As the year winds down, I want to talk about the flow of life. It is almost a cliche to talk about looking back and looking forwards as the year ends, yet, almost everyone does.
My point here, is not to do that, but to recognize something even more basic that we sometimes forget-the idea of cycles.
Our lives operate in cycles, like everything in the universe. Lao Tzu observed that:
Reversion is the action of Tao.
Gentleness is the function of Tao.
The things of this world come from Being,
And Being (comes) from Non-being.
In other words, everything that exists declines and reverts back to where it. At the same time, new things constantly appear from the same one source.
Everything we have is created, it declines, and is discarded. It is then reborn in another form at some other time in some other place.
We are now at the "bottom" of the renewal cycle of earthly nature. (of course this applies to those in the Northern Hemisphere). Soon, spring will come and with it comes renewal.
It is the same with out lives. Sometimes we are down. This is not a bad thing (although it may seem to be at the time) because we know that when we are at the lowest, things will turn and we will rise again.
It is also important to remember that when we are at the top-watch out! because the decline will start soon.
If we revel in the satisfaction of being on top, we will suffer greatly when the inevitable downturn arrives.
On the other hand, being stricken with sadness and melancholy at the bottom is equally wrong. For we know that things will turn around soon. They have to, it is part of nature.
Peace and Love
MrT
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Interesting sign
I was driving along today and I passed a Christian Church. this church usually has clever signs about their ideas of salvation. Today, the sign read" Repent Now!. Stop Drop and Roll doesn't work in Hell!"
Think about that. It is purely an advertising scheme to get people on board. Have you ever been to hell? DO you know anyone who has been there? Of course not. The only way to be sure is to die.
As Shakespeare said:
"To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; "
It is fear of that undiscovered country that keeps us alive. For if we knew a wonderful heaven awaited us, we would happily die immediately.
Thus, many cling to religion as a way of protection against that unknown. It has been that way snce the first humans recognized that something happens to us after death and we don't know what that is.
So, for tens of thousands of years, we, as a people, have spent time creating ways to distract us from that unknown.
Some learned a long time ago that it was good business to sell the idea of just what the afterlife holds-and how to get the best of it. That church was following a long, long tradition of salesmanship.
Note that the new age movement is not at all immune to this. They just have a different pitch. But it is basically the same idea. "Go with us and you will be happy forever".
But as enlightened beings, we have to ask "is it true"? Do we know? If not, what do we do about it?
The answer will be in my next post
Think about that. It is purely an advertising scheme to get people on board. Have you ever been to hell? DO you know anyone who has been there? Of course not. The only way to be sure is to die.
As Shakespeare said:
"To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; "
It is fear of that undiscovered country that keeps us alive. For if we knew a wonderful heaven awaited us, we would happily die immediately.
Thus, many cling to religion as a way of protection against that unknown. It has been that way snce the first humans recognized that something happens to us after death and we don't know what that is.
So, for tens of thousands of years, we, as a people, have spent time creating ways to distract us from that unknown.
Some learned a long time ago that it was good business to sell the idea of just what the afterlife holds-and how to get the best of it. That church was following a long, long tradition of salesmanship.
Note that the new age movement is not at all immune to this. They just have a different pitch. But it is basically the same idea. "Go with us and you will be happy forever".
But as enlightened beings, we have to ask "is it true"? Do we know? If not, what do we do about it?
The answer will be in my next post
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
How to handle what comes your way
As I said in my last post, we are responsible for how we handle what comes to us in life.
All too often, when something bad happens to us, we brush off our response because we rationalize that it was not our fault, or that it was all preordained, or that there is nothing we can do about it, or it is a lesson sent of us to learn or it is the "will of god".
There is even a prayer to help us deal with life: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".
On one level, that is very good advice. The most important part of that prayer, however, is the part about the wisdom to know the difference.
Such actions and crutches are fine or people who are not on a path. They live from event to event, sometimes happy, sometimes sad but never feeling like they have any command over their lives.
People on a path, however, understand that they are in control. Although sometimes, they don't always believe it. For some of them, there is quiet acceptance of whatever happens to them. For others there is a sense of adventure. What happens next, what new thing can experience.
Enlightened people, though do none of that. They understand that life moves and that they move through life. It does not matter to them what happens, although, they are prepared to act in accord with any situation. They spend their time mostly in peace. Living in the moment.
Now, this does not mean that enlightened people don't have emotions. They do. And they use them. The difference is that the enlightened know that they are not their emotions. Emotions arise, they experience them and then move on. They can also daydream. Enjoying a day dream at some time is part of the here and now.
