension, but merges with the circle of oneness. The nature of xian in Tao Te Ching concerns wisdom and holiness. The inner ability of a sage is that he is wise by nature. His outer intellectual manifestation is the wisdom he produces. Being wise is a virtue while generating wisdom is a mental capacity. To be wise is to have the innate ability, to have the wisdom is to acquire the ability to act, judge, express, demonstrate, and produce the holiness and intellectual work. Only those who are not slaves to life are wise to the value of life defines the true wisdom power. It is thus that the sage exists without ownership, accomplishes without holding on. It is thus, without desire, that the wise see, and holiness returns. Holiness is the unified Oneness of shen: the union of spirit and ghost. Spirit gives and ghost takes; spirit benefits and ghost harms. Lao Tzu illustrates the wisdom and kindness that the sage holds and embraces by saying that: Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. If Tao is used to manage society, its ghost will not become spirit. Not that ghost is not spirit, but that the spirit will not harm the people. Not only does the spirit not harm the people, but neither does the sage harm the people. As those two do not cause harm, so they are united in Action. This is the single chapter in which Lao Tzu discusses the difference between the spirit and ghost. Powerfully illustrated, it sorts out the most complicated meanings. The first sentence explains that cultivating the whole body is like smelting the watery jing. Its literal meaning is how to heat up and crystallize the fishy-smelling sperm and eggs. When the Tao is used to govern the mind, hun - 179 -
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and po cannot take over the power of shen. Because of the eternal fire, ghost can not steal the passionate love; and due to the inner stillness, spirit cannot destroy the innocent virtue. The body will not be hungry for the fire of love and the mind will not chase away the inner stillness. Thus, the wise see.
Calming the Mind Pursuing the Tao Pursuing the Tao is an act of spiritual cultivation. Without the Tao, it is impossible to walk the way. Without the Tao, cultivation has no source, no root, no power and no meaning. To pursue the Tao is to become centered within speech and conduct, to be grounded with a foundation, to be resourceful with Mother Nature, and to be harmoniously balanced between subjective action and worldly affairs. This is what Lao Tzu has experienced and explained to us: hearing the Tao brings a loss day by day. Losing more and more until inaction results. Inaction results, yet everything is done. Managing the world always involves non-engagement. As soon as there is engagement, there is not enough of it to manage the world. Why has Lao Tzu experienced a total loss while listening to the silent Tao? He uses the eminent way of pursuing the Tao as a model in order to illustrate the meaning behind the Tao. When an eminent person hears of the Tao, they practices it faithfully. This practice brings a big loss, because knowing the Tao seems costly, entering Tao seems like returning, and becoming equal with Tao gives birth to paradoxes. It takes living life to know the Tao. Entering the Tao is consuming the life force you have been given; becoming equal with the Tao sits with two legs, grabs with two hands, views with two eyes, grounds with two feet, dances with two hearts, and sleeps with two worlds. All that is the paradoxical nature of body and mind. Heaven is eternal, and earth is long-lasting. But gusty winds do not last all morning, cloudbursts do not last all day. What makes this so? Heaven and earth will not last forever, how could a human being last! Existing with the eternal Tao of the self and the temporary breathing of the Tao within us is the true duality, true paradox.
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With each breath the sound and meaning of the Tao is exercised, thus one hears the Tao. By hearing and entering the Tao through its returning process, the thirst for knowledge is quenched by the light emitted through the gate of heaven. This ensures a complete “knowing around,” a literal phrase used by Lao Tzu. Worldly others are known to us, enabling the self to become rich with what the world suffices. When one no longer feels compelled to be a knower, the sickness is over; enlightenment is achieved. Yet, knowing remains constant: a spontaneous interaction between the self and the environment. It cannot be taught, repeated or recorded. There is no need to attempt to explain the inexplicable and to search for invisible. This is why Lao Tzu concludes simply that to know oneself is enlightenment. Knowledge that is shared, taught, repeated and recorded, is no longer that of self-knowing. It is simply a learning process; not alive, present, spontaneously interconnected with the mutual-action of self-knowing around. To know others is to be knowledgeable, albeit limited, bounded, restrained. Our limited knowledge is never sufficient to explore the comprehension and understanding of others. Shared knowledge merely promotes further searching, reaching out to grasp the power of mastering and endless control. In this manner, pursuing knowledge becomes a consuming desire, a fixation, and a possessive action. It is upon this mental persuasion that Lao Tzu kindly advises that to know what is sufficient is to be rich. He also distinguishes the actual knowledge the mind has acquired from the mental appraisal we form on being knowledgeable. He states that knowing that you don’t know (everything) is superior and not knowing that you don’t know (everything) is a sickness. Only hearing and entering the Tao can be known. Our ability to obtain everything now and know that anything that is returned to us is the manifestation of true paradox. Eminent action is like a valley, complete understanding resembles being disgraced, vast action seems yielding, action that builds up seems remiss, pure integrity seems perverse, the great square has no angles, the great talent matures late, the great voice sounds faint, the great image has no form. The Tao is praised but is unnamable.
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Embracing the Simplicity Observe the plain and embrace the simple. This is the way of hearing and entering the Tao. Plain is the foundation of diversity, complexity, uncertainty, and unpredictability. Simplicity is the initial stage for growth, expansion, development, and completion. The thought process of causality and the desire for results are cast out when these two are embraced. Learning based upon the meaning of nature will be simplified with total, mindful engagement. Lao Tzu clarifies this as: It is easy to sustain what is at rest. It is easy to plan for that of which there is not even a sign. Total awareness, mindful cautiousness and complete anticipation can be applied to sustaining the planning and minding with mind. Prevention becomes proactive before the fragile breaks and the minute disperses. One should act upon it before it exists and regulate it before it becomes chaos. From this, a little sprout grows into a massive tree, a clod of earth is constructed into the rising of a nine-story building, and a single step is accumulated into the climbing of a thousand-fathoms. Knowing the above, Lao Tzu warns that though simplicity is small, the world cannot treat it as subservient. If lords and rulers can hold on to it, everything becomes self-sufficient. Heaven and earth combine and allow sweet dew. Without rules, people will naturally become equal. At the outset, the rule must be expressed. Once it exists, stop speaking of it. The result of not speaking of it is to be eliminating danger. In a manner of speaking, Tao is to the world as the rivers are to oceans and seas. However, those who impose action upon it will fail. Those who cling to it lose it. So the sage, through non-action, does not fail. Not clinging, he does not lose. The common people’s engagement in affairs fails prior to success. They project proactive results from the outcome forcing the action to become burdensome and painstaking. They have been so accustomed to this process that all activity strives only to meet the standards that society has set. We are admonished to give as much careful attention to the end as to the beginning, then the affairs will not fail. It is on that account that the sage desires not to desire and does not value goods that are hard to get. He learns not to learn and restores the common people’s losses. He is able to support the nature of all things and, not daring, to impose action. - 182 -
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Also, simplicity allows proactive measurement. As Lao Tzu has envisioned: Seeking what is difficult with ease and effecting what is great while it is small, since the most difficult things in the world are done while they are easy. The greatest things in the world are done while they are small. Because of this, the sage never plans to do a great thing. Thus, he accomplishes what is great. Facile promises necessarily result in little trust. What is easy necessarily entails difficulty. Thus the sage, through extreme trials, encounters no difficulty.
Richness of Frugality With plain as the vision and simplicity as the measurement, frugality becomes the single most useful device. Since frugality is the most direct and effective calculation of energy consumption, waste would be eliminated, and there would be no debt, no recycling, no regret, and no punishment. This is why “loss” is very necessary from Lao Tzu’s point of view. When the cost of ego is reduced to zero and when bodily metabolism functions at its provisionary state, energy is consumed for the benefit and goodness of others. Thus, frugality ensures the simple way of life and simplicity can be fully exerted. Frugality has no connection to the selfish strategy of meanness or greed. Meanness and greed transform a person’s mental obsession into reality. Meanness has its source in fear and obsession; obsession feeds on meanness and greed to occupy the space of selfishness. The entire world then becomes an endless source to satisfy the lust of selfishness, abounding in worldly manifestation. Frugality is the direct opposite. There is no energy waste derived from selflessness. The negative “loss” transforms into positive “gain,” the pure gain. Lao Tzu applies this to the construction of a society by saying that: For governing people and affairs, nothing is better than frugality. Only frugality enables the pre-empty measures. Pre-empty measures mean a great accumulation of Action. A great accumulation of Action leaves nothing to be conquered. When nothing needs to be conquered, no-boundary is known. When no-boundary is known, it allows the country to exist. The country, existing from its source, can endure. This is the Tao of having a deep root, a strong stem, a long life and an enduring vision. - 183 -
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When frugality is maintained at home, one is perfectly grounded with the source and heaviness that are rooted within the manifestation of light. One quietly preserves the tranquility that masters the restless life. One is steadfastly reaching the ultimate emptiness, and absolute in concentrating on central stillness. It is only through such qualities that all things work together. There is no bad luck, no backfire, no punishment, because one has no expectations, has done nothing wrong and wasted nothing. One has no need to gain anything or fear losing anything. The harmony of the world becomes a true friend, the real knowing-around, and the indisputable resource.
Non-Dualistic Mentality Emerging through the “door” of the mysterious action is the codependence of the dualistic aspect as well as the process of both mutual construction and mutual destruction. Do not be victimized by either of these. It is a mystic attraction, the highest and purest quality of human perfection—love—shapes life’s destiny. Beauty becomes the primal attraction for human desire, and good is the finest fixation for the activation of this desire. When one searches only for this beauty, one stigmatizes the ugly, and when one’s conduct is guided by goodness only, one acts within the behavior of prejudice. When people see beauty as pure beauty, they view the ugly disparagingly. In valuing the good as purely good, their judgment is based upon their idea of bad. When the universal manifests through the division of two from one, each side should live upon the opposite as well. The interaction of connecting and separating from these two sides of oneness makes one truly individual. This in turn makes an individual a non-individual. Beautiful or ugly is but two sides of the same coin. How much difference is there between beautiful and ugly? It is a fine line. Oh, that unstoppable glory of heart and the disgust of mind! Based on these paradoxes, Lao Tzu proposed that being and non-being give birth to each other, difficulty and ease complete each other, long and short measure each other, high and low overflow into each other, voice and sound harmonize with each other, and before and after follow each other. Yet, we need individual character as a measuring ground between individuality and totality. Since disaster is what fortune depends upon, fortune is what disaster subdues. Who knows a final outcome? There is no right lawful- 184 -
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ness. Government tends towards the extreme. Kindness tends towards evil. People have been familiar with this for a long time. Because of such changes and transformations, mindful action should be rounded without cutting, be compatible without puncturing, be straightforward without trapping, be bright without dazzling. This does not indicate that there is no heavenly “justice.” The net of heaven is broad and loose, yet nothing slips through. Large or small, many or few, reward or punishment, are all done through Action. This is the measure of virtue and right judgment. Because of virtue, internal conscious intention and external physical performance are integrated, and nothing is left behind. A good traveler leaves no tracks. A good speaker is without flaw. A good planner does not calculate. A good doorkeeper does not lock the door, yet it cannot be opened. A good knottier does not use binding, yet it cannot be undone. What this means is that we need to know how to interact without imposing ourselves or being locked in by our mental projection. There should be no mental imprinting left behind; thus, no sickness results. This differs from the common sense approach of doing something and then letting it go. It is a matter of clearing off the steps before one slips and falls. In order to reach this state of being we can only be what we are, and know—be aware of—what is around us. This is all that we can do. Since hanging on to it will cause overflow; better to let go. Forced consent does not endure. He who boasts of himself loses his stance. He who displays himself is not seen. He who justifies himself is not understood. He who lashes out does not succeed. He who builds himself up does not endure. The natural outcome is: He who does not display himself is seen. He who does not justify himself is understood. He who does not lash out succeeds. He who does not build himself up endures. Therefore, only the spirit of noncompetition makes things non-competitive. So the old saying, “Yield, and retain integrity.” is but a few words, but when rightly understood, integrity returns.
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Quality of Sage’s Life Capacity of Natural Rejuvenation In the world, the sage inhales. This sentence characterizes the manner in which the sage lives his life. In order to live in the world, he gathers the energy through inhalation, not from any other source. This inhalation is not the shallow and surface breathing done through the nostrils. It is the embryonic and total body breathing. This breath of life is the nutrition, breath, information, and the wisdom. This is why the sage knows the world without stepping out of the door (the gate of life), knows the Tao without peering through the window (eyes), and smiles like a child. This is called unifying the world of in and out. The world of in is the source and the world of out is the mechanism. They exist between matter and energy, structure and motion, process and procedure. Source is the breath of life, the nutrition of vitality, and the energy of light. Breath is the state of vapor, vitality is the state of fluid, and light is the state of solid. Light is the central focal point, vitality is the generating force, and air is the inclusive space. By inhaling in this embryonic way, the vast space and minute presence are instilled in the flesh, the awareness, and interaction. The world is known, Self is charged, and action is pure and simple in itself.
Suffusion of Self For his worldly presence, the sage keeps the mind simple and is always without mind. Simple mind is the heart of kindness and not the intellect of mind. Simple mind is no-mind—the largest expansion of mind—and the highest clarity of mind. No-mind means no ego-mind. The expansion is the fusion and expanse of mind spreading over and around all angles and trajectories in its image, whereas the clarity of mind refers to the purity of spiritual quality. This is the practical side of cultivation: how the sage lives for the world and not for himself. How? First of all, the sage keeps the mind simple: no distraction of attention, no waste of energy, and no confusion of mind. Secondly, by keeping the mind simple, he projects his mind into people’s minds and lives, their minds become as his mind. To clarify this matter, Lao Tzu comments: Nature has no benevolence, it treats all things like strawdogs; the sage has no benevolence, he - 186 -
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treats his people like strawdogs. Thus, since the sage wants to elevate the people, his speech is down to earth. Since the sage wants to advance the people, he positions himself at the back. When he is at the front, people do not harm him; when he stands above, people do not feel pressure. The whole world supports him without tiring. Since he does not rely on competition, the world has nothing with which to compete. Thirdly, there is no restraint and no fixation of the mind or for the mind. When mind is fixed and constrained, boredom follows. Mind is then constantly changing, shifting, questioning and demanding. This is the power of ego and the karma of restraint. Not constraining the living environment, they do not get bored by life. Because we do not get bored, there is no boredom. Therefore the sage is self-aware but not introspective, he has self-respect but does not price himself. He rejects one and takes the other. Because of this, when the sage lives for the people of the world, his mind is as open and adaptive, as are the people’s minds. The hope of people is his encouragement and their sorrow is his misfortune. When people want him, the sage is already there, waiting; when people need him, the sage is the pillar that braces them. How could the people live without him and how could they distance themselves from him?
Wisdom of an Old Boy The ancient sages of Tao are subtle and mysteriously penetrating. Their depth is beyond the power of will. Because it is beyond the power of will, the most we can do is describe it. Thus, full of care, as one crossing the wintry stream; attentive, as one cautious of the total environment; reserved, as one who is a guest; spread open, as when confronting a marsh; simple, like uncarved wood; opaque, like mud; magnificent, like a valley. From within the murky comes the stillness. The feminine enlivens with her milk. Keeping such a Tao, excess is undesirable. Desiring no excess, work is completed without exhaustion. In this chapter, Lao Tzu vividly illustrates the psychospiritual quality and biological balance that the sage retains. Even though the sage returns to his infantile spiritual tranquility and lives within a refreshed bodily condition, he is vastly different than when he has in his childhood state. The similarity lies only within the descriptive nature. There is no other developmental stage available or suitable to categorize sagehood other than childhood. - 187 -
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In his Memories, Dreams, Reflections (1965), Jung commented that: “Lao Tzu is the example of a man with superior insight who has seen and experienced worth and worthlessness, and who at the end of his life desires to return into his own being, into the eternal unknown meaning. The archetype of the old man who has seen enough is eternally true. At every level of intelligence this type appears, and its lineaments are always the same, whether it be an old peasant or a great philosopher like Lao Tzu. This is old age, and a limitation.” From his own experience, Jung also experienced the transformation from the “alienation” that separated him from the world into his inner world where he experienced an “unexpected unfamiliarity.” The word “old” in this context refers to the nearly completed state of biological manifestation, to the psychological memory, and to the personal and social experience. It traces the quality and enrichment of life’s journey. It is also the last stage before death. The life ahead is a “limitation” itself as Jung has so succinctly characterized, but an old boy has lived through death mentally and spiritually. Without fear, the world being viewed before the old boy’s eyes differs greatly from that of a newborn boy. The old boy is not sickened about the world, but simply withdrawn; separating from the attraction of the eyes to become that of the heart. What attracts the eyes are the state, change and manifestation of forms, while the attraction of the heart is the formless, changeless, and unfathomable eternity. At this point, the unexpected unfamiliarity experienced by Jung is replicated by Lao Tzu’s description. The main difference between an old boy and a newborn boy is the life experience. Being cautious while crossing the winter stream is a pre-measured conscious awareness. Being attentive means being aware of and focused at the same time, while being reserved means being humble and acknowledging. Spreading open is the unrestrained mental space, simplicity is the ability to remain refreshed and energized, opaque is the quality of being Oneness within and without, and magnificent is the ability of retaining, recycling and rejuvenating the oneness within. Being cautious while crossing the winter stream implies two meanings. One is to be cautious about unionhood of oneness between light and water, male and female. The other is to be more cautious before the success. If there is failure, the entire effort will - 188 -
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be in ruins, the entire cultivation practice becomes fruitless. Who laughs last laughs best! In I Ching, these two cautions are vividly expressed between 63rd hexagram Ji Ji and 64th hexagram Weiji. The first caution is expressed in the top line of 63rd hexagram. “He (the fox) gets his head in water. Danger.” The unionhood between fire and water is a cautious and dangerous action. This is the sacred mechanism of nature.
Fig. 5.7 63rd Hexagram (First Caution)
The second caution is illustrated in the definition of 64th hexagram, where the little fox gets his tail in the water while crossing the winter stream. Symbolically, the tail and sacral bones (“the waterwheel”) hold the sexual energy that is to be completely transformed into spiritual elixir or the pure-person.
Fig. 5.8 64th Hexagram (Second Caution)
The wise is old and new, experienced and refreshed, knowledgeable and humble, ready to die and ready to fly. He has a memory of life but is not restrained by memory; he has the richness of life but is unbounded by the meaning of life; he values the quality of life but is far removed from the unity of life. He is a teacher and friend, guide and companion, destroyer of the old and protector of the new, a battery for generating anything and recharging or rejuvenating everything. He is a body of soul and a heart of spirit, an attorney-at-law and a justice for the situation, a speaker for the nation and a symbol for the human race. He speaks in a voice without language; is native to a country without nationality; occupies a body without mortality; possesses a mind without mentality.
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Uplifting Te
Chapter VI Uplifting Te
To arrive at Te (de) or “Action” comprising the second section of the Tao Te Ching, can well prove to be a long yet fruitful journey. In the book of Tao Te Ching, the sections of Tao and that of Te (Action) are interchangeable. The Te section in the Mawangdui texts appears in the first part of the book, followed by the Tao. This division holds true in several other translations. From the Taoist point of view, they differ only in terms of the order in which they are approached first: that of meditation or cultivation. Tao is based on meditation; Te is rooted in cultivation. Meditation is for the body/mind whereas cultivation is a treatise on virtue and conscious mind. To meditate is to gather and circulate Chi; to cultivate is to abandon the ego and to purify the consciousness. In Taoist inner alchemy, they are equally important. To manage both simultaneously would be challenging indeed, rendering the practice unrealistic and the meaning of inner alchemy dogmatic. The practice of distilling the mind can appear daunting when the body is truly hungry. It would be equally unmanageable to purify the body if the mind was not fully prepared to offer the proper environment. During meditation and cultivation practice, both Tao and Te tread the same path during inhalation since Te has not yet been suffused. The Tao suffuses above the sky and inside nothing. Once the Tao of eternal seed is born, the descending order is complete and the action of Te takes place. It is the arrival of the ascending order of returning; exalting and honoring one’s own action that rises above physical and mental attachment. Lingering in this action is the Chi: energy of love and breath. In this context, Tao is invisible and Te is visible; Tao is intangible and Te is tangible; Tao is inhumane and Te is humane; Tao is motionless and Te is lovable; Tao inhales and Te smiles. Because of this esoteric transition, matter is visible, form is tangible, substance is manageable, and trust is reliable. They are all the virtuous - 190 -
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expression of the Te resulting from the emerging power of the Tao. The exhalation of Te is the sum of all human activities that have been conducted with moral judgment and supervised by the spirit. Therefore, in concert with the kind action of Te, all are inspired, encouraged and uplifted; every action is honorable, respectable, and powerful. In the last exhalation in life, the purified shen gathers the elixir or remaining relics lingering in the body, and guided by an enlightened master or an angel, expels this refuse through the top of the head instead of the mouth or nose. This transpires only after kind action has been completed and all debts have been paid. Unless these conditions are met, the person will die as either a hungry ghost (if po dominates hun), or a wandering ghost (when hun overtakes po). This task can be endeavored by cultivation as well as meditation. When the seven pos are energized by the power of the Big Dipper and the three huns are unified into Oneness, the egoistic self and dualistic existence of body and mind are united into shen’s spontaneous interacting and knowing with nature. The meditation of love, which is the energy of self-preservation, will be transformed into the cultivation of kind action, qualified by kindness, goodness, harmony, impartiality, integrity and the holiness of Te (Action). Love will no longer be a mental projection of biological and ideal connection to social habits, but a true and honest self-love. As the power of meditation and the outcome of cultivation generate kind action, the sage integrates and embraces nature’s act and human action. Now we will explore the definition of Te, or kind action.
What is Kind Action?
