 160. Taoism � The Way |
On the practical level, I have interpreted the integral way of life as being like a developed person who is able to live a healthy, normal life without looking for extraordinary achievement which would cause an imbalance. The problem is that people can no longer recognize what is a healthy, normal way of life. Lao Tzu, therefore, used about five thousand characters to illustrate it for people. Chuang Tzu and his students used a volume about ten times the size of Lao Tzu's work in a further attempt to convey it. I myself have produced fourteen books, each from a different angle, to introduce the natural, moral life to all my fellow people with spiritual awareness. All these issue a warning against further unnatural development of human culture; yet the condition of human society continues to deteriorate. It suggests making a timely adjustment.
-Hua-Ching Ni (teacher)
"From the viewpoint of Tao," said the Spirit of the Ocean, "what we decide as valuable or worthless is only a temporary conclusion of the moment. Do not limit your perception or cause your thinking to oppose the truth of the constant changeability in nature. Do not cling to your own opinion or you will lose the harmony in your life. What is fewer and what is more are interchangeable; in endless alternation, back and forth, they replace one another. If one rigidly holds onto one way, it will soon be in opposition with the natural changeability of nature. Insisting on one viewpoint will lead to discordance with the entire natural metabolism. There must not be acceptance of this and rejection of that, or there will be great confusion in your life.
"ONE SHOULD MAINTAIN HIS MIND, THE TRUE LORD, as if he were a king who must supervise all his subjects equally, without favor or partiality. One should also maintain one's mind as if he were the deity of the Earth, equally blessing all without preference for any particular quality. This is how one embraces all of creation; this is how to develop an unconditioned mind. Don't follow any standard of behavior that is not in accord with the justness and fairness of divine nature.
"Tao is without beginning or end. Things, however, have a birth and death, so put no trust in them; they are impermanent, first better, then worse, their form and condition endlessly changing. Time continues to move forward, one cannot return to the past nor keep the future from arriving. The succession of life and death, prosperity and decline, fullness and emptiness continue infinitely; every end is followed by a new beginning. Whoever knows the truth of this can understand what I say about the great truth of nature and the principle of all lives and things."
"The life of man and of all creatures passes by as swiftly as a galloping horse, with change occurring at every turn or jump. What can man do, other than allow the changes to take place?"
"If that is true, then why should anyone bother to learn about Tao?" wondered the Spirit of the River.
"The person who understands Tao," answered the Spirit of the Ocean, "lives his life by a set of guiding principles. Such a person knows how to manage himself with regard to events, circumstances and situations. Such a person will not allow anything to harm him."
"The one who lives with Tao, the Integral Way, cannot be harmed by fire, drowned in water, suffer from cold or heat, nor injured by wild animals. He does not take these things lightly; he thoroughly understands what is danger and what is safety. Thus, because he is careful about what he accepts and what he declines, what he avoids and what he pursues, nothing harmful can befall him.
"This is why it has been said, 'The natural exists internally; the artificial exists externally,' and 'The heavenly is on the inside; man is on the outside.' You will find integrity in what is natural. By understanding your own nature, you will be able to discern the natural and the artificial; you will come to live your life with honesty. By living with virtue and honesty, whether you are active or not, you will be flexible and adaptable, and you will always return to what is essential within yourself. These unchanging principles underlie all human interactions, large or small.
"What do you mean," inquired the Spirit of the River, "when you talk about what is natural and what is artificial?"
"It is natural that horses and oxen have four feet," answered the Spirit of the Ocean. "However, when you put a halter on a horse's head or pierce an ox's nose, then you have the artificial. Avoid living with a halter on your head and having your nose pierced by a ring; either way, you are controlled by someone else's rope. This is why it has been said, 'Do not let the artificial destroy the natural. Do not let will block destiny. Do not give up your virtue to seek fame.'