That is the key. Experience everything; but don't cling. don;t shy away from emotions because you are supposed to be at "peace with everything". Stifling an emotion is worse than experiencing it. you are supposed to experience your emotions.
As you move through your day, focus on what you are doing. Feel it, experience it in its entirety and then move on. ENjoy life whenever you can. Take time to feel life. When you eat, eat. When you sleep, sleep and when you work, work.
Only then will you find true serenity.
MrT
All too often, when something bad happens to us, we brush off our response because we rationalize that it was not our fault, or that it was all preordained, or that there is nothing we can do about it, or it is a lesson sent of us to learn or it is the "will of god".
There is even a prayer to help us deal with life: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".
On one level, that is very good advice. The most important part of that prayer, however, is the part about the wisdom to know the difference.
Such actions and crutches are fine or people who are not on a path. They live from event to event, sometimes happy, sometimes sad but never feeling like they have any command over their lives.
People on a path, however, understand that they are in control. Although sometimes, they don't always believe it. For some of them, there is quiet acceptance of whatever happens to them. For others there is a sense of adventure. What happens next, what new thing can experience.
Enlightened people, though do none of that. They understand that life moves and that they move through life. It does not matter to them what happens, although, they are prepared to act in accord with any situation. They spend their time mostly in peace. Living in the moment.
Now, this does not mean that enlightened people don't have emotions. They do. And they use them. The difference is that the enlightened know that they are not their emotions. Emotions arise, they experience them and then move on. They can also daydream. Enjoying a day dream at some time is part of the here and now.
That is the key. Experience everything; but don't cling. don;t shy away from emotions because you are supposed to be at "peace with everything". Stifling an emotion is worse than experiencing it. you are supposed to experience your emotions.
As you move through your day, focus on what you are doing. Feel it, experience it in its entirety and then move on. ENjoy life whenever you can. Take time to feel life. When you eat, eat. When you sleep, sleep and when you work, work.
Only then will you find true serenity.
MrT
Responsibility part II
At the end of my last post, I wrote about the idea that some new agers sometimes speak about-that our lives are selected by us before we come to the earth. Thus, whatever happens to us is entirely our own doing. This is often combined with the idea that we came here with a specific purpose in mind. Often, that purpose is to learn so lesson about the universe.
To follow this idea, we have to step back. This concept requires us to accept that we, as consciousnesses, exist outside of our bodies. THen, at the right time, we occupy a body and are born into the world. One of the problems we encounter is that when we take on a body, we "forget" who we really are. So, we spend a lot of time trying to remember our true nature. Once we recognize who we are, we can then use the physical nature of the world to continue on our paths of knowledge, or, to just have fun.
For some, then, what we experience here has been selected beforehand for our benefit. So, when you are complaining about being miserable, we should remember, we brought this on ourselves for a lesson.
While I do believe that we reincarnate, and that we can incarnate into a particular place, it is simplistic to accept that we entirely create our own circumstances.
You see, the only way that could be true is if we are the only ones on the planet. Obviously, we are not. Each of us has our own life, but we constantly interact with others. The idea that we are all working together is not realistic. Thus, many of the things we experience come out of the blue and are completely unexpected.
Therefore, we are not responsible, nor do we cause everything that happens to us.
That said, as I pointed out in my last post, we are responsible for how we deal with these situations.
More on that in my next post.
MrT
To follow this idea, we have to step back. This concept requires us to accept that we, as consciousnesses, exist outside of our bodies. THen, at the right time, we occupy a body and are born into the world. One of the problems we encounter is that when we take on a body, we "forget" who we really are. So, we spend a lot of time trying to remember our true nature. Once we recognize who we are, we can then use the physical nature of the world to continue on our paths of knowledge, or, to just have fun.
For some, then, what we experience here has been selected beforehand for our benefit. So, when you are complaining about being miserable, we should remember, we brought this on ourselves for a lesson.
While I do believe that we reincarnate, and that we can incarnate into a particular place, it is simplistic to accept that we entirely create our own circumstances.
You see, the only way that could be true is if we are the only ones on the planet. Obviously, we are not. Each of us has our own life, but we constantly interact with others. The idea that we are all working together is not realistic. Thus, many of the things we experience come out of the blue and are completely unexpected.
Therefore, we are not responsible, nor do we cause everything that happens to us.
That said, as I pointed out in my last post, we are responsible for how we deal with these situations.
More on that in my next post.
MrT
Friday, July 31, 2009
Why me?
In my last post I ended with this comment: But there are others who seem to have everything and get it almost miraculously. We sometimes ask what about me? Why is that guy doing so well and is so rich while bust a gut working for chump change and am not getting anywhere?