Use of Language Unlike the word Tao whose original transliteration remains the same in English, the character Te was handled in another manner. In 1864 Chalmers presented the first English meaning of Te as virtue. Since then, Te has been interpreted as character (Lin Yutang, 1948), intelligence (Balm, 1950), or integrity (Mair, 1990), as well as the transliteration Teh (Shrine of Wisdom, Manual No. 8, 1924). But what is Te? From the Taoist point of view, Te is what Tao “drops,” - 191 -
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“descends” and “falls upon.” After several years of meditating on Te, I still failed to derive a true understanding. Then one summer night in 1995 a dream message was revealed to me.Two Chinese characters appeared in my mind’s screen—Tao drops. That conforms perfectly in the content of Lao Tzu’s description: When Tao is lost, it becomes Action. The word “lost” represents the complete dissolution and transformation of evolving from one state of being into the next. The original Chinese definition of “loss” is “to lose from hand,” meaning to “discharge” or “abandon.” When the infinite Tao is surrendered into active Te, it then becomes corrupted and visible. Te represents the highest state of the transformation of Tao into matter and substance, retaining the highest honor from the essence of Tao. This descending process is quite similar to the English meaning of virtue: a supernatural power or influence exerted by a divine being. It is further verified by Lao Tzu’s interpretation of Te as “mystic action” (xuan te). This is how it was originally defined. Whether supernatural or mystical, it is only a matter of mental cognition. The essential meanings are the same. The discrepancy encountered is that, in English a divine being, by its nature, is a totally different being than a human. There is a clear-cut distinction between being holy or divine and being human and ordinary. The “literal sense” is that a human being could never possess supernatural status in this life. Only a divine being can be classified as supernatural. Contrary to this, Taoism doesn’t specify this power (according to nature), or supernatural power (according to human beings), as the patent symbol of a divine being. What matters is your desire according to your mind’s intention. What is natural to nature is supernatural to man; what is natural to adults is supernatural to children; and what is natural to a billionaire is supernatural to a street beggar. It is clearly the projection of mind and the persuasion of mental desire. The mind discriminates first whether or not there is a clear-cut demarcation. Lao Tzu explains that the person who works according to Tao unites with Tao. In the same way he unites with action (Te). In the same way he unites with loss. The power of Tao becomes the seed of life, emerging as the elixir of virtue or evaporating into nothing. Thus Tao saves the spirit or loses the earthly life. Returning home with virtue is saving the spirit; marching forward toward the grave is loss. - 192 -
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The original linguistic meaning of Te in Chinese is to “ascend,” to “rise” and to “elevate,” indicating “the uplifting of the human spirit rising from earthly carnal body into pure spiritual action without conscious influence and egoistic obsession.” In English, it is a “moral practice or action; conformity to the standard of right; moral excellence; integrity of character, upright of conduct; rectitude, morality.” (Webster’s New International Dictionary of English Language). Though the English definition and explanation of virtue fits the linguistic meaning of Te, virtue is not something simple, plain and present that can be adapted to human action. Action, to the Taoist, is a simple, spontaneous and interactive engagement between body and mind, vision and actual performance; it is the judgment of good and bad, and the conduct of divine and ordinary. Nature acts, humans perform; nature presents, humans exhibit; nature reveals, humans display; nature manifests, humans conduct; nature shows, humans behave; nature embraces, humans value; nature integrates, humans dissolve; nature unifies, humans separate. It is from this point that we choose, as best we can, the word “action” for Te in our translation. Within this reasoning, virtue, to the ordinary mind, is something remote, pure, and out of reach. It is a completion of goodness over and above human action, an ideal of sacred purity unseen by the colored eye. It is a moral quality suited only to a divine being. Virtue is something that we can think about and strive for, but cannot perform. Visualize it but cannot perceive it; comprehend mentally but cannot engage physically; magnify it but cannot jump into it. This ascending order and returning process deal precisely with the transition from “small mystic field” into “large mystic field.” The small mystic field is that of the carnal world and animal kingdom. The large mystic field encompasses the spiritual world and cosmic universe. Obviously, small mystic field deals with small mind, the selfish, egoistic and cultural mind. The large mystic field houses the individual, conscious, selfless and cosmic mind. Energetically, the small mystic field deals with biological instinctive actions of self-preservation and survival. It has no concern for the world other than what the desirable eye seeks, the hungry stomach craves, and the gross sensation pulsates. In the large mystic field there is no self-sustenance or self-minded view, no self-conscious action; self is everywhere and in every action. - 193 -
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Fig. 6.1 Small Mystic Field (Xiaochu) of 9th Hexagram
Fig. 6.2 Larger Mystic Field (Dachu) of 26th Hexagram
These two fields are fully explained in I Ching between 9th and 26th hexagrams which contain an identical lower trigram: the creative power of Cosmo and the invisible light of heaven. In the 9th hexagram, the upper trigram is wind representing the heavenly order, conscious awareness, and instinctive behavior. Mobility, agitation, unsteadiness and unreliability are its characteristics. Cloudiness, murkiness, rigidity and scattering are its tendencies. Mind is windy with no clear mental picture. There are clouds but no rain, wandering but no awakening, only confusion with no self-understanding. The external character is refined but there is no awakening of the inner character. In contrast, the 26th hexagram shows us that wind is replaced by mountain, agitation by stillness, mobility by self-action, unsteadiness by steadfastness, unreliability by trust. When the mountain grounds the spirit and nourishes the soul, the mind is clarified, the body purified, the attitude made flexible, and the result completed. This is accomplished by the establishment of grounding upon mother earth’s fruitful breasts, relinquishing reliance on manmade products. The self is never lost, the energy is never exhausted, and spirit is never dead. As the last line indicates: “one attains the way of heaven.” “Not eating at home” and “crossing the great river” are the most accurate depiction of the 26th hexagram. Its translation is that a sage is never bounded by the food prepared in the house. He sustains himself from the mother resource. He does not rely upon family in order to continue his existence but is everywhere in the world. He has no need to be protected and comforted by the sheltering house, he is clothed with the light, he breathes the vital force, and settles down in the universe. This exemplifies the highest meditation state: the fasting state. - 194 -
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Fig. 6.3 Chinese Character Te
In the construction of Te, the right side of the character is composed of four characters, “hand,” “vessel,” “one” and “heart.” This part of the character can be expressed as: “The single heart supports and directs the vessel of the body carried by hand.” Truly, the body is the most sacred vessel, and the hands are the most powerful and useful tools. Yet, without heart there is no foundation; without the single-minded heart, there is no transformation. The right part is a meditative state in which hands are unified with the bodily vessel and guided by the single devoted heart. This action is accompanied by the careful steps of walking, executed by the thighs—not legs, as represented by the left side of the character Te. Therefore, the activity of hands—picking and gathering food and putting it into mouth—is freed from being responsible for the bodily vessel. The one Chi of heaven is then the procreative force in the cauldron sustaining the vessel and satisfying the heart. Hands are held together as in a meditative state. The five elemental Chi is charged by the mountain dew. The action of conscious vibration is donned with the cosmic light. The changeable are viewed, the unchangeable are reflected. The world is in its perfect order and the body/mind is in its perfect harmony. There is one remaining Chinese character that expresses the meaning of the Te. Its composition is “straightforward” and “heart.” The character “straightforward” for “zhi” is composed with “ten,” “eye” and “bend/curl,” meaning “looking and examining with gazing eyes and intensified back.” Ten is the visual image that covers eyes and extends from the nose to the eyebrows, or the Y portion of the eye. This implies that, “The eyes are inside the heart, and the heart is inside the spiritual consciousness, the spiritual conscious is inside the character of nature.” Everything is there and nothing is there. All the lines, angles, joints and points are penetrated, vaporized, purified and transformed by the fire of light. Husbanding into light is what Lao Tzu has experienced, a matching fire between consciousness and light. This is the magic play of a sage within the good fortune of returning to the Tao and the power of the Te. - 195 -
Uplifting Te
Uplifting Te According to the descending order, even if nature’s act is inhumane, impersonal and impartial, there must be kindness granted into human souls via spirits. This enables human beings to perform “texing” or “the character of Te,” as well as to exercise “falu” or “law” and “justice.” If one fails to obey the fa, there will be punishment from government. If one does not have the “texing,” the punishment will be the bad luck and bad karma carried out by one’s inner conscious decision as judged by the law of heaven. Even though you cannot describe the texing, you can sense it. You cannot verify the texing but you can wait the result of it. You cannot exalt the texing but you can follow your heart-consciousness. You cannot find a rule to validate the texing but your gut sensation knows it all. This is because the marks of profound action follow only from the Tao. This is why sage accumulates nothing other than kind action: cultivating and uniting through kind action, honoring and being rewarded or punished only by kind action. In the ascending order, spirit unifies with action, preparing to rise and be elevated. The path has been cleared. Consciousness is no longer a series of single-minded dots and flashes. Ego fails in it role as ruling monster of life. A person’s action is kindness itself. The mentally fixed projection of searching for truth is replaced by kind action: the truth of experience and expression. Spontaneous and interactive action between humans and nature is the reality of truth. Lao Tzu’s meditations have been revealed as: Being at peace, one can see into the subtle. Engaging with passion, one can see into the manifest. In practicing kind action, love is no longer a conscious game played by ego. It no longer functions as an obsessive mental longing, an uncontrolled emotional outburst, or in continual soul-searching. Prejudice is overcome by the human freedom to act: the vulnerability of ego and the interaction of shen. The more valuable ego deems itself to be, the more spontaneously will shen act out. When they work smoothly together, empathy will be the mutual outcome. Sympathy becomes mutual encouragement. Pity reverses itself to merge as the fearless act of loving. Negative emotions do not hurt people and positive emotions cannot drag them down. Since all these emotional attributes are purified into compassion, there is no burning sensation manifested through com- 196 -
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passion, and no compression found within the compassion. Kind action is: present and not firing, remote and not distancing, timing and not expecting, precious and priceless, generous and not selfish, sincere and not accusing, plain and not degrading.
Accumulation of Te
Nature of Kind Action When the nature of selflessness is restored through the meditation of Love, the output of action is in itself kind and trustworthy, beyond what the rational mind has defined. The reliability of truth is to follow the mental configuration of truth and to trust the reality of possible change of truth. The process is kind and the inner quality is trustworthy due to the transformation of Love and the total respect of Inner-Love. When the universal loving energy is gathered within, the biological need and psychological satisfaction are fulfilled, thereby leaving no room within the body and mind for desire and demand created by ego. Self-trust is established and conscious fear is relinquished. When the sage (pure-person) uses the universal loving energy, his action is both kind and trustworthy as Lao Tzu has stated. He is kind to those who are kind and he is also kind to those who are not kind. It is the kindness of Action itself. He is trustworthy to those who are trustworthy and he is also trustworthy to those who are not trustworthy. It is the trust of Action itself. There is no need to demonstrate (itself) or to prove Action for the sake of Action (you). People will say “yes” or “no” but it makes no difference to Action. Through kind action, both kind and unkind people are unified. Those who are kind transform those who are not kind; there is no separation between what a kind person is and the kindness itself. Those who are not kind benefit from those who are kind, and kindness itself is then underway. Through kind action, people, trustworthy and untrustworthy, become centralized. Those who are trustworthy improve themselves and know there is more trust in the future. Those who are not trustworthy disprove themselves, yet trust welcomes them along the way. - 197 -
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Capacity of Kind Action Through Love, kind action becomes endless, inexhaustible and unfathomable. Lao Tzu emphasized that eminent Te is like a valley, since valley-spirit is deathless. Kind action is the very nature of Mother’s power of creative nourishment: a combination of selfless love and self-sacrifice. Lao Tzu has experienced that complete understanding (of it) resembles being disgraced: a state of smallness, simplicity, integrity, peace, non-competition and nonaction: the ways of the Tao. Being small allows for growth, expansion, and development. It is the most effective way to conserve energy since the small itself consumes minimal energy. Once the humbleness of honest heart steps in, the opportunism of egoistic mind is cast out, and the desire for achievement and appraisal becomes illusory. Simplicity is the way to direct your life; it is always apparent and clearly directed. There is no confusion to deal with, no mind juggling, and no disguise. With no attachment, each minute detail and quality of smallness will manifest. Meanwhile, just as with a newborn baby, smallness requires your full attention, the finest care, and the highest precautionary measures. Any slight of mindfulness or unintentional carelessness could cause an immediate unforeseeable disaster. Realizing this, everything manifests by itself; even the method of simplicity is absent. Any prerequisite such as knowledge, calculation, and intellect is eliminated. Thus, suffusing without simplicity is eliminating humiliation. Without humiliation, peace arises. Through peace, one observes that vast action seems yielding, because it never acts within a straight line, but twists, rotates with the activation of a whirlpool. Action that builds up seems remiss, since it is neither dutiful nor deceitful. Idleness and stupidity are evident in its natural makeup. Pure integrity seems perverse. It invariably results from the co-independence and inter-contradiction of yin and yang. From the understanding of these experiential descriptions, Lao Tzu further concludes that: The great square has no angles; the great talent matures late; the great voice sounds faint; the great image has no form. Such is called mystic Te. For that reason, all things worship Tao and exalt Te. The worship of Tao and exaltation of Te are not conferred, but always arise naturally. - 198 -
Humiliation Humiliation is one of the most devastating emotions one can face. Lao Tzu describes that “Favor and disgrace surprise the most.” The word disgrace is synonymous with humiliation, a reaction no one wishes to experience. When humiliation occurs, the conscious mind is completely darkened and filled with despair, placing the recipient into a despicable state with no opportunity to hide or escape. Personalized words and fruits of God are completely stripped away. They render one valueless, seemingly non-existent. On the other hand, it evolves into the most valuable time to examine oneself objectively, to face the situation with grace and understanding, to become like a child, and glorify God once again. The recipient owes thanks to the person invoking the humiliation. The essence of getting in touch with humiliation is to purify oneself from all the distorted aspects of life, discovering that the true meaning of life, both simplistic and mysterious, will run its course. Following is the meditative passage to engage. 1. Mentally picture the scene that precipitated your humiliation. Feel the presence of that energy vibration. 2. Stay with the pain and suffering. Hold as long as possible. Then release it and be liberated. 3. Do not be angry and frustrated about your humiliation. Look into it objectively. What does this humiliation mean? What was its purpose? 4. Handle the humiliation just as you do the wind blowing or the daily events that are long forgotten. They are nothing and should never be pondered as anything special. It does not suggest that blowing wind and daily events are nothing, but that all things existing in life are normal and nothing about them is special. 5. Then consider why someone chose to humiliate you. Draw an equation between the two of you, destroying the rigidity within you that disables you to be open to new and unexpected things. 6. Position yourself as President Clinton in his most grievous position. Think of yourself personally and not professionally. You will find more truthful traits in human nature than in professional individuals. 7. Then observe which of you has received the greatest benefit from the situation. You will find that in being humiliated is attached to expectations, a certain knowledge that underlies a lack of self-esteem and freedom. - 199 -
8. Allow your humiliation and your mind to be painstakingly purified in the same way that your body could be objectively examined and the source of its illness surgically removed. The full realization of this humiliation process has the same connotation as having your identity, position, esteem and self-worth excised. 9. Decide if you will allow your body/mind to heal itself, or do you prefer to cling to the pain for reasons you may not be fully aware of? 10. The lesson is to free yourself from burdensome situations. Be aware that further humiliations may be in store, but now you are better prepared to deal with it should it arise. 11. Once the decision is made, take immediate action to clean and purify the body/mind.
Accumulation of Kind Action To many people, the word “accumulation” is associated with wealth, knowledge, possession, and personal power. This association is established for the mistaken purpose of self-protection by the demands made to forego gratification. They are borne of the nature of fear, the emotion that ultimately consumes one’s life-force. Accumulation becomes ever more burdensome—obsessive, singleminded, prejudiced, evil, stressed, burned-out. As they expand, so too, will the problems inflicted on the body/mind. Gradually, living becomes only more difficult, and looming death is even more problematic. Lao Tzu asserts that accumulation, literally, means frugality. He has pointed out that for governing people and following the heaven, nothing is better than frugality. Only frugality enables the pre-empty measures. Pre-empty measures mean a great accumulation of Te. A great accumulation of Te leaves nothing to be conquered. When nothing needs to be conquered, No-boundary is known. Clearly, when frugality is the measure of daily life, one neither indulges in extravagance, nor allows selfishness to control. There should be no pollution in energy consumption; no ego anticipation in action; no contamination of heart; no confusion of mind; and no negativity arising through action. Then the pre-empty measures, can become the conductors of life. The literal interpretation of the pre-empty measures is “gathering (eating) Chi ahead of time.” To - 200 -
realistically apply this concept is to fill the stomach with Chi before food is absorbed, and to restore the tranquility of spirit in the mind before ego pounces. There will be no elements of time limitation, competitive environment, or other pressures that forge a person to pursue with most gains ahead of others. The mentality of precaution and proactivation destroys the environment of selfness. The pre-empty measures embrace selflessness, existing before the matter, through kind action, and within the Tao. Through frugality, the mind occupies itself with the material of universal energy. The mentality of universal space and the action of universal timing are uppermost in the mind before self-identity takes place. Self-identity is tied to self-esteem. With self-esteem comes self-dignity. Self-identity ensures the growth of self-esteem which then elevates itself to the position of self-dignity. Self-dignity is totally opposite to ego-dignity. It is the self-center and self-interest. We all need these attributes to center ourselves. No one can do this for us. We must like ourselves if we expect others to like us. The conscious center of self-dignity is none other than conscious awareness. It exists for the sole purpose of abiding by the nature of kindness. Self-dignity is viewed as awareness, not an attained position. It is a state of openness with no self-restraint. It has no dignity in itself, but functions as an energetic circulation. It is not surprising that dignity releases us from our last imprisonment before opening the spiritual door. Dignity has greater power than ego. By clinging desperately to dignity, ego maintains its staying power behind selfishness, ethnic identity, and belief patterns. When dignity occupies the crown of mind, the spiritual mentality of forgiveness, acceptance, generosity, kindness and compassion is lost. In abiding by the rules of administrative orders meted out by dignity, the entire world is under mechanical control. In a world of me-first, above all others, how can we begin to contemplate the accumulation of kind action! With selfness at the helm, the standard definition of moral deeds is nevertheless based on the possession of a few immortal and divine beings. This application has no bearing on the unconditional, selfless, and universal Love that is already stored within the deepest layer of pure is-ness. Universal love is attained as the final destination of selfness existing by itself, having been released from its last stronghold. This is the real nature of Mother’s mystic action, the Reality of Mind’s realization, the Truthfulness of Nature’s act. - 201 -
Ji Te The phrase ji te is used to represent the homework for spiritual practitioners: the blissful suffering of cultivation practices, and the objective measurement of any meditation outcome. The word “ji” means “accumulate.” Ji Te is accumulating Te, the most challenging homework in all spiritual practice, more demanding than meditation and more difficult than sharing and giving. It is a constant purification process based upon the discipline of frugality as described above. Te is an objective energy entity but not a concrete object to be identified and possessed. It is the accumulation of kindness, loving energy and self-sacrifice. Ji Te is the transformation of the biophysical body into the loving Chi body. It is instrumental in elevating sexual and emotional Chi into loving and liberating Chi. It is a lesson in building an invisible energy world based upon deep conscious understanding and spiritual penetration. In Chinese, Ji Te is the process of establishing the quality of Texing or Te-character. Without an accumulation of Te, there is no objective quality to be perceived by others. It is this accumulative practice, day after day, event following event and trial after trial, that dissolves the ego, purifies the body, and distills the mind. Whether one is spiritual or religious, an ethnic Chinese or foreign born, Ji Te exists as the objective reaction to one’s actual being in all things. The highest concentration of material in both Buddhist and Taoist literature is devoted to Ji Te and Texing. In Taoism, it is said that 36,000 works of ji-ing the Te must be performed before one can think about transforming Shen into Xu. That appears to be an inordinate amount of homework, but is a necessary discipline. It is not insurmountable. In our society there are many meditation techniques to learn, many skills to master, many opportunities for status seekers. Ji Te can be taught but not learned since once something is taught it is already secondary. You cannot process Ji Te; you simply sacrifice your life to its practice. It is more painful than any sickness, more degrading than humiliation. It entails more suffering than the nature of suffering itself. Yet, any one wishing to overcome oneself must first overcome these “blockages.” Are you ready to begin? The accumulated Te of a master will be applied to her/his spiritual name. It belongs to the master. Nobody can give someone - 202 -
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else Texing, even though they may be the recipient of its loving kindness and hospitable generosity. Texing is very selfish; it honors only the one who honors it. That is the nature of spiritual energetic circulation. Any student desiring to build a good reputation in the practice of Texing will quickly learn that it cannot be mastered by learning from others. It must be a process of self-mastering. Ji Te and Texing belong only to the spiritual world. They are the feng shui of cosmic kindness, representing the mystic Te in kind action.
Equilibrium of Kind Action Lao Tzu uses two words—eminent and inferior—to identify the chasm between non-minded, non-ego-anticipated natural action and self-minded, ego-persuaded and task-oriented action. Therefore, eminent Te is inaction and disengaged. For that reason it is constantly and eternally active, and nothing is left unfulfilled. Inferior Te never stops acting. For that reason it is inactive. It is the action of self-mindedness and illusion of ego-mind. When eminent action descends into inferior action, that which is cemented in self-engagement rather than spontaneous action and eminent righteousness, it then reverts to the mind’s engagement. When eminent righteousness engages, judgment steps into the picture, reducing the results of engagements. Once righteousness is dispersed, eminent justice engages but does not respond adequately to situations. For that reason it is frustrated. When Tao is lost, it becomes Action; when Action is lost, it becomes benevolence; when benevolence is lost, it becomes justice; when justice is lost, it becomes propriety. Propriety is the veneer of faith and loyalty, and the forefront of troubles. Foresight is the vain display of Tao and the forefront of foolishness. Justice indulges in self-justification and cultural protection in social life. It bears no resemblance to kind action. It is based upon self-aggression and the counteraction of that aggression. Fairness, in the practice of justice, no longer exists as fairness. The more effective, protective and intelligent measures and calculations are established by the stronger sources of justice. Before the strong arm of justice, the fearless are in jeopardy and may lose their lives, but later, the karma of reaction surfaces. In the face of justice, the fearful can survive before final judgment is pronounced. Their physical bodies are temporarily protected, but their hearts cry out. As - 203 -
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justice employs more and more procedures, society becomes more chaotic and disordered. That is not the nature of Tao; that is not kind action. There is a clear-cut difference between moral discipline and social justice. Moral discipline is the conscientious measure of virtuous deeds carried out through love and kindness that has been balanced by the sacred mechanism. When love and kindness are remiss, the mind reacts unconsciously. Killing, stealing, lying, and all manner of “wrongful” behaviors arise. They serve the purpose of taking advantage of others (and ultimately the self) in a failed effort to compensate for their deficiency of love and kindness. From this comes righteousness, the standard judgment of moral conduct. When righteousness is lost in ego’s dominance and aggression, religious/political rules flourish, shaping social behavior by its own standard of righteousness. Righteousness then becomes the priority of social justice, the measurement of specific action. Kind action is transposed into dogmatic rules and social prejudice. When moral discipline falls into the category of social justice, moral conduct is replaced by social conduct: a set of collective activities initiated by certain individuals. A selective group has been approved to positions of authority by the collective mind. Moral discipline becomes a rational principle. The unconditional and selfless love descends into the conditional connection of selfish love. Kindness is the tool for attraction and compassion is the guise for ego gratification. Everything is lost in the maze of crude, ruthless, dehumanizing and rationalized rules being gratified and protected by the ego. In the midst of kind action and justice, saint and sinner exercise the extremes of good and bad: one saves as the other destroys. People must understand that the quality of inactive kind action must be restored before love can pervade unconditionally. Then there will be no wrongdoing, no “moral” excuses, and no more social justice. The mind is lost and judgmental mind is lost. That, in itself, is kind action.
