September 6, 2014
Number 1
Freeing Confucius from his handcuffs and fetters
Stumping along, having had his foot cut off, Shu-shan No-Toes comes to see Confucius then tells the story to Lao Tzu but first Confucius admonishes him for not being careful enough saying “Since you’ve already broken the law and gotten in trouble like this, why do you come to see me now?” No-toes said “I just did not understand my duty and was too careless with my body, and so I lost a foot”. Then added, “But I’ve come now because I have learned that there is something much more important than holding on to a foot and I want to hold on to it. I have learned there is nothing that heaven doesn’t cover and nothing that earth doesn’t bear up. I supposed my dear Master that you would be like heaven and earth. How did I know you would act this way? Later No-Toes told the story to Lao Tzu conveying that “Confucius certainly hasn’t reached the stage of a Perfected Man, has he? What does he mean by coming around so obsequiously to study with you? His being so deferential to you is a sham illusion of fame and ego trying to garner a reputation. Doesn’t he know the Perfected Man looks on these as so many handcuffs and fetters?”
Lao Tzu had known Confucius reputation well before his visit and knew the craving for fame that Confucius had, but also his knowledge at being able to assemble and convey pieces of history, and ability to give wise counsel. In closing, Lao Tzu told No Toes to go back and tell Confucius that life and death are the same story and that what is acceptable and unacceptable are on the same string. That he would be far better off by freeing himself of the handcuffs and fetters of his ego and so high opinion of himself. No-Toes concludes saying, “Since Heaven will have the final say, how can you set him free?”
September 6, 2014
Number 2
Chuang Tzu continues his conversation with Confucius.
Life springs forth like an artesian well continually replenished simply waiting to be used. With each instant a new beginning bringing a chance to better understand the ways of nature and perhaps discover the proper direction needed for continual new growth as you continue your journey.
Strength evolving from two mutually inclusive forms both through the spirit or mind and body, each critical to survival, each merely to be found and come to know.
As you spend time each day in seclusion you draw on your inner chi as Cloud Dancing with dragons to remind you of your responsibilities to yourself, to others and to the universe. Meditating on the emptiness essential in all things to be found in everything both yin and yang and coming to find serenity within, ever cognizant of the re-generative power present in each of us to find only for ourselves.
Keeping to moderation in food and drink as the key to a full existence, staying away from excess with chi finding your eternal rhythm and cycles.
Finding the true way is a never-ending challenge that will be thrown up at in many ways that most would find overwhelming, get sick and want to stop. Not all are meant to find the eternal well. Most never even bother to look satisfied with the lot given to them to simply exist day to day. Take care not to poison the well with bad thoughts or consent to someone else doing so. Punishment will follow and all will be for naught. (48 THE WELL / Water over Wind). 3/15/94 DCD
An original composition and interpretation of the Chinese Classic the I Ching
September 3, 2014
Number 3
From Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching.
My thoughts in meditation and actions today are centered on my book “Thoughts on Becoming a Sage”
Verse 31 – Remaining Centered with the Tao
Learn not to expand your energies or passion on things of little or no consequence. Remaining still and reserved as if you are pre-occupied with your own enthusiasm. To those around you, simply smile at what living brings to greet you each day and to trouble say ah so!
Not as one considered as self-centered, but as Tao centered spreading your joy and laughter to all you meet, letting joy for knowing your place in the universe become your foremost point of engagement.
Learn not to let situations control you. Instead, remain in control by not allowing events to cloud your vision as you lead others with dispassion, humility and self-control.
When you can respond as if events were gnats, too small to even notice, then you may begin to see over the next horizon as your destiny becomes clear…
September 6, 2014
Number 4
Chuang Tzu… Becoming the True or Perfect Man (from Chuang Tzu and Burton Watson)
The Great and Venerable Teacher
He who knows what it is that Heaven does, and knows what it is that man does, has reached the peak. Knowing what it is that Heaven does, he lives with Heaven, Knowing what it is that man does, he uses the knowledge of what he knows to help out the knowledge of what he doesn’t know, and live out the years that Heaven gave him without being cut off midway – this is the perfection of knowledge. However, there is a difficulty. Knowledge must wait for something before it becomes applicable, and that which it waits for is never certain. How, then, can I know that what I call Heaven is not really man, and what I call man is not really Heaven. There must first be the Taoist sage, the Perfect or True Man, before there can be true knowledge.
But what is meant by becoming Chuang Tzu’s Perfect Man? The True Man of ancient times did not rebel against want, did not grow proud in plenty, and did not plan his affairs. A man like this could commit an error and not regret it, could meet with success and not make a show. A man like this could climb the high places and not be frightened, could enter the water and not get wet, could enter the fire and not get burned. His knowledge was able to climb all the way up to the Way like this. He breathes from his heels which others breathe from their throats.
Because of this and many other things, the True Man of olds bearing was lofty and did not crumble; he appeared to lack but accepted nothing; he was dignified in his correctness but not insistent; he was vast in his emptiness but not ostentatious (as in being pretentious or conspicuous in an attempt to impress others). Mild and cheerful, he seemed to be happy; reluctant, he could not help doing certain things; annoyed, he let it show in his face; relaxed, he rested in his virtue. Tolerant, he seemed to be checked by nothing; withdrawn, he seemed to prefer to cut himself off; bemused, and he forgot what he was going to say.
Sept 11, 2014
Number 5
Confucius and the Great Learning
The Great Learning: 大学; was one of the “Four Books” in Confucianism. The Great Learning had come from a chapter in the Classic of Rites which formed one of the Five Classics. It consists of a short main text attributed to the teachings of Confucius and then ten commentary chapters accredited to one of Confucius’ disciples, Zeng Zi who lived from 505-436 BC. The ideals of the book were supposedly by Confucius; however the text was written after his death. The “Four Books” were selected by the neo-Confucian Zhu Xi during the Song Dynasty as a foundational introduction to Confucianism and examinations for the state civil service in China. Confucius, who incorporated ideas from Ji Dan, the Duke of Zhou and others, compiled and edited the Book of Rites, Book of Documents, Classics of Poetry, the I Ching, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. Confucius’ student, Zeng Zi wrote the introduction and exposition of The Great Learning. Confucius taught 3000 pupils; of which 72 mastered the six arts as follows:
1) The Rites — The cult of the ancestors and the ceremonies mark the passing of the seasons and the different stages of a man’s life. The rites are the backbone of society and are indispensable to the proper functioning of the world.
