World Beyond

Tao - Fifty-One

Every being of the universe
is an expression of the Tao.
It springs into existence,
unconscious, perfect, free,
takes on a perfect body,
lets circumstances complete it.
That is why every being
spontaneously honors the Tao.

The Tao gives birth to all things,

nourishes them, maintains them,
cares for them, comforts them, protects them,
takes them back to itself,
creating without possessing,
acting without expecting,
guiding without interfering.
That is why love of the Tao
is in the very nature of things.

Focus

Focusing inward
heart detached from desire
true beauty awaits
forget ego, forget past
path equals destination

Quotations Regarding the Tao - I

The following are excerpts from the book, “Tao: The Pathless Path” by Osho.

“Tao means the way—they don’t talk about the goal at all.  They say: The goal will take care of itself; you need not worry about the goal.  If you know the way you know the goal, because the goal is not at the very end of the way, the goal is all over the way—each moment and each step it is there.  It is not that when the way ends you arrive at the goal; each moment, wherever you are, you are at the goal if you are on the way.  To be on the way is to be at the goal.”

“That’s why Taoism is not an organized religion—cannot be.  It is an organic religion but not an organized religion.  You can be a Taoist if you simply live your life authentically, spontaneously, if you have the courage to go in to the unknown on your own, individual, not leaning on anybody.  Not following anybody, simply going into the dark night not knowing whether you will arrive anywhere or you will be lost.  If you have the courage, that risk is there—it is risky, it is adventurous.

Christianity, Hinduism, Mohammedanism, are superhighways; you need not risk anything, you simply follow the crowd, you go with the mob.  With Tao you have to go alone, you have to be alone.  Tao respects the individual and not the society.  Tao respects the unique and not the crowd.  Tao respects freedom and not conformity.  Tao has no tradition.  Tao is a rebellion, and the greatest rebellion possible.

That’s why I call Tao “the pathless path.”  It is a path but not like other paths.  It has a very different quality to it: the quality of freedom, the quality of anarchy, the quality of chaos.”

Tao - Fifty

The Master gives himself up
to whatever the moment brings
He knows that he is going to die,
and he has nothing left to hold on to:

no illusions in his mind,
no resistances in his body.
He doesn’t think about his actions;
they flow from the core of his being.
He holds nothing back from life;
therefore he is ready for death,

as a man is ready for sleep

after a good day’s work.

Profile of Courage

Do you think you’re brave?  Have you done anything courageous?  How do you personally define courage?  I’d like to recommend a book to you that will likely stand as a monument to true courage for some time to come. 

The book is "Putin's Russia - Life in a Failing Democracy" written by a Russian journalist named Anna Politkovskaya in 2004.  Ms. Politkovskaya had been pointing out many "inconvenient truths" of Russia under Vladimir Putin for several years in a variety of newspapers.  Her book captures the shortfalls (no pun intended, even though Mr. Putin is only 5’4”), and abuses that she discovered as she researched stories throughout the country.  Topics include the systemic abuse and inhumanity that exists within the Russian Army; a policy of genocide in Chechnya; an explanation of how the “new” Russian economy is controlled by mafia-controlled oligarchs supported by a corrupt police and judicial system; inappropriate government responses to the terrorist tragedies of the Nord-Ost theater in October, 2002 and at the Beslan school in September, 2004. 

As you can see, she took on some very powerful people and groups within Russia. 

She was gunned down in October 2006.  Murdered for her unflinching desire to take on an increasingly all powerful state to defend the individual.  Like many other murders of journalists opposed to the regime, the crime was barely investigated, and her murderer was never discovered.  Putin himself dismissed her as a “person of little consequence.” Does that leave you with any doubt at all??

If you want a good look at what's going on inside Russia today and if you want to truly discover what a courageous life is all about, please read this book. 

Swallows

Before winter comes
slate gray swallows bask happy
under warm blue sky

Tao - Forty-Nine

The Master has no mind of her own.
She works with the mind of the people.

She is good to people who are good.
She is also good to people who aren’t good.
This is true goodness.

She trusts people who are trustworthy.
She also trusts people who aren’t trustworthy.

This is true trust.

The Master’s mind is like space.

People don’t understand her.

They look to her and wait.

She treats them like her own children.

Tao -- Forty-Eight

In the pursuit of knowledge,

every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.

True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can’t be gained by interfering.

Tao -- Forty-Seven

Without opening your door,

you can open your heart to the world.

Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.

The more you know,
the less you understand.

The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing.

Hamster Wheel

Do you ever feel like you’re running on a hamster wheel….busily working, spinning away, but really getting nowhere? The hamster wheel is just another euphemism to describe aspects of the busy modern lives we lead. Others that come to mind are “stuck in a rut” or getting caught up in the “rat race”. Sometimes I refer to it as sleepwalking through life. We just go through the motions of our lives, put in our 8, 10, or 12 hour day at the office…then head home for some mindless chatter or to zone out and watch TV.

I do understand we need to work to survive, to pay the mortgage and provide for the kids. And that “stuck in a rut” feeling may not always be job-related. Maybe you’re a stay-at-home mom caring for your brood. Or a college student trapped with boring classes. I remember being a high school kid, unable to wait for the school year to end. I think we’ve all had those feelings at one point or another in our lives. I’m not sure these feeling can be avoided entirely, but I do have a few ideas on how they can be minimized.

a) Try to learn something new every day. Whether it’s reading a book, taking a class, researching a topic on the internet, or joining a friend for some stimulating conversation, there’s always something new you can learn.

b) Visit new surroundings. Take a weekend getaway to a nearby point of interest, go on a road trip. I’ve been fortunate to have a job that “forces” me to move around and travel…I definitely derive satisfaction from traveling to new locations.

c) Take a vacation. Okay, maybe the circumstances aren’t quite right for your dream 14-day Mediterranean Cruise, but just taking a couple days to head to the beach or some nearby mountain, or even just hanging out in your backyard will break you out of your “hamster wheel” existence.

d) Develop a creative outlet. Whether it’s knitting, restoring an old car, creative writing, painting landscapes, or dancing, find a way to let the “inner you” express yourself.

e) Appreciate beauty. I believe you can find something beautiful to appreciate no matter where you live. But, I think sometimes we become numb to our surroundings, that’s why items b and c are on the list. For those times when you aren’t traveling, just take a moment to pause and really examine your environment, whether it’s flowers blooming or birds singing or the new fallen snow, I’m quite certain you’ll discover something new and beautiful within view.

f) Be present in the moment. This ties in with item e. By truly being aware, you will see the world with a new perspective. Focused breathing is a good way to develop this type of presence.

g) Meditate. I’ve read a bunch of books touting a variety of particular methods. I’m not sure I believe there is only “one true way”. I recommend you find one that works for you and try to incorporate a daily practice.

Good luck and enjoy life!!