Taoism and Lao Tzu
We each enter the world with a blank slate, carrying only the memories worth holding onto. Viewing life differently from the norm is the usual path of the sage. When most follow one direction, he feels compelled to take another. What others may see as a setback, the sage embraces as strength.
The sage knows that everything we see, hear, and touch comes from something, and that something itself emerges from nothing, arriving from nowhere, as the sage continues to thrive.
From this, we see that our true path lies in spiritual growth and unity. The key is to nurture our own spiritual harmony, which naturally shines through in our happiness, health, and harmonious relationships, reflecting this state of unity.
Finding this unity of spirit becomes our ultimate achievement, allowing us to take the next step toward our own mindfulness and awareness. It’s about cultivating and developing our internal energies, merging them with the spirit—our center—that sustains and supports our life.
Lao Tzu’s thoughts and teachings aim to encourage spiritual maturity and the virtue of wholeness. Much of his writing was crafted to invite commentary, whether shared orally by a storyteller or scholar, or recorded in writing.
The chapters and verses of the Tao Te Ching were meant to be gathered, read, and linked together like pearls on a string, meant to be polished over centuries and passed down, creating a lasting unity of purpose.
Wang An-shih, a famous Chinese prime minister who was considered a great poet and prose writer of his day (1021-1086), says,
“The reason the Tao works through weakness is because it is empty. We see it in Heaven blowing through the great void. We see it in Earth sinking into the deeper depth.”
Finally, from Ho-Shang Kung, who says,
“The ten thousand things come from Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth have position and form. Hence, we say things come from something. The light and spirit from Heaven and Earth, the flight of insects, the movement of worms, these all come from the Tao. The Tao has no form. Hence, we say things come from nothing. This means the root comes before the flower, weakness comes before strength, humility comes before conceit.”
Often, while waiting for our mentors or teachers to show up when we think we’re ready, we overlook the need to look within and forget they’ve been here all along, trying to get our attention while we’re busy with other things.
Verse 40 – The Guardian Angel
If an angel came down from heaven to relay that what you thought were your weaknesses were actually your strengths and your strengths your weaknesses, would you have the courage to reach out and change the way you live each day.
If an angel came down from Heaven to relay that your only limitations were self-imposed and you could accomplish whatever you wanted as long as the beneficiary was not yourself, what would you do first?
If an angel came down from Heaven and stood right here – and said that people only know the work of working and that the greatest work of all is the work of not working.
Caught up thinking that everything comes from something. If they knew that something comes from nothing, they would not work so hard and enslave themselves to things. They would instead turn to Heaven and the Tao and concentrate on cultivating spirit.
Finally, it is when knowing that everything has its limit. That when their something gets way out here…. It has no choice but to come back the other way. Ultimately when we do become balanced, we become centered.
When we become centered, we can see beyond ourselves, and we can discover why we are here. The grace of Heaven and the Tao come forth to guide our way.
Those who cultivate the Tao act with humility and harmony. Those who cultivate virtue look to themselves for the truth, not to the words of others. For those who understand that what moves them is also the source of their life, they can begin to understand the gift of Heaven and live forever.
第40节 守护神
如果有一个天使从天上下来告诉你，你的缺点恰是你的优点，而你的优点恰是你的缺点。你是否有勇气去面对，去改变你每天的生活方式？
如果有一个天使从天上下来告诉你，你唯一的局限是你自己造成的。假如你不谋私利的话，你就能够完成你想做的每一件事情。如果这样，你想先做什么呢？
如果一个天使从天上下来就站在你的面前，对你说，众人光知道为工作而工作，而不知道最好的工作是不工作。人们常认为，事情皆出有因。如果他们知道有些事出于无因，他们就不会那么劳累，做工作的奴隶。他们就会信仰神和道，专心修炼。
最终明白万事皆有限度。当出了问题时，他们别无选择，只好从另外一条路回来。最后，当我们达到平衡时，我们就成为中心了。当我们成为中心时，我们就能够超越自我，明白我们为何在此。神用他的恩典和他的手为我们指路。
修道的人行为举止充满慈祥和谐。修德的人从自己身上，而不是从别人的言辞中找到真理。
那些懂得生命之源的人也开始理解上苍的礼物和长生不老。
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