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Cultivation upon Kind Action Nature of Cultivation From the perspective of the mind, cultivation begins in the self and ends with no-self. It is the transformation from mental engagement to full mindful awareness. The Taoist’s perspective is that cultivation begins with no-self and culminates in universal-self: the golden elixir. No-self refers to the pure self that is not colored by the rational and intellectual mind, nor is it distracted by the desirable and egoistic heart. It is the power of wisdom mind as well as the space of pure heart. When intelligence arises, there is great deal of manipulation. The very act of the canny, obsessive and hallucinative mind of this intellectual proliferation makes individuals unhappy, people calculating and society chaotic. Lao Tzu’s statement was verified by C. G. Jung’s professional experience as described in his biographical literature, Memories, Dreams, and Reflections. He related that “In my experience, therefore, the most difficult as well as the most ungrateful patients, apart from being habitual liars, are the so-called intellectuals. With them, one hand never knows what the other hand is doing. They cultivate a ‘compartment psychology.’ Anything can be settled by an intellect that is not subject to the control of feeling—and yet the intellectual still suffers from a neurosis if feeling is undeveloped.” (1961, p. 145) The intellectuals can never bring in harmony what they think with what they feel. They cannot internalize their thoughts through conscientious Te before acting analytically. They walk through a narrow tunnel—the logical process— that is the neurosis of Western intellectualization or civilization in general. It is only when the intellectual capacity can still itself that the desirable heart is suppressed. Only when the egoistic mind is dispelled can the true self take its rightful place. Peace and tranquility are the structure of mind’s illumination, whereas originality and wisdom are the content of the mind’s true intelligence. This intelligence is far beyond what cultivation and persuasion can reach. It is linked with every individual’s pure and uncarved innate ability. When this ability connects to its source, it becomes the universal-self. In order to achieve this, one must master the self, the seed of the Tao. Cultivate the self, treat the self by the standard of self, and - 205 -
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the action is pure. Self is such an entity that it subjectifies the form of body/mind. It objectifies subjective images and visions with rationalized meanings and linguistic expressions. It further takes in images that body/mind receives and expresses through action that body/mind has internalized. It focuses on awareness, listens to the heart, speaks through the mouth, projects through mentality, and battles with non-self and false-selves. It is demonstrated by the body, conducted by mind, valued by justice, protected by selfhood, and greatly admired by the ego. When all these bits and pieces of selves are unified and crystallized through the nature of Tao, there is no difference between individual selves and others’ selves; there is no separation between inner self and outer self; there is no space between pure self and no self. Selfhood is such that individuality cannot exist where self-awareness does not exist. When the self is not understood, the truebeing bears no specific meaning. But when awareness is selfbounded, the selfish comes to the fore. If the meaning of awareness is held only subjectively, there is no interaction or communication, only the constrained, isolated and frozen body. Should such a self be open to the public, it would be viewed as a disposable self, an unwanted blowing wind, a contaminated virus. If such a self should be desired by the public, it is deemed an ideal object, a mental connection or a wishful longing. Staying in this mode becomes boring, lonesome, and suspended. Moving outwardly with it is troublesome, exhausting, and boundless. Identifying with it is a fixation and letting-it-go becomes directionless. This is the poor selfless self, the self-bounded selfhood. One way to treat the self is by understanding it according to the standard of self. Treat it as an objective entity, with no physical, emotional and mental attachment, whether as a carnal body, a conscious being or God’s given specialty. Once this is out of the way, there will be a clear and thorough understanding of the color, texture, quality and usefulness of that self. Since Tao is suffused and blended within that self, it must be acknowledged as the only role model for the family in society and on earth. What is inside and what is beyond will manifest uniformly. Within is the pure and true nature of that self. What is beyond is the boundless embracement and unification with the world of universe. When the identifiable self is pure, the mental space is boundless. It goes to family, community, nation and world. Cultivate the family, the - 206 -
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action is plentiful. Cultivate the community, the action endures. Cultivate the nation, the action is fruitful. Cultivate the world, the action is all-pervading. Cultivation takes the same path and covers the same territory with the notion of objective treatment. This objective treatment is the mindful and meditation concentration on that object embraced by the self. To quote Lao Tzu: Treat the family by the standard of family. Treat the community by the standard of community. Treat the nation by the standard of nation. Treat the world by the standard of world. Self is the world and the world is Self. Cultivating the self, establishing the family, governing the country, being peaceful with the world, and harmonizing into the Tao of nature are the ways of thus. Lao Tzu asks himself “How do I know how the world is such?” By uttering one word “Thus.”
Entering the Mystical Te When self is pure, it finds a supportive environment where it is able to enter into the space of mystic action within mystic action. Selfembraced mystic action is not mysterious, but rather plain and simple. Since the action of that mystic action is begetting but not possessing, enhancing but not dominating; (It) enlivens and nourishes, develops and cultivates, integrates and completes, raises and sustains. It enlivens without possessing. It acts without relying. It develops without controlling. Taken further, Lao Tzu uses the conceptual entity of mind— knowledge—to tap into the mystic action. Knowledge, to Lao Tzu, is acquired mental information driven by conscious desire or egoistic persuasion. Knowledge is something that, at most, can be used to facilitate the mind by entering into the constant mindful but never minded information: the changing continuity with its spatial formation and timely manifest. Under this condition, one is required to have the ability and capacity of knowing around. However, it is not for the sake of pursuing the knowledge that is the very etiological and pathological nature of sickness. His use of country connotes a double message. One is an individual body with bones and flesh, governed by the mind. The other is an independent nation with the land and its people being governed by a ruler. In the non-egoistic form, empowering oneself to - 207 -
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take over a country has the same meaning as taking control of one’s self before the ego-mind intercedes. Body is the country; the mental space occupied by the mind. No one can control the natural emptiness created for both the vastness of individuality and the visionary land to be conquered. This mental space is what distinguishes a human life from that of an animal. Whether the space is an individual configuration or a national territory, whether the energy in that space is for loving or governing, whether the energy which conducts the space is bio-sexual only or psycho-bio-sexual as well, the mental space remains the same. If you value the world as you do the body, you can be entrusted with the world; if you love the body as you love the beauty of the world, you can be responsible for the world In a sense, knowledge is the energetic circulation, vibration and evaporation that conducts that space. Since energy is never fixed or dead, knowledge can be considered similarly, even though it is not as vibrant and enlivened as energy. It must be applicable, renewable, kinetic, and available. It does not exist as a fixed form but as a changing pattern; not a mental possession but a gift experienced; not a trademark but disposable garbage. It is not a pure virtue as the mind apparently treats it but a destructive monster in the beguiled mind’s realization. To obtain knowledge is necessary, but to have it is devastating; to apply it requires skill, to possess it freezes the mental adaptability. When the mind is not inured with knowledge, the mind is an empty “rock.” (Even empty, it is still as hard as a rock; too difficult to influence and too hard to change.) While conditioned with knowledge, the mind becomes a slave to that knowledge. Trying to obtain it is an obsession; not demonstrating in front of mind decreases the price the mind has paid for it. Knowledge does not price itself but is ever at the mercy of mental occupation; it is not valued for its own virtue but by the ego’s demand, and it is not fixed in any given action but constantly stained by conscious obsession. When the nature of knowledge is understood by the mind, transformed and transpired by the mind, mystic action then will be seen in the eyes of the mind, viewed through the vision of mind, fused into action of the mind. Mystic action does not comfort the habits of mind nor satisfy mental confirmation of knowledge. It does not serve the needs of ego’s demands. It can be fully experienced but can never be thoroughly explained; completely envisioned but never - 208 -
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absolutely understood; mindfully anticipated but never analyzed with detail. Mystic action is mindless in its nature but mindful in the human spirit. It initiates itself into the originality of human nature but is beyond the capacity of the seeking mind. It is always there by itself but is never quite there in the analogy of mind. It is there when the mind is busy but never when the mind is preoccupied. It is very plain but remains forever a mystery to the potential of human mind.
Kind Action – Only Measurement When unconditional love is replaced by self-interest love in the world of human communication and relationship, it will necessarily give rise to dislikes and animosities. It is nearly impossible for one who harbors this attitude and mentality to change they mind. As a person becomes more selfish, animosity feeds on itself. The longer it exists, the further it escalates. When this negativity becomes unbearable, the expression is hostile, indignant, and resentful. Violence can precede its final outcome, serving as a protective defense mechanism. Under these conditions, reconciliation is effected only when the situation can be dealt with beneficially. However, the real problem remains unresolved. Lao Tzu declares that reconciling a great hatred necessarily entails unsolved hatred. How can this be kindful? This type of situation has been amplified by the peace negotiation in the Middle East. Hatred between the two nations has been deep and strong. The scars from this centuries-old-violence are so severe and evident that this deeply rooted hostility cannot or will not be reconciled by means of political talks and land bargaining. In this ancient battle ground innocent souls have been fiercely fighting one another while the land bears witness and washes away the blood. Who can promise to rule the forever changing unchangeable land? Who can benefit from bloodshed, the owner or the slave? The separation of two factions in one nation is comparable to the separation between two mountains. The mountains, rising above the mouth of the valley, share their foundation and energy resource, and are content with their own valley existence. The space in between is so wide they cannot stand side by side, but they remain inseparable. Each mountain stands upon its own independent ground base, yet they both have the same valley-bottom. Lao Tzu’s observation of the matter is that the sage honors the - 209 -
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left-hand tally but does not blame people. Left-hand tally is the stub kept of the record of the initial agreement. It is a promise of both the initial contract and the mindful hope for the result, but not the promise that no change can be made. The sage, of course, honors this. Should the sage hold fast to the tally and fight for the sake of an empty agreement? He should not, and he never does. Instead, his mind is open and his heart is open. Before kind action, he holds onto the tally. Before kindless action, he holds onto openness. That is the virtue of trustworthiness. That is the virtue of Loving. That is the virtue of kind action. Before kind action, tally is always useful, not in itself, but because kind action makes it useful. Before kindless action, tally is the stone wall, the confronting distance, the initiation of violence. As previously discussed when selfish love holds the position, nothing else matters. What is the use of keeping one’s promise? It has already been promised by and for selfishness. Love our enemy as we love ourselves; our enemy is the very hatred of our own self! This is the symbolic representation of difference as two individuals, two nations, and two countries. This is the application of how we are all inseparable. Male and female are different but they need to sleep together; two races are two different families, but they must share the same land; two countries fly different flags but they share a common territorial line. The Tao of heaven is impersonal, it enhances those who are kind. It is the genuine Love and unconditional Love that ties two people together. It is kindness and generosity that binds two families together. It is the vision and image that unify the two nations. This is the only way we can overcome the problem of “hatred.” There is no other choice, not now or ever. Conditional love is unstable and unreliable, subject to change, varying from love to hatred; unconditional Love has no boundary, no territory, no limit, no self. It is the ideal transformation of cultivation. Because of its unwavering love cultivation harmonizes people and nation, pure-person and universe, one and all.
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Chapter 7 Between Palace and Temple
Fig. 7.1 34th Hexagram (Good Fortune)
The sixth line, at the heading of the 34th hexagram in I Ching, indicates that: “When the goat butts against the hedge, he can neither move forward nor go backward. Nothing further is served. Difficulty brings in good fortune.” In this line the hedge represents both the divine religious orders and the institutionalized governing laws. People, as represented by the goat, are trapped in their country of residence as well as their temple of worship. Their spiritually transformed seed of goat (pelvic bones) in structuring the abdomen, is restrained by the blood of flesh and the passion of fire. Marching boldly forward defies the laws of the governing country (body), and falling back is against the natural rules of transcending power (sleeping spirit). They (sheep transformed from goat) live in conditions that will necessarily evoke a Revolution (Ge) of 49th hexagram.
Fig. 7.2 49th Hexagram (Revolution)
An authoritative government (the instinct within) has already been established in the previous hexagram, 48th the Well (Jing), the cosmic hollowing well, resulting from revolutionary reaction (God’s corruption). This is symbolized as the pelt of an animal (slavery needs) that, through its use over the course of years (sacrifice), has lost its resiliency (the Chi of love), become softened (tamed), and consequently shed its original character (the spirit power). In like manner, time and change give rise to revolutionary action, a new beginning (a dreamed hope). Without this, man comes to a standstill, - 211 -
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having been brainwashed or butting his head against an unyielding wall of laws. A new system must replace the old as symbolized by a new pelt being brought in. Man must garner his forces and skills in order to advance his life in his ongoing search for freedom.
Fig. 7.3 48th Hexagram (the Well)
This 49th hexagram is a composite of the clinging mentality and firing attitude of Li accompanied by the joyous mentality and spontaneous attitude of Dui. Li represents the abdomen (large intestine), the middle daughter, and happiness. Dui represents the mouth, the youngest daughter, and the faith. This hexagram illustrates the abdomen’s clinging need for food to secure the body. The mouth is required to be expressive for the soul to be retained. The middle daughter clings to her physical reality of security and safety, and the youngest daughter desires spiritual freedom and spontaneous expression. When happiness greets faith, constant revolutionary action is invoked. The revolution arises from the expression of spirit and soul, through biological vibration and spiritual illumination. It is defined by governing laws and spiritual orders, legislated in palaces and temples, and rewarded through spiritual people. How to restrain the clinging mentality of the soulful attachment is the function of a governing body. The mind must be stilled for the body to liberate itself from this obsessive clinging. How to purify the joyous mentality of spirit into its deep wisdom power is the function of transcending power. The spirit must be distilled to allow wisdom to manifest. This is the difficulty surrounding body and mind, people and spirit, state and church. This is the state of entrapment, the condition of imprisonment and the situation of difficulty that necessitates revolution. This pervading atmosphere of battling can trace its origin to the revolution between heaven and earth, fire and water. Lake of chest is faced with the challenge of drying up, and abdomen is in imminent danger of starvation. The conscious meets the challenge of verbal exhaustion, while the unconscious is threatened by instinctive urging. - 212 -
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Fig. 7.4 17th Hexagram (Following)
Fortunately, the 49th hexagram can be carried on by the function of Cauldron (Ding): 50th hexagram. This journey is following through, as indicated by the third line of 17th hexagram: Following (Sui). The line expresses that “If one clings to a great man, s/he loses the little man. Through following, one finds what one seeks. Good for dwelling and preserving.” In this description the little man/boy represents one who is immature and in a lower position. The great man embodies the unyielding position and its eternal quality. One will abandon childish actions by further seeking high spiritual quality. What one loses is what one has already experienced and digested; therefore, there is no need to cling. This is a powerful message to surrender to the inner truthful spirit in the process of dissolving all superficial actions and beliefs. One can then stay within the pure orphan state by sustaining the source from the great mother. Lao Tzu has described the life situation of the orphan by further suggesting that they needs not seek gain from losing, nor loss from gaining. This is how we must live together. In both political and spiritual life, we must harmonize the care-taker role of government—the Goddess’ role—and the wisdom power of church—the power of God—into inseparable and undivided oneness. By practicing such, people will be unified with their spirits, and government and the divining order will be integrated. Drawing Chi together into harmony is the father of teaching. No one saves people; they save themselves. No religion can liberate spirits; they reach enlightenment by themselves. Taoists declare: “My body is the country, and my mind is the king. My life is controlled by me, not by God.” They devote themselves to the Taoist approach that exclaims “I want to be and get pregnant by myself.” This is why Taoism can never become institutionalized. The essence of Taoism has remained unchanged since its emergence in ancient China. Whether an emperor favored or disavowed the Tao, its teachings are steadfast, simple yet profound. Its essence endures. There have been some that tried to - 213 -
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establish the Tao into a rigid and concrete entity, but were inevitably met with failure. At one time in the past, there was a verbal and literal confrontation between Buddhism and Taoism, although no violence occurred, and no lives were lost. Lao Tzu exclaims I want to be wholly different from everybody else by taking the substance from the mother source. When the inner alchemy practice, meditation and cultivation, arrive at kind action, the body has sufficient energy to sustain itself, the mind is pure enough to allow shen to conduct daily business. The meditator is thus capable of performing kind action in society by loving “the people” and governing “the country.” Loving the people is loving the energy (Chi), governing the country is governing the body. Body is the image of people; love is the energy of people; military is the means of managing the energy, and kingship is the holy crown of true self. In Chapter 58 Lao Tzu explains that when the government is silent, people are sincere. When the government is intrusive, the state is decisive. The word decisive is guai in Chinese or jue in the Mawangdui texts. Linguistically, jue means to decide, to make a choice or to confirm. Jue was extended from guai whose meaning was to split, separate, break-through or resolve. The character guai, which is the 43rd hexagram, is the only one that Lao Tzu has applied from the teaching of I Ching: Resoluteness (Guai). The character guai initially means to separate, break apart or split material. It is composed with the strokes of hand and object, indicating that hands break an object into pieces.
Fig. 7.5 43rd Hexagram (Break through)
This was perhaps the earliest method of distribution: breaking and dividing the objects with hands and distributing them evenly or with preference among family members. When the meat was cooked, the head of the family broke it apart into small pieces for all family members to share. Later still, the guai came to represent the emperor’s jade seal. The seal had a carved edge and could be handheld through a hole bored for this purpose. Or as a protective measure it could be worn around the neck with a decorative silk - 214 -
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thread. In the history of human development, the earliest method of decision making and material distribution of guai has been gradually extended into linguistic format to outline laws and rules and justice practices. The material objects (such as meat) were replaced by the decisions or choices made by mind and the written words. Official documentation began to circulate within the court and state. Lao Tzu advises that when the government is intrusive, the state is decisive, referring to conditions between the governing body and its state affairs. The head of the family becomes the ruler of a state, and the family matters are expanded into state affairs. Instead of directly punishing or rewarding members with the power of hands, letters and documents became the slapping power, willful acknowledgment, and disguised congratulations as the rulers began to hire officials and executors to carry out their orders. The more intrusive the government became, the more rules, regulations and legislation were enacted. More official documents and orders were distributed in the state, proliferating rapidly into what exists in government today. As the 43rd hexagram has indicated, and as a rule of natural order, the primary decision arises from either masculine or feminine perspective. The old man, the horse, heaven, the father or husband represents the lower trigram, while the youngest daughter, the sheep, the concubine, the beauty or the vampire represents the upper trigram. The decisiveness of heavenly power serves as the base of cosmic foundation, while the indecisive joyful lake of beauty is the creative transition. This eternal order represents the ultimate demarcation between wisdom and youth, stillness and passion, understanding and feeling, penetration and creation, and separation and unification: the unique unqualified cosmic structure. Externally, people represent food, material, and energy circulation, while country represents hands, mentality, and wisdom power. Earth produces food, mother gives birth to all creatures, and love makes everything commence and flow. This is the power of yin: the virgin, the receptivity, and the resurrection. Hands are the makers of all things, mind is the decision of all things, and wisdom power is the light of all things. This is the power of yang, the creation, the penetration, and the separation. In true spiritual life, therefore, the mind must be decisive, the - 215 -
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body transformed, and karma purified. This is the cosmic Chi Kung practice, the third stage of Taoist inner alchemical practice: transforming Shen into Xu. The mind should no longer be selfish, the soul no longer egoistic, sensation no longer scattered, and body no longer contaminated. We then have the most desirable marriage, the highest unification, and the most peaceful harmony. The inner body/mind is in harmony to process food and interact with the environment. The decisive mind never wavers from awareness of inner stillness and inner sacrifice. Chaos must be put in order. The striking footsteps must be firm. Any alarming distraction must be registered subconsciously. One’s facial expression should be serene, yet severe and firm. One’s lack of creativity (represented by the skin damage on the thigh in the fourth line) should be awakened by spontaneous inspiration rather than anticipated participation. Poisoned meat must be eliminated, the weed-covered land must be cultivated, and the sickened body/mind must be purified. This is the literal expression of the Guai and the practical application of this chapter.
Loving the People What are “People”? People are of both a unified and a collective body/mind. People are what a country is all about: a single and unified entity of land and population. Land is where people are born, live and die. Altogether, people make up the population and become the caretakers of the land. As a collective body/mind, society is made up of necessary habits, customs and rules. These three are the richness of a nation, since they comprise and embrace color and flower, beauty and attraction, discipline and order. People are the citizenry of the land and rivers, they are love and benevolence, justice and troublemakers; people are the destroyers. We are told that the sage has no benevolence, he treats his people like strawdogs and the sage is always without his own mind: utilizing the people’s minds as his mind. Only when the sage is free from benevolence and mind, can he manage benevolence objectively and be mindful of the people’s minds. The sage is the - 216 -
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source of mind, and people are the active mind. Benevolence is the internal balance. The deeper the sage is connected to the source, the more mindful are people’s actions. As they become more mindful they also become more faithful and loving toward their source. Since the sage has faith in himself and in the people, no distrust or mistrust can be discerned. Only benevolence measures. When faith is weak, there is distrust—especially in the worth of speech. Results speak for themselves. In the context of nature, the reason why rivers and seas have the capacity for kingship over all the valleys is that they excel in lowliness. That is why they have the capacity for kingship over all valleys. Thus, since the sage wants to elevate the people, his speech is down to earth. Since the sage wants to advance the people, he positions himself at the back. So that when he is at the front, people do not harm him. When he stands above, people do not feel pressure. The whole world supports him untiringly. Since he does not rely on competition, the world has nothing with which to compete. The sage is neither a political nor religious leader, but a combination of both. He has the least ego but balances the emperor’s enormous ego. This can be illustrated by the history of the Chinese political structure and its religious practices. The motto of an emperor in the Chinese mind is “to act on behalf of the Tao of Heaven.”(ti-tian-xing-dao) The mixed role he plays, the ambivalent position he holds, the limited power he exerts, and the political fantasy of which he dreams, positions the emperor as both a human being and a heavenly emperor. His ego power circulates endlessly as he merges in his autocratic monarchy. The Taoist beliefs become the inner vision that the emperor can only imagine and the outer attraction that he is able to demonstrate. The Confucius discipline becomes the customary rule that enables the emperor to launch his political execution and exercise his moral restraint. Taoist ideas give him the freedom, and Confucius disciplines provide him with security. To the Chinese people, the heavenly emperor’s power is as directive and active as the emperor’s orders, but the emperor’s spirituality is no greater than that of the citizenry. It is the presence of egoistic power and the invisibility of spiritual fantasy that gives rise to the emperor’s unlimited role. It is this conditioned reality and unrestrained spirituality that provides the people only a limited position within which to settle, but an open space to explore. - 217 -
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How to Love People To love people is to be unselfish and have a non-minded awareness, intention, attention and engagement. When the ego-self and its selfishness are expunged from mind, the heart is open, the love is all pervasive. To love the people is to have kind action and to have enough adequate faith within kind action. When there is adequate faith, people live happily and die gloriously. Faith allows the sage’s mind to be as pure and clean as that of a child, and the people’s minds to be clear and simple as an uncarved log. The sage’s smile is the hope within people’s hearts. The full display of his vital force is the wish carried in the people’s minds. This spontaneous action is the undisplayed direction followed by the people. Lao Tzu advises: Do not exalt intelligence and people will not compete; do not value rare goods and people will not steal; do not display for public view and people will not desire. Get rid of wisdom, abandon intelligence, and people will benefit a hundredfold. Get rid of benevolence, abandon justice, and people will return to filial piety and kindness. Get rid of skill, abandon profit, and thieves will disappear. These three are inadequate. This always makes people not know and not desire. This always makes the knower dare not act. So just let things be. Observe the plain and embrace the simple.
