Number 18
January 2017
Realignment of body – mind – and spirit… to live contentedly in wu wei
Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) believed that the key to true happiness was to free oneself from the world and its standards through the Taoist principle of “inaction” wu wei, action that is not based on any purposeful striving or motives for gain. To be so in tune with to the eternal cosmology and inner transformation that led to mystical experiences that align our energies to attaining union with the Way, or Tao. The coming year to become totally focused on re-aligning mind and body with my spirit, or soul’s highest endeavor and destiny.
This month of January must be about completion and re-alignment. Letting go and going to a higher spiritual perspective. To be in tune with my own cosmic balance. Anything not fitting within my realm of integrity I let go. What is meaningful, what is purposeful, how to strengthen, further finding my center where my highest truth is revealed. To trust my inner guidance. The key is finding my inner balance and openly dealing with karmic imbalances. Processing both internal and external and developing total trust of my own abilities and place in the world. Internal expression through The Kongdan Foundation website and external through selected opportunities that allow me to express my own oneness with nature and the universe. To develop total trust in myself, have self-confidence and use my talents to shape my environment. First and foremost, in aligning my energies… with what the Taoists would call “upper heaven” my convening with my eternal divinity, and secondly what is called “lower heaven”. What I experience in the here and now as the reflection, or mirror, of my persona reflected by the “who I am” here now on earth. Acknowledging my responsibilities and striving to do justice to them both.
Meditation and focus on aligning with three cosmic events that re-direct my thoughts and actions to my primary goal or objective. The shaman through observing the sun, moon, stars, and the natural environment, understood our connection to the universe and that everything was connected to everything else. That we are not a body unto ourselves. December is a time to bring closure to the past. The planet Mercury in retrograde this month (Dec 19-Jan 6) and the full moon in Gemini on December 13-14 that serves to manifest your energies, letting go releasing attachments that no longer serve us, and begin by seeing the world in a different light. Second, December 19th to reflect on intentions over the next ten days, and finally to prepare for a fresh, or new perspective on December 29th with the new moon on the horizon. Using this
- To slow down as if weeding my spiritual garden and clarify my purpose, to make sure I am listening to the voice of spirit not ego. That my intentions have integrity with my ultimate purpose.
- To practice being present, to receive intuition and inspiration, focus my breath on taming my mind and to always look for creative solutions.
- Honor your feelings. Release negative emotions that are stored in your body and leave scars. Look for outlets to express your feelings in a positive way.
- Transfer negative emotions into love. Process through breath, light and love.
- Receive guidance for your net step through meditation. Be who you are… a light of the world thereby lifting the energy of everything and everyone around you.
To not let anything disturb your piece of mind. Tranquility and restricting your senses and desires with moderation in all things. Find and remain within a sense of peace and calmness letting this permeate every pore of your body. Life totally within the oneness of Tao as you yourself become the Tao. Find discipline and stay within it. Contend with no one or nothing. Remain spontaneous – honor each moment and live within it. Re-align the thoughts (your mind) and body. To reflect the image that embraces the idea that we can simultaneously embody the oneness of everything as well as entertain and act on our own individual human preferences. To be transformed with moderation in all things the key to your longevity.
The key to spiritual transformation (for myself), is moving beyond the idea that if one understands the heavenly and not the human then one lacks the means of human interaction. Or the opposite that if we understand the human and not the heavenly, then one lacks the means of wandering with and in the Tao. Temporary, or transient states found during meditation must become permanent traits. With these traits come a permanent realization and the purpose and reason for our body and soul re-alignment and how we live this through our actions that reflect Chuang Tzu’s Perfected Man and wu wei…
(I am indebted to Kari Samuels and Numerologist.com for some of the inspiration for the above segment),
(This is from my Numerology Report I did in November 2016)
Personal Year One
Lucky you, Dan! A Personal Year of vibration 1 means that you will attract the opportunity to make new beginnings, to start fresh, and to launch things you have been holding back for a while. One is the beginning of the cycle, and it’s likely you will feel like it’s a personal obligation to take charge and move forward with your plans; a whole new “mission” could begin.