2) Music — The Rites are always associated with music, as the principle regulating the relations between men, and between men and the universe. Music and dance are considered to afford access to supreme beauty and to wisdom.
3) Writing— Like dance, writing reproduces the dynamic and the movement of the world. It is practiced in an atmosphere of contemplative withdrawal, using objects imbued with symbolism.
4) Mathematics — The science of numbers is the origin of exact measurement and of wealth and prosperity.
5) Chariot driving — The chariot has an important place in war, in hunting and in the parades that express the power of the nobles. (This was the period of the Zhou and Warring States Period of China).
6) Archery — Archery forms part of a man’s physical training and, as in the case of chariot driving, allows talent to be tested through competition.
The Great Learning developed from many authors adapting to the needs and beliefs of the community at the time. The Cheng brothers, Yi (1033–1107) and Hao (1032–1085) both utilized the Great Learning’s philosophies. Their ideas met with strong official opposition, but were reconstituted by Zhu Xi. Cheng’s idea of yi was that it was identical with nature, which he believed was essentially good. Cheng’s yi emphasized the necessity of acquiring knowledge. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi rearranged the Great Learning and included it in the Four Books, along with the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects of Confucius and the Mencius. Zhu Xi developed the Chengs’ Confucian ideas and drew from Chan Buddhism and Taoism. He adapted some ideas from these competing religions into his form of Confucianism. Li Ao, a scholar, poet, and official, used and brought attention to the Great Learning. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, The Great Learning became a required textbook in schools and a required reading for imperial examinations. The Dais divided the book into five sections. This included the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Evolution of Rites, the Yili, and the “Etiquette and Rites”.
There is a popular commentary by Han Yu and Li Ao who both used The Great Learning. Li Ao incorporated a lot of Buddhist and Taoist ideas into his work. Zi Si – Confucius’s grandson – is said to have taught Mencius and written the Doctrine of the Mean. He may also have written the beginning of the Great Learning. Ma Yung edited the Great Learning in the Han dynasty, giving his views of the general meaning.
Principal teachings of the Great Learning
- Achieving a state of balance and refining one’s moral self such that it is a reflection of the Way (Tao).
- Ample rest and reflection such that one achieves peace of mind. When one is calm and reflected, the Way will be revealed to them.
- Setting priorities and knowing what is important is essential in one’s quest for moral refinement, for it allows one to focus on that which is of the greatest importance and that which is in line with the Way as outlined in Confucian teachings.
- One must bring his affairs and relationships into order and harmony. If one hopes to attain order in the state, he must first bring his own family and personal life into order through self-cultivation and the expansion of one’s knowledge and the “investigation of things.”
- Each and every man is capable of learning and self-cultivation regardless of social, economic or political status. This, in turn, means that success in learning is the result of the effort of the individual as opposed to an inability to learn.
- One must treat education as an intricate and interrelated system where one must strive for balance. No one aspect of learning is isolated from the other and failure to cultivate a single aspect of one’s learning will lead to the failure of learning as a whole.
Meaning of “Investigation of Things”
The text sets up a number of controversies that have underlain Chinese philosophy and political thinking. For example, one major controversy has been to define exactly the investigation of things. What things are to be investigated and how has been one of the crucial issues of Chinese philosophy. One of the first steps to understanding The Great Learning is to understand how to “investigate things”. This did not consist of scientific inquiry and experimentation, but introspection, building on what is already “known” of “principle”. True introspection was to allow the mind to become all knowing with regards to morality, relationships, civic duty and nature.
The main text
What the Great Learning teaches is: to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence. 大學之道在明明德，在親民，在止於至善
The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained. 知止而后有定；定而后能靜
To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that deliberation will be followed by the attainment of the desired end. 靜而后能安；安而后能慮；慮而后能得
Things have their root and their branches. Affairs have their end and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will lead near to what is taught in The Great Learning. 物有本末，事有終始，知所先後，則近道矣。
The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the world, first ordered well their own States. 古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國
Wishing to order well their States, they first regulated their families. 欲治其國者，先齊其家
Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. 欲齊其家者，先修其身
Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. 欲修其身者，先正其心
Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. 欲正其心者，先誠其意
Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost of their knowledge. 欲誠其意者，先致其知
Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things. 致知在格物
Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. 物格而後知至
Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. 知至而後意誠
Their thoughts bg sincere, their hearts were then rectified. 意誠而後心正
Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. 心正而後身修
Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. 身修而後家齊
Their families being regulated, their States were rightly governed. 家齊而後國治
Their States being rightly governed, the entire world was at peace. 國治而後天下平
From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides. 自天子以至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本
It cannot be, when the root is neglected, that what should spring from it will be well ordered. 其本亂而末治者，否矣
It never has been the case that what was of great importance has been slightly cared for, and, at the same time, that what was of slight importance has been greatly cared for. 其所厚者薄，而其所薄者厚，未之有也
The Great Learning is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self-cultivation and investigation of things are linked. It links together individual action in the form of self-cultivation with higher goals such as ultimate world peace as well as linking together the spiritual and the material. Basing its authority on the presumed practices of ancient kings rather than nature or deities, the Great Learning both links the spiritual with the practical, and creates a vision of the Way that is radically different from that presented by Taoism per sea. However, the incorporation of the I Ching and both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu were moderating influences over time.