Today I will address this kind of question. There are actually many different forms for this question. There tends to be many answers as well. Most often this kind of question is asked by people who are struggling, rather than those who are doing well. That is no big surprise. There is an old saying that "money can;t buy happiness, but it sure makes being miserable a lot more comfortable.
I will spend the next few posts looking at this subject from several angles. Today, I want to talk to the idea that we are responsible for our place in life. Now that concept covers a broad range. On the one hand, some teachers limit the responsibility to how we feel about our situation. For example, how we feel about being laid off, they say, is entirely in our hands. We can be angry, acceptant, stressed out, etc. But whatever, we feel, we choose to feel.
There is a lot of truth in that idea. We suffer not because of what happens to us externally, but how we choose to process it internally. Now, keep in mind, that being upset at losing a job can indeed be stressful and feeling nervous and anxious is perfectly normal. However, how we feel and ultimately deal with situations will help move us through the world. We may be constantly bitter and angry at all of the stuff we have to put up with. Such bitterness creates an aura around us. It affects how we see the world and how we see others. It can turn us into victims. Feeling helpless in a sea of troubles. That affects how we respond and ultimately how much we enjoy life.
We all have" troubles" that is, situations that appear difficult for us. Yet, we can deal with them in a positive manner too. In that way, we can move past them with a minimum of suffering.
Doing that can put us in charge of our lives. It can turn us from a helpless victim into a problem solver.
So, the next time a "problem" shows up on your doorstep resolve to work it out in an enlightened manner and you may find it to be much less of a problem that it first appeared.
The next time, I will discuss a more radical version of the "responsibility" theory, which says we are responsible for everything that happens to us. We are also responsible for who we are because we chose our lives before we were born.
Till next time then,
MrT
Today I will address this kind of question. There are actually many different forms for this question. There tends to be many answers as well. Most often this kind of question is asked by people who are struggling, rather than those who are doing well. That is no big surprise. There is an old saying that "money can;t buy happiness, but it sure makes being miserable a lot more comfortable.
I will spend the next few posts looking at this subject from several angles. Today, I want to talk to the idea that we are responsible for our place in life. Now that concept covers a broad range. On the one hand, some teachers limit the responsibility to how we feel about our situation. For example, how we feel about being laid off, they say, is entirely in our hands. We can be angry, acceptant, stressed out, etc. But whatever, we feel, we choose to feel.
There is a lot of truth in that idea. We suffer not because of what happens to us externally, but how we choose to process it internally. Now, keep in mind, that being upset at losing a job can indeed be stressful and feeling nervous and anxious is perfectly normal. However, how we feel and ultimately deal with situations will help move us through the world. We may be constantly bitter and angry at all of the stuff we have to put up with. Such bitterness creates an aura around us. It affects how we see the world and how we see others. It can turn us into victims. Feeling helpless in a sea of troubles. That affects how we respond and ultimately how much we enjoy life.
We all have" troubles" that is, situations that appear difficult for us. Yet, we can deal with them in a positive manner too. In that way, we can move past them with a minimum of suffering.
Doing that can put us in charge of our lives. It can turn us from a helpless victim into a problem solver.
So, the next time a "problem" shows up on your doorstep resolve to work it out in an enlightened manner and you may find it to be much less of a problem that it first appeared.
The next time, I will discuss a more radical version of the "responsibility" theory, which says we are responsible for everything that happens to us. We are also responsible for who we are because we chose our lives before we were born.
Till next time then,
MrT
Monday, July 27, 2009
The trap of Doing nothing part 2
In my last post I talked about the paradox of "doing nothing". The idea is that we must surrender to the tao (the universe, god, the force or whatever you wish to call it) if we are to be at peace, or to gain understanding, or to reduce our problems, etc.
As I said in the last pose, however, surrendering, does not necessarily mean "not doing". On the contrary, the Tao requires us to act. The idea that we can-or should- simply sit back and let our lives just happen is simply wrong. The story from the last post is an example of that. In the story the may is seen bobbing in the river happily letting the river take him where ever the river wants to take him. The idea being that the river knows where it is going and will take the man where he is supposed to be.
The problem with that kind of thinking is that the tao (universe, force) has no mind. Contrary to popular belief, it has no plan for you or me. Rather, it is an energy that can be used to make things happen. Going back to the man in the river, the river has no mind to carry the man. It flows in a direction. It is up to the man to use the river to get to a destination. Now, here is where it gets complicated. You see, desire does not fit into the flow of the tao. Yet, it does. To say one must be desire-less is somewhat disingenuous. THat is because as humans, we have real needs. We need food,water, air, protection from the elements, etc. So, does wanting these things put us at odds with the tao? Not exactly. First of all, obtaining needs is in conformance with the tao. All creatures in nature survive by going out and getting what they need. So acting to provide food, clothing and shelter is in accordance with the Tao.