How to take care of People Employing the Unknown Virtue According to Lao Tzu’s strategy: Those who practiced Tao in olden times did not enlighten people, rather they made them simple. No one can bestow enlightenment upon another. Enlightenment must be an individual journey over universal land. When people live their simple life, they become enlightened along their own God-given journeys. Lao Tzu further explains the reason for this by saying: What makes it the hardest to govern the people is what they already know. It becomes most difficult to govern the people because of their knowledge. The more knowledge people have, the more bizarre things appear. To know what one knows is a gift. This inward process is a procedure that seeks the connection, a way of tapping into God’s creative mystery. Knowledge is a mental product, a seed of mind. - 218 -
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To have knowledge is to have skill. To be able to know is a human skill, to be capable of knowing around is a human mentality; to obtain knowledge is to obtain the ego possession, and to transfer the knowledge is to transfer the ego obsession. The best way to deal with knowledge is to abandon it; the best way to deal with the knower is to become grounded with the stillness of the unknown. Using knowledge to govern the country, knowledge itself becomes the thief of the country. Not using knowledge to govern the country, knowledge itself is the action of the country. Always realize that these two are the model for ruling.
Formula before the Fear There is a story behind this formula. When Genghis Khan marched through the land of China, killing was the purpose as well as the reward. He was astonished and awakened by Chiu Chuji’s perception that “People are unafraid of death.” Quoting directly from Lao Tzu. Chiu Chuji was the founder of the Dragon-Gate School of Taoism (1148 - 1227). The underlying message is that you cannot kill all the people, because people are fearless before the power. They are the power. When fear arises, it will be overwhelming. Fear can lead to the death of an entire race of humans and their nation. The tragic experience and homeless life style recorded in Jewish history follows this concept. Whenever people are unafraid of death, how can killing be used as a threat? When people take up arms to battle against the will of their honest heart in a selfish action, they must be taught a lesson. This holds true as well when they use their desiring heart to achieve their personalized “perfection.” The discipline of killing in accordance with nature’s law is based entirely upon people’s action and the results of that action. Whenever people are afraid of death and are acting contrary, I will catch and kill them; who else can act so? When people are fearful of death yet themselves become killers, they perform the duty of an executioner. This is like doing carving for a master craftsman. Doing the carving for a master craftsman, how could one’s hand not get cut? The message is to let the killers kill each other. Since the duty of an executioner is to exercise his natural law, he is destined to kill, thereby exercising the discipline of the ruler, as well as freeing the innocent from the task. - 219 -
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Practical Success Success is determined by self-accomplishment toward affairs through the inner power of dedication, determination and will. Without inner accomplishment, there can be no social recognition of success. Success is consequent to all affairs. It does not proclaim its own existence. Why cleave to it? In Taoism, success is about the personal liberation upon energy transformation with no acknowledgment of social appraisal. Since the value of life itself is constructed within kind action, there is no need for social recognition. It is within the people’s hearts, and its reward is the final outcome, that of becoming immortal. In regard to the majority of people, their engagement in affairs fails prior to the success. They are either lost within themselves or they exhaust themselves before they reach success. To quote: “Give as much careful attention to the end as to the beginning; then the affairs will not fail.” It is on that account that the sage desires not to desire and does not value goods that are hard to get. He learns not to learn and restores the common people’s losses. He is able to support the nature of all things and, not daring, to impose action.
Governing the Country Nature of a Country The nature of a country within a society is as concrete and subtle as the given name of an individual. The image of a country is as fragile and delicate as the fleeting thoughts transpiring in the mind. The structure of a country is as tangible and existential as one’s personal identity, and the heritage of a country is as strong and firm as the belief of a seeker. Within any given country, land is the soil, mountains are the breasts, rivers are the blood stream and people are the residents. Youth is the flower, intellect the attraction, and culture the adornment. The country is customized with various structural patterns and decorative colors. The army is the protector and the government is the destroyer. For a country, environment is the body, king - 220 -
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is the mind, people are the consciousness, religion is the conscience, government is the ego, founding fathers are the spirits or the worshipers. Within a country, people are the essence, culture is the vitality, and administration is the spirit. People must engage with a peaceful mindset and be at ease with themselves for the land to be cultivated and the country healthy. When the culture is vital and energetic, the mind is nurtured and the country is rich. When the administration is clean and simple, society is well preserved and the country is tranquil. A country is the identity of a strong ethnic group that is foreshadowed by weaker ones. A small country is a small family, and a large country is a large community. The territorial line between countries is like a projection of thought, an image of mind, an identity of ego, a sign of victory, a call to attention, and a protection from fear. The gates within the line are wide open and as smooth as the communication between two lovers. The walls between the line are as firm as the belief systems of two distinguished cultures. The light shining through the line is as bright and joyful as our individual dreams, and the fire burning upon the line is as hot and flaming as a cultural expectation. The territorial line itself is the mark of a war, the bloody stain left by the sacrificer, the victorious declaration of the winner, and the surrendering confirmation of the loser. The territory is where the nationality is defined and passports are required. It is where politics rule, immersed within their own inseparable boundaries. It is where the bodies of two nationalities attract one another, the minds of two languages communicate in one way or another, and the seeds of cultural unification give birth to one another. The line itself is as subtle as the flow of two different streams of consciousness and as broad as the projection of the mind’s eye. It is the longest distance the ego can cover with acceptance; the final proof that justice can demonstrate and protect. It stands before the eyes when ego speaks forth, but is hidden behind a curtain when consciousness flows through. It is why two nationalities can exist with each other and two cultures can meld. The life of an individual, a family, community, nation and culture is the demarcation of this territorial line. What powerful marks the mind has been drawing! What a beautiful inspiring flag the ego has been waving! What a comfortable state in which the people are caged!
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Ways of Governing the Country Governing a country can be as complex a process as healing one’s physical illness. When the body is in harmony with the mind and environment, the resulting state is that of health. When dealing with illness, the mind must take responsibility for seeking its own cure. Working through sickness allows for further growth and transformation. Living with sickness allows one to understand the meaning, distance and duration of life. Working through the self and seeking professional help are the two ways of solving the problems. Working through the self has always been the primary hope, method, and task. With no internal demand, there can be no professional help; without the need to break through, the spiritual help that is forever present becomes remote. By liberating from these two, one reaches the ultimate freedom and enlightenment. The body must live and die; the soul must be drawn into the eternal marriage of love and peace. In matters of government, Lao Tzu suggests: Not constraining the living environment. They (people) do not get bored by life. Because we do not get bored, there is no boredom. All problems within a society are created by the confusion and conflict of mind, thus generating legal practice and military interference. The more prohibitions there are in the world, the poorer the people will be. The more rules and demands that flourish, the more thefts there will be. Lao Tzu sharply criticizes the failure of a government by stating: The reason people are starving is because the government taxes too much. This is the reason for starvation. The reason people are hard to govern is because their leaders are actively engaged. This is why they are hard to govern. The reason people are not serious about death is because they seek the burdens of life. This is why they are not serious about death. It is critical to know that the mind exhausts the bodily energy in the same manner that the government exhausts people’s energy. On the one hand, government flourishes from the actions of its people. Without people, the government is an empty ego form and its administrative office becomes an empty funeral chapel. On the other hand, government is the powerhouse of involved people seeking the burdens of life because of their enslaved needs and the collective wishes of their government. Lao Tzu has also proposed that: Governing a large country is - 222 -
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like cooking a small fish. Use the right lawfulness to govern the country. How do I know this is so? When no-boundary is known, it allows the country to exist. The country, existing from its source, can endure. The role of a government is to integrate the diversified social elements into a grand harmony without judging or valuing the goodness of intention, efficiency of process, quality of the products, and resultant teachings. The character of government is an invisible mind with kindness and a visible body with force. It is the fusion of will and the penetration of power. It should be a beautiful harmony of simplicity, not a diversified organization of complexity. This is the right lawfulness, the art of cooking (frying) a small fish, that each and every soul swims in the oceanic body. Whoever understands the people’s needs knows how a government should govern. Whoever stands on the people’s side wins the war, and whoever envisions the picture of a clean, healthy, productive and harmonious environment, is capable of taking over the power of beauty. When the country is in big trouble, there arises patriotism. Whoever can bear the disgrace of the country is the ruler of the country. Whoever can bear the misfortune of the world is the ruler of the world. The story of Gandhi serves as an example of this statement. He might not have read Lao Tzu or the book of Tao Te Ching, but it makes no difference to either Gandhi or Lao Tzu. What Gandhi did was not for himself although the power emerged from his inner self. What Lao Tzu stated was not for his benefit even though it “came” through his own mind.
Mutual Existence of Countries A great nation flows downwardly; it is the mother of the world, and the integration of the world. The mother is always tranquil and overcomes the male by her tranquility; so she benefits the world. A great nation relies on a low position to take over a small nation. A small nation, being in a low position, is taken over by a great nation. So being lower allows for taking over or being taken over. Being a great nation only desires to unify the people. Being a small nation only seeks people’s business. They both get what they want, but the greater is in being the lower. A big country opens her mouth to the sea with her main stream body. Her position is naturally lower than the smaller countries that - 223 -
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have only small rivers running miles to or away from the sea. A small country or nation is already in the lower position. It lacks the resources to expand. With no valuable resources, her most important and only business is her people. The small country of Japan has emerged as an economically powerful nation by thriving upon her people’s business: the collective power of mind. The application of international relationship is not to stomp upon the divisions but to whirl around them, not to draw the line but to flow along the line. The cultural dots are already there and the racial lines have already been there. The coating of cultural dots cannot be covered up since they are the cultural image and personality. How can one understand modern Western culture without the aid of a scientific approach? How can one engage in Indian mystical practice without first knowing Yoga? And how can one understand the Chinese mind with no knowledge of Chinese philosophy? With the same reasoning, one can walk along the racial line, but find no way to cross it. The line is invisible. Inside that invisible line the race is a sleeping lion. The line cannot be crossed without destroying its existence. If the mind is open, the line becomes visible; the space around the line vibrant. Everyone can walk through or even step on the line. That is the nature of mutual and neutral co-existence. That is the nature of the communicative heart of human beings, the bearers of the greatest potential existence on earth.
Military
Nature of War War is the final result of mental conflict, the breakthrough of ego confrontation, the reconstruction of distorted justice, the restoration of absent conscience, and the redistribution of the power structure. When there is a conflict or confrontation due to misunderstanding and mistrust, the tension and heat may accelerate to the degree that antagonism and contention are the only reality. This can escalate, resulting in war as the best or only solution. When - 224 -
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power is used excessively, as it is in any aggressive invasion, as coercive, obsessive exploitation and suppressive punishment, these abusive actions culminate in war. Ultimately, the power holder will necessarily be overpowered by the persons or parties that had been suppressed and oppressed. Similarly, when opposing armies clash, those who cry win! Stiffness and callousness are the company of death. Softness and suppleness are the company of life. The powerful army will not win. A stiff tree will break. So stiffness and callousness stay below. Softness and suppleness stay above. This observation explains that war is the only means to exchange the power structure, thereby restoring peace and uplifting human conscience. By its very nature, war is self-destructive. If there were no blockage, no misunderstanding, no ego obsession, no holdingon, there would be no war. War is itself the sign of demonstration from individual involution to group evolution, from self actualization to cultural civilization, and from inter-personal hatred to the social expression of that hatred. To understand the nature of war is to understand the nature of human inner conflict between conscientious spiritual awareness and the unjust action of ego, between submission to the power of body and the full display of the power of mind. War is, in effect, an evolutionary process of changing the human adaptive strategy from passive reaction to aggressive control. This applies to both natural and social environment. War evolves from the destructive character of egoist aggression, whereas peace arrives through the constructive nature of human spirit. The old habits and systems held firmly for generations must be severed to allow the new to exist. The process of change is extremely difficult. It may take a war to forcefully demand the transition, ensure the change, and announce the new order. The process of war can be recognized as twofold, with both positive and negative experiences as the outcome, regardless of extenuating situations. As the boundaries of attachment are broken in order to enter into the freedom of unknown, the future is uncertain and unpredictable. It can be as destructive as the decaying and deforming process of any material existence. War is too painful and shattering for anyone to be required to experience its ravaging consequences. It is devastating to be at death’s door in the prime of life, witnessing fallen comrades cross its threshold. Within the war zone, there is no glimmer of mental anticipation; - 225 -
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only gunfire, the sound of explosions causing untold destruction, the crying of hearts, the burning of flesh, and the drifting ashes. The underlying fuse for this erupting conflict was ignited by the power of ego, the power of mind gone mad. Since war has no conscientious evaluation and appraisal, it disregards any social justice. The person who launches war justifies himself to protect his ego. If war could be justified, Jewish people would not have been denied their right to reside in Israel for these many years. The American Indians would not have been forced to live on reservations. Nothing matters in war except who is defeated, who is victorious. To the victor goes the power to demonstrate justice; to the defeated that have forfeited survivorship goes the preservation of justice which will ensure future revenge. When the country being invaded has the wherewithal to defend and protect itself, the invasion is thwarted. If they have no defense, it is no longer an invasion but an act of submission to the invaders. The invaders display their power and authority. Whether native or invader they are all the same before the power flow of nature. War is fair to everyone. If the position of power is over, the present power structure cannot endure. If it is the time for another power to take over, it cannot fail. Neither side is willing to be subdued. Nature itself must force the issue of power. When the inner conscience is alive in everybody’s heart, there will be no war. However, when war is necessary, the side with inner conscience stands the greater chance of victory. This is not to say that the lack of a motivated inner conscience will necessarily precipitate a loss. The final solution depends on who is granted the power by the turn of nature. Nobody can change this or influence this immutable fact. Call it the power of God or the justice of God; this turn of nature is beyond man’s manipulation. The Mongolian, Arabian, Manchurian, the Europeans and the Japanese have all tried to invade the land of China. They all failed; there is no possible way for them to take it over and keep it for themselves. No one can take away “the beauty” from the king unless he is willing to share it, and no one can take care of “the beauty” other than the king-beast, the perfect match to the beauty of the human flower. This is the truth, the fact and the justice of the animal world, of which we are an element. The stronger, quicker and more intelligent hold the seat of power. The weaker, slower and less intelligent - 226 -
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form the masses. They are relegated to carry out the more menial tasks, to be subservient. The financially poor, the mentally retarded, the uneducated live out their natural life span. Consequently, the richer, stronger and smarter must take charge of their submissive partners lest might they be overtaken by new invaders who emerge from the ranks. Lao Tzu revealed that: When opposing armies clash, those who cry win! In world history, Rome, Persia, China, Mongolia, France, England, all enjoyed their time of glory. America is now having its time. Can it last? On this subject Lao Tzu proposes: Using the Tao as the rule for governing the people, do not employ the army as the power of the world, for this is likely to backfire. Where the army has marched, thorns and briars grow. Being good has its own consequence, which cannot be seized by power. Achieving without arrogance, achieving without bragging, achieving without damage, achieving without taking ownership. This is called achieving without force. Matter becomes strong, then old. This is called “Not-Tao.” Dying young is “Not-Tao.”
Military – Strong Army Military signifies the best preparation of ego protection and the final defense against the fear of death. Lao Tzu states implicitly that: The strong army is the mechanism of bad luck. The elements of the world may oppose it. So those who have ambitions cannot rest. Therefore the nobleman takes his place on the left side, and the commander on the right side. So the army is not the nobleman’s weapon. As a mechanism of bad luck, he uses it only as the last resort. Then the best way is to use it quickly and destructively. Do not enjoy this. To take delight in it is to enjoy killing people. Those who enjoy killing people do not attract the favor of the world. The good inclines to the left, the bad inclines to the right. Thus the intelligent officer stays on the left, the army commander stays on the right. Speaking in an image of sadness, after killing the people, every one stands in mourning. Victory is celebrated as a funeral service. Lao Tzu has taken a humanistic stance by treating the army as the last resort and not the best display. The left position is the auspicious one while the right side indicates bad luck. By its very nature, winning a war is based upon the death and surrender of oth- 227 -
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ers. Of course, the victory should be celebrated as a funeral service. The personification of patriotism is at most an extension of selfish love. It does not entail a picture of fairness and non-partiality. Also, war is the extreme of competition; both the winner and loser have mixed feelings of accepting the reality, there is resentment and dissatisfaction. A sense of fear and uncertainty about the future lurks on the victorious side and a strong will for vengeance and retaliation arises on the losing side. The ultimate reality, as Lao Tzu explains, is that even if weapons are far more numerous than people, they are not used. The more and sharper the weapons the people have, the more chaotic the nation will be. Let people be serious about death and enjoy a long journey. Though there are carriages and boats, they are not useful for travel. Let people return to use the technique of knotting the rope, to enjoy the food, to appreciate the cloth, to delight in customs, and to settle in their living conditions. The neighbor countries are in sight. The sounds of dogs and chickens are heard. People grow old and die without interfering with each other. How beautiful such a picture of country and people is: the simple government and plain citizens. If all people mind their own way, are mindful only of their own business and content with themselves, then everyone’s mind is at peace, the whole world flows harmoniously at the pace of a peaceful state.
Mentality of Winning Being a good warrior does not entail power. A good fighter is not angry. One who is good at overcoming the enemy does not contact him. One who is good at leading people acts humbly. This is called the Action of non-competition. This is called leading people. This is called the Ultimate as old as heaven. When there is an absence of power, the mind preserves its total clarity and awareness. When a person is not angry, there is no emotional disturbance before the action. When there is no confrontation, there is no exhaustion of energy consumption. When the mind is humble, the people are encouraged and the work is done. Lao Tzu further explains that I dare not be the host, but rather a guest. I dare not advance an inch, but rather retreat a foot. This is called performing without performing, rolling up one’s sleeves without showing the arms. By not holding on to an enemy, there is no - 228 -
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enemy. There is no disaster greater than having no enemy. Having no enemy almost destroys my treasure. What Lao Tzu is saying is that one should never underestimate anything, especially the enemy. In the use of military force, overestimation loses an opportunity and underestimation loses the war. Being a host welcomes the war, being a guest conducts the war. In advancing the body is exposed; in retreating the body preserves the resource. The body must be relaxed, the mind must be disengaged. Exploring this, before action, the mind anticipates without expectation. During confrontation, the body/mind is actively engaging without losing its ground. When the battle is over, no scar is found on the body and there is no memory remaining in the mind.
Military Strategies Use the unexpected to conduct the battle. Use disengagement to take over the world. This is because when you want to constrict something, you must first let it expand; When you want to weaken something, you must first enable it; When you want to eliminate something, you must first allow it; When you want to conquer something, you must first let it be. This is called the Fine Light. The weak overcomes the strong. Fish cannot live away from the source. The sharp weapon of the nation should never be displayed, nor should it be traded. Treasure is something that should be kept secretly and preserved carefully. When it is displayed, it invites manipulation, its secret is exposed, rendering the treasure valueless. Nor should the treasure be considered an economic gain; it is an act of self-betrayal. Judging how effectively America keeps its military weaponry under wraps—a closely guarded secret—we can understand that displaying it would be an open invitation to the enemy. There may be a monetary gain to some, but it would prove to be self-defeating action. We would create an unthinkable backlash of retribution. Can we afford to pay the price of such a backfire? Can we secure ourselves safely behind our best defensive mechanism?
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Kingship Widow or Orphan? What the world hates is the widow and orphan without support. But lords and rulers name themselves these. Widow, on the one hand, is the mother without a husband. She lives with the nature of Motherhood; welcoming the power of penetration. She enjoys the unselfish care-taking, provides the needed nourishment, and returns finally to her frozen empty-womb state where the egg again becomes milk. Orphan, on the other hand, is the son whose mother gave birth to him. He remembers only the sucking but the source is no longer there to sustain him. He holds the memory of his father inside his blood without the conscious awareness of the father’s identity. So he returns to the mountain and sleeps inside the cave. The memory of sucking is restored with embryonic breathing; his mother’s image is vibrating within his body, and his father’s spirit shines inside his heart. His mother cries tearfully, expressing the people’s joyfulness. His father laughs willfully, demonstrating the people’s faithfulness. He becomes the Oneness of One.
Supportiveness of the Tao Tao is eternally nameless. Though simplicity is small, the world cannot treat it as subservient. If lords and rulers can hold on to it, everything becomes self-sufficient. Heaven and earth combine and allow sweet dew. Without rules, people will naturally become equal. At the outset, the rule must be expressed. Once it exists, quit saying it. The result of not saying it is to be without danger. In a manner of speaking, Tao is to the world as the rivers are to oceans and seas. Tao is eternally nameless. If lords and rulers would abide by it, all things would evolve of themselves. What evolves desires to act. I, then, suffuse this with nameless simplicity. Suffusing with nameless simplicity is without humiliation. Without humiliation, peace arises. Heaven and earth regulate themselves. Simplicity - 230 -
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refers to the procreative stage that ensures the maturity and complexity with the primary vitality. It serves also as the returning and revitalization that channel the changes merging from maturity and complexity. Unifying this notion of the Tao endows one with a peaceful mind, a happy life, and a full stomach. What more can be needed?
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Chapter VIII Longevity and Immortality
In this chapter, we gather all the energy in the brain or “niwan,” which is one of the many Taoist terms for brain: with “ni” for “mud” and “wan” for “elixir.” When the brain is in a state of emptiness, numerous holes in it will open and connect to the cosmic power, emitting cloud-like cosmic smoke. Then Te becomes the root of heaven unifying all that surrounds it. The brain serves as the cosmic water base or sacred lake, inviting the highest spiritual cultivation, unifying the five element-Chi into Wu Chi state. The pure spirit or elixir or pure person flourishes in this sacred undercurrent like a rootless lotus flower. The brain serves as the temple of minds where all likened individuals gather to promote their mutual understanding, affection and growth. Brain is not the root of ego and instinct, but the mason of spirit and wisdom. The eight sections of brain skull represent the back of a tortoise. The nine palaces (holes) in the brain connect the tailbone and sacrum allowing the pure flow of Chi in the body/mind. When the abdominal Chi is gathered and purified in the brain, the nine palaces connect further with the nine stars in the universe, thereby providing all the necessary nutrition required by the body/mind.