Sources: Wikipedia plus my own input
Sept 17, 2014
Number 6
Times Spent with Chuang Tzu
I’ve been writing about defining the characters (people used to make a point) and my interpretations of the Book of Chuang Tzu this month and am concluding Section 6 – The Great and Venerable Teacher and thoughts of time spent wandering the universe. Chuang Tzu is big on discussing benevolence and righteousness with Confucius and others as examples. Showing how language can be used to show inequities in what is taken as truth and falsehood, and how in the end neither can be lasting. And in the end with who and how we spend our time.
Yi Erh-tzu went to see a recluse of the time of Yao, Hsu Yu, who asked him “What kind of assistance has Yao been giving you?” Yi Erh-tzu said, “Yao told me, “You must learn to practice benevolence and righteousness and to speak clearly about right and wrong!” “Then why come to see me?” said Hsu Yu. “Yao has already tattooed you with benevolence and righteousness and cut off your nose with right and wrong as a punishment, now how do you expect to go wandering in any far-away, carefree, and as-you-like-it paths?” “That may be,” said Yi Erh-tzu. “But I would like if I may to wander in a little corner of them.” “Impossible!” said Hsu Yu. “Eyes that are blind have no way to tell the loveliness of faces and features; eyes with no pupils have no way to tell the beauty of colored and embroidered silks.” Yi Erh said, “Yes, but Wu-chuang forgot her beauty, Chu-liang forgot his strength, and the Yellow Emperor forgot his wisdom – all were content to be recast and remolded forgetting themselves in the Way. How do you know that the Creator will not wipe away my tattoo, stick my nose back on again, and let me ride on the process of completion and follow after you, Master?”
“Ah – we can never tell,” said Hsu Yu. “I will just speak to you about the general outline. This Teacher of mine, this Teacher of mine – he passes judgment on the ten thousand things, but he doesn’t think himself righteous; his bounty extends to ten thousand generations, but he doesn’t think himself benevolent. He is older than the highest antiquity, but he doesn’t see himself long-lived; he covers heaven, bears up the earth, carves and fashions countless forms, but he doesn’t think himself skilled. It is with him alone I wander.”
Sept 29, 2014
Number 7
Chuang Tzu and the Autumn Floods
The time of the autumn floods came and the hundred streams poured into the Yellow River. Its racing current swelled to such proportions that, looking from bank to bank or island to island it was impossible to distinguish a horse from a cow. Then the Lord of the River, also known as the god of the Yellow River and as P’ing-i, was beside himself with joy, believing that all the beauty in the world belonged to him alone. Following the current, he journeyed east until at last he reached the North Sea. Looking east he could see no end to the water.
The Lord of the River began to wag his head and roll his eyes. Peering off far in the direction of the god of the sea, Jo, he sighed and said, “The common saying has it, ‘He has heard the Way a mere hundred times but he thinks he’s better than anyone else’. It applies to me. In the past, I heard men belittling the learning of Confucius and making light of the righteousness of Po Yi. (Po Yi relinquished his kingdom to his brother and later chose to die of starvation rather than serve a ruler he considered unjust. He was considered a model of righteousness) though I never believed him. Now, I have seen your unfathomable vastness. It is as if I am only a disciple of this great sea that lies before me. If I had not come to see for myself your gate where I meet the sea, I should have been in danger. I should forever have been laughed at by the masters of the Great Method.”
Jo of the North Sea said, “You can’t discuss the ocean with a well frog – he’s limited by the space he lives in. You can’t discuss ice with a summer insect – he’s bound to a single season. You can’t discuss the Way with a cramped scholar – he’s shackled by his doctrines. Now you have come out beyond your banks and borders and have seen the great sea – so you realize your own pettiness. From now on it will be possible to talk to you about the Great Principle. “
“Of all the waters of the world, none is as great as the sea. Ten thousand streams flow into it – I have never heard of a time when they stopped – and yet it is never full. The water leaks away at Wei-lu where sea water is said to turn to steam – I have never heard of a time when it didn’t – and yet the sea is never empty. Spring or autumn, it never changes. Flood or drought, it takes no notice. It is so much greater than the streams of the Yangtze or the Yellow River that it is impossible to measure the difference. But I have never for this reason prided myself on it. I take my place with heaven and earth and receive breath from the yin and yang. I sit here between heaven and earth as a little stone or a little tree sits on a huge mountain. Since I can see my own smallness, what reason would I have to pride myself?
“Compare the area within the four seas with all that is between heaven and earth – is it not like one little anthill in a vast marsh? Compare the Middle Kingdom with the area within the four seas – is it not like one tiny grain in a great storehouse? When we refer to the things of creation, we speak of them as numbering ten thousand – and man is only one of them. We talk of the Nine Provinces where men are most numerous, and yet of the whole area where grain and foods are grown and where boats and carts pass back and forth, man occupies only a fraction. Compared to the ten thousand things, is he not like one little hair on the body of a horse? Is this not what the five emperors of antiquity of whom the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun are the most famous and the Three Kings (the founders of the Hsia, Shang and Zhou) fought over, what the benevolent man grieve about, what the responsible man labors about – all is no more than this! Po Yi gained a reputation by giving it up; Confucius passed himself off as learned because he talked about it. But in priding in this way, were they not like you a moment ago priding yourself as on your flood waters?”
“Well then,” said the Lord of the River, “if I recognize the hugeness of heaven and earth and the smallness of the tip of a hair will that do?” “No indeed!” said Jo of the North Sea. “There is no end to the weighing of things, no stop to time, no constancy to the division of lots, no fixed rule to beginning and end. Therefore great wisdom observes both far and near, and for that reason recognizes small without considering it paltry, recognized large without considering it unwieldy, for it knows that there is no end to the weighing of things. It has a clear understanding of past and present, and for that reason it spends a long time without considering it tedious, a short time without fretting at its shortness, for it knows it has no time to stop. It perceives the nature of fullness and emptiness, and for that reason it does not delight if it acquires something nor worry if it loses it, for it knows there is no constancy to the division of lots. It comprehends the Level Road, and for that reason it does not rejoice in life nor look on death as a calamity, for it knows that no fixed rule can be assigned to beginning and end.”