The problem arises when we seek to obtain things that we do not have the internal power to have. This causes strife, frustration and suffering. Also, when we desire something sooner than is possible for us to have it, we suffer.
Acting in accord with the tao takes awareness. Awareness of your needs, an awareness of the timing for when we need those needs. It also requires an openness and a readiness to act when the tao delivers what we need to us.
Many people suffer because they do not see the new opportunities open to them. They so not comprehend that it is time to move on. Staying in a job, a relationship or a place after it has given us what we need can cause problems. When the universe wants us to move to the next place we are supposed to be, and we don't recognize it, the suffering we experience may be be seen as a message to move on. Thus, we suffer.
This is an example of just "going with the flow" like the man in the river. Some see the suffering as some kind of lesson and allow it to continue because they assume that is acting in accord with the universe, even though it is the opposite.
I think it is clear that knowing how and when to act is difficult. It is not as simple as just letting things happen. It is also not blindly setting goals and launching ventures that come to nothing and leave us frustrated and burned out.
Learning how to read the universe is part of the training that one undergoes. It is part of the process. Some people never learn (or at least learn very slowly). For them, life can be a struggle from beginning to end.
But there are others who seem to have everything and get it almost miraculously. We sometimes ask what about me? Why is that guy doing so well and is so rich while bust a gut working for chump change and am not getting anywhere?
I will discuss that situation next.
Mrt
As I said in the last pose, however, surrendering, does not necessarily mean "not doing". On the contrary, the Tao requires us to act. The idea that we can-or should- simply sit back and let our lives just happen is simply wrong. The story from the last post is an example of that. In the story the may is seen bobbing in the river happily letting the river take him where ever the river wants to take him. The idea being that the river knows where it is going and will take the man where he is supposed to be.
The problem with that kind of thinking is that the tao (universe, force) has no mind. Contrary to popular belief, it has no plan for you or me. Rather, it is an energy that can be used to make things happen. Going back to the man in the river, the river has no mind to carry the man. It flows in a direction. It is up to the man to use the river to get to a destination. Now, here is where it gets complicated. You see, desire does not fit into the flow of the tao. Yet, it does. To say one must be desire-less is somewhat disingenuous. THat is because as humans, we have real needs. We need food,water, air, protection from the elements, etc. So, does wanting these things put us at odds with the tao? Not exactly. First of all, obtaining needs is in conformance with the tao. All creatures in nature survive by going out and getting what they need. So acting to provide food, clothing and shelter is in accordance with the Tao.
The problem arises when we seek to obtain things that we do not have the internal power to have. This causes strife, frustration and suffering. Also, when we desire something sooner than is possible for us to have it, we suffer.
Acting in accord with the tao takes awareness. Awareness of your needs, an awareness of the timing for when we need those needs. It also requires an openness and a readiness to act when the tao delivers what we need to us.
Many people suffer because they do not see the new opportunities open to them. They so not comprehend that it is time to move on. Staying in a job, a relationship or a place after it has given us what we need can cause problems. When the universe wants us to move to the next place we are supposed to be, and we don't recognize it, the suffering we experience may be be seen as a message to move on. Thus, we suffer.
This is an example of just "going with the flow" like the man in the river. Some see the suffering as some kind of lesson and allow it to continue because they assume that is acting in accord with the universe, even though it is the opposite.
I think it is clear that knowing how and when to act is difficult. It is not as simple as just letting things happen. It is also not blindly setting goals and launching ventures that come to nothing and leave us frustrated and burned out.
Learning how to read the universe is part of the training that one undergoes. It is part of the process. Some people never learn (or at least learn very slowly). For them, life can be a struggle from beginning to end.
But there are others who seem to have everything and get it almost miraculously. We sometimes ask what about me? Why is that guy doing so well and is so rich while bust a gut working for chump change and am not getting anywhere?
I will discuss that situation next.
Mrt
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The trap of Doing nothing
A friend chided me a few days ago about a comment I made to her. She had told me of a bunch of troubles she has had to endure. I said perhaps she should tell the universe that "she got the lesson and it can back off".
She pointed out that it was not productive to argue or to try to persuade the universe that she got the lesson. The universe will do what it wants anyway.
Of course, she is right. That said, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of inaction by always "going with the flow".