If you haven’t been planning to start something new, you should, because whatever you begin this year will last throughout the nine-year cycle; this year’s actions are the foundation for what will be happening during the following eight years. It’s a good idea to plan for a new beginning in advance, because even if you’re not expecting it, the opportunity is likely to arise anyway. In fact, by doing so, you’re surfing a cosmic wave of synchronicity that can easily move you toward success.
This is the year to assert yourself, to push forward with your plans and to come up with new ideas. You are attracting positive vibrations to yourself, so as long as you remain positive and keep a progressive outlook, you’ll see doors open and feel increased levels of energy. A positive attitude will make you feel like nature is charging your batteries!
But there are a few typical drawbacks to a 1 Personal year. It’s possible that you could become so opportunistic that others might see you as being overly ambitious or arrogant; if you keep other’s feelings in perspective, however, you could avoid any major clashes. Do your best to look before you leap.
The Months of Personal Year 1
JANUARY
Because of the way that Personal Months are calculated, January will be Personal Month 2 this year. At this time, you’ll find that you have a noticeable advantage when it comes to gaining the aid and assistance of others. You’ll probably be a little “fired up” about making a new beginning or launching a project, and as long as you are willing to share the spotlight, others will be too, and more than willing to cooperate. At the same time, because this is a One personal year, you may find that the cooperation and support you receive may not last. You have to be careful not to push too hard in promoting your own agenda right now, because success will come only through working with others, and by letting opportunity come to you. If you act aggressively to pursue it, things will not go as well.
FEBRUARY
Dan, for you this is a Personal Month 3, and it offers the opportunity for success, as long as you are not too free with your time, money or energy. Do your best to stay focused on what’s most important and let go of anything that you cannot finish; it’s important that you focus on accomplishing something during this month. Because it will be very easy for you to become distracted, and put your effort into an unprofitable direction, you seriously need to tune in to your emotional guidance system by asking yourself “is this taking me in the direction that I want to go” and see how you feel about it. You are attracting vibrations that are very positive now. Be creative in your expression and find some time to enjoy the social activity that the month brings.
MARCH
A 4 Personal Month almost always has a feeling of being limiting or restrictive. If you attend to details, especially those regarding work, you’ll probably gain some advantage, and if you do not, things will be more difficult than they have in previous months this year. You’re most likely to attract things that are too big to handle easily, so don’t be stubborn and pretend that you can do anything. This is a good month to consider your personal wellness. One way or the other, the limitations you face will slow down your progress toward your goals, and that’s likely to be frustrating. This is a month of hard work, and it is especially important to realize that it will build structure and order for the rest of the year; don’t resent it.
APRIL
A Personal Month of the vibration 5 can give you a sense of greater freedom. This is a time during which good decisions can bring favorable changes, while those made in haste or made for the purpose of avoiding responsibilities will only bring trouble. A Five personal month is very favorable for travel, and you may want to take a little break in your routine in order to see what it will bring. Another thing that is really important is that you check every detail of things you have in the works; this may be an excellent time to bring new methods or systems on board so that you can work with the changes you’re attracting, instead of against them. Pay attention to coincidences, and look for meaning in the changes that happen.
MAY
This month carries 6 as its overall vibration, so you may find that matters concerning the home and family take precedence, Dan. Your relationships with others, especially intimate ones, are prominent right now, and will occupy your attention “for better or for worse.” If, during the previous months, you have been working cooperatively with others, it will likely be for the better. This vibration protects your money, so try to avoid being too aggressive about either gaining or spending it; you can attract it easily at this time. Obligations and responsibilities are likely to mount up, so maintain a positive attitude about fulfilling them, and make sure that you take care of your responsibility to yourself first. Don’t take on other’s problems as your own during this month.