Jo of the North Sea continues, “Calculate what man knows and it cannot compare with what he does not know. Calculate the time he is alive and it cannot compare to the time before he was born. Yet man takes something so small and tries to exhaust the dimensions of something so large! Hence he is muddled and confused and can never get anywhere. Looking at it this way, how do we know that the tip of a hair can be singled out as the measure of the smallest thing possible? Or how do we know that heaven and earth can fully encompass the dimensions of the largest thing possible?”
The Lord of the River said, “Men who debate such matters these days all claim that the minutest thing has no form and the largest thing cannot be encompassed. Is this a true statement?”
Jo of the North Sea said, “If from the standpoint of the minute we look at what is large, we cannot see to the end. If from the standpoint f what is large we look at what is minute, we cannot distinguish it clearly. The minute is the smallest of the small, the gigantic is the largest of the large, and it is therefore convenient to distinguish between them. But this is merely a matter of circumstance. Before we can speak of coarse or fine, however, there must be some form. If a thing has no form, then numbers cannot express its dimensions, and if it cannot be encompassed, then numbers cannot express its size. We can use words to talk about the coarseness of things and we can use our minds to visualize the fineness of things. But what words cannot describe and the mind cannot succeed in visualizing – this has nothing to do with coarseness or fineness. Therefore the Great Man in his action will not harm others, but he makes no show of benevolence or charity. He will not move for the sake of profit, but he does not despise the porter at the gate. He will not wrangle for goods or wealth, but he makes no show of refusing or relinquishing them. He will not enlist the help of others in his work, but he makes no show of being self-supporting, and he does not despise the greedy and base. His actions differ from those of the mob, but he makes no show of uniqueness or eccentricity. He is content to stay behind with the crowd, but he does not despise those who run forward to flatter and fawn. All the titles and stipends of the age are not enough to stir him to exertion; all its penalties and censures are not enough to make him feel shame. He knows that no line can be drawn between right and wrong, no border can be fixed between great and small. I have heard it said, ‘The Man of the Way wins no fame, the highest virtue wins no gain, the Great Man has no self.’ To the most perfect degree, he goes along with what has been allotted to him.”
The Lord of the River said, “Whether they are external to things or internal, I do not understand how we come to have these distinctions of noble and mean or of great and small.”
Jo of the North Sea said, “From the point of view of the Way, things have no nobility or meanness. From the point of view of things themselves, each regards itself as noble and other things as mean. From the point of view of common opinion, nobility and meanness are not determined by the individual himself.
“From the point of view of differences, if we regard a thing as big because there is a certain bigness to it, then among all the ten thousand things there are none that are not big. If we regard a thing as small because there is a certain smallness to it, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not small. If we know that heaven and earth are tiny grains and the tip of a hair is a range of mountains, then we have perceived the law of difference.
“From the point of view of function, if we regard a thing as useful because there is a certain usefulness to it, then among all the ten thousand things there are none that are not useful. If we regard a thing as useless because there is a certain uselessness to it, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not useless. If we know that east and west are mutually opposed but that one cannot do without the other, then we can estimate the degree of function.
“From the point of view of preference, if we regard a thing as right because there is a certain right to it, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not right. If we regard a thing as wrong because there is a certain wrong to it, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not wrong. If we know that Yao and Chieh each thought himself right and condemned the other as wrong, then we may understand how there is a preference in behavior.
In ancient times, Yao abdicated to Shun and Shun ruled as emperor; K’uai abdicated in favor of Chih and Chih was destroyed. (In 316BC King K’uai of Yao was persuaded to imitate the example of Yao by ceding his throne to his minister Tzu Chih. In no time the state was torn by internal strife and three years later it was invaded and annexed by the state of Ch’i). T’ang and Wu were the founders of the Shang and Zhou dynasties who fought and became kings. While Duke Po, who was a scion of the royal family of Ch’u, led an unsuccessful revolt against its ruler and was defeated and forced to commit suicide in 479BC. Looking at it this way, we see that struggling or giving way, behaving like a Yao or a Chieh, may at one time noble and another time mean. It is impossible to establish any constant rule.
Jo of the North Sea continues, “A beam or pillar can be used to batter down a city wall, but is no good at stopping up a little hole – this refers to a difference in function. Thoroughbreds like Ch’i-chi and Hua-liu could gallop a thousand li in a day, but when it came to catching rats they were no match for the wildcat or the weasel – this refers to a difference in skill. The horned owl catches fleas at night and can spot the tip of a hair, but when daylight comes, no matter how wide it opens its eyes, it cannot see a mound or a hill – this refers to a difference in nature. Now do you say that you are going to make Right your master and do away with Wrong, or make Order your master and do away with Disorder? If you do, then you have not understood the principle of heaven and earth or the nature of the ten thousand things. This is like saying that you are going to make Heaven your master and do away with Earth, or make Yin your master and do away with Yang. If men persist in talking this way without stop, they must be either fools or deceivers!
“Emperors and kings have different ways of ceding their thrones; the Three Dynasties had different rules of succession. Those who went against the times and flouted custom were called usurpers; those who went with the times and followed custom were called companions of righteousness. Be quiet, be quiet, O Lord of the River! How could you understand anything about the gateway of nobility and meanness or the house of great and small?”
“Well then,” said the Lord of the River, “What should I do and what should I not do? How am I to know in the end what to accept and what to reject, what to abide by and what to discard?”
Jo of the North Sea said, “From the point of view of the Way, what is noble and what is mean? These are merely what are called endless changes. Do not hobble your will, or you will be departing far from the Way! What is few, or what is many? These are merely what is called boundless turnings. Do not strive to unify your actions, or you will be at sixes and sevens with the Way! Be stern like a ruler of the state – he grants no private favor. Be benign and impartial like the god of the soil at the sacrifice – he grants no private blessings. Be broad and expansive like the endlessness of the four directions – they have nothing which bounds or hedges them. Embrace the ten thousand things universally – how could there be one you should give special support to? This is called being without bent. When the ten thousand things are unified and equal, then which is short and which is long?
