This chapter of my book, The Yellow Emperor from “My travels with Lieh Tzu”, deals mainly with the Taoist principle of action. To the unenlightened when faced with an obstacle, thoughts of benefit and harm and possible alternative courses of action, can lead to more harm than good. That it is only when we do not have to think about what to do next and are not conscious of ourselves, concentrating on the object of our attention, that we can react without intermediate thought can we succeed. It is when our mind is a mirror of our situation, unaware of ourselves making no distinction between advantage and danger, and to act with absolute assurance that nothing will stand in our way. This is how thoughts of wu wei, and non-action, became central with the core of Eastern philosophy and thought.
I like the post here on Facebook in the entry on Nuclear Physics by Nevaeh Hayes. In following Taoist philosophy, I like to look for parallels to ancient thought that convey universal truisms that we have tried to uncover. Especially the ideas related to the nature of reality and how we as both individuals and collectively, can make the best of what we make of ourselves and the world around us. I have added to his excellent narrative with excerpts from the Yellow Emperor and myself.
Quantum physics has sparked some fascinating conversations about the nature of reality, and among these is the provocative idea that death, as we understand it, may be an illusion. At its core, quantum physics reveals a universe that is far less fixed and more interconnected than we once believed. Key experiments challenge our traditional understanding of time, space, and matter -concepts that form the foundation of our views on life and death.
Quantum physics asks us, what does this mean for death? If consciousness plays a central role in shaping reality, as some interpretations of quantum physics suggest, then the “end” of physical life might not be the end of consciousness. Instead, consciousness could exist independently of the physical body, continuing in a way that transcends space and time as our spirit. This aligns with theories like biocentrism, which proposes that life and consciousness create the universe, not the other way around. In this view, death is not the cessation of existence but a transition – like stepping into another dimension of the multiverse.
Why living as a continuum of spirit beyond limitations of our past, finding perfection in the present, and setting the stage for our future endeavors becomes essential. Even time itself isn’t as linear as we perceive it. Experiments have shown that particles can retroactively change their state based on future observations. If time isn’t a strict sequence of past, present, and future, then perhaps what we call “death” is merely a shift in perception, not a true endpoint.
While quantum physics doesn’t directly prove life after death, it challenges the materialist view that life is confined to the physical body. By revealing a universe that is non-linear, interconnected, and influenced by consciousness, it opens the door to the possibility that death, as we understand it, might not be the full story. So, could death be an illusion? Quantum physics invites us to question our assumptions and consider that what feels like an ending might actually be something far more mysterious and expansive when we can trust our innate memories and virtue.
My travels with Lieh Tzu / Interpolations along the Way
Chapter Two – The Yellow Emperor
24. Finding Perfection
Remain as the reclusive sage refraining from earthly endeavors. As if you were in a 
small hut on a mountainside with a clear vista of where heaven and earth meet all around you. Inhaling the wind and drinking the dew and refraining from eating the five grains. (Oats, barley, corn, wheat, and rye).
Your mind remains as a bottomless spring. Your body remains as if it were still a virgin. Knowing not energy or love yet keeping the others and the immortals at your disposal. Bringing no attention to yourself. Never angry yet keeping the dragons at your beck and call.
Without kindness or bounty. Others have enough on their own. Never storing or saving, however never lacking. Yin and yang ever‑present. Sun and moon always shining. The four seasons are coming and going. Wind and rain forever moderate. Breeding is always timely. The harvest is always abundant. No plagues to ravage or maim. Man, not encountered by death. Animals free from disease and ghosts giving no mysterious replies.
With all as it should be remaining perfect to the end. 1/20/95
Number twenty-four of one hundred fifty-eight entries.
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