JUNE
A 7 Personal Month is likely to bring delays. You can expect the pace of life to slow down, and trying to force them to speed up will not help. Since, at this time, you are attracting peaceful and spiritual situations, or those that require thought or analysis this is a good month for personal work, private activities and vacations. Agreements and alliances will be important to you, and this is a good time to make them, but be careful about extending your trust to easily. It’s not very favorable for pursuing financial goals; it’s far more important that you look seriously at what has been happening and assess what’s working for you and what you can discard. Let forethought, intuition and insight guide you in all you do at this time.
JULY
Personal Month 8 will, more often than not, bring various opportunities for you to take control of situations in business or in personal life. Material and financial pursuits are favored, but taking advantage of this vibration requires something of a change in your tactics, because many people “play fast and loose” with the power this vibration attracts to you. Attempts to force others to cooperate with you are likely to rebound as negative effects on your finances or your important relationships. You’ll find that it’s much easier to get your point across if you’re not being overly aggressive, and are willing to let others play a role in your success Dan.
AUGUST
Any Personal Month of the vibration 9 is likely to be favorable to you. It’s a good idea to check in with others you’ve been a little out of touch with, because the best possible results of your actions will be attracted to you when you find a way to help others at this time. Even more importantly, this is a month for letting go, and really hearing others, so that you can offer them the help you can muster without getting involved in their personal lives. Efforts that you make which only serve your own interests, especially regarding finances, are not likely to be successful, but those made with others in mind will bring success and other personal attainments. A 9 Personal Month is usually favorable for travel, in almost any year.
SEPTEMBER
Your Personal Month 1 is likely to be a period of time during which you may attract opportunities to take command of situations and move forward with your plans. Since this is also a 1 Personal Year for you, Dan, the opportunity to take charge and set your agenda in motion should come easily. You will, however, need to stay grounded and “step up to the plate” in order to make sure that things work out according to your best interests. You also must be centered enough to consider other’s feelings during the month. If you do, this is likely to be a favorable time overall. If you don’t, you will have a hard time with other people, and may feel less confident as a result.
OCTOBER
Because your Personal Year is of the vibration 1, you have two Personal Months that carry the vibration 2, but this one carries the extra energy of the vibration of 11. If you began something new during September, this is the time to seek the cooperation of others and work together with them toward common goals – it shouldn’t be difficult, because you will tend to be more inspired or inspiring than usual. If you aggressively pursue their cooperation, it is not likely to last, so don’t be too ready to put your agenda at the top of your list of priorities. Make sure to listen to others and do your best to accommodate them. The vibration 11, which can be somewhat daunting; it this can be a very tense or intense vibration, so you need to be careful about letting yourself get overly stressed. Put some focus into your relationships with others, and you can’t go wrong.
NOVEMBER
This Personal Month carries the 3 vibration this year, but it also has “12” as an essence number. The twelve carries the vibrations 1 and 2, so this primarily social month will attract conflicts between your need to achieve something and your relationships in both the personal and social arena. You’re likely to get more invitations and give them as well. Expect the time to be filled with conversation and entertainment but be very careful that you don’t lose track of your priorities. It’s very easy to put too many irons in the fire this month, so be careful to avoid making promises, and keep your appointments. It’s critical that you don’t vent your frustrations on anyone important to you during this time, because the negative feedback you receive from others will only increase.
DECEMBER
This is your second Personal Month 4 this year, Dan, but as it is calculated, it carries the special quality of the number 13. Because of the unique quality of this number, you may find yourself in situations where you find it hard to move forward with your plans. At the same time, this vibration also attracts the opportunity to express your gift of organization, and if you’re really lucky, you may have flashes of insight that are important. Hopefully the social activity of last month did not cause you to become scattered and overlook things, because during this month, every single detail needs to be fully examined. Don’t expect to get things done at the last minute, and don’t get upset when your hurried pace is slowed down by circumstances beyond your control; take advantage of these delays to make sure you “have all your bases covered.”
Your Major Challenge
This carries the vibration 7, Dan, which means you are likely to attract many opportunities for social life, group activities and cooperative work, despite the fact that you may not be interested in joining in on them. This is a Challenge that tends to take its “low road” when you isolate yourself from others, or prefer to pursue your interests only in private.