“The Way is without beginning or end, but things have their life and death – you cannot rely on their fulfillment. One moment empty, the next moment full – you cannot depend on their form. The years cannot be held off; time cannot be stopped. Decay, growth, fullness, and emptiness end and then begin again. It is thus we must describe the plan of the Great Meaning and discuss the principles of the ten thousand things. The life of things is a gallop, a headlong dash – with every moment they shift. What should you do and what should you not do? Everything will change of itself that is certain!” “If that is so,” said the Lord of the River, “then what is there valuable about the Way?”
Jo of the North Sea said, “He who understands the Way is certain to have command of basic principles. He who has command of basic principles is certain to know how to deal with circumstances. And he who knows how to deal with circumstances will not allow things to do him harm. When a man has perfect virtue, fire cannot burn him, water cannot drown him, cold and heat cannot afflict him, birds and beasts cannot injure him. I do not say that he makes light of these things. I mean that he distinguishes between safety and danger, contents himself with fortune and misfortune, and is cautious in his comings and goings. Therefore nothing can harm him. “Hence it is said – The heavenly is on the inside, the human is on the outside. Virtue resides in the Heavenly. Understand the actions of Heaven and man, base yourself on Heaven, take your stand in virtue, and then, although you hasten or hold back, bend or stretch, you may return to the essential and speak of the ultimate.”
The Lord of the River then asked, “What do you mean by the Heavenly and the human?” Jo of the North Sea concludes by saying, “Horses and oxen have four feet – this is what I mean by the Heavenly. Putting a halter on the horse’s head, piercing the oxen’s nose – this is what I mean by the human. So I say, do not let what is purposeful wipe out what is fated; do not let the desire for gain lead you after fame. Be cautious, guard it, and do not lose it – this is what I mean by returning to the True.”
October 8, 2014
Number 8
The Shaman’s Beginnings
In pre-history there was once a great shaman from northern China who came from the northeast near where the Yellow River meets the sea. He was honored by all the other holy men and Shamaness who followed him. He seemed ageless and few could guess his age. Most could only say he had always been there from the beginning. His memories seemed to be timeless, much further back to the beginning of history when the universe was first formed, when earth and sky first came together. His connection between what was known and what was not known was indispensable to all the clans of northern China. Certainly from the river clans that looked to him in awe and wonder.
His color was red or ochre. As if you mixed the colors yellow from earth dug at the river’s edge and red together. He was known to create this fine mixture of untold ingredients and smear or put all over his body when he would spend time alone. It would be as if he was speaking to someone no one else could hear or see. When asked he would only say he was speaking to his brothers and peers, he called them dragons. He would say the color of red represented the earth and the blood that ran through our soul and eternity. When asked if he was red like the earth then what about where was the sky. He would only look to the southwest and sadly say that she was blue and far in the distance and point “she is there”. He knew that someday they would be together again.
All the shaman and clan leaders looked to him to guide them as he was a great teacher. They knew he came from the stars and knew of the Way… Beyond what could be known. When sitting with the children telling stories they would often giggle and laugh and ask him where he was from and he would say from there… as he pointed to the stars. “What’s up there, they would ask”. He would say, “The teachers of the Way and the lady of my life came from there. It was the last time I saw her before we came to earth. We came from the beginning of heaven and earth to be the protectors”. When he did this he would grow sad and they would ask “what’s the matter papa”, as if he was the father of them all. He would only say that she was there with him. Now they are apart here on earth. They would ask,”why you aren’t together now”? He would only smile and say someday we will be. The children would respond in unison, “We hope we can know such love someday”. The great shaman would simply say to follow your heart’s ultimate desire and you too can know this love. That we each came into this world with a “soul mate”, and that we can never be completed until we are reunited with this forever love. Just be careful who you give your heart too. This love is not of the physical kind, but the reuniting of two eternal spirits who came to earth to tell and teach others of the Way.
One of the older boys looked down from the stars that so illuminated the sky and asked the old shaman, “but what is this Way that we should know about that is so important?” The Great Shaman smiled at the young boy and said, “The way has its own reality and its signs, but is without action or form. You can hand it down from generation to generation but you cannot receive it; you can get it but you cannot see it. It is its own source; before heaven and earth existed it was there from ancient times. It gave spirituality to the spirits, some of which come to roam the earth like me. Someday I will teach others about this yin and yang. But they are not ready yet”. Two older boys toward the back looked at him and in unison asked, “Can I be like you someday?” The shaman answered “yes, but it is not easy being the shaman”. The girls would ask him how to find their soul mate. He would only look to the sky and thinking of her say “You must remember who you once were and from where you came and try to be that person. When you do the right person will return and come into your life. They are looking for you too”. The children knew this wisdom would stay with them forever. Although some were listening and some were not. They were stargazing.
The great shaman was loved and was considered the protector of all the people. Many holy men and women who vied to be shaman from other clans came to spend time with him in hopes that his greatness might rub off on them. His arrival at clan gatherings always created a stir. People would come just to get a glimpse of him. When the shaman from the clans would meet disagreements were almost always settled by a glance from him and order would be restored. He was their connection between heaven and earth. But his people often worried about him because on most days he appeared to be sad as if he had lost something. He often tried to avoid gatherings when the beautiful young girls would be present as though his thoughts were lost up in the sky as he thought of the one he left behind. It was as if a piece of his heart was missing.
They called him Dan after the color red he rubbed all over his body when he would go off to speak with the powers of the universe before addressing everyone. He was so mystical. His presence during these times brought great comfort to everyone. Or was it that the color red for the earth representing everything they had come to know was named after him. Or even perhaps through the wisdom he shared with them. It had been so many years no one could remember. It was agreed that no one else could share this name of Dan and it was understood that in the future only those who could reflect this eternal wisdom could be so named, while the color red was to be immortalized as sacred for all time to come in his honor.
