World Beyond

Tao -- Fifty-Nine

For governing a country well
there is nothing better than moderation

The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind,
he has no destination in view
and makes use of anything
life happens to bring his way.

Nothing is impossible for him.
Because he has let go,
he can care for the people's welfare
as a mother cares for her child.

Tao -- Fifty-Eight

If a country is governed with tolerance,

the people are comfortable and honest.
If a country is governed with repression,
the people are depressed and crafty.

When the will to power isi n charge,
the higher the ideals, the lower the results.
Try to make people happy,
and you lay the groundwork for misery.
Try to make people moral,
and you lay the groundwork for vice.

Tao -- Fifty-Seven

If you want to be a great leader,
you must learn to follow the Tao.
Stop trying to control.
Let go of fixed plans and concepts,
and the world will govern itself.

The more prohibitions you have,
the less virtuous people will be.
The more weapons you have,
the less secure people will be.
The more subsidies you have,
the less self-reliant people will be.

Therefore the Master says:
I let go of the law,
and the people become honest.
I let go of economics,
and the people become prosperous.
I let go of religion,
and people become serene.
I let go of all desire for the common good,

and the good becomes common as grass.

Quotations Regarding the Tao - VII

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

"God, life, truth, love, are just four names for the same thing…there is only one, which is the ultimate.  Different people have given different names to it.  That one is valueless because it is the ultimate value.  Beyond it nothing exists, so it cannot be valuable for something else.  You cannot use it as a stepping-stone because there is nothing beyond it; it is the beyond."

"The whole approach of Taoism is that only experience can give you the clue."

"Thoughts never stop on their own.  They stop only when the desiring mind disappears.  That is the meaning of “Best be still.”  That is the Taoist way of saying be desireless.  Hence they say that even the desire to know God, to reach God, is a barrier."

"Taoists don’t have any maps."

"Each day, each moment, free yourself from all that you have known and again become a child.  To become so innocent, like a child, is the way to live and to live abundantly."

Tao -- Fifty-Six

Those who know don’t talk.

Those who talk don’t know.

Close your mouth,
block your senses,

blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.

Be like the Tao.
It can’t be approached or withdrawn from,

benefited or harmed,
honored or brought into disgrace.
It gives itself up continually.
That is why it endures.

Quotations Regarding the Tao - VI

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

“Be true—it is your life. Be authentic so that it can grow, because all growth happens only when you are true and authentic.  Maybe you will have to pay much—one has to pay; maybe there will be pain—all growth is through pain; maybe you will always be in difficulties, but nothing to be worried about; they are worth it.”

“An untrue life is worse than a true death: a true death is better.  An untrue happiness is worse than a true unhappiness—let this be remembered always.  True tears are better than false smiles, because growth comes through being true.”

“Trust in nature is Tao.”

“Always remember that when a new moment, a new insight, hovers around you, choose the new because the old has not done anything for you, so what is the point of going back?  Even if the new proves wrong then too choose the new.  At least it will be a new adventure; you will come to know something.  Even if you don’t reach the goal, at least you will have learned some courage to move into the unknown, to embrace the unknown.  That will be your gain.  But never choose the old.  Whenever there is a possibility for the new, go into the new.  And go fast because the old is very heavy—it will pull you back.”

“If growth comes through discomfort, inconvenience—good.  Then inconvenience is good, beneficial; then discomfort is good, beneficial.  But always remember one thing: Go on growing.  Don’t become a rut.  Don’t start moving in the same vicious circle again, and again, and again.”

Zima

Winter comes early
slate blue swallows disappear
gray skies take over
gold light becomes yellow leaves
cold air chills my bones and heart

Tao -- Fifty-Five

He who is in harmony with the Tao
is like a newborn child.
Its bones are soft, its muscles are weak,
but its grip is powerful.

It doesn’t know about the union of male and female,

Yet its penis can stand erect,

So intense is its vital power.

It can scream its head off all day,

Yet it never becomes hoarse,

So complete is its harmony.

The Master’s power is like this.
He lets all things come and go

Effortlessly, without desire,
He never expects results;
thus he is never disappointed.
He is never disappointed;
thus his spirit never grows old.

Quotations Regarding the Tao - V

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

“Loneliness is negative, the absence of the other.  Aloneness is positive, the presence of your won being.  Loneliness is solitariness, aloneness is solitude.  Loneliness is ugly, aloneness is beautiful.  Aloneness has a luminosity in it.”

“A real seeker is agnostic.  He never claims, “I know,” and he never says, “This is the truth.” He is very open, he is not closed.  He has no dogma, he has no creed, he is simply conscious and aware, and is ready to face any reality whatsoever.  Whatsoever reality comes to be revealed he is ready to go into it.  He trusts life.  People who don’t trust life create beliefs, dogmas, theories, to protect themselves.  The real wise man is vulnerable; he does not protect himself.  He is open to rains, to winds, to the sun, to the moon, to life, to death, to darkness, to light—he is open to all.  He has no protection; his vulnerability is total.”

9/11 - Six Years Past

This message was originally posted to the original World Beyond website shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.  Six years later, I'm re-publishing it here on this blog as I feel strongly that the principles discussed continue to be important.   

No words can comfort the loved ones of the victims of 11 September. Children, parents, spouses, siblings will all live with the tragedy never far from their thoughts or hearts. Their loss, during this mortal journey, is complete. However, they will reunited with their loved ones, to bask together in shared presence and love, at the end of this incarnation. Look forward to that time, but for now, live life to the fullest.

What can the rest of us learn from the tragic events? Certainly, we need to take steps to improve security and address the long-term problems in areas of the world that provide the environment terrorists operate in. Mindful not to provide the seeds for future tragedies based on misguided over-reactions. It will be a long process of engagement throughout the world, hopefully overcoming the elements of nationality and ideology that divide us. But these are outward things, things that many times either cannot be changed or change in ways not foreseen.

On an inward level, instead of focusing on revenge and retribution, we need to focus on how to grow from such a horrific experience. We need to understand the impermanence of the physical world. The World Trade Center, one of the world's most recognizable structures, a colossus, reduced to rubble in a matter of minutes.

We need to be more conscious of our own mortality. Thousands of people went off to work that day, just as they'd done day in and day out, just as we all do, only this time they didn't return. The same thing could happen to any of us, any day, any time. Death from an accident, or sickness will come upon us, for some sooner rather than later. We are constantly reminded of our mortality as we see examples of such deaths in the news, only the reminder given on 11 September was shockingly magnified.

Remember your own mortality, don't fear it. Death is simply the final act of a single incarnation. Through it we return to the spiritual realm. Our souls will then continue on their journey of growth, to include other births, lives and deaths. To find out more about this process, read some of the books listed on our reference page.

Don't fear death, accept it. Many religions teach you to fear death, fear hell, fear God. These religious leaders want to control you through fear. There is no place for fear when seeking true spirituality.

Accept death, understand it, be constantly aware of it. "Awareness of death begets real life."

Don't put off the important things. Hug your kids, tell them you love them. Love your spouse, or significant other.  Hold them, whisper to them how much they mean to you.

Spend time following your dreams, don't put them off. Make the world a better place. Live each moment prepared for death, leaving nothing unsaid, nothing undone.

By so doing, you eliminate the fear from your life. Fear of flying. Fear of anthrax. Fear of death. You maximize the opportunities this life offers you. Then, when your time is up and death comes knocking, whether it be in an accident or peacefully in your sleep, you will return to your spiritual home with no regrets from this life, the better prepared for future lives to come.