It brings with it circumstances that encourage you to trust others and yourself, and it is very important that you take them. If you choose to avoid taking people into your confidence or having a lack of faith in their ability to be dependable, they will certainly prove that negative projection true; if you take the high road and have faith in yourself and others, and let other people “join the party”, you’ll find that your intuition will grow, that your insights are valuable, and that you will develop an unshakable faith in yourself, others, and the Universe as a whole. It is a very spiritual vibration, but its gifts can be applied every day toward matters concerning love, health and prosperity.
DELUXE NUMEROLOGY REPORT
Full birth name
Daniel Carl DeCarlo
Born
October 08, 1952
| 5 Nickname Value | 6 First Response | 46 Third Pinnacle Ending |
| 9 Birth First Name Value | 8 Life Path | 9 First Pinnacle |
| 7 Birth Middle Name Value | 17 Compound | 7 Second Pinnacle |
| 4 Birth Last Name Value | 1 Formative Cycle | 7 Third Pinnacle |
| 1 Soul Urge | 8 Productive Cycle | 9 Fourth Pinnacle |
| 5Soul Urge Challenge | 8Harvest Cycle | 7First Minor Challenge |
| 1 Personality | 8 Birthday Number | 0 Second Minor Challenge |
| 1 Personality Challenge | 8 Birthday Vibration | 7 Major Challenge |
| 11 Expression | 7 Birthday Gift | 9 Achievement |
| 6 Expression Challenge | 28 First Pinnacle Ending | 9 Reduced Achievement |
| 37 Second Pinnacle Ending |
Number 19
2017 Chinese New Year this Saturday, January 28th.
January 2017
“Tranquility and calmness are that by which the nature (self-cultivation) is nourished. Harmony and vacuity are that by which potency is nurtured. When what is external does not disturb what is internal, then our nature attains what is suitable to it. When the harmony of our nature is not disturbed, then potency will rest securely in its position. Nurturing life so as to order the age, embracing potency so as to complete our years, this may be called being able to embody the Way.”
“The nature of water is clear, yet soil sullies it. The nature of humans is tranquil, yet desires disorder it … If the spirit is clear, lusts and desires cannot disorder it … If the spirit is clear, then consciousness is illumined”, from theHuainanzi, Harold Roth, Inward Training.
A new year, new beginnings. Of finding harmony between who we are in eternity with who we are now. Coming to understand the “as above – so below” that defines us. It is as if we are on a rite of passage as we surrender to the bliss our soul truly longs for. As if you are on a vision quest with your soul becoming purified and you realize life isn’t about seeking something outside yourself – but connecting deeply into the depths of your own soul. My affinity and passion for Taoism is because it speaks to my soul. With this understanding, after more than twenty years of “embracing the Way”, I realize that I am a teacher. I acknowledge my past as both shaman and sage and reorient my activities to reflect my highest endeavor. But first, I must continue the process of clearing away debris and continue realigning my energies to realization, otherwise known as a “spiritual transformation”. When you are in alignment with the universe is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
I am reminded of what my dear friend Chuang Tzu says about death as relayed by Po Chi’i from the Tang Dynasty in Musings of a Chinese Mystic from a book by Lionel Giles:
Peaceful Old Age
Chuang Tzu said,
“The Tao gives me this toil in manhood, this repose in old age, this rest in death.
Swiftly and soon the golden sun goes down. The blue sky wells afar into the night. Tao is the changeful world’s environment. Happy are they that in its laws delight.
The Tao gives me toil – youth’s passion to achieve. And leisure in life’s autumn and decay. I follow Tao – the seasons are my friends.
Opposing it – misfortune comes my way. Within my breast no sorrows can abide. I feel the great world’s spirit through me thrill. And as a cloud I drift before the wind. Or with the random swallow take my will.
As underneath the mulberry tree I dream. The water clock drips on, and dawn appears.
A new day dawns over wrinkles and white hair. The symbols of the fullness of my years.
If I depart, I cast no look behind. If still alive I still am free from care. Since life and death in cycles come and go.
Of little moment are the days to spare.