Far to the southwest a great Shamaness lived who was the equal of Dan. They shared the same eternal energy. She too came from the stars and was a great leader of her clan as well. Her healing powers were so well known that people came from everywhere to have her help them to recover from illness and injury. She knew all the special herbs and teas and even pressure points in the body that would speed healing. With great wisdom she always seemed to know what to do in difficult situations. The shaman in her territory would often come to consult with her and to get her advice. She would freely give it only if it led to peace and harmony among all the people. But no one knew where she was from.
When asked she would only look up and say “I came from the sky with Dan”. When pressed for whom and where this Dan was, she would only grow sad and lightly touch her chest and say “He is here in my heart. When we left the stars above, he took a piece of my heart with him and I took a piece of his. We share the same eternal energy and destiny”. She then smiled and said “someday we will be together again. In the beginning of time we were there (her arms outreached to show all the stars in the universe and heaven) long before the memories can say or know. We loved to travel the heavens together with our forever friends. I am them and they are me. But it is Dan’s company I linger for. It is our destiny one day to return to the stars to be together again. In the meantime we made a vow to help others to meet their own challenges and encourage them to look to the sky that will foretell their own future and destiny. To remind them that they are made of star stuff as well. We made a vow to stay connected forever and we shall. I hope to catch up with him on earth someday to share our stories. I know that Dan will come for me”. The Shamaness name was Yueqiong Yulan. Like all the girls in southwest China, she reflected the beauty of the most beautiful flower to be seen or found. She was strong and sturdy, yet delicate and would always seem ready to crumble at the slightest touch. But this was just an illusion that allowed her to keep and maintain her distance her eternal beauty craved and depended on.
Over the centuries that followed the exploits of Dan and Yueqiong Yulan became legend. Although they often took on the names of others, they were known by those who could keep their secret. They were the great shaman and shamaness who would travel the north and south of China taking on the form of the person history needed at just that moment. Their stories became common knowledge to storytellers who told of their always bringing others to their highest endeavors as teachers of how people should live in harmony and look to the sky for their own star. They were famous because their spirits could take human form and travel from generation to generation as they were always in search of the other one who always carried a piece of their heart. For the Yellow Emperor, the Great Yu, King Wen, other shaman who would become king, Dan the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, Lao and Chuang Tzu, and all who would follow one of them was always there, always present, always knowing the next step to be taken, yet always staying in the background hoping others would be ready to fulfill their own destiny.
One the Great Shaman would recall many centuries later would be his dear friend, the great Chuang Tzu. “Ah the good times and plum wine we shared together. The stories Chuang would tell and the underlying truths and contradictions he could expose for what was considered the status quo at the time. The laughter we would share exposing others to their ego and follies. He was a great teacher and was the first to convince me to take pen in hand and convey the true essence of history and the Tao for myself through my own hand. Along with his alter ego, Lieh Tzu, they could pass judgment on the ten thousand things but not consider themselves righteous. Extend to the ten thousand things, but not consider them benevolent. While older than the highest antiquity, Chuang Tzu did not see himself as long-lived or old. Although I know better because his home was on the star next to mine and we rode dragons together up to the point when we became dragons ourselves long before there was either space or time. Chuang Tzu could cover heaven, bear up the earth, help to carve up and fashion countless forms (what he does best), while never taking himself too seriously. He is a true instrument of the Tao. He will always be my forever friend,” said the Great Shaman.
We three have always been present in the face of history giving guidance to other shaman, philosophers and the future leaders of China. Many times they would hear that the other had just left and would be missed again… until now as they are ready to finally tell the world their story. This is their story as living history. Of Dan, Chuang Tzu, Yueqiong Yulan, and many, many others who have served as the instrument of Heaven and the Tao.
An original composition by Dan DeCarlo
October 18, 2014
Number 9
To build on improvision in a perfect or knowing way
Having once again traversed the length of the Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), I am struck initially by this sense of peace and calm that is required to facilitate the connection, or as I often think, the channel between us as self-described mystics. There was a phrase I caught while watching TV last night “To build on improvision in a perfect way.” For me it simply means to be able to improvise in a knowing way. Every day as I sit, read, write, watch something on TV or peruse the internet is done as improvisation. I am free, I am in wu wei, to be without forethought, or my own perfect harmony. As such there can be no right or wrong thought or action, or feelings of happiness or unhappiness, as everything that occurs is in perfect sync with my perfect nature. As if I am internally quiet, in tune and listening to the ebb and flow of the universe, while that which is present in the outer world flows around and about me.
What is considered as meditation is not time set aside for this connection, but a way of living 24/7 every day in an inner silence, or quiet, regardless of the events of the outer world that swirl around me. In perusing the internet, I found the paragraph below by Scott “Bao Pu” Barnwell that helps to define this feeling.
Quietism, as I use the term, refers to the practice(s) of achieving and maintaining a tranquil, serene and unperturbed mind, possibly accompanied with a relaxed body. In such a state, the Divine, however construed, takes the lead in, or becomes the agent of one’s actions. Arthur Waley seems to have been the first to use it with regards to ancient China and the Taoists in particular. Many of the “knack-stories” in the Zhuangzi fit with this conception of quietism, as when the butcher Ding quiets his senses, empties his mind, and allows his spirit (shen 神) to guide him through the natural inherent patterns in the oxen he works with. Further, the notions of spontaneous response/adaptation often appear to be examples of quietism insofar as the person, after clearing and quieting his or her mind, finds himself/herself spontaneously adapting to situations with a perfect fit, as if something divine were guiding him/her. As A.C. Graham put it, “The Taoist’s motions derive not from himself as man, but from Heaven working through him.” Describing this as “quietism” (a form of religious mysticism requiring extinction of the will, withdrawal from worldly interests, and passive meditation on God, Tao, and divine things) to refer to practices that consist of emptying and quieting of the mind, such as meditation, despite lacking explicit claims of “divine” inspiration or agency. Quietism is closely linked to mysticism, especially Harold Roth’s so-called “bi-modal” mysticism, whereby one’s mode of being is profoundly transformed by the mystic unitive (i.e., something capable of causing unity or serving to unite) experience.