Fig. 8.1 45th Hexagram (Gathering)
In I Ching, this notion is expressed by the 45th hexagram: Gathering Together (Cui). As we learned from a powerful and representative decision rendered by a sage, all the spirits gather together to purify their wounded souls and cloudy minds. A temple is built to - 232 -
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pay tribute to ancestors, thereby unifying all the spirits, body/minded, enlightened and abandoned, into one family. This family represents our common spiritual foundation, the mutual connection and our common destination. This is the transition from “Guai” to “Cui” where the heaven trigram in “Guai” transforms into earth trigram in “Cui.” Earth represents the cosmic mother, the root of heaven, and the creative womb of universal creatures. In 43rd hexagram, the spiritual mind is elevated to follow a higher spiritual path. One’s needs are diminished, instinctive behavior is abandoned in order to embrace the power of Te. When Te unifies all the spirits within her family, the spiritual mason and the lost souls are unified. Spiritual flowers and fruits are produced, longevity is ensured and immortality results. This can be envisioned as the transition from order to work, from discipline to obedience, from self-realization to self-actualization. Therefore, longevity is the order, the discipline and the self-realization. The immortality is the work, the obedience and the self-actualization. Longevity is a wish and immortality is the result of the wish. Now let us explore this wish.
Tapping the Gate of Longevity Reasoning, Out In the history of mankind, longevity has been the most common desire of the mind. There is no greater wish of the mind than to attain spiritual immortality. Longevity is an infinite mental desire that drives the finite existing body beyond its natural duration. This desire can be traced to an unpredictable miscalculation of the exact duration of a natural life cycle. It may also have its source from an excessive push from the transcendental spirit. The miscalculation is due to the faulty information being driven by ego anticipation. The push is an attempt made by spirit to escape from the existence of the trapped body and mind as quickly as possible. Only a small minority of people can master the use of predicting one’s physical life journey. The masters of meditation can do so. A good doctor can predict the final outcome of a clinical patient’s duration based upon pathological evidence. A clear-minded person may get a small sense of it as foresight. Yet the spiritual life is - 233 -
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independent from that of physical life. The body has no choice but to die, but the mind can choose when to release a final exhalation. The willful anticipation of mind plays an important role in terms of the overall situation of death and dying. If a person has made up they mind to commit suicide, no one can prevent it. The unfinished jobs that have been devised by the mind must be updated or displaced before the spirit departs the body and this world. The decision comes from within. The proper approach is to live life fully without fighting against the nature of death. This can be illustrated from the life stories of Buddha or Jesus, both of whom were religious founders as well as superior masters of meditation. Buddha once ate poisoned meat to hasten his last breath; Jesus was crucified after his last meal. They each knew what awaited them: to liberate from death through mastering the spirit’s way. A life span of several hundred years was not uncommon for ancient Taoist sages. For example, Guang Chengzi, the Yellow Emperor’s guru, lived over one thousand and two hundred years according to Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tse). Yet longevity cannot replace immortality. One needn’t live a long physical life in order to achieve immortality. Wang Chunyang, the founder of the Complete-Reality School of Taoism, lived only to the age of fifty-eight years.
Distilling the Mental Clouds When the ego retreats completely, the body is able to live its fullest physical life journey. When the mind disappears completely, the immortality or the native spiritual eternity, becomes fully present. Longevity is the process of changing within unchanging, while immortality is the character of the sameness of unchanging within the changing. Changing from and toward unchanging could never be predicted by the ego. In unchanging within the changing, the mind can never experience emptiness within nothingness. The unchanging is the union of black and white; the changing within is the transformation of rainbow bridge, the racial distribution of mankind. Understanding the white and holding on to the black enables the formation of the world. Being the formation of the world, ongoing action does not stray. When ongoing action does not stray, it returns to the infinite. This simplicity takes shape as a mechanism. The sage makes it the head ruler. Great ruling never divides. - 234 -
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The formation of the world is constructed within the mechanism; great ruling is what governs it. This is the mechanism of life and death, birth and rebirth. From sunrise to sunset, from night to day, it is a sleepless resting continuity of free changing process. From male to female, white to black, fire to water, it is the power of penetration. From female to male, black to white, water to fire, it is the power of receptiveness. Penetrating and receiving continues with no sign of beginning or end. The two never stray apart from each other: the Oneness within, the formation of the world. This action comes from nowhere, is present and exists everywhere. There is nothing above it still to be accounted for; there is nothing below it that has been excluded. Ever searching for it, it is beyond naming. It returns to no-thing. Its state is described as no state, its form is described as formless. It is called the vision beyond focus. Follow after it, and it proves endless. Go before it, and no beginning is found. Employ the Tao of today in order to manage today’s affairs and to know the ancient past. This is called the principle of Tao.
Calling upon the Valley Spirit As our mind begins to work, we understand the workability of the world. When our mind starts changing direction, we make sense of the change in our changing world. When our mind ceases to change, we conclude that changing is unchanging. That is all we know, is all we have ever known. Our conscious minds are torn between the two sides of the unknown, the infant and the wise. When we connect with one side, the other side is extended into a projection from dreams to wishes to plans. While following the other side, an immediately experienced story is revealed as an ageless and legendary mystery. The mind is, thus, a tangible entity within an infinitive reality. The consciousness in-between leaps to the heaven and falls to the earth; the unconsciousness languishes in the underworld, and the superconscious soars into the ethereal world. Fatherless spiritual light is too magnificent to hold, with cosmic wind spinning with countless corruptive seeds. Abysmal deep valley darkness is too frightened as it courses its deathless journey, an endless trickling stream flowing into the bottomless sea. Lost in a maze, the mind’s eye searches alone. Still in an able body, but with sickened mind, hungry eyes and mournful voice, it - 235 -
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retreats from the past only to return again to a meaningless life. We march forward on our hopeless journey to face the non-existing reality of death. What can the mind do, what is it capable of becoming? This unchanging reality beyond the anticipation of mind is the nature of the Tao, the birth of universe, and the valley-spirit of Great Mother. Lao Tzu has characterized that valley-spirit is deathless; it is called the mystical female. The gateway of the mystical female is called the root of heaven and earth. Hovering, it seems everpresent. Put to use, it is never exhausted.
Visioning Immortality The nature of unchanging before the Oneness with no birth/death is the longevity of Nature and the immortality of the Tao. To define this more clearly, longevity deals with form, both transforming and deforming. It exists between birth and death, growth and retirement, moving forward and turning back. Immortality reveals the presence of everlasting eternity. Lao Tzu realized that what makes heaven and earth eternal and long lasting is that they do not give birth to themselves. It is this that makes them eternal and long lasting. He further explains that reaching the ultimate emptiness, concentrating on the central stillness, all things work together. From this I observe returning. All things under heaven flourish in their vitality, yet each returns to its own root. This is stillness. Stillness means returning to its destiny. Returning to its destiny is steadfastness. To know steadfastness means enlightenment. Not to know steadfastness is to act forcefully. Acting forcefully brings disaster. Knowing the steadfast implies acceptance. Acceptance is impartial. Impartial is regal. Regal is heaven. Heaven is Tao. Tao is beyond danger even when the body perishes. In this chapter, Lao Tzu is examining the Tao through mindful observation by returning to the total stillness of that rooted destiny. He finds that destiny moves along its steadfast course without being troubled by the mind; that is the realization of being enlightened. Knowing this is the mind’s acceptance of being with the impartiality of the kingdom of heaven. This impartiality is being with the body of the Tao, a process of returning, a backward movement towards its procreated state, no-being and nothingness. Our mind never questions another sunrise after saying goodbye to the sun- 236 -
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set, but it dreams of a wishful returning. Yet, the mind doesn’t need to be regarded as being balanced as you would a checkbook, a time recorder. Body/mind’s rhythm has the capacity to handle the necessary business of life just like the motion of the sun and the waning and waxing of the moon. Time takes care of itself. There is no need to remember everything and there is no need to hold onto everything. That is the child of the Tao: the renewal of change. The sun, moon and earth are more conscious of their actions and activities than anything we could ever impose upon them. This is the process of acceptance; this is the ability of staying with the steadfastness; this is the regal mind, the body of the Tao.
Moving along the Living Reality
Nature of Changing All that we experience is change. From the conscious marriage between our parents to the formation of our independent individual life process; from the flash of an idea to its concentrated form of thought; from that internalized thought to the expressive activity; from a programmed activity to an extended wish beyond the final productivity; they are all the evolutionary process of involuntary changing. Nature never acts, since it is always the same; Nature never stops acting because it never remains the same within its changing form. Lao Tzu continues by saying that: Gusty winds do not last all morning, cloudbursts do not last all day. What makes this so? Heaven and earth will not last forever, how could a human being last! On the surface and linguistic levels, the sentence “Heaven and earth will not last forever” appears contradictory with the sentence “Heaven is eternal, earth is long lasting.” The love imbued in human nature is different than specific loves guided by emotional, mental and conscious desires. This illustrates the difference between the pure presence of spirit (shen) and its ever-flowing momentary conscious activity. It also clarifies the difference between faith and belief. That which is present is long lasting. That which is beyond mental calculation and ego anticipation is the all-pervading Love. That which is beyond rational evaluation and experiential judg- 237 -
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ment is the faith that goes beyond the depth of life testament. Faith is individual/universal while belief is personal/cultural. A scientist will follow the guideline of a scientific belief system. At a Jewish funeral ceremony, their customs and rituals are followed. Upon entering a Buddhist temple, you observe the rules being followed within the temple. But transpersonally and cross-culturally, the scientists, the Jewish people, and the Buddhists have the unspoken trust within, individually and universally. This trust within is called “faith,” which is unconditional, collective and universal. A belief is a set of experiential habits, rationalized rules and mentally programmed systems within a cultural milieu, while faith is more subtle, deeper and much more pervasive and inclusive. It envelops the Love and the eternity of Nature. Eternal faith never dies whereas experiential belief must die. Only after each timed and experienced belief dies and transforms can the mind return to its child-like state, awake from sleep, be humble and ready to face whatever may come. But one thing remains constant: all the living reality becomes a cosmic reality, but each must exist, die and move on. Glory or failure, gain or loss, are nothing but constant change. Take it easy, relax and let it go. In the meantime, each movement is an enlightened journey. If the mind is not present and the body is not ready, repetition and continuation must take place until the mind is free, the body is ready to sleep. This is the glory of living reality and the grace of enlightening reality. Live fully, die completely. Then move on without looking back just as though nothing has happened. This is the true paradox of Lao Tzu’s teaching. To practice this requires purity, innocence, and humility. This must be the right expression, right understanding and right attitude.
To Suffuse Oneself with Presence How to suffuse one’s mental content with presence is the major issue of cultivation, or the application of wu wei, inactive action, non-minded action. To know what is sufficient is to be rich. Or knowing what is sufficient averts disgrace. Knowing when to stop averts danger. This can lead to a longer life. To suffuse one’s mental content with presence is to allow fully the presence of spirit engaging with the constant, moment by moment unification of both biophysiological action and psycho-spiritual behavior. A total - 238 -
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mental awareness is needed with no inquiry into the meaning and result of each activity. No hypothesis is necessary prior to the activity, no desirable control is exerted toward the outcome of the activity. To love and to be loved is the effective practice of being fully present. When the reality of presence is absent or blocked an energy imbalance and deficiency is created. The mind manifests with wishes and longings for the loss of the connected loving presence. If the disconnection continues to exist, hope is lost, depression darkens the mind, suicidal desire or action is provoked as the richness of life dwindles away. It is like a beautiful flower withering away. This is what Lao Tzu called extreme fondness is necessarily very costly. Yet, the fondness is a feedback resulting from the energetic quality of either light or darkness. To be fond of the spiritual path will sacrifice the physical life but free the self, while to be fond of the dark force depletes all, pleases only the hellish world. Instead of being fully engaged with the presence the mind begins to close off its environment as the ego advances. This is the nature of animated egoistic activity in its fear of losing the connection. The ego augments further pressure to the biophysiological action. Through this process, the psycho-spiritual enrichment of living, of “being with the presence,” descends into ego obsessive control. The richness of life is replaced with the desire of becoming materially rich. Through obsession the ego attains satisfaction; through possession the mind avoids being lost in the reality of nature. The transcendent nature of reality becomes that of mental configuration, the knowledge the mind requires and the materials the mind possesses. Going with the flow is mystic and living with habitual configuration seems always lacking. The vision of heaven is distant, the mindset reality is too hellish. Living is meaningless; dying seems unsatisfactory. Lao Tzu has professed that the more you hang on to, the more you lose. This refers to actual objects to which the mind clings as well as the very act of clinging. Objects represent images and are the symbols of that clinging behavior. This is the drive that depletes the Chi or life force that channels the body/minded equilibrium.
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Reversing the Process of Entropy When people are born, they are soft and gentle. When they die, they are stiff and callous. When myriad things, grasses and trees, are born, they are soft and tender. When they die, they are withered. So stiffness and callousness are the company of death. Softness and suppleness are the company of life. No existing research in the field of gerontology can be found in the works of Lao Tzu, yet on the nature of gerontology, he achieved a complete understanding of the subject. Based upon the natural observation and epistemological investigation, he managed to survive the returning stage from growth back to childhood, going beyond the life process of birth and death. Because he could not find a place to die physically, he experienced that harmony is eternal. Tao is the harmony of yin and yang. For human beings the earliest “being of harmony” between heaven and earth is the eternal nature of that pure self, the unifying of yin and yang. Through the evolution of human growth and development the yin Chi, fundamental in our Great Mother, and the yang Chi descending from the Ethereal Father (God’s spirit) marry into the pure harmony. However, they lose the essential balance through their children: our original biological parents. Due to this we rarely get in touch with the true nature of eternal harmony. Rarely we experience the blissfulness of that harmonious beauty, with the possible exceptions of having biological sex, the embracing the two souls, or entering into the abysmal place where our Great Mother meets with the Ethereal Father. By its very nature, human sexual activity always advances forward to the point of no return. When two people are attracted the activity may begin with an embrace. This harmony unifies the two lost souls into the beginning of a new product: three—the combined self—child. Two things then transpire. One is, as Lao Tzu has described when things reach their climax, they are suddenly old. This is “Non-Tao.” “Non-Tao” dies young. As a result, the climax itself exhausts the life force and pushes physical life toward its “old” stage. The climax announces itself the prime of life growth and development. Through sexual practice, the life force is lost either into condoms or wombs—for people who do not practice Taoist sexual energy cultivation and conservation.
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Crown Jade Pillow C-7
T-11 Cauldron Sacrum Perineum Fig. 8.2 Sexual energy is drawn up the spine to the crown, refined in the Microcosmic Orbit, blended with positive organs’ Chi and stored in the Cauldron. Internal Achemy begins at the Cauldron.
Fig. 8.3 The Taoist Practices of Healing Love open the Way to experience the Greatest Freedom. Refined sexual energy is use for improved health and for spiritual alchemy in creating our spirit body. - 241 -
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The only gain is possibly the bodily experience stored within the memory, preparing to be replayed anytime the mind wishes to initiate a climax. Children are sometimes the byproducts of that experience. In addition to that, love becomes a loss; sexual life is a loss; having children is a loss. Living through married life is not conducive to finding the lost part of the pure self: the harmonious Oneness. The initially loving relationship has been transformed from the romantic stage of searching for the other Chi, the other side of Oneness, the very lost part of Oneness. It is initiated into a commitment to maintain the relationship and accepting the responsibility of raising the children and keeping the self-promise alive. Only a few married couples are true soul mates. When it is obvious that the relationship cannot lead to eternal satisfaction, when it cannot be granted by social recognition, the marriage can be dissolved. Though the searching is continuous and endless searching, the lost self can never be retrieved. People then blame love as the scapegoat even as they continue the futile search. They blame their spouses and their children. The search for the lost part of Oneness is curdled into hatred, and the initial passion for reunion of the two takes a turn toward revenge. They are looking in the wrong place.
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Reconnecting the Source of Longevity The source for longevity is within the body, not as a physical womb but a spiritual one. Taoists call this spiritual womb. the “cauldron.” The right method to “cook the cauldron” is not to search outwardly for love from others, but to search within the naked and abandoned self. It is the method of going back to the state in which we are all orphans, in the very depth of our body/minds. It is here our Great Mother became a widow after giving birth to both of us, male from our Ethereal Father and female from Herself. The spirit and breath belong to the Ethereal Father and the body and blood belong to our Great Mother. When we are able to preserve the beauty and attraction of our Great Mother, we preserve one-half of that Oneness by embracing the other half that is already within us. When we reach that place, we acknowledge the prime virtue of our Great Mother, recognize Her innate loneliness, respect Her single-minded devotion, and reconcile the numb feeling of Her blood-sucking action. This is the real application of donning the spirit and soul, and drawing them into Oneness. The spirit is the very seed of that lost half, and the soul is the very essence of our biological self. Spirit is yang and soul is yin. When they are embraced, Oneness is preserved. We are the children of our great Mother and the Ethereal Father, and since we are the sons of God, His yang Chi is instilled within our body/mind. Knowing harmony is discernment. Enhancing life is equanimity. Generating vitality through mind is strength. Life is enhanced through universal vitality, the will of searching for the lost part of self is strengthened; and the act of discernment is eternalized. This is the most authentic harmony that one can achieve. This is the true meaning of returning, and the most practical application of unifying the two into Oneness. To act with determination is to have will. Not to lose one’s substance is to endure. In the matter of cultivation and transformation there is neither gender nor biological difference. We are all the children of our parents; we are all the sons of God. The two separated parts of the pure self, the co-existence of harmonious Oneness, are the widow and the orphan. The widow is the essence of earthly yin, and the orphan is the descended and transformed heavenly yang seed. This has been detailed in the fifteenth hexagram of I Ching, Modesty (Chian). In this hexagram the youngest son of the Creator, the representative of heaven on earth, retreats to the mountain. He drinks the heaven’s tear—the - 243 -
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rain and spring water in the mountain—the basic substances of life. It is here that the orphan—the son—meets his mother—the widow—who is the mountain spirit. This is why the hexagram is defined as the handle of the Kind Action, the reverer of light, and the ruling of manner.
Fig. 8.4 15th Hexagram (Modesty)
Lao Tzu’s description of this hexagram is when you know the son, turn back to preserve the mother. Although the body dies, there is no harm. Closing your mouth and shutting the door, there would be no wearing down of life. Opening the mouth and pursuing affairs, life cannot be saved. Seeing what is small is discernment. Preserving subtleness is strength. Using the light enables one to return to discernment. Without losing the center of the body is called penetrating the eternal. When the widow and the orphan are embraced, the son knows the relationship between male of spirit and female of flesh as the most intimate love relationship of brotherhood and sisterhood. Harmony is then acknowledged and united, unified and embraced, reserved and preserved. They can be as close as they wish, and they can be as distant as they need to be. They are the One, the Oneness, the complete harmonized pure self. The relationship within and in between is then expanded, no longer restrained by the role-playing. The relationship is extended, no longer the small world of caged frozen selves. The relationship is transformed; self and image are no longer separately defined. Children are the world of Love. All the people are brothers and sisters. Love is both the image of inner vision and the passion extending to the depth and the remoteness of the universe. Compassion is both the need of inhalation and the action of exhalation. Bliss is the penetration and blossom from within. Kindness is giving and receiving. Desire is no longer stressful, wisdom is no longer staged. The renewal and refreshment in relationships is harmoniously granted. The ego is lost into unconditional Love and conditional awareness. The mind is expanded into universal understanding. Action itself is the expression of life’s journey.
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Longevity to Immortality Walking through the Death We all die just as we are dying at this moment. Our parents’ wish has died into our life and our wish will die, or has already died into endless future generations. This dying wish is the specific act of love. We are constructed with the form given us (physical, mental and spiritual) and the formless form we have within. Form is composed of everything about our individual being, from hair to nails. Formless form is the collective seed (sperm and egg) granted by our Great Mother. Form must die, but formless form never dies. It is the very nature of energy transformation. At a subliminal level, matter and energy are inseparable. They are two of the One and One of the two. It is form because of its innate completion and perfection; it is not form because of its changing and transforming quality. The fire never extinguishes itself, and each fire’s glow must be extinguished. The water is never dried up, yet each water molecule evaporates. We are going to die, yet we will never die. Who dies? It is the dying transformation of body/minded form. The body must die and mind must die. For those who are good at preserving their lives—Walking through, not avoiding rhinos and tigers, entering battle without wearing armaments—the rhino has no place to dig its horns. The tiger has no place to drag its claws. The soldier has no place to thrust his blade. Why is this so? Because they have no place to die. Living between birth and death is subject to the control of soul (mind) and flesh, between ten and three. Living beyond the cyclical formation of death is the integration of ten and three, making the completion complete and trinity return. The completion of the son of God and the maker of His trinity become one again, the true spirit.
Open to Longevity There are two kinds of longevity: biophysiological and psycho-spiritual. The Confucian family spanned five hundred generations according to the existing genealogy, with members scattered all over the world. Psychospiritual longevity is the ideal formation of psycho- 245 -
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spiritual creations, inventions and discoveries. Human beings, individually and collectively, are possessed of longevity and immortality. Our form is always that of a human body and a mind with wishes and dreams. Our form is never the same one lifetime to the next. It changes and we are all different yet existing within the Sameness of that change. We die individually time after time according to the longevity of that Sameness. Anyone desiring to achieve longevity must live through their longevity. If someone is searching for immortality, they must live through the mortality of their longevity. No one but yourself can understand your willful determination; no other person could answer to your personal destination. Do not reply with yes or no to any circumstance, simply live through all that comes. “Yes” is the structure and body of the Tao while “no” is the meaning and functioning of the Tao. The structure and body of the Tao is the longevity of the Tao in our being, and the meaning and functioning of the Tao is the immortality of the Tao without our being. Longevity lives formlessly within each form; immortality exists beyond any meaning generated by mind. When each form lives fully there is no form held back; there is only the formless transformation. The mind seeking its own meaning becomes meaningless itself. This is the living Tao with form through formless form. This is the functioning Tao with meaning above the meaningless. Is that Tao really formless or meaningless?!