Thus, strong in faith I wait and long to be one with the pulsings of Eternity”.
Chuang Tzu had a great understanding of what death means as an end of body and mind, but not the spirit, or soul. We are eternal.The other major philosophical schools of ancient China, such as Confucianism, Legalism, and Mohism, were all concerned with concrete social, political, or ethical reforms designed to reform people and society and thereby alleviate the problems and suffering of the world. His writing inspired Chan, or Zen Buddhism, to take hold in China.
Most of the Buddhist sutras (religious writings) as they entered China were translated into Chinese by the Taoists who were heavily influenced by the writings of Chuang Tzu. However, Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) believed that the key to true happiness was to free oneself from the world and its standards through the Taoist principle of “inaction” wu wei, action that is not based on any purposeful striving or motives for gain. His ideas of separation and service and questioning authority when it did not make sense through the use of humor and paradox, would permeate philosophical and religious practice and teachings to this day.
But it was his understanding that death was not simply an end, but a continuation of our meandering or wandering through the cosmos, or universe that was for many most significant.
The term “wandering” (yóu 遊) is used throughout the stories of the Zhuangzi to describe how an enlightened person “wanders through all of creation, enjoying its delights without ever becoming attached to any one part of it.”
Our service here is to honor the eternal nature of both us and the universe… to better understand our own transcendence, do no harm and contribute to its well-being without being attached to any outcome that may follow.
It is sometimes said that this “spiritual transformation” is a gradual process, requiring numerous experiences, usually through a regular practice of meditation. Meditation for many is considered as peak experiences, no matter how profound, and merely temporary, passing, transient states. In order for higher development to occur, those temporary states must become permanent traits. Higher development involves, in part, the conversion of altered states into permanent realizations …
This is where meditative states become increasingly important. Unlike spontaneous peak experiences (which are fleeting), meditative states access these higher realms in a deliberate and prolonged fashion. As such, they more stably disclose the higher levels that eventually become, with practice, permanent realizations. (Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy, Shambhala, 2000, p. 15-16).
When you can reach the point where every moment is spent in spontaneity aligned with eternal truths and the Tao, you are living in the moment. There is no longer a need to set aside a time for meditation as you live in a constant state of mindfulness and awareness. Except to remind you of your original purpose.
What is my role and the mission of the Kongdan Foundation? How does my passion for Chinese history and philosophy move beyond my own since of returning to my source, to one of conveying the universal truths that I am here to convey? How do I assist in “becoming a bridge for global understanding of Eastern history and philosophy”?
The coming year is focused on setting the right intentions and matching challenges with my own skill levels. For this I look to what I refer to as three sets of three.
First, is following my mentors Lao, Chuang, and Lieh Tzu, and living in the spontaneity of the Tao and wu wei.
Second, to endeavor to have the mindset of Gandhi when he said. “You must be the change…”
And third as Robert (Bobby) Kennedy said:
“Our choice is not whether change will come, but whether we can guide that change in the service of our ideals and toward a social order shaped to the needs of all our people. In the long run we can master change not through force or fear, but only through the free work of an understanding mind, through an openness to new knowledge and fresh outlooks which can only strengthen the most fragile and the most powerful of human gifts: the gift of reason.”
For myself, it is stepping out of the clouds to support change (the I Ching), in the service of our ideas… and our highest self, as above – so below, that challenges my innate sense of tranquility and mindfulness. This website, thekongdanfoundation.com, second my Facebook page, and third, opening a bank account to expand the voice, message, and intent to serve those things that support our endeavors will be our foremost intent in the coming year.
Number 21,
March 1, 2017
February/early March 2017
Winston Churchill famously said, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” He was right: To make sense of the forces that shape our world, we have to look deep into the past. When we do this, the upheavals of our own day are revealed as merely the latest phase in a historical process that has been unfolding for thousands of years.
What does it mean to study metaphysics today and how can we be tied to one “school of thought” verses another? What do we call someone who studies various means or methods that take things beyond theory and attempts to live according to certain principles that underlie universal understanding not tied to a particular theology? What makes one practice (generally called religion) better than another? How does having some sense of connectedness to the universe and nature reflect on our journey as we each return to our source? Who can be seen as a modern day sage? Someone who has traveled widely and studied much… perhaps.