October 20, 2014
Number 10
An American Journey through the I Ching and Beyond
The following is the preface of my book I wrote in 1993 and published in China in 2004 by Bluewind Publishing in Beijing. The book, An American Journey through the I Ching and Beyond, can be found online in China at http://www.ecph.com.cn. Beginning today, you can follow the contents and additional commentary about the I Ching I have learned and experienced since writing this book over twenty years ago,
Preface
It is not the purpose of this book to detail and outline the numerical meaning of the line generally drawn as a hexagram that are normally associated with the I Ching. Although included simply as a point of reference for the reader, they are not the focus of the story that is to be told. Initially used as a way to predict events, the I Ching soon began to represent much more because people desired to have a sense of predictability in all thing that governed their lives. This book is written out of promote understanding of Chinese history and culture in such a way that opens the I Ching and the beginning of Taoism to the widest possible audience.
To attract the broadest readership in China and the United State and elsewhere, the author decides to take on the role of the storyteller that world have been around 3,000 years ago by becoming the story where appropriate. Often as the shaman or designated person, who was good at telling the story, he conveys the meaning of the oracle in today’s common language or way of speaking. Telling the story that had frequently been illustrated on strips of tortoise shells that would later become the I Ching when all the strips or stories were combined together, he assumes the role of the dragon to find and fulfill his own ultimate destiny.
This explains the book being separated into three sections. Beginning outlines the process used by the author to get in the correct frame of mind for what was to follow. Second would be the Inner Chapters a phrase commonly used by Taoists once the heart of the matter was to begin and third, Keeping to the Lower Clouds representing the dragon’s efforts to keep this upstart at bay and to do his homework before trying to come forward to newer heights…
The I Ching conveying and teaching that even then, through trial and error, the secret of foretelling the future and conveying a message was to become and live the story thereby guiding events to a foreseeable future… Other people could then see themselves as participants and get up and tell their version of events and identify their own inner strength and weakness and what was true and what it meant to them. Thereby beginning to plan their own endeavors and ultimate destiny. Focusing first on the narrative, or telling the story, the people of early China soon began to draw their own illustrations, and give meaning to the world around them. This meaning came together as their attempts to understand the I Ching and more importantly early Taoism began to give them a of where they “fit in” with the scheme of things. Becoming the story meant beginning to live the Tao in their day-day activities which when we find our own identity, could not be truer today.
Dan C DeCarlo
October 21, 2014
Number 11
Cultivating Stillness and the Origin of all Things
Eva Wong’s book Cultivating Stillness, a Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, offers an excellent guide to Taoist origins, principles and connection to the I Ching. Central to this is the connection between t’ai chi and wu-chi and the formulation of what is known as the wu-chi diagram. From a practical application these two were to solidify and find a way for both Confucians and Taoists to harmonize in popular culture, T’ai chi as the Confucianist conception of the source of all things and wu chi to the Taoists and Lao and Chuang Tzu. As told in her book, the Taoist origin of the universe and life is expounded by Chu-hsi of the Sung Dynasty (960-1279AD), who combined the Confucian and Taoist theories on the origin of things. He revised Chou Tuan-i’s treatise T’ai-chi T’ao Shuo and wrote, “From wu-chi comes t’ai-chi. When t’ai-chi moves, it creates yang. When movement reaches its extreme, stillness emerges. In stillness, yin is born. Thus, movement and stillness follow each other. Yin and yang, stillness and movement form to force the creation. From yang and yin are created the elements water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. The Five Vapors mutually enrich each other and generate the four seasons. The five elements originate from yin and yang. Yin and yang originate from t’ai chi and t’ai chi originates from wu-chi. From the properties of the five elements and the essence of wu-chi emerges generative energy. From the Way of Heaven (ch’ien), male is born. Following the Way of Earth (k’un), female is born. The union of ch’ien and k’un give rise to the myriad things. The ten thousand myriad things procreate and contribute to many forms of existence whose origin is wu-chi.” This is the description of the origin of things.
October 29, 2014
Number 12
Cultivating Stillness – Wu Ch’i and the way of the Sage
The ancient sage says,
“The Tao has no form. It gives life to heaven and earth. The Tao is void of emotions. It moves the sun and moon. The Tao is nameless. It nourishes all things.”
Commentary…. The Sage symbolizes the goodness inherent in all sentient beings. The origin of the ancient sage is difficult to fathom. He is the manifestation of the Tao and can appear in many forms. As the Elder Emperor of the Three Realms, he is called the Heavenly Teacher of the Ten Thousand Dharmas. As the Middle Emperor of the Three Realms, he is called the Pan-ku. As the Later Emperor of the Three Realms, he is called Chuhua.
During the time of the herbalist Shen-ming, he is the sage T’ai-hsing. In the era of the Yellow Emperor, he is the sage Kang-hsing. Since he takes many forms it is difficult to enumerate all his incarnations. Sometimes he appears as a Confucian sage. Sometimes he appears as a Buddha. Sometimes he appears as a Taoist immortal. His deeds are limitless. He is elusive and mysterious. He guides our intuition, instructs us in the virtues, and induces stillness in our hearts.
The Tao is supreme goodness. It has no form and is limitless. It is formless because there is no visible trace of its existence. The Tao is that energy that has existed from the beginning when there was neither structure nor differentiation. It is the source of life in heaven and on earth. It creates and nourishes all things. Yang vapor (energy) is symbolized by heaven and yin vapor by earth. The Tao is not affected by emotions. It belongs to the Realm of Earlier Heaven and is without sound or smell.
The Tao is nameless and has no form. It has no beginning and has no end. When forced to give it a name, we call it the Tao. The Tao nourishes all things. Even insects and plants receive nourishment from the Tao. If human beings are willing to return to the Tao, they must find someone who can show them the heaven and earth, the sun and moon in their bodies. They must cultivate and follow the Tao that cannot be named. They must preserve and purify the precious ching (generative energy), ch’i (vital energy), and shen (spirit energy). Then they will be able to ascend to the High Pure, the Most Pure, and the Jade Pure Realms. They will recap the fruits of immortality; become heavenly immortals, golden immortals, or spirit immortals. They will live in peace, without being bound to earthly existence. They will live forever and not be subjected to reincarnation.