Lasering into Immortality To die consciously and willfully is to have lived through the conscious awareness of hun or to be discharged from the morbid obsession of po. Otherwise, the mental configuration of death and dying is like the blowing of wind, the changing of temperature, the movement of sunlight, or the flowing of consciousness. During the last exhalation, if hun’s mortal conscious awareness stays with po, it will merge into the earthly energy pattern of a ghost. It will pass through the gateway of mouth, nose or even ears, regardless of its being good or evil. This energy pattern will never associate itself with the third eye or crown point. If it is good, it is a wandering ghost; if it is evil, it is a hungry ghost. The mortal conscious awareness of hun discharges itself from po by returning to its original format of shen. By embracing the - 246 -
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light, this individual spirit crystallizes itself into golden elixir or spiritual being, like an intensified and condensed beam of laser light. Among living individuals, the high spiritual masters, whether religious or shamanistic, have the capacity of a laser light. They emit the bursts of light energy as a form of selfless love, pure heart, total awareness and passionate action. The beam of crystallized or concentrated pure light within those masters is comparable to a beam of condensed or intensified pure light produced within a laser machine. Many people have no consciousness of death in our human history regardless of any specific religious belief. “God loves me” is not a hallucinatory mental formation or grandiose conscious wish. When love is purified selflessly and completely, it is the pure self and pure love of God-self within. The spiritual body is light and spiritual motion is love; its body is formless and its action is deathless. This is what is meant by Lao Tzu’s statement that: To die, but not be forgotten, is to be immortal. Death is nothing other than a morbid and consciously fixed memory; death itself is a pure form of fear, an inability to release that habitual obsession. The mind thinks, the ego controls, the final deed is done. To be immortal is not a form of desensitizing, but rather a pure sense beyond the physical and mental. It is a sense of both conclusion/inclusion and integration/embracement leaving nothing pushed aside or left behind. There is blissful satisfaction within and no fear of being alone. Wishes are no longer needed and dreams are infantile memories. There is no sense of who is dead and who is alive; no awareness of living and dying. Soaring from life is not a sadness—one has passed through the forgiveness of heart and the attachment of mind. Consciousness becomes a mirror and ego is nothing other than an old habit. This is lasering with pure light, being with pure light, returning to the complete self and God’s Love. This is the application of being immortal and entering immortality. Lao Tzu calls this the Tao of having a deep root, a strong stem, a long life and an enduring vision. Root is the source and stem is the form; life is the act and vision is the light.
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Your Choice Matters Whether you want to stick with mortality or be with immortality is entirely your own choice. The Heavenly Father gives you the light, heart and consciousness. The Earthly Mother gives you your body, kidneys and instincts. You are embraced by light. Freedom of choice is given to your heart, the freedom of action granted to your mind, and the freedom to channel the energy is there for the taking. If you follow your mental attributes, you will chase after ideas, rise and fall with your emotions, protect your beliefs, and sleep fitfully with nightmares. Let the light shine through you to live with compassion, be uncontrolled by the primary matters of sexual conquest as well as the secondary matters related to ideal connections. If you can bear to dwell with your sleepless inner mate, remain untroubled by your mind’s unbearable loneliness and desirous longing, then you can live with inner peace. You can know with pure awareness, enjoy working with the changing character of nature, and be happy with your sacred relationship. Lao Tzu emphasizes that: The person who works according to Tao unites with Tao. He adds simply: Only those who are not slaves to life are wise to the value of life.
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Chapter IX Faithfulness
Longevity is the foundation of Taoist tradition, while immortality serves as the utility. The foundation is a vessel in which to facilitate the harmonious existence of spirit in the body/mind. The utility is the process of inner connection, inner understanding and inner transformation being built upon the foundation. The process of building and maintaining the most useable foundation exists mutually with the process of cultivating and crystallizing the Tao of harmony (water and fire). Water stands for the earthly substance, and fire is the cosmic substance. They are beautifully expressed by the two hexagrams in I Ching, number 34 and number 63. In the 34th hexagram, the thunder shakes above the heavens, indicating penetrating power arising from its own creative wisdom. The name of this hexagram is Dazhuang (Ta Chuang) or Super Great, with “da” meaning “big” or “large,” and zhuang expressing “great” or “magnificent.” Linguistically, the character zhuang is composed with two strokes, the chopped bamboo branches “pan” and soldier “shi.” Pan is used for measurement, and shi represents the strength. The character shi consists of ten and one, representing the completion of affairs. “Zhuang” indicates that a man should have attained by his thirtieth year an established goal, a constructed family, characterized strength and wisdom.
Fig. 9.1 34th Hexagram (Power of the Great)
This hexagram is the combination of holy father and holy son. Father represents the spiritual order, the creative discipline and the sacred mechanism. Son represents the power, youth, strength and passion. The introductory explanation is: “During the ancient - 249 -
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time the ancestors slept in caves and lived in the wilderness. The sages later elevated these conditions to palaces and houses. They were constructed with a ridgepole above the ceiling, to allow the wind and rain to be blown from the eaves and not into the house. They called this Dazhuang.” The symbolic meaning is that the sage does not walk the way that is incongruent with established orders. The orders are the guiding principles necessary to accumulate Te. Houses and palaces represent the vessels for the existence of the physical body, family, and for the nation as well. Churches and temples are the vessels for the existence of ethereal body, soul and spirit alike. Law and justice, as represented in number 43, are the building blocks for a harmonious social life where each individual body can find its safety in society. Rules and disciplines, however, represent the vessels or cauldrons used to establish a foundation for the enrichment of the spiritual life. They are the safeguards for the inner conscious activities. Without the house, family has no place to stay; without temple, spirit has no room to dwell. Without laws, society is in chaos; without discipline, spiritual life is aimless. Meanwhile, however, how to liberate oneself from all the establishments and habits is the true meaning of spiritual liberation. This is accomplished with both Liberation (Ge) of 49th hexagram and “self-purification,” which is Splitting (Bo) of 23rd hexagram. Revolution allows new vitality to flourish in society. Through self-purification, life is transformed. Therefore, the need to overcome oneself becomes the greatest challenge. Laziness, indulgence, pride, fixation, lack of discipline and self-control, agitation, anxiety, fear and all the external projections are the trials encountered along the path. Any improper indication or implication can hinder the progress of the path. These roadblocks are spiritual mirrors. By constantly observing these signs, one begins to see oneself clearly. God becomes the focus of the eyes, leaving self behind. Each and every action leads inevitably to its final destination as the external speech becomes an inner discipline, and as the external action becomes an inner reflection. That is faith being practiced within and without.
Fig. 9.2 49th Hexagram (Revolution) - 250 -
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Fig. 9.3 23rd Hexagram (Splitting)
Two substances, water and fire are required to build such faith. In this life, we are constructed with water and charged by fire. We all possess these two basic substances that, when managed harmoniously, allow one to live a happy family life and fully enjoy the spiritual life. The partner and the soul mate are there. Self and love are there. God and Goddess are there. This is perfectly illustrated by the hexagram number 63, Completed (Jiji) (Ji Chi). The first character “ji” stands for “finishing the meal.” It can be interpreted from the characteristic construction as “wolfing down the rice with spoon.” The left side of the stroke is constructed with “white” and “spoon,” indicating “rice” or “millet.” The right stroke means “wolf down.” The second “ji” means “enhancement” or “succeed.” It is composed with a water stroke on the left and “organized” or “orderly” stroke on the right side. It is initially a river name. Thus, the term of this hexagram can be interpreted as “wolfing down one’s success” or “finishing the order.”
Fig. 9.4 63rd Hexagram (Completed)
There is a striking difference between the common usage and inner alchemical practice in dealing with this hexagram. The common usage is to finish up oneself or exhaust oneself. The top line of the hexagram expresses “Head is in the water. Danger.” Of course, a person with his head in the water is danger in drowning, but this could be applied to other dangerous situations as well. In inner alchemical practice, this hexagram is an ideal unification. Within the hexagram are two water trigrams and two fire trigrams (Each hexagram in I Ching can be further divided into four trigrams from the bottom line to the top line, representing the images of the four worlds within). The two combined sets of trigrams represent the Inner Love Dancing and the Cosmic Bath. With the Inner Love - 251 -
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Dancing, masculinity and femininity are eternally unified, dancing together forever. In Cosmic Bath, the “orphan” and the “widow” are embracing. Holy seed and cosmos are united. As the double marriages are completed, spirit returns. Understanding is the key to achieving this state. Faith is the means. Understanding is a necessity for the speech, and faith is required for the inner trust. This will be revealed in this final chapter.
Initiative Engagement of Faithfulness: Speech Nature of Speech Originally the need and desire for communication began with the voicing of our inner vibrant state of energetic circulation, expressing our inborn and intuitive sense with a wordless uttering sound: Tao. It is a form of revealing the true state of connectedness between self and no-self. The self has no need to be revealed, disclosed and displayed whereas the no-self seeks desperately to be spoken, expressed, and understood. It is analogous to an eruption of earth’s stomach—volcano—while her peacefully standing mountains are connected to her inner stillness. The true mind has no need to communicate, but the minding mind never ceases communicating; the true mind is the pure and crystal clear sky, the minding mind is the moving clouds and stormy weather. The true mind is the pure consciousness of mind where there is no need to be conscious of itself. The minding mind is the symbolic interpretation and linguistic understanding of that mind, it is unceasingly conscious of itself and never reaches the state of complete-pureconsciousness. Thus, the human’s intrinsic urge to speak is “weathered” by the minding mind resembling the nature of speech, composed by the usefulness of speech, and emerging as the communicable human and communicative mind. We began with the wordless sound Tao in the first chapter, and we must now speak conclusively about its characteristic manifestation called speech and the voice produced. Voicing is the body/ mind’s first natural, habitual and instinctive action. It is also the primary speech before creative or intellectual participation. This pure, honest, humble and innocent voice is the “sound of Tao,” simply opening the mouth and voicing through. This initial voice
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develops into the “symbolic structure of Tao.” It is a combined character with two sub-characters of head and foot. Head manifests the speech from conscious thinking to outward expression, which is characteristic of voice as well as handwriting. Feet walk and dance, walking for pursuing and dancing for healing. Voicing and dancing are harmoniously circulated through the body/mind as and over an active inaction, while walking and writing carry the body/ mind into active engagement. It also signifies that the head initiates and directs the bodily action carried by the feet. To ask the meaning of this voice is to ask the meanings of sounds of thunder, earthquakes, rain, bird-song, or any natural vibrations that come through natural phenomena. We hear them and know them. There is no need to understand or interpret. Understanding is engagement and interpreting is disengaging from that which has already been engaged. To interpret such is like weaving with bodily dizziness, acting with mental fuzziness, and smiling behind the intellectual cunning. Our feet normally respond to whatever the mind orders; they are responsible for maintaining groundedness while providing security and transportation for mental actions and physical activities. One head and two feet are the trinity or triangular diamond of body/ mind between heaven and earth. One head and two hands are the trinity or triangular diamond of body/mind that manipulates the mechanism of heaven and earth. The head’s action is an actionless action that acts without engaging, moves without marching, talks without walking. It is the weightless clouds and colorless spirit that execute this actionless action. The action of feet is an active engagement; it engages without knowing, marches without direction and walks without stopping. It is the intellectual mind and biological body engaged in action. When paying a visit to a friend, it is the mind making the visit. The mind drives the body to its destination as the body transports the mind for the engagement. When performing the act of physical love it is not the body that creates the excitement but the mind pushing the body/mind into climax. When someone thinks to murder, the hands don’t understand what the killing action means. This action is the configuration of mind. When one head and two feet act harmoniously, the feet do not work independently. They are the One since they must work together, and neither completes an action by itself. The quality of this trinity or triangular diamond is that it leaves no space for projected - 253 -
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or specified activities, such as mental creativity, conscious manipulation, personality configuration, and emotional expression. Nor does it separate the body from the mind by dividing the total harmonious energy circulation into small, stagnated or dynamic pieces. Yet, through our civilization process, especially industrial evolution, the coordination of harmonious action between head and feet is diminished by the mechanism of wheels. Wagons and cars replace what feet can do and reflect a mechanical manipulation of life and a mental control of life. Feet are used as pedals to control the wheels, and hands are extended into manipulation of machines and innumerable products in the world. It is not dangerous itself, but soon becomes self-destructive. There is no real danger other than the fear of physical death. Death is itself not dangerous, but acting dangerously is injurious to the body/mind. Better to say “mind,” since the body doesn’t understand the meaning of danger.
Character of Speech In itself, speech is only a partial body/minded action and an expression of the active state of mind. It is both self-explanatory and a self-doubting, self-promising and self-disguised, a self-belief and a self-disbelief, and a self-trust and self-mistrust. There are four characteristics in speech: 1. Lao Tzu states that: Those who know, do not say. Those who say, do not know. If someone truly and absolutely knows, what purpose does it serve to talk about it? Communication is, in a sense, an attempt to clarify mentally. Speech itself serves as a vehicle moving back and forth between knowing and not-knowing. The speech expresses what one already knows, explains what one wants to know, requests what one seeks from self and others, and defends the habitual position of merely knowing. 2. Speech is a self-promise, a way for encouraging oneself, being continuously engaged with oneself, and building total trust within the self. The twofold purpose of the speech is: 1) to establish a relationship and build a mutual trust; 2) to cling to fixated habits ensuring addictive connectiveness and grasping firmly the attachment to body/mind. The order of business in making a promise is to ensure engagement, to commit to the process, and to - 254 -
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bind to the result of what has been planned. The virtue of promise must be realized as a promise to only oneself but has no bearing on the change and final outcome. The nature of this process is so replete with change and complexities that it can render the individual self powerless and helpless. To control the changes and foresee the outcome is inconceivable. On the social scale the practice of promising is within the realm of possibility only in a situation where one has absolute control. Promise is a sacrifice, especially when one is unsure of oneself or when two parties are involved. Life is not a promise; there is no need to relegate its richness into a programmed self-promise. In its depth, promise deals with self-insecurity; it is a powerful form of ego protection and fear suppression. The more insecure one feels, the deeper the fear one encounters. When promise is made easily and frequently one continues to make more promises. The other element existing in the depth of promise lies within the need and demand. At this level, promise is a bargaining process regardless of its purpose, whether material gain, emotional satisfaction or spiritual connection. Much of the trust is done through hand-shaking, not word-processing. Addressing this, Lao Tzu explains natural speech consists of few words and speaking with good trust. The action of promise carries the meaning of Lao Tzu’s characterization: Beautiful words can advertise well. 3. Speech is an expression of the belief system of the mind, individual and collective, personal and cultural. It is a premise or a statement to which the mind adheres. It is a technique of binding and rejecting. Individual identity, group dynamics and social construction are all based upon the effective and powerful use of speech. In this manner the individuality, singularity and personality suffuse in the content of social group and cultural environment. 4. Speech is a way of revealing inner trust clarifying and confirming the ability and capacity of trustworthy relationships between the inner self and self appraisal or between self and others. Based on this inner trust, phrases or sayings such as the Power or the Message or the Voice of God are universally accepted and understood. Before the power, the message and the voice of God, there is nothing to fear; not even death itself. This highlights the authentic meaning of speech, the trustworthiness, and the deepest inner trust within the Self. - 255 -
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Quality of Speech Upon accepting the limits of speech, we must then appreciate the values of speech. It is the primary signature of human action as well as the exclusive conclusion of that action. From this we know that speech can save or destroy the lives of self and others. Being careless loses the foundation. Being restless loses mastery. Foundation is the existence of body; mastery is the tranquility of mind. A good speaker is without flaw. Firstly, one knows oneself very well; therefore, the source of his speech is authentic and original. Secondly, the intention is nothing other than innocent self-display. There can be no motivation within the speech other than that honest heartfelt vibration. Thirdly, the purpose of speech is clear and complete within the speech itself; there is no further need for clarification and supplementation. The sage wants to elevate the people, his speech is down to earth. Also one who is good at leading people acts humbly. Any experienced individual understands the result of over indulgence and is aware of the consequence of excessively informing: being overly informed leads to exhaustion, better to be centered. Information is similar to energy molecules. Each time specific information is exchanged there is energy transmission, whether mental, emotional or mechanical. Also, to inform is to teach and to cultivate. There are countless elements that shape the meaning and quality of propagation of information, colored by the inner conflict of the informant. It is not an easy task to accurately pass information from one to another. It remains a challenging and meaningful process to be accessed between individuals and from one generation to the next. If there is no gap in the space between speaker and listener, the information is tangible, sentient, attractive or trustworthy. There is no identity crisis between teaching and learning, and there is no blockage between supply and demand. They are the One. No one is unqualified, no one is egoistic, no individual is counted as better or worse. One supplies the demands of the other. There is no rigid identity between one called “teacher” or “master” and the other named “student” or “disciple.” The teacher is rewarded by teaching and the student is informed through learning since they arise from the same source with different names. The older generation passes down and is left with nothing; the recipients receive every- 256 -
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thing but have nothing. No specific generation is valued once it has outlived its usefulness. The basic knowledge has been passed on in a similar fashion by all races and has been basically the same in the activities of eating, sleeping, courtship and worship. Another example worth considering is air-breathing. Air is like information, the energy and life force. We all breathe the same existing air everywhere on this planet. With breath, inhalation is the child, the student, the demander and the life itself. Exhalation is the parent, the master, the supplier and the death. We are made aware of the rhythm between breathing and thinking as similar during speaking. Individually, as we inhale we think, followed by a brief breaking point. We speak immediately with the exhalation after that breaking point. When speaking is done in a group environment, a pause is normally met with silence from the audience for a matter of seconds to minutes. During this brief period, the speaker not only inhales the air but the vibration from the audience as well. This is an inner communication in progress. At this level the message of speech is no longer one of language. It is pure energy vibration and circulation. When the audience is receptive, each pause is responded to with applause and verbal exclamations. One single speaker can inhale all the stimulus-response from the audience. That is the quality and power of speech!
Speechless Action When we solve the problem of the central network of the speech organ-brain—we can then return to the energy center of stomach. When we were living in our mother’s womb, we were more than just an image in her head. When the sage produces a self-fertilized gamete, based upon the principle of universal construction and the story of human history, he reaches the state of immortality: devoid of the desire for sex, food, and sleep. The son (seed) he produces is within his body but without a body. It has no root but is deeply rooted. When the sage achieves this goal he is no longer an earthly creature; he is transposed into a different kind of species in the universe. He has reached the final stage of what Lao Tzu described as immortality. During this stage, the sage inhales in the world and smiles like a child for the world. He realizes two things: one is the Tao of heaven is good at responding without speaking and appearing without - 257 -
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being asked; the other one is wordless teaching and the riches of non-action are matched by very little in the world. In reference to the child-like smile, it is the most authentic expression of love and being in love. This kind of smile is: vibrating but not tingling, bright but not dazzling, innocent without wrongdoing, humble without the need of acknowledging itself as knowing-how, vulnerable without the desire to be rescued. This smile indicates: happy but not overly excited, joyful with full self-control, recognizing with no preference, communicating without cunning, understanding without prejudice, and respecting each other without self appraisal. This smile has no pre-cognition, no defensive mechanism, no fearful protection and no intellectual wisdom. Yet, it is this smile that expresses pleasure for the food, communication, protection and growth. This smile is so powerful that a mother would die for it; it is so pure that any evil-minded adult must necessarily reflect upon the true nature of inner-child. Who could possibly turn away from that innocent and radiant smile? This is the quality of pure Love, the manifest of passionate loving, the expression of kindness, and the ultimate communication with no further need. This child-like smile also conveys the meaning of a wordless teaching which addresses two functions: real teaching with no prerequisite nor limitation of language. The first one is love of light and for life. It is always there when you are unaware of it, but when you mindfully seek to investigate it in any manner, it is not there nor has it ever been. The second function is the indication and conclusion of the limitation of language. There is never enough of it; it can stimulate a state of completion. Anyone who is not obsessed with the “mental structures,” who cannot be totally gratified by the language imprinted in the mind, knows that it is simply a tool to communicate feelings and sensations between the body and mind, a vehicle to transport the flashes and patches of mentality.
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Trustworthiness
Establishing a Trusting Environment In Chinese language the character xing is both trust and faith, constructed with one stroke for “person” and the other stroke for “speak.” Its literal meaning is “one who speaks” or “the person who speaks.” From within, the person reveals their natural truthfulness without the mechanical nature of that mental confirmation. One speaks from body/minded heart. It is not a description of value and worthiness of self as an individual; it is a recognition of the state and stage presently existing. It is not a prescription of self-bounded purposeful action; it is an indication of existing in nowhere. It is not a wish of what the mind anticipates; it is a state of being lost in human vulnerability. It is not a call for help as the ego might wish; it is a presentation of man’s ideal mental and communal existence. To live in this way will generate a true fellowship of trust. Others listen not only to the vibration of voice but also the circulation of the heartbeat from either side. What others integrate is not merely the intellectual understanding of words, ideas or beliefs. There is an awareness of the openness of heart and the honesty of mind carrying both knowing and respect, both energetic communication and inner connection. The audience is the listener, part of the existing environment, fellow countrymen with the right to listen and the privilege of being a partner to a mutually shared value.
Mechanism of Trust In addressing the mechanism of trust, Lao Tzu states that: Trustworthy words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not trustworthy. True words seem paradoxical. This is because the knower does not know everything; the know-it-all knows nothing. And kindness is not over-indulgent; over-indulgence is not kind. The first statement refers to openness toward knowledge. The second accentuates the beauty of kindness. Knowledge is a virtue. There is no need to display it. If someone regards knowledge for what it is, as imperfect as the self, then that person has accepted and applied it. This is a true knower of not knowing any more than what was - 259 -
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already known. The know-it-all, however, is one who hungers again and again with no memory of what has been eaten and digested throughout the present lifetime. Kindness ceases to exist beyond what the kind can do; is never in denial about what the kind has already defined. Kindness is beauty that emanates with honest loving, benevolent caring, readily accepting and willingly given. It is there for inactive acting. There is a mutual preparedness, neutral respect and selfless responsibility to be applied to the harmony of action. In regard to inactive acting, each expects nothing in return, loses nothing, and gains nothing. There is no judgment call on its connection within or without. The Tao of heaven benefits and does not harm. The Tao of humankind exists and does not compete. While using it, as soon as he exists for others, he has more. As soon as he gives to others, he has more. This is all the revelation of universal kindness.
Way of Trustworthiness On the surface most people do not appear to be trustworthy. Their trust is anxious and fearful, based on their desirable wish or eventful engagement. This is unlike the trust established between two people who are confident that they know each other very well. It is feasible that, even if their situation is soured, no damage is done to their relationship. However, to establish trust within and to build a trustworthy relationship are two separate entities. Although it takes time, effort and a suitable environment to build a trustworthy relationship, the demands and requirements for self-trust within are much greater. Normally, people are unwilling to investigate the nature of self-trust. It requires a thorough knowing of the self, complete immersing in the nature of this self, objectively applying it and happily suffusing with the outcome. Self-examination must be objective and selfless. To be trustworthy is to place trust in oneself as well as others without preference or prejudice, thereby performing fully with that trust. He is trustworthy to those who are trustworthy. He is also trustworthy to those who are not trustworthy. It is the trust of Action itself. It is not necessary to trust others before trusting oneself, nor is it necessary to act for others in order to be trusted. The nature of trustworthy action is to be possessed of it, act upon it, and be worthy of the trust of Action.