Or as Elizabeth Mattis, in the article Open Stillness, discusses in the Buddhist magazine Triangle says, “It is when we encounter not-knowing when, for instance, we meet someone new, or when life offers up a surprise. These experiences remind us that change and unpredictability are the pulse of our very existence. No one really knows what will happen from one moment to the next: who will we be, what will we face, and how will we respond to what we encounter? We don’t know, but there’s a good chance we will encounter some rough, unwanted experiences, some surprises beyond our imaginings, and some expected things, too. And we can decide to stay present for all of it. When we decide to stay present for all of it, we enter the spiritual path. Any spiritual path should provide us with an understanding that gradually leads us beyond habitual, reactive mind so that we can engage in our life with intelligence and openness”. Can we stay fixed in one place as the world changes around us?
Wasn’t this the earliest task and role of the shaman, to be so well-versed in knowing what was coming he could predict foreseeable outcomes so that others could act accordingly. Certainly he/she would have been considered the father of metaphysics… the earliest meta physician. This website is an attempt to tie these things together using the more the four to five thousand years of Chinese history, philosophy, and religion into an understandable context for moving from simply being the sage… to the modern-day meta physician, perhaps even mystic. Not to be tied a just a “certain way of seeing God, or the Tao, but beyond.
As a step in this direction, I turn to Lao Tzu, and a part of the preface of a book I wrote entitled, Thoughts on becoming a Sage that was published in China more than ten years ago and can be found here on this website. Sort of like what Churchill was saying earlier, in that “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”
This book represents a personal commitment to gaining a further understanding as to how Lao Tzu and his Tao Te Ching fits into the modern sense of what it means to be seen or considered as a sage. The traditional meaning of the sage has had a special meaning and connotation reserved for one of great insight and learning throughout Chinese history. Usually attributed to the great Taoists teachers Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu and Confucius, the term generally refers to one of great learning and insight who becomes a teacher of valuable lessons as to the way people should conduct their lives. Thoughts on becoming a Sage represents the author’s interpretation of the Tao Te Ching in a personalized style that illustrates the way of virtue and steps one would take in seeking out those attributes most resembling a “sage like” lifestyle and ways to live in the secular world. The paradox being that one cannot see oneself as a sage in the here and now… This would be seen as presumptuous. One simply aspires to see beyond himself and whatever his shortcomings may be and in doing so he can catch glimpses of his highest endeavor and destiny.
Just as there is an underlying or unity of philosophical religious teachings throughout the world, as shown by the teachings of Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Mencius, Confucius, and others, one who emulates or strives to live a life of virtue sees past self-imposed religious differences and intolerance found in the world around him. They see the likeness in everyday activities where virtue, or man’s highest endeavors, are reflected and accepted as universal truths; i.e., that we are all God’s children. It is when one reflects on his or her place in the scheme of things reaching an understanding of where they fit into this unity found in nature that the journey begins for real.
In a previously published book about the I Ching, (An American Journey through the I Ching and Beyond), I began writing about early Chinese history and philosophy in an effort to bridge seeming differences that are in reality non-existent. In Chinese history there was an individual who lived in the sixth century during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), that epitomized this universal sense of collective spirit and wisdom, (as a universal meta physician, of sorts). Li Fang saw the need for Confucius teachings to be seen as compatible with Taoism, the teachings of Lao Tzu, and Buddhism the teachings of Loashan Buddhism that was prevalent at the time. He professed to an understanding that all religions followed a core belief of a singular God. Christianity was not to be introduced in China for several hundred years at this point. All religions simply served as the mechanism to help people get to a similar place and that no one process was necessarily better than another. Each simply the process of finding and following one’s natural inclination to nurture a personal relationship with God. To begin to understand Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, you must first begin by understanding what he meant by the Tao, or what is commonly referred to as the way or path one should follow throughout one’s life. The way defines one’s path to ultimate reality. Although Lao Tzu continually throughout the Tao Te Ching re-affirms he does not know its true name, without a name it simply becomes the way, or better known as the “way of virtue. Albeit serving to find one’s ultimate path…
April 30, 2017
Number 22
One of my most favorite books I have ever read is called “The Snow Leopard”, by Peter Matthiess. I believe it is now out of print. Hopefully not. I would like to have copies to give as the ultimate gift to friends who recognize that they are on their own journey of discovery and can utilize various means to connect to and with their own universal vibrations. I am moved initially by a quote in the forward of the book by the Lama Govinda that says..