The sage says:
“The Ancient Sage displays his esoteric wisdom in mysterious ways, he gives us the true meaning of this scripture. Ask your teacher to show you how to transcend life and death. When you have received the instructions practice diligently to cultivate the dragon and tiger. May everyone ascend to the pure still way, may everyone arise to the lotus of many-colored auras. After you are granted immortality in the palace of wu-chi, you will become as immortal living in happiness”.
This scripture is the boat that helps you cross the sea of earthly existence. Beware! You can circle the five lakes and four seas aimlessly. If the principles of the text are not revealed to you, you will waste much time and effort and not harvest any fruit. Miss one small part of the mystery, and several decades will pass.
The sage has now revealed his teachings, it is up to you to follow his instructions and arrive at the nine heavens.
From “Cultivating Stillness” by Eva Wong
November 29, 2014
Number 13
The Three Treasures of Taoism
Three Treasures (Taoism)
The Three Treasures or Three Jewels (Chinese: 三寶; pinyin: sānbǎo; Wade–Giles: san-pao) are basic virtues in Taoism.
Although the Tao Te Ching originally used sanbao to mean “compassion”, “frugality”, and “humility”, the term was later used to translate the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) in Chinese Buddhism, and to mean the Three Treasures (jing, qi, and shen) in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tao Te Ching Sanbao “three treasures” first occurs in Tao Te Ching chapter 67, which Lin Yutang (1948:292) says contains Laozi’s “most beautiful teachings”:
天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖久矣。其細也夫！我有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。慈故能勇；儉故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。今舍慈且勇；舍儉且廣；舍後且先；死矣！夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。
Everyone under heaven says that our Way is greatly like folly. But it is just because it is great, that it seems like folly. As for things that do not seem like folly — well, there can be no question about their smallness! Here are my three treasures. Guard and keep them! The first is pity; the second, frugality; the third, refusal to be ‘foremost of all things under heaven’. For only he that pity is truly able to be brave; only he that is frugal is able to be profuse. Only he that refuses to be foremost of all things is truly able to become chief of all Ministers.
At present your bravery is not based on pity, nor your profusion on frugality, nor your vanguard on your rear; and this is death. But pity cannot fight without conquering or guard without saving. Heaven arms with pity those whom it would not see destroyed. (Waley 1958:225) Arthur Waley describes these Three Treasures as, “The three rules that formed the practical, political side of the author’s teaching (1) abstention from aggressive war and capital punishment, (2) absolute simplicity of living, (3) refusal to assert active authority.”
Chinese terminology
The first of the Three Treasures is ci literally: “compassion, tenderness, love, mercy, kindness, gentleness, benevolence”, which is also a Classical Chinese term for “mother” (with “tender love, nurturing ” semantic associations). Tao Te Ching chapters 18 and 19 parallel ci (“parental love”) with xiao (孝 “filial love; filial piety”). Wing-tsit Chan (1963:219) believes “the first is the most important” of the Three Treasures, and compares ci with Confucianist ren (仁 “humaneness; benevolence”), which the Tao Te Ching (e.g., chapters 5 and 38) mocks.
The second is jian: chien; literally: “frugality, moderation, economy, restraint, be sparing”, a practice that the Tao Te Ching (e.g., chapter 59) praises.
Ellen M. Chen (1989:209) believes jian is “organically connected” with the Taoist metaphor pu (樸 “uncarved wood; simplicity”), and “stands for the economy of nature that does not waste anything. When applied to the moral life it stands for the simplicity of desire.”
The third treasure is a six-character phrase instead of a single word: Bugan wei tianxia xian 不敢為天下先 “not dare to be first/ahead in the world”. Chen notes that the third treasure, daring not be at the world’s front, is the Taoist way to avoid premature death.
To be at the world’s front is to expose oneself, to render oneself vulnerable to the world’s destructive forces, while to remain behind and to be humble is to allow oneself time to fully ripen and bear fruit. This is a treasure whose secret spring is the fear of losing one’s life before one’s time. This fear of death, out of a love for life, is indeed the key to Taoist wisdom. (1989:209)
In the Mawangdui Silk Texts version of the Tao Te Ching, this traditional “Three Treasures” chapter 67 is chapter 32, following the traditional last chapter (81, 31). Based upon this early silk manuscript, Robert G. Henricks (1989:160) concludes that “Chapters 67, 68, and 69 should be read together as a unit.”
Besides some graphic variants and phonetic loan characters, like ci (兹 “mat, this”) for ci (慈 “compassion, love”, clarified with the “heart radical” 心), the most significant difference with the received text is the addition of heng (恆, “constantly, always”) with “I constantly have three …” (我恆有三) instead of “I have three …” (我有三).
A consensus translation of the Three Treasures could be: compassion or love, frugality or simplicity, and humility or modesty.
Other meanings… In addition to these Taoist “Three Treasures”, Chinese sanbao can also refer to the Three Treasures in Traditional Chinese Medicine or the Three Jewels in Buddhism.
Victor H. Mair (1990:110) notes that Chinese Buddhists chose the Taoist term sanbao to translate Sanskrit triratna or ratnatraya (“three jewels”), and
“It is not at all strange that the Taoists would take over this widespread ancient Indian expression and use it for their own purposes.”
Erik Zürcher, who studied influences of Buddhist doctrinal terms in Daoism, noted (1980:115) two later meanings of sanbao: Dao 道 “the Way”, jing 經 “the Scriptures”, and shi 師 “the Master” seems to be patterned after Buddhist usage; Tianbao jun 天寶君 “Lord of Celestial Treasure”, Lingbao jun 靈寶君 “Lord of Numinous Treasure”, and Shenbao jun 神寶君 “Lord of Divine Treasure” are the Sanyuan 三元 “Three Primes” of the Lingbao School.
From Wikipedia