What does that mean? One of the problems I had in studying Taoism years ago is that for many western writers, Taoism was a religion for retired people because it is based on the principle of inaction. Another way of saying it is " Do nothing and all will be done". Now, many people take that literally. We must do nothing. Just sit and contemplate (like the old man at the end of Siddhartha. That, of course, is nonsense. The Tao requires actions from people-the right action.
The cryptic saying really means that we must act in accord with the Tao (or the universe or whatever you wish to call it) rather than going against it. Christians and Muslims often speak of "doing God's will" or placing oneself "into the hands of God".
Often times it means letting things happen naturally-not fighting fate or the inevitable. However, that is too simple and often leads to a trap. Simple letting things happen is not necessarily the best course. It may work for leaves fluttering to the ground, but it does not work well for people.
You would not get on a boat, head out to see and simple let go of the wheel and let the sea take you to where you want to go. That will probably get you killed. Similarly, the old story of of the two guys walking along a coursing river and seeing a guy on the other side skipping and whistling? Suddenly the happy travelor was swept away by the coursing waters and was seen bouncing amidst the rocks as he sailed pell mell downstream. The other two men began shrieking and appealing to the Heavens for intervention. Then, the river just as suddenly spit out the congenial soul farther down, and he shook himself off and continued whistling. The two men caught up with him and asked incredulously, 'Good Heavens, we thought you'd be killed, were you not afraid?!" The unassuming travelor said, "Oh that, well, no, I just surrendered and let the river take me where I was headed anyway." Sounds good, but sometimes, there is a waterfall in the way and the results may not be so great.
This leads to the next logical question, which is "OK, if I am supposed to act, how do I do it?
I refer to Lao Tzu once again. In his verse 8, titled "water" he says:
The best of men is like water;
Water benefits all things
And does not compete with them.
It dwells in (the lowly) places that all disdain -
Wherein it comes near to the Tao.
In his dwelling, (the Sage) loves the (lowly) earth;
In his heart, he loves what is profound;
In his relations with others, he loves kindness;
In his words, he loves sincerity;
In government, he loves peace;
In business affairs, he loves ability;
In his actions, he loves choosing the right time.
It is because he does not contend
That he is without reproach.
Contemplate that until next time, where I will elaborate on this question.
Mr.T
She pointed out that it was not productive to argue or to try to persuade the universe that she got the lesson. The universe will do what it wants anyway.
Of course, she is right. That said, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of inaction by always "going with the flow".
What does that mean? One of the problems I had in studying Taoism years ago is that for many western writers, Taoism was a religion for retired people because it is based on the principle of inaction. Another way of saying it is " Do nothing and all will be done". Now, many people take that literally. We must do nothing. Just sit and contemplate (like the old man at the end of Siddhartha. That, of course, is nonsense. The Tao requires actions from people-the right action.
The cryptic saying really means that we must act in accord with the Tao (or the universe or whatever you wish to call it) rather than going against it. Christians and Muslims often speak of "doing God's will" or placing oneself "into the hands of God".
Often times it means letting things happen naturally-not fighting fate or the inevitable. However, that is too simple and often leads to a trap. Simple letting things happen is not necessarily the best course. It may work for leaves fluttering to the ground, but it does not work well for people.
You would not get on a boat, head out to see and simple let go of the wheel and let the sea take you to where you want to go. That will probably get you killed. Similarly, the old story of of the two guys walking along a coursing river and seeing a guy on the other side skipping and whistling? Suddenly the happy travelor was swept away by the coursing waters and was seen bouncing amidst the rocks as he sailed pell mell downstream. The other two men began shrieking and appealing to the Heavens for intervention. Then, the river just as suddenly spit out the congenial soul farther down, and he shook himself off and continued whistling. The two men caught up with him and asked incredulously, 'Good Heavens, we thought you'd be killed, were you not afraid?!" The unassuming travelor said, "Oh that, well, no, I just surrendered and let the river take me where I was headed anyway." Sounds good, but sometimes, there is a waterfall in the way and the results may not be so great.
This leads to the next logical question, which is "OK, if I am supposed to act, how do I do it?
I refer to Lao Tzu once again. In his verse 8, titled "water" he says:
The best of men is like water;
Water benefits all things
And does not compete with them.
It dwells in (the lowly) places that all disdain -
Wherein it comes near to the Tao.
In his dwelling, (the Sage) loves the (lowly) earth;
In his heart, he loves what is profound;
In his relations with others, he loves kindness;
In his words, he loves sincerity;
In government, he loves peace;
In business affairs, he loves ability;
In his actions, he loves choosing the right time.
It is because he does not contend
That he is without reproach.
Contemplate that until next time, where I will elaborate on this question.
Mr.T
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)