I started to read Tao Te Ching. My first question is simply what does the way refer to, what exactly is it? Also the first poem says The secret waits for the insight of eyes unclouded by longing, Those who are bound by desire see only the outward container Does this mean that you cant desire material things, but it can also mean the desire for the truth. Which one is it?
Thats a big question, I have been pondering that for some years and I honestly feel I am still to inmature in thought to answer. Having said that I will give it my best shot. To me the Way is a way to inner peace and connectiveness with the whole of the universe. The two into one into the void where there is peace in emptyness and paradoxally brings fullness. As for desire...much still abounds in me, but my thoughts are is once there is desire it creates a dicotomy which inturn moves away from the whole because it is only a focusing on a fraction within. As for the desire for truth....Welcome to paradox, were words only take you further away. ( For the best student is told of the way, it is barely within his power to practice it.) I consider myself average and I am looking foward to others responses. May peace be with you
the way is an intuitive, harmonious, rhythmic spiral of a thing... you can't define it but you can be inside of it, in tune with it. and when you are, you experience things happening perfectly from all angles. it's like being connected with the tide. as for the second part... i don't think that you can't desire material things and also be in the tao. but... let's say my shoes get ruined, and so i want new shoes. so i think, "okay, i'll take the action neccessary to get some new shoes", and plan it out. but not fixate on it, complain, get angry, or live in the future thinking nothing is valid and i can't be in the moment again until that desire is taken care of. if you are in the tao, you realize that being agitated by a desire for something, or a lack of something, or uncertainty, is pointless. because if you operate by the tao, everything has a way of working out, and you will have what you need. i hope that was an alright answer. the tao is very subtle and hard to describe.
Concerning desire, I believe it is referring to outward physical things (money, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc) that we go after to meet a spiritual need. They are not bad to have, they are deceiving if we are constantly desiring the outward to fulfill us, and denying the inward spiritual self.
A man who plays for counters will play well. If he stakes his money-belt, he will be nervous; if yellow gold, he will loose his wits. His skill is the same in each case, but he is distracted by the value of the stake. And every one who attaches importance to the external becomes internally without resource." Chang Tzu.
e e cummings wrote a poem: seeker of truth follow no path all paths lead where truth is here wherever you look for truth, enjoy the seeing
The word Tao or as I spell it Dao means Way. More specifically it means the way of nature. But at the same time, it's full meaning can never be captured or transmitted by words. My interpretation of your quote is that there is essence and there is manifestation. manifestation is just the appearance of essence which is the ground of all being. Essence is like 2-1=1. You cant see 2-1=1, but you know that 2-1 never =2, so even if it isn't visible you know that it exists. People who seek in the world of appearance don't know that all appearance is just an expression of essence which is everywhere (so there is no need to seek it). Don't know if that's any help, but it's my 2cents.