“Just as a white summer cloud, in harmony with heaven and earth freely floats in the blue sky from horizon to horizon following the breath of the atmosphere – in the same way the pilgrim abandons himself to the breath of the greater life that leads beyond the farthest horizon to an aim which is already present within him, though yet hidden from his sight”.
What is it that moves us? Are we here in some desperate way to follow instincts that lead us as we watch our lives as they pass unfulfilled? Are we here to try to portray reality as others see it? When do we step out of the painting we have created that seemingly defines us as the world sees us? When the true essence of “who we are”, is a mere reflection of the canvass we continually change, as we notice the silence and recognize that we are nothing more than a small, yet integral part, of creation.
That it is as Kierkegaard said,
“That we wander from one path to another with no real recognition that I am am embarked upon a search with scarcely a clue as to what I might be after. I only knew that at the end of each breath there was a bottom that needed to be filled”.
The journey is meant to be hard. The journey may begin with a restless feeling, as if you are being watched. You begin to believe that there is a source for this deep restlessness, and the path that leads there is not a strange place, but the path, or way home. It is here you realize that you have always been home, that all you are required to do is wake up. This place though is overgrown with weeds and is unkempt and in disarray due to ideas of fears and prejudices tied to who we think we are. It is as Zen Buddhists call finding our own true nature. That each man is his own savior.
It is here that I am directed to the ancient shaman and sages and universal law, i.e., truth. The Chinese call this the interior way, or the Tao. It is as if it is an irrepressible force, or flow that steams toward its goal. For the individual to rest in the Tao means you have found fulfillment and wholeness, as is one’s destination has been reached. Your mission is done. You have found the beginning, end, and perfect realization of the meaning of existence of all things, as expressed by Carl Jung.
Joseph Campbell saw as the greatest human transgression “the sin of inadvertence, of not being alert, not quite awake” when you are in search of what can only be defined as “finding your bliss.” as he would say. This question is universal and eternal. Why do some people awaken and others not do so as they seem to find themselves tied to attachments beyond themselves? And why can some people awaken easier than others and some never do so? In other words once awakened, you have a responsibility to follow through and what role does one’s karma play.. Perhaps it is the task of those who have awakened to assist those who have not. Another question is why this sense of separation from others that leads to a singular path of enlightenment?
What is it that gives us or makes us have a feeling of separation from those around us that keeps us from fulfilling our sense of service to others, to nature and the universe? What can be the last conscious thought of the individual soul on its journey through life and death as we try to justify how we lived? What is it that obliterates, or takes away, our sense of self as we stream back into the One? As we helplessly hang on to our sense of delusion of who we thought we were and attachments we have clung to along the way. When putting things in divine order is the key to our longevity.
What can be our ultimate goal and realization of what we are here to do or accomplish? How can we be separate from others and have a duality of purpose? To by chance become a beacon of light for others to follow. How are we to act and show others the way? What comes of it all is a sense of service to our own inherent universal nature. How good, how worthy – or how not – will be the question we have to answer when it comes in that moment. What will we have done for this world as we go back into the eternity that define us? Finally, how does the universal sense of the need to be “in service to others”, fit into our own path, or journey.
When I taught at the university in Qufu, my primary focus besides teaching English, was to convey to my students the importance of service to their community and others. That we are here to discover our innate talents and utilize them to find our niche, or place, in the world. Since almost all of the more than 400 students would become teachers themselves, it was a message that resonated.