Tagged: taoism
The paths: Accept or Deny
To get a feel of Life, we may come to arrive to 2 different perspectives which paradoxically will take us to the same place.
We are nothing.
We are Everything.
That is it. That is why, I have written in a past article, that nothing is equal to everything.
If the above cannot be understood or the selection of words were not proper, the Hua Hu Ching, mentions 2 paths:
The path of acceptance
The path of denial.
Thus, in Life acceptance equals denial.
The mind probably is confused. The above does not make sense. Acceptance cannot be equal to denial. They are opposites. Correct?
So an explanation is needed: Affirm everything and everyone. Embrace all things. Extend your goodwill to every direction regardless of circumstances. That is acceptance.
Another name?
Tantra. That is acceptance of everything including your sexuality.
Another name? Taoism, openness, surrendering.
And the other path?
Everything that we perceive and think is an illusion, supported by our limited senses and limited understanding. Peel all the veils to arrive at the oneness of all.
Another name?
Yoga. That is denial of everything to be one, to be in union, to merge, to be nothing. Another name? Buddhism, Zen.
Our society is between those paths of self-realization.
We are taught to be someone, to become someone.
We are taught to support one side of a duality and to reject the other. Choose acceptance or choose denial not both.
What is “good”? What society teaches you to be good.
What is “evil”? what society teaches you to be evil. Yet, good and evil come always together. Our rejection of one side of a duality, must be experienced sooner or later.
Have you seen that in every issue there are at least 2 sides? Right and Wrong.
Morality has an imaginary line, that keeps moving every time to protect the “right ones” and to condemn the “wrong ones.”
Another name for this path? Insanity.
Most traditional religions embrace that.
Bring a God. Reject the Devil. Both cannot live without each other. You choose one. You are someone.
Support what is “right.” Reject what is “wrong.” Fight with “someone.” You are “someone.” Another name for “Someone”? Ego.
When you are someone, you cannot be Everything.
When you are someone, to be Nothing is something to reject to be afraid of… but yet to be nothing is the way to be everything, and when “you” are everything… “you” cannot cease to BE, although, “you” are not … 🙂
Want to be virtuous? :-)
“One of subtle universal virtue
Is not conscious of being virtuous,
Therefore, he is truly virtuous.
One of partial virtue attempts to live up to
An external standard of virtue,
Therefore, he is not truly virtuous.
One of whole virtue does not need to do anything
In order to be virtuous,
Because virtue is the very essence
Of one’s true nature.
But one of partial virtue believes that something
Must be done in order to prove that he is virtuous.
Thus, partial virtue becomes prevalent
When people fail to follow their own true nature.
Benevolence becomes prevalent
When people fail to be naturally kind.
Etiquette becomes prevalent
When people fail to be righteous and considerate.
When people find no response with etiquette,
They roll up their sleeves
And force others to respond to them.
When people stray from the subtle way of universal nature,
They cannot longer perceive their own true nature.
Thus they emphasize relative virtue
When natural virtue is lost,
Society depends on the doctrine of humanism
When humanity becomes corrupted,
Social and religious teachings appear
And become powerful forces.
When social and religious teachings become corrupted,
What is left behind is the empty shell
Of superficial ceremonies and artificial etiquette.
When etiquette is emphasized,
It is because people lack the simple qualities
Of fairness and kindness
This is the starting point of people of confusion
All of these man-made, partial virtues
Are merely superficial flowers, a false nature.
When people begin to move away
From their own true nature,
It is the beginning of hypocrisy.
Therefore, one who integrates
his own individual being
with the deep nature of the universe
sets his heart upon the root of reality
rather than the husk,
and upon the nourishment of the fruit
rather than the fleeting beauty of the flowers.
Truly, he cherishes what is deep within
Rather than what is shallow without.
Knowing this.
He knows what to accept and what to reject.”
Tao teh Ching Ch 38 – translation by Hua-Ching Ni from “The complete works of Lao Tzu.”
If we are capable of “understanding” the above without analyzing it, but just by looking into our own experience of life, then we could find its usefulness and appreciate that.
Virtue is not something to achieve by doing a practice. Virtue is already present when we integrate our sentiments or feelings with the whole totality of life; that is when we feel that unity with all. As long as the mind interferes with ideas, philosophies, information, analysis, logic and all of that man made business; there can only be separation. In that separation virtue cannot bloom. The seed is already within us. The water and sunshine of pure feelings is what that seed needs to grow, develop and thrive.
Is avyakt7 a taoist? No just that… but more than that… a human being 🙂
Is Consciousness fixed ? Question by a Brahma Kumaris follower
“(“Souls come down here to play a part. The part is of 84 births. You play all-round parts. This drama is predestined. Everyone has his own imperishable part within him that can never be erased. You will continue to experience 84 births.”) Sir what I understand from above lines is that in every ‘Yug’ whatever part or role we play is prefixed and we play this part or role according to our state of consciousness (soul conscious or body conscious state). For e.g. like when a director gives a role to an actor/actress, that actor plays it according to his own capability, strength & qualities….Does it mean that in Golden & silver age we are more of soul conscious & near to God (means Godlike) we play that role perfect but in Copper & Iron age we are more of body conscious this is why we are suffering so much? means we didn’t play that role perfectly and thus our karma became vikarm. Every time we played that fixed role it means our state of consciousness is also fixed??? Plz explain this i am confuse… 🙂 “
Dear reader,
Thank you for your question!