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God of Our Spirit Faith is an act of total submission to and embracement of Oneness as it sways smoothly along the formation of presence, unbounded by the detransformation of yesterdays or tomorrows. Faith accepts that which is present and trusts whatever has been concealed; faith is happy with the conceivable and content with manageable; faith is fulfilled with whatever is achievable and well aware of the uncontrollable. Faith is essential but has no central kernel. Faith is omnipresent; sometimes observable but without a focal point. Faith is the gift clearing the path to what we can be, but not what we are incapable of being; it reveals what Love is, but not what is loveable; it expresses selfless devotion, but not self-sacrifice. Faith is the unfolding of all that we can release, but not at all what we receive. Faith is visible when the heart is open, yet invisible as the tears of the mourner are to the mourned. It nestles secretly inside your pillow, but remains beyond the capacity of imagination. It is as silent as “waveless” breathing, as bright as “wireless” lightning. You may harbor without doubt, but never find the slightest trace of it. It lies within the devoted heart and smile of Love. Rational mind cannot grasp it; intuitive mind has no need for it; intelligence cannot breakthrough to an understanding of it; stupidity cannot comprehend. The Mother cannot live apart from it; the Child has no need to search for it. God instills its bravery; the self experiences the sublime blissfulness within. Space cannot hold it; time cannot trace it. Matter cannot form without it; energy cannot flow without it. Faith nourishes our spirit, enlivens it with worship, and ultimately dies away with it.
Virtue of Faithfulness Faith generates trust, promotes the loving activity, assures kind action, ensures the meaning and quality of life, and elevates the life above and beyond its cyclical activation of birth and death. From the joint adventure on earth between the Progenitor’s penetrating - 261 -
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light and the Great Mother’s whirling magnetism to the genetic engineering of in vitro fertilization between sperm and egg, faith gains nothing, loses nothing, deviates from nothing, integrates nothing. Search for faith within belief becomes disputable. In the attempt to create faith within the church, we are left with self-imposed isolation. In constructing faith with words, the linguistic interpretation becomes the main attraction. When we connect faith with action, the result is purposeful rejection. When we express faith with love, sexual and asexual attraction abounds. When we defend faith by raising the sword, revenge is forthcoming. Gambling our faith against life is rewarded with an exhausted corpse. Visualizing faith conjures up a stained symbol. Making sense of faith brings up a consciously activated hallucination. Projecting faith with rationality constructs a self-defined delusion. It is this faceless faith that enables us to see our truth, to observe our action, to express our feeling, to share our love, to exchange our transcendental message, and to reveal our eternal nature. Faith can never be a beneficial commodity nor a valuable possession in the mind of our ego eyes. They see only to capitalize on it, to employ its service to their benefits. We have become so fixated with our quest for material gain that we fear to face God. There has always been a space reserved in our mind for God yet life is over for us. We selfishly and mercilessly exploit our environment, consuming dead organs and inanimate matter. Life has become the driving force of a pursued direction, a magnified pleasure, a sensational feeling, an imagined goal, and an illusive mind. Our habits and beliefs are concluded from the beginning to the end from one experiential moment to the next transitional moment in the continuum of the interval between birth and death. We view life in our world as a shining star moving along in one direction. We treat the meaning of life as following a projected goal with the conclusive solution that death becomes the only answer. We are dying, as we all must do. Why should we bother with a life already troubled with such a meaningless solution? How can it be so meaningless and void of matter as its empty form? We seize life greedily before casting it aside to visit its twin sibling: death. Death is equally as meaningful as life; it is life in and of itself.
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Beyond the Transformation of Life When we look beyond our sensational living presence, our minds will become subdued. Once we come to terms with the inevitability of death our minds will loosen its struggle. When we find out that belief is as powerful and useless as dismisbelief, our minds will stop clinging to long-held, firmly entrenched beliefs. In rejecting past misconceptions our minds can become childlike once again. It is the beginning of understanding that we cannot explain, nor is there any need to explain. When the minding mind is set aside, that very mind magically becomes faithful. Then God is faithful, the world is faithful, as we are faithful. The heart is always faithful because it connects with light, embraces both birth and death, and is faithful in itself. When faith is weak, there is distrust. Especially in the worth of speech. Results speak for themselves. Lao Tzu is very practical in his use of few words in his teaching. He declares that: My words are easy to understand and easy to apply. Yet no one in the world can understand them and no one can apply them. He may seem too demanding and concerned, yet with faithfulness he realizes that: Words have their origin, and events have their leader. Only because of prevailing ignorance I am not understood. The few who understand me, the more precious I am. So the sage wears shabby cloth, but holds a treasure within. The treasure within is the inner child, the pure self, the God-like self. Before the light of Love, what is the use of adornment? Before the truth of nakedness, what is the use of dirt and dust? Before the ever-present self, how can ragged clothing compete with its own shabbiness? Before the destruction and decomposition of the physical changing process, where can we hide? All active expression is borne from the corresponding energy consumption of life force within self. If you don’t know how to preserve yourself, you will succumb to exhaustion. Find something essential to do before your life is over. Recognize and hold close to the treasure within. Use acts of kindness to promote yourself. The Tao of heaven is impersonal. It enhances those who are kind. Those who are kind are the people who possess the Love within and preserve the Love without. When Love is embraced with selfness, it becomes the pure Self. Tao is alive within. When the
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Tao is preserved, and nothing else whatsoever, it is the power of Self. This is God’s power within. Without it, life is gratified and exhausted, or depressed and hungry. We gratify the ego’s animated pleasure only to exhaust our own life force. We are depressed because we cannot find love—true love—either from the beauty of physical attraction or from the flowing of mental examination. We are destined to remain hungry, seeking, as we do, attractive stimulus or sexual climax. This is the Tao of Love within and without. Those who are kind are those who have kind action and act kindly. When there is Love within, there is enough kindness, compassion, and generosity. Hunger is filled with the light of Love; thirst is replaced by the harmony of Tao—the sweet dew between heaven and earth; ego is transformed into the stillness of heart, the wisdom of mind, and the tranquility of spirit. Since the harmony of Tao is beyond creation and destruction, so the sweet dew is beyond life and death. It is the tears of heaven and earth, the self of male and female, the Love of Tao and the Action of kindness. Those who are kind are those who have faith within, without, and in between. The faith within is the power of Tao; the faith in between is the harmony between ourselves and our company (love or lover); the faith without is neither calculation and expectation nor worship and sacrifice. Calculation is the mechanism of ego; expectation is the wish of ego; worship is the disguised attraction of ego; and sacrifice is the threatened honor of ego. Love needs no calculation; Action needs no expectation; harmony needs no worship, and faith needs no sacrifice. Tao pervades, Te encompasses all, harmony is energized, and faith is suffused. This is the realization of Tao, the application of Action, the meditation of harmony, and the cultivation of faith. Through our long journey of coming and going between the wordless uttering sound Tao, the mind becomes motionless, the mouth speechless, the breath voiceless, life deathless. Silence sets in the body, stillness comforts the mind, and mystery captures the spirit. Again, useless, meaningless, waveless, ... before the voiced Tao of not Tao, along the actionless kind action, during heart expanding meditation, and after ceaseless, meaningless cultivation, all are encompassed by the faithful elevation.
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Fig. 9.5 Inner Alchemy of the Tao
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Appendix I Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching Translated by Edward Brennan and Tao Huang
Chapter 1 1. The Tao that is voiced is no longer that of eternal Tao. The name that has been written is no longer that of eternal name. 2. The nameless is the beginning of the cosmic universe. The named is the mother of the myriad creatures. 3. Being at peace, one can see into the subtle. Engaging with passion, one can see into the manifest. 4. They both arise from a common source but have different names. Both are called the mystery within the mystery. They are the door to all wonders.
Chapter 2 1. In the world, Everyone recognizes beauty as beauty, Since the ugly is also there. Everyone recognizes goodness as goodness, Since evil is also there. 2. Since Being and non-being give birth to each other, Difficulty and ease complete each other, Long and short measure each other, High and low overflow into each other, Voice and sound harmonize with each other, And before and after follow each other. 3. Therefore the sage Lives in actionless engagement, And preaches wordless doctrine. 4. The myriad creatures Act without beginning, Nourish without possessing, Accomplish without claiming credit. 5. It is accomplishment without claiming credit that makes the outcome self-sustaining.
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Chapter 3 1. Do not exalt intelligence and people will not compete; Do not value rare goods and people will not steal; Do not display for public view and people will not desire. 2. So the sage’s governing methods are: Emptying the mind, Vitalizing the stomach, Softening the will, Strengthening the character. 3. This always makes people not know and not desire. This always makes the knower dare not act. Therefore, nothing is beyond ruling.
Chapter 4 1. Tao functions in itself empty harmony. When used, it remains full. 2. For sure, this source is the very ancestor of the myriad things. 3. Blunting the sharp edges, Unravelling the tangles, Husbanding into the light, Being as ordinary as the dust. 4. Ah! Limpid, it seems to exist forever. 5. I do not know whose son it is, This whom is exceeding the Heavenly Emperor.
Chapter 5 1. Nature has no benevolence, It treats all things like strawdogs; The sage has no benevolence, He treats his people like strawdogs. 2. Between heaven and earth it seems like a bellow: Empty, yet inexhaustible, The stronger it is activated, the greater the output. 3. Being overly informed leads to exhaustion, Better to be centered.
Chapter 6 1. Valley-spirit is deathless, It is called the mystical female. 2. The gateway of the mystical female, Is called the root of heaven and earth. - 267 -
3. Hovering, it seems everpresent. Put to use, it is never exhausted.
Chapter 7 1. Heaven is eternal, and earth is long-lasting. 2. What makes heaven and earth eternal and long-lasting is that they do not give birth to themselves. It is this that makes them eternal and long-lasting. 3. Hence the sage, Relaxing the body, the body comes to the fore. Beyond the body, the body comes to the fore. Beyond the body, the body exists of itself. 4. Not even relying on selflessness Enables the self to be fulfilled.
Chapter 8 1. Eminent goodness is like water. 2. Water is good at benefitting all things, Yet it actively competes. It retires to undesirable places. Thus it is near to Tao. 3. Dwelling in good places, Drawing from good sources, Supplying from good nature, Speaking with good trust, Governing with good rules, Conducting with good ability, And acting within good time. 4. For this reason, There is no competition, There is no concern.
Chapter 9 1. Hanging on to it will cause overflow; better to let go. Forced consent does not endure. Filling the house with gold and jade will not bring safety. Riches and royalty result in pride; they bring about their own punishment. 2. When the work is done, the body withdraws. This is the Tao of heaven.
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Chapter 10 1. Donning the spirit and soul, and drawing them into Oneness, Can this come apart? Gathering in Qi and making the body supple, Is this not an infant? Being clear-headed and eliminating any mystic vision, Can even a speck exist? Loving the people and governing the country, Is this not inactive? Opening and closing the Gate of Heaven, Is this not the female? Comprehending the four corners of the world, Is this not knowledge? 2. Begetting and nourishing; Begetting but not possessing, Enhancing but not dominating. 3. This is Mysterious Action.
Chapter 11 1. Thirty spokes join at one hub, Yet it is the emptiness inside the hub that makes the vehicle useful; Clay is molded into a vessel, Yet it is the hollowness that makes the vessel useful; Windows and doors are cut out, Yet it is their empty space that makes the room usable. 2. So, any having makes for excess, Any not-having makes for usefulness.
Chapter 12 1. Five colors blind the eyes. Racing and hunting madden the heart. Pursuing what is rare makes action deceitful. Five flavors dull the palate. Five tones deafen the ears. 2. So, the sage’s method is for the belly, not for the eyes. He abandons the latter and chooses the former.
Chapter 13 1. Favor and disgrace surprise the most. Value the trouble as you do the body.
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2. Why do “favor and disgrace surprise the most”? Favor enhances only the inferior, Receiving it is a surprise, And losing it is also a surprise. This is why “favor and disgrace surprise the most”. 3 Why to “value the trouble as you do the body”? It is only because I have a body that I have trouble. If I did not have a body, where would the trouble be? 4. So, if you value the world as you do the body, You can be entrusted with the world; If you love the body as you love the beauty of the world, You can be responsible for the world.
Chapter 14 1. Look for it and not to be seen, it is called invisible; Listen to it and not to be heard, it is called inaudible; Reach for it and not to be touched, it is called intangible. 2. These three are beyond reckoning, so When these three merge, they are One. 3. As for this One, There is nothing above it remaining to be accounted for, There is nothing below it that has been excluded. Ever searching for it, it is beyond naming. 4. It returns to no-thing. Its state is described as no state, Its form is described as formless. It is called the vision beyond focus. 5. Follow after it, and it proves endless. Go before it, and no beginning can be found. 6. Employ the Tao of today in order to manage today’s affairs and to know the ancient past. 7. This is called the principle of Tao.
Chapter 15 1. The ancient sages of Tao are subtle and mysteriously penetrating. Their depth is beyond the power of will. 2. Because it is beyond the power of will, The most we can do is describe it: 3. Thus, Full of care, as one crossing the wintry stream, Attentive, as one cautious of the total environment,
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Reserved, as one who is a guest, Spread open, as when confronting a marsh, Simple, like uncarved wood, Opaque, like mud, Magnificent, like a valley. 4. From within the murky comes the stillness. The feminine enlivens with her milk. 5 Keeping such a Tao, excess is undesirable. Desiring no excess, work is completed without exhaustion.
Chapter 16 1. Reaching the ultimate emptiness, Concentrating on the central stillness, All things work together. 2. From this I observe their returning. 3. All things under heaven flourish in their vitality, Yet each returns to its own root. This is stillness. Stillness means returning to its destiny. Returning to its destiny is steadfastness. To know steadfastness means enlightenment. Not to know steadfastness is to act forcefully. Acting forcefully brings disaster. Knowing the steadfast implies acceptance. Acceptance is impartial. Impartial is regal. Regal is heaven. Heaven is Tao. Tao is beyond danger even when the body perishes.
Chapter 17 1. The eminent has consciousness of self. The next down are loved and praised. The next down are feared, At the bottom is the source. 2. When faith is weak, there is distrust. Especially in the worth of speech. 3. Results speak for themselves. This, people call me Nature.
Chapter 18 1. When the Great Tao is abandoned, There is benevolence and righteousness. When intelligence arises,
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There When There When There
is a great deal of manipulation. there is disharmony in the family, comes about filial piety. the country is in big trouble, arises patriotism.
Chapter 19 1. Get rid of wisdom, abandon intelligence, and People will benefit a hundredfold. Get rid of benevolence, abandon justice, and People will return to filial piety and kindness. Get rid of skill, abandon profit, and Thieves will disappear. 2. These three are inadequate. So just let things be. 3. Observe the plain and embrace the simple. Do not think much and do not desire much, Get rid of learning and worry will disappear.
Chapter 20 1. How much difference is there between yea and nay? How much difference is there between beautiful and ugly? 2. What one fears is what he cannot help but fear. 3. One is in the wilderness without central ground. 4. Ordinary people are fulfilled, Eating delicious food, Reaching the climax of romance. I am desireless and without anticipation, Like a baby who does not yet. Gathering energy together, entering the abyss beyond the point of no return. 5. Ordinary people have more than enough, I am a fool at heart, as a water droplet is to the spring. 6. People of affairs are bright and intelligent. I alone am unintelligent. People of affairs are cunning and clever. I alone am dull and unsophisticated, Unnoticed in the depth of the sea, Looked for in an endless horizon. 7. Ordinary people are productive, I alone maintain the living essence within.
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I alone stay with a unitary source, as if stubborn. 8. I want to be wholly different from everyone else, By taking my sustenance from the mother source.
Chapter 21 1. The marks of profound action follow only from the Tao. 2. The substance of Tao is boundless and unfathomable. Unfathomable and boundless, In its center there is form; Boundless and unfathomable, In its center there is an object; Embryonic and dark, In its center there is essence; The essence is very pure, In its center there is trust. From now to the days of old, Its name never dies, Because it creates all things in their beginning. 3. How do I know the source of all beginnings? From this.
Chapter 22 1. Those who boast of themselves lose their stance. He who displays himself is not seen. He who justifies himself is not understood. He who lashes out does not succeed. He who builds himself up does not endure. 2. In the sense of Tao, This is said to be eating too much and acting too much. It results in disgust. 3. Those who desire will not endure.
Chapter 23 1. Yield, and retain integrity. In the depths of whirling, there is stillness. The hollow enables the plentiful. The old gives way to the new. The small allows for increase. Excess breeds confusion. 2. Therefore the sage holds oneness as the shepherd of the world.
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3. He who does not display himself is seen. He who does not justify himself is understood. He who does not lash out succeeds. He who does not build himself up endures. 4. Therefore, Only the spirit of noncompetition makes things non- competitive. 5. So the old saying, “yield, and retain integrity,” is but a few words. But when rightly understood, integrity returns.
Chapter 24 1. Natural speech consists of few words. 2. Gusty winds do not last all morning, Cloudbursts do not last all day. What makes this so? 3. Heaven and earth will not last forever, How could a human being last! 4. So the person who works according to Tao unites with Tao. In the same way he unites with action. In the same way he unites with loss. 5. Uniting with action, the Tao becomes action. Uniting with loss, the Tao becomes loss.
Chapter 25 1. Matter is formed from chaos. It was born before heaven and earth. Silent and void. Standing alone, without territory, Able to be mother to the world. 2. I do not yet know its name, I call it Tao. With reluctance I deem it to be Great. Great refers to the symbol. The symbol refers to what is remote. What is remote refers to returning. 3. Tao is great. Heaven is great. Earth is great. Kingship is great. These are the four great things in the world, Kingship is one of them. 4. Humankind takes its origin from earth.
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Earth takes her origin from heaven. Heaven takes its origin from Tao. Tao takes its origin from Nature.
Chapter 26 1. The heavy is the root of the light. Tranquility is the master of the restless. 2. Thus, the noble person will travel all day without leaving his seat. Though the center of the highest authority, And surrounded by luxury, He remains clearminded. 3. How could the king of myriad chariots treat his body with less care than he gives the country? 4. Being careless loses the foundation. Being restless loses mastery.
Chapter 27 1. A good traveller leaves no tracks. A good speaker is without flaw. A good planner does not calculate. A good doorkeeper does not lock, yet it cannot be opened. A good knotter does not use binding, yet it cannot be undone. 2. Therefore, the sage is good at his earnest demands upon people. So no one is left out. No talent is wasted. This is called being in the tow of enlightenment, And it ensures the good person. 3. For everything that is good is the teacher of the good person. Everything that is bad becomes a resource for the good person. No need to honor the teachers. No need to love the resources. 4. Though knowing this is a great paradox, It is the subtle principle,
Chapter 28 1. Understanding the male and holding onto the female Enables the flow of the world. This being the flow of the world, the eternal action abides. Knowing that the eternal action abides is to return to childhood. 2. Understanding the pure and holding on to the impure
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Enables the cleansing of the world. With the cleansing of the world, ongoing action suffices. When ongoing action suffices, it returns to simplicity. 3. Understanding the white and holding on to the black Enables the formation of the world. Being the formation of the world, ongoing action does not stray. When ongoing action does not stray, it returns to the infinite. 4. This simplicity takes shape as a mechanism. The sage makes it the head ruler. Great ruling never divides.
Chapter 29 1. I see that those who want to take over the world and manipulate it do not succeed. 2. The sacred mechanism of the world cannot be manipulated. Those who manipulate it will fail, Those who hold on to it will lose it. 3. Matter Either leads or follows, Either heats or chills, Either strengthens or weakens, Either enhances or destroys. 4. So the sage abandons extremes, extravagance, multiplicity.
Chapter 30 1. Using the Tao as the rule for governing the people, Do not employ the army as the power of the world. For this is likely to backfire. 2. Where the army has marched, thorns and briars grow. 3. Being good has its own consequence, Which cannot be seized by power. 4. Achieving without arrogance, Achieving without bragging, Achieving without damage, Achieving without taking ownership. This is called achieving without force. 5. Matter becomes strong, then old. This is called “Not-Tao”. Dying young is “Not-Tao”.
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Chapter 31 1. The army is the mechanism of bad luck. The elements of the world may oppose. So those who have ambitions cannot rest. 2. Therefore the nobleman takes his place on the left side, And the commander on the right side. 3. So the army is not the nobleman’s weapon. As a mechanism of bad luck, He uses it only as the last resort. Then the best way is to use it quickly and destructively. Do not enjoy this. To take delight in it is to enjoy killing people. Those who enjoy killing people do not attract the favor of the world. 4. The good inclines to the left, The bad inclines to the right. 5. Thus the intelligent officer stays on the left, The army commander stays on the right. 6. Speaking in an image of sadness, After killing the people, every one stands in mourning. Victory is celebrated as a funeral service.
Chapter 32 1. Tao is eternally nameless. 2. Though simplicity is small, The world cannot treat it as subservient. If lords and rulers can hold on to it, Everything becomes self-sufficient. 3. Heaven and earth combine and allow sweet dew. Without rules, people will naturally become equal. 4. At the outset, the rule must be expressed. Once it exists, stop speaking of it. The result of not speaking of it is to eliminate danger. 5. In a manner of speaking, Tao is to the world As the rivers are to oceans and seas.
Chapter 33 1. To know others is to be knowledgeable, To know oneself is enlightenment; To master others is to have strength,
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To master oneself is to be powerful. 2. To know what is sufficient is to be rich. To act with determination is to have will. Not to lose one’s substance is to endure. To die, but not be forgotten, is to be immortal.
Chapter 34 1. As the Tao is all-pervading, It operates on both the left and the right. 2. Success is consequent to all affairs. It does not proclaim its own existence. All things return. Yet there is no claim of ownership, So it is forever desireles. This can be called small. All things return. Yet there is no claim of ownership, This can be called great. 3. The sage accomplishes greatness in not acting great. Thus can he accomplish what is great.
Chapter 35 1. Holding on to the great Symbol, The whole world carries on. On and on without doing harm. 2. Being happy at peace, Enjoying greatly the music and food. Travellers stop by. 3. When the Tao is spoken forth plainly It has no flavor at all. 4. Look, but that is not sufficient for seeing. Listen, but that is not sufficient for hearing. Use it, but it is not exhausted.
Chapter 36 1. When you want to constrict something, You must first let it expand; When you want to weaken something, You must first enable it; When you want to eliminate something,
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You must first allow it; When you want to conquer something, You must first let it be. This is called the Fine Light. 2. The weak overcomes the strong. Fish cannot live away from the source. The sharp weapon of the nation should never be displayed.