To understand the above with greater depth, I hope that you realize that dualistic language will make things hard to grasp.
It is an experience. It has to happen in your awareness for you to see it, otherwise you will remain confused with only intellectual information, concepts, reasoning, logic, all of that.
Consciousness is not fixed. Consciousness is. There can be less or more consciousness accordingly in life. Those are called “roles” in life.
When avyakt7 says : “you,” he is not referring to you as part of existence, but you as a concept, something separated from the rest when there is truly no separation.
“You” as what you think that you are…. doesn’t exist.” It is an illusion, Maya.
Forget concepts, definitions… those will only increase that sense of “I.”
This eternal movie plays through “you” but “you” truly don’t exist. 🙂 You are part of that movie. There is just eternal consciousness, once “you” experience that, all your troubles about understanding beliefs and dualistic thought will be over.
Consciousness is the movie.
Descartes said:” I think therefore I am.” That just shows basic consciousness.
“I am, therefore; I am not;” has way more validity.
When you are consciously aware of yourself, that is when you observe yourself; (when you remember God alone in your belief system) then you will see that there is a consciousness of “I” appearing where there was none before. From that point, “I” against the world became alive. That is suffering. That “I” is known as ego.
In this movie of life, if your consciousness is able to discern that you are not the role being played through you, that is when the dreamer realizes that everything is just a dream. From that moment you will start enjoying the dream as something to experience. Then, you will be a “detached observer.” Then you will perform “neutral” karma, then you will be “soul conscious,” then you will be “illuminated,” then the “I” from ego will not bet there, so you will be “egoless,” then you will have “all relationships with the Father,” then you will be “equal to God.” You will be beyond duality.
How?
Because “you” are not there. 🙂
At this point the concepts of predestination or free will, do not have any meaning. Concepts of time and “yugs” are meaningless.
If “you” are there, then you will experience duality and with that suffering and pleasure, because there is a center, this “I” which feels separated from everything else and rejects one side of duality to pursue the other.
The above is Brahma Kumaris knowledge in its depth. It is also Buddhism, Taoism and Zen in a nutshell.
Best wishes!
Understanding Spirituality beyond the childhood stage
To know those things in life which will be detrimental to spiritual growth is part of the training in the childhood stage of spirituality.
Most religions will put it simply as knowing what is good and what is evil. Nevertheless, according to the path that one follows, there will be discrepancies even into what is “good,” that is simply because there are different paths for different individuals. We are not equal in our capacity, understanding and life experiences. We are numberwise.
This obviously creates something beyond the first stage of spirituality, something beyond the limited understanding of “good and bad.”
The image that comes to mind is the TV program “Kung Fu.” (one of the most inspiring TV programs ever created from my view.) It was a series originally created in the 1970’s relating the life story and adventures of Kwai Chang Caine, a half American, half Chinese Taoist monk, who later became a Shaolin priest.
While living in the Shaolin temple, Kwai Chang learned and acquired different spiritual abilities. Later, he went through his “test,” to graduate as a master. After successfully completing this test, it was expected that the “new” master will leave the Shaolin temple and live as a Shaolin priest among the regular people. Here is where the bulk of his adventures will take place as he remembered the teachings that his masters back in the Shaolin temple taught him.
Leaving the temple and being by ourselves is part of the growth process in spiritual life. Here is the “field” where the game takes place. Nevertheless, this is not for everyone. Not everyone becomes a Shaolin master. The connection between being a monk and then a shaolin master hasn’t been disrupted when leaving the temple, but rather it is the “next step.”
“To live life is to prepare to die,” mentioned Socrates. In spirituality, there is death at every moment, for change is unavoidable. The issue is when we want to hold on to our “old” self rather than embracing and accepting the “new.”
All religions will speak about this “final moment,” the way every religion deals with this will be different: Some will ask you to pray to God, others will merely ask you to believe in Jesus and to repent at the end; while others will speak about shedding your body as a “snake does with its old skin,” in the final moments. That is, to be able to feel at ease with the new body-less experience.
Evidently this task, takes more work than just a belief in salvation at the last moment. However, a due respect for all beliefs is in place.
Let me recall one of the most important teachings taught to me by BapDada ( A.M 3/16/86) “The paper of the final result will be only a few seconds or a few minutes. However, you will receive a number on the basis of your remaining unshakable in an atmosphere of upheaval over a long time, then what will be the result at the end? Therefore, practice the exercise of spiritual drill. You should be able to stabilize your mind wherever you want for as long as you want. The final paper is very easy. And you have been told in advance what paper you are going to get, but the number will be given in a very short space of time. Your stage should also be powerful.”
That is it. Stability of the mind while in an atmosphere of upheaval over a long period of time. That is a “powerful” stage.
It isn’t about living in the monastery where there is peace already, but to be where there is not. To be there in the “real world,” but with a new attitude and conscience brought through the childhood stage of spirituality. Again, this is not for everyone, unless ready.
Zen Buddhism and other religious practices will go into the importance of the stability of the mind. That is their teaching.
To be “absorbed in the love of the Father ,” is a method to maintain the mind stable and many other religions such as Sufism will teach this. That is what they practice to get to the same goal.
However, once the experience is there, the method must be abandoned for newness to appear. To have this openness, this faith in our own acquired skills to face life and live harmoniously in it, is part of the stage beyond childhood; where the doors are wide open and life is there to be experienced under a new vision.
Exploring the Depth of Living 