Chapter 37 1. Tao is eternally nameless. If lords and rulers would abide by it, All things would evolve of themselves. 2. What evolves desires to act. I, then, suffuse this with nameless simplicity. Suffusing with nameless simplicity is eliminating humiliation. Without humiliation, peace arises. Heaven and earth regulate themselves.
Chapter 38 1. Eminent action is inaction, For that action it is active. Inferior action never stops acting, For that reason it is inactive. 2. Eminent action is disengaged, Yet nothing is left unfulfilled; Eminent humanness engages, Yet nothing is left unfulfilled; When eminent righteousness engages, It reduces the results of engagements; Eminent justice engages, but does not respond adequately to situations. For that reason it is frustrated. 3. When Tao is lost, It becomes Action; When Action is lost, It becomes benevolence; When benevolence is lost, It becomes justice. When justice is lost, It becomes propriety. 4. Propriety is the veneer of faith and loyalty,
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And the forefront of troubles. 5. Foresight is the vain display of Tao, And the forefront of foolishness. 6. Therefore, the man of substance Dwells in wholeness rather than veneer, Dwells in the essence rather than the vain display. 7. He rejects the latter, and accepts the former.
Chapter 39 1. Those from the past have attained Oneness. 2. By attaining Oneness, heaven is clear. By attaining Oneness, earth is at peace. By attaining Oneness, the spirit is quickened. By attaining Oneness, the valley is filled. By attaining Oneness, the king puts order in the whole world. All these result from Oneness. 3. Without its clarity, heaven is liable to explode. Without its peace, earth is liable to erupt. Without its quickening, the spirit is liable to die out. Without its fullness, valleys are liable to dry out. Without proper esteem, the king is liable to fall. 4. Esteem is rooted in the humble. The high is founded upon the low. 5. This is why the lords and rulers call themselves widows and orphans without support. Is this is not the root of being humble? 6. Much praise amounts to no praise. 7. Without preference, Being is as resonant as Jade and as gravelly as stone.
Chapter 40 1. When eminent persons hear of Tao, They practice it faithfully; When average persons hear of Tao, It seems that they practice it, and it seems they do not; When inferior persons hear of Tao, They ridicule it. 2. Without such ridicule, it would not be Tao. 3. Thus, the aphorism that suggests the way is: Knowing the Tao seems costly. Entering Tao seems like retreating.
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Becoming equal with Tao gives birth to paradoxes. Eminent action is like a valley. Complete understanding resembles being disgraced. Vast action seems yielding. Action that builds up seems remiss. Pure integrity seems perverse. The great square has no angles. The great talent matures late. The great voice sounds faint. The great image has no form. The Tao is praised but is unnameable. 4. Only Tao is good at beginning and good at completion.
Chapter 41 1. Tao moves by returning. Tao functions by weakness. 2. All things under heaven are born of being. Being is born of non-being.
Chapter 42 1. Tao gives rise to one. One gives rise to two. Two gives rise to three. Three gives rise to all things. 2. All things carry yin and embrace yang. Drawing chi together into harmony. 3. What the world hates is the widow and orphan without support. But lords and rulers name themselves these. 4. Do not seek gain from losing, nor loss from gaining. 5. What people teach, after discussion becomes doctrine. 6. Those who excel in strength do not prevail over death. I would use this as the father of teaching.
Chapter 43 1. What is softest in the world penetrates what is hardest in the world. Non-being enters where there is no room. 2. From this I know the riches of non-action. 3. Wordless teaching and the riches of non-action is matched by very little in the world.
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Chapter 44 1. Which is more cherished, the name or the body? Which is worth more, the body or possessions? Which is more beneficial, to gain or to lose? 2. Extreme fondness is necessarily very costly. The more you cling to, the more you lose. 3. So knowing what is sufficient averts disgrace. Knowing when to stop averts danger. This can lead to a longer life.
Chapter 45 1. Grand perfection seems lacking, yet its use is never exhausted. Grand fullness seems empty, yet its use never comes to an end. Grand straightforwardness seems bent. Grand skill seems clumsy. Grand surplus seems deficient. 2. Activity overcomes cold. Stillness overcomes heat. Peace and tranquility can be the measure of the world.
Chapter 46 1. When there is Tao in the world, work horses are used to fertilize the land. Without Tao in the world, the war horse flourishes in the countryside. 2. There is no crime greater than fostering desire. There is no disaster greater than not knowing when there is enough. There is no fault greater than wanting to possess. 3. Knowing that sufficiency is enough always suffices.
Chapter 47 1. In order to know the world, do not step outside the door. In order to know the Tao of heaven, do not peer through the window. 2. The further out you go, the less you know. 3. So the sage knows without moving, identifies without seeing, accomplishes without acting.
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Chapter 48 1. Having a zest for learning yields an increase day by day. Hearing the Tao brings a loss day by day. Losing more and more until inaction results. Inaction results, yet everything is done. 2. Managing the world always involves non-engagement. As soon as there is engagement, there is never enough of it to manage the world.
Chapter 49 1. The sage is always without his own mind. He uses people’s minds as his mind. 2. He is kind to those who are kind. He is also kind to those who are not kind. It is the kindness of Action itself. He is trustworthy to those who are trustworthy. He is also trustworthy to those who are not trustworthy. It is the trust of Action itself.
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3. In the world, the sage inhales. For the world, the sage keeps the mind simple. 4. All people are fixated on the ears and eyes. While the sage always smiles like a child.
Chapter 50 1. We live, we die. 2. The companions of life are three and ten. The companions of death are three and ten. That people live their active life necessarily leading to the ground of death is three and ten. 3. Why so? it is the nature of life itself. 4. As a matter of fact, I hear of those who are good at preserving their lives; Walking through, not avoiding rhinos and tigers. Entering battle without wearing armaments. The rhino has no place to dig its horns. The tiger has no place to drag its claws. The soldier has no place to thrust his blade. 5. Why is this so? Because they have no place to die.
Chapter 51 1. Tao enlivens. Action nourishes. Matter forms. Mechanism completes. For that reason, all things worship Tao and exalt Action. 2. The worship of Tao and exaltation of Action are not conferred, but always arise naturally. 3. Tao enlivens and nourishes, develops and cultivates, integrates and completes, raises and sustains. 4. It enlivens without possessing. It acts without relying. It develops without controlling. 5. Such is called mystic Action.
Chapter 52 1. The world begins with the mother as its source. 2. When you have the mother, you know the son.
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When you know the son, return to preserve the mother. Although the body dies, there is no harm. 3. By closing your mouth and shutting the door, there would be no wearing down of life. When opening the mouth and pursuing your affairs, life cannot be preserved. 4. Seeing what is small is discernment. Preserving subtleness is strength. Using the light enables one to return to discernment. 5. Without losing the center of the body is called penetrating the eternal.
Chapter 53 1. Through discrimination, I have the knowledge to walk in the great Tao. The only fear is what is other than that. 2. The great Tao is quite smooth, yet people prefer a short-cut. The court is so busy legislating that the fields go uncultivated and granaries are all empty. They wear the magnificent clothing, girdle the sharp swords. They are gorged with food and possess many brides. Their bounty suffices but they continue to steal. 3. This is opposite of Tao.
Chapter 54 1. What is well-built is not pulled down. What is well-fastened is not separated. Sons and grandsons worship unceasingly. 2. Cultivate the self, and the Action is pure. Cultivate the family, the Action is plentiful. Cultivate the community, the Action endures. Cultivate the nation, the Action is fruitful. Cultivate the world, the Action is all-pervading. 3. Treat the self by the standard of self. Treat the family by the standard of family. Treat the community by the standard of community. Treat the nation by the standard of nation. Treat the world by the standard of world. 4. How do I know how the world is such? Thus.
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Chapter 55 1. Action in its profundity is like a newborn baby. Poisonous insects and venomous snakes do not sting it. Predatory birds and ferocious animals do not seize it. 2. Its bones are soft and its sinews supple, yet its grasp is firm; Without knowing the union of male and female, its organs become aroused. Its vital essence comes to the point; Crying all day, its voice never becomes hoarse. Its harmony comes to the point. 3. Harmony is eternal. Knowing harmony is discernment. Enhancing life is equanimity. Generating vitality through mind is strength. 3. When things reach their climax, they are suddenly old. 4. This is “Non-Tao”. “Non-Tao” dies young.
Chapter 56 1. Those who know, do not say. Those who say, do not know. 2. Close the mouth. Shut the door. Merge into light. As ordinary as dust. Blunt the sharpness. Unravel the entanglements. 3. This is called mysterious sameness. 4 You are not intimate by acquiring it. You are not distant in not acquiring it; You do not profiting by acquiring it. You do not lose it by not acquiring it; You are not ennobled by acquiring it. You are not disgraced by not acquiring it. 5. This enables the nobility of the world.
Chapter 57 1. Using the right lawfulness to govern the country. Using unexpectancy to conduct the battle. Using disengagement to take over the world.
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2. How do I know this is so? Thus. 3. The more prohibitions there are in the world, the poorer people will be. The more destructive weapons people have, the more chaotic the nation will become. The more know-how people have, the more bizarre things will appear. The more rules and demands that flourish, the more thefts there will be. 4. Therefore the sage says: When I am inactive, people transform themselves. When I abide in stillness, people organize themselves lawfully. When I am disengaged, people enrich themselves. When I choose non-desire, people remain simple.
Chapter 58 1. When the government is silent, people are sincere. When the government is intrusive, the state is decisive. 2. Disaster is what fortune depends upon, Fortune is what disaster subdues. Who knows a final outcome? 3. There is no right lawfulness. Justice tends towards the extreme. Kindness tends towards evil. People have been familiar with this for a long time. 4. So, Be rounded without cutting. Be compatible without puncturing. Be straightforward without trapping. Be bright without dazzling.
Chapter 59 1. For governing people and serving the heaven, nothing is better than frugality. 2. Only frugality enables the pre-empty measures. Pre-empty measures mean a great accumulation of Action. A great accumulation of Action leaves nothing to be conquered. When nothing needs to be conquered, No-boundary is known. When no-boundary is known, it allows the country to exist. The country, existing from its source, can endure.
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3. This is the Tao of having a deep root, a strong stem, a long life and an enduring vision.
Chapter 60 1. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. 2. If Tao is utilized to manage the society, its ghost will not become spirit. Not that ghost is not spiritual, but that the spirit harms no people; Not only does the spirit harms not the people, but that the sage is harmless. 3. As those two cause no harm, they are united in Action.
Chapter 61 1. A great nation flows downwardly; it is the mother of the world, and the integration of the world. 2. The mother is always tranquil and overcomes the male by her tranquility; so she benefits the world. 3. A great nation relies on a low position to take over a small nation. A small nation, being in a low position, is taken over by a great nation. 4. So being lower allows taking over or being taken over. 5. Being a great nation only desires to unify the people. Being a small nation only seeks people’s business. 6. They both get what they want, but the greater is being lower.
Chapter 62 1. Tao is the conductor of all things. The treasure of the good. The protector of the bad. 2. Beautiful words can advertise well. Noble conduct brings praise to people. 3. As for those who conduct the bad, why reject them for it? 4. Therefore, after the crowning of the emperor comes the appointing of three administrations. Being presented with jade in front of the team of four horses is not better than sitting and entering thus. 5. The reason why this is valued of old is, It allows having without asking, and it allows forgiveness of wrong. Thus, it is most valuable to the world.
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1. Do non-doing. Engage in non-affairs. Savor non-flavor. 2. Large or small, many or few, reward or punishment, are all being done through Action. 3. Seek what is difficult with ease. Effect what is great while it is small. 4. The most difficult things in the world are done while they are easy. The greatest things in the world are done while they are small. 5. The sage never plans to do a great thing. Thus, he accomplishes what is great. 6. Facile promises necessarily result in little trust. What is easy necessarily entails difficulty. 7. Thus the sage, through extreme trials, encounters no difficulty.
Chapter 64 1. It is easy to sustain what is at rest. It is easy to plan for that of which there is not even a sign. What is fragile is easily broken. What is minute is easily dispersed. 2. Act upon it before it exists. Regulate it before it becomes chaos. 3. A massive tree grows from a little sprout. A nine-story-building rises from a clod of earth. A thousand-fathoms begin with a single step. 4. Those who impose action upon it will fail. Those who cling to it lose it. 5. So the sage, through non-action, does not fail. Not clinging, he does not lose. 6. The common people’s engagement in affairs fail prior to success. 7. So the saying goes, “Give as much careful attention to the end as to the beginning; then the affairs will not fail.” 8. It is on that account that the sage desires not to desire and does not value goods that are hard to get. He learns not to learn and restores the common people’s losses. He is able to support the nature of all things and, not by daring, to impose action.
Chapter 65 1. Those who practiced Tao in olden times did not enlighten people, Rather they made them simple. 2. What makes it the hardest to govern the people is what they
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already know. It becomes most difficult to govern people because of their knowledge. 3. So, using knowledge to govern the country, knowledge itself becomes the thief of the country. Not using knowledge to govern the country, knowledge itself is the Action of the country. 4. Always realize that these two are the model for ruling. Always be aware that this model is the mystic Action. 5. Mystic Action is deep and far-reaching. It is the opposite of matter. Only thus does it approach the Great Harmony.
Chapter 66 1. The reason why rivers and seas have the capacity for kingship over all the valleys is that they excel in lowliness. That is why they have the capacity for kingship over all valleys. 2. Thus, since the sage wants to elevate the people, his speech is down to earth. Since the sage wants to advance the people, he positions himself at the back, 3. So that when he is at the front, people do not harm him. When he stands above, people do not feel pressure. The whole world supports him untiringly. 4. Since he does not rely on competition, the world has nothing with which to compete.
Chapter 67 (Ch. 80) 1. A small country has few people. 2. Weapons are far more numerous than the people, but they are not used. Let people be serious about death and enjoy a long journey. Though there are carriages and boats, they are not useful for travel. Let people return to: Use the technique of knotting the rope, Enjoying the food, Appreciating the cloth, Delighting in customs, Settling into their living conditions. 3. The neighboring countries are in sight.
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The sounds of dogs and chickens are heard. People grow old and die without interference from each other.
Chapter 68 (Ch. 81) 1. Trustworthy words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not trustworthy. The knower does not know everything. The know-it-all knows nothing. Kindness is not over-indulgent. Over-indulgence is not kind. 2. The sage does not collect. As soon as he exists for others, he has more. As soon as he gives to others, he has more. 3. So the Tao of heaven benefits and does not harm. The Tao of human-kind exists and does not compete.
Chapter 69 1. Everyone in the world says I am great, great without parallel. Being without parallel is what enables greatness. If there is a long standing parallel, it becomes small. 2. I always have three treasures: First is compassion. Second is frugality. Third is to not dare act in front of the world. 3. So compassion enables courage. Frugality enables abundance. Not daring to act in front of the world enables the mechanism to endure. 4. Today there is courage without compassion. There is abundance without frugality. There is appearance alone without substance. This means no-life. 5. Through compassion: fight and win; defend and be secure. 6. When the heaven establishes itself, it always relies upon compassion.
Chapter 70 1. Being a good warrior does not entail power. A good fighter is not angry. One who is good at overcoming the enemy does not contact him.
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One 2. This This This
who is good at leading people acts humbly. is called the Action of non-competition. is called leading people. is called the Ultimate as old as heaven.
Chapter 71 1. There is a saying on using military force, it says: I dare not be the host, but rather a guest. I dare not advance an inch, but rather retreat a foot. 2. This is called performing without performing, rolling up one’s sleeves without showing the arms. By not holding on to an enemy, there is no enemy. 3. There is no disaster greater than having no enemy. Having no enemy almost destroys my treasure. 4. When opposing armies clash, those who cry win!
Chapter 72 1. My words are easy to understand and easy to apply. Yet no one in the world can understand them and no one could apply them. 2. Words have their origin, and events have their leader. 3. Only because of prevailing ignorance that I am not understood. The few who understand me, the more precious I am. 4. So the sage wears shabby cloth, but holds a treasure within.
Chapter 73 1. Knowing that you don’t know (everything) is superior. Not knowing that you don’t know (everything) is a sickness. 2. So the sage’s being without sickness is that he knows sickness as sickness; Thus, he is without sickness.
Chapter 74 1. People are fearless before the power. If fear arises, it will be a great fear. 2. Not constraining the living environment. They do not get bored by life. Because we do not get bored, there is no boredom. 3. Therefore the sage is self-aware but not introspective. He has self-respect but does not price himself.
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4. He rejects one and takes the other.
Chapter 75 1. Courage combined with daring promotes killing. Courage not combined with daring promotes life. 2. These two can be either beneficial or harmful. 3. Who knows the reason for what heaven hates? 4. The Tao of heaven is Good at winning without fighting, Good at responding without speaking, Appearing without being asked, Good at strategizing while fighting. 5. The net of heaven is broad and loose, Yet nothing slips through.
Chapter 76 1. Whenever people are unafraid of death, how can killing be used as a threat? Whenever people are afraid of death and are acting contrary, I will catch and kill them; who else can act so? When people are absolutely afraid of death but perform killing, they are the best qualified to be executioners. 2. This is like doing carving for a master craftsman. Doing the carving for a master craftsman, how could one’s hand not get cut?
Chapter 77 1. The reason people are starving is because the government taxes too much. This is the reason for starvation. The reason people are hard to govern is because their leaders are actively engaged. This is why they are hard to govern. The reason people are not serious about death is because they seek the burdens of life. This is why they are not serious about death. 2. Only those who are not slaves to life are wise to the value of life.
Chapter 78 1. When people are born, they are soft and gentle. When they die, they are stiff and callous. 2. When myriad things, grasses and trees, are born, they are soft
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and tender. When they die, they are withered. 3. So stiffness and callousness are the company of death. Softness and suppleness are the company of life. 4. The powerful army will not win. A stiff tree will break. 5. So stiffness and power stay below. Softness and suppleness stay above.
Chapter 79 1. The Tao of heaven is like drawing a bow. The high bends down, The low rises up. The surplus decreases. Insufficiency is supplied. 2. So the Tao of heaven reduces what is surplus and enhances what is insufficient. The human Tao reduces what is insufficient and caters to the surplus. 3. Who can use the surplus to benefit the heaven? Only those who possess Tao. 4. So the sage Exists without ownership, Accomplishes without holding on. It is thus, without desire, that the wise see.
Chapter 80 1. Nothing in the world is softer and more supple than water. When confronting strength and hardness nothing can overcome it. 2. Using nothingness simplifies. Using water overcomes hardness. Using weakness overcomes strength. There is no one in the world who does not know it, but no one can apply it. 3. So it is a saying of sages that: Whoever can bear the disgrace of the country is the ruler of the country. Whoever can bear the misfortune of the world is the ruler of the world. 4. Truthful speech seems paradoxical.
Chapter 81 - 294 1. Reconciling a great hatred necessarily entails unsolved hatred. How can this be kindful? 2. So the sage honors the left-hand tally but does not blame people.
Appendix II I Ching Hexagrams and Wilhelm’s Chinese Name Translations A Decadic system B Binary system* C Hexagram of the I Ching with number, sign and R. Wilhelm’s translation D Chiness name of hexagrams E R. Wilhelm’s translation Table according to the book: Leibniz G. W., “Two Letters on the Binary Number System and Chinese Philosophy”. A
B
C
D
E
0
000000
1
00000L
2
0000L0
3
0000LL
19. Lin
The Approach
4
000L00
15. Ch’ien
Modesty
5
000L0L
36. Ming I
Darkening of the Light
6
000LL0
46. Sheng
Pushing Upward
7
000LLL
11. T’ai
Peace
8
00L000
16. Yu
Enthusiasm
9
00L00L
51. Chen
The Arousing
2. K’un 24. Fu
The Receptive Return
7. Shih
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The Army
A
B
C
D
E
10 00L0L0
40. Hsieh
Deliverance
11
54. Kuei Mei
The Marrying Maiden
12 00LL00
62. Hsiao Kuo
Preponderance of the Small
13 00LL0L
55 Feng
Abundance
14 00LLL0
32. Heng
Duration
15 00LLLL
34. Ta Chuang
The Power of the Great
00L0LL
16 0L0000
8. Pi
Holding Together
17 0L000L
3. Chun
Difficulty at the Beginning
18 0L00L0
29. K’an
The Abysmal
19 0L00LL
60. Chieh
Limitation
20 0L0L00
39. Chien
Obstruction
21 0L0L0L
63. Chi Chi
After completion
22 0L0LL0
48. Ching
The Well
23 0L0LLL
5. Hsu
24 0LL000
45. Ts’ui
Gathering Together
25 0LL00L
17. Sui
Following
26 0LL0L0
47. Kan
Oppression
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Wanting (Nourishment)
A
B
C
D
E
27 0LL0LL
58. Tui
The Joyous, The Lake
28 0LLL00
31. Hsien
Influence
29 0LLL0L
49. Ko
Revolution
30 0LLLL0
28. Ta Kuo
Preponderance of the Great
31 0LLLLL
43. Kuai
Breakthrough
32 L00000
23. Po
Splitting Apart
33 L0000L
27. I
The Corners of the Mouth
34 L000L0
4. Meng
Youthful Folly
35 L000LL
41. Sun
Decrease
36 L00L00
52. Ken
Keeping Still
37 L00L0L
22. Pi
Grace
38 L00LL0
18. Ku
39 L00LLL
26. Ta Ch’u
40 L0L000
35. Chin
Progress
41 L0L00L
21. Shih Ho
Biting Through
42 L0L0L0
64. Wei Chi
Before Completion
43 L0L0LL
38. K’uei
Opposition
Work on What Has Been Spoiled
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The Taming Power of the Great
A
B
C
D
E
44 L0LL00
46. Sheng
Pushing Upward
45 L0LL0L
30. Li
The Clinging, Fire
46 L0LLL0
50. Ting
The Caldron
47 L0LLLL
14. Ta Yu
Possession in Great Measure
48 LL0000
20. Kuan
Contemplation
49 LL000L
42. I (Yi)
Increase
50 LL00L0
59. Huan
Dispersion
51 LL00LL
61. Chung Fu
Inner Truth
52 LL0L00
53. Chien
Development
53 LL0L0L
37. Chia Jen
The Family
54 LL0LL0
57. Sun
The Gentle
55 LL0LLL
9. Hsiao Ch’u
The Taming Power of the Small
56 LLL000
12. P’i
Standstill
57 LLL00L
25. Wu Wang
Innocence
58 LLL0L0
6. Sung
Conflict
59 LLL0LL
10. Lu
Treading
60 LLLL00
33. Tun
Retreat
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A
B
C
D
E
61 LLLL0L
13. T’ung Jen
Fellowship with Men
62 LLLLL0
44. Kou
Coming to Meet
63 LLLLLL
1. Chi’en
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The Creative
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