According to the traditional Chinese theory, one's life comes from three sources: 1. The one and only congenital Qi from emptiness, "it will not increase for a sage, and it will not decrease for a mediocrity too. Even if lower down, humble as birds, beasts, grass and trees, they also all have this one and only congenital Qi just same as the sage, and have the same nature too. " ¨C Quoted from the <Real Meaning of Dao De Jing>, on this point, it seems that God is very fair. 2. one's soul, the souls are different, some strong, some weak, some wise and some fool. 3. parent's materials, now we know the main materials from one's parent are genes, they are also different. If these are true, then originally, each one's congenital Jing is equal, just because the souls and genes are different, and the mothers' circumstances in pregnancy are different, these result in the babies' congenital conditions are different. Any comments?
Sounds a lot like the "spirit, mind, and body" idea common to many (all?) religions. I don't disagree. Question: Isn't the Tao Te Ching a book about how to rule a government? Or is it just that it can as easily be applied to government as it can to any other aspect of life?
There is a tao of government no doubt - as there is a tao of everything. It's a question of an all-pervading principle. And Trippin, you're right there is that aspect of it. In a way, it's in there perhaps once again to distinguish taoism from the confucian type of approach. The taoist idea of running the state seems very much to be 'leave well enough alone'. Let things flow naturally and simply in their course, whilst the confucian seeks to inculcate moral principles and so on, and a society based on the proper mores, which Confucius thought had to be put into people through proper education (in which incidentally, music played a central role). The taoist approach represents nature 'in the raw', whilst the confucians wanted a cultivated, and to taoists, artificial type of society. At least that's from my limited western perspective.
No, it's not about how to rule the government, and its theory can't apply to a government (without causing troubles). Strictly speaking, it's not a religion at all. It's about moral improvement. You can have faith in it whether you're a Christian or not. If you're really interested, better to discuss it with a scholar. You can't trust a translation, ancient Chinese is hard to translate. Though the characters are the same as those in modern Chinese, their meanings differ a lot.
And the "Dao" in Dao De Jing, though is a simple Chinese character, has no simple explanation. "Dao" in modern Chinese has a narrower usage. And one can't explain it unless he understands Ancient Chinese well, which is no easier than a foreign language.
Isn't it amazing how many interprations can be writen about simple a book? Especially when the book itself was already just an elabrate way of saying "Just go with it."
Good day everyone! It seems yet few people are interested in this translation, the translation work is suspended. Here is this first chapter of the book, just a gift to thank you for your past responses, whatever these responses are kind or unkind. 1. The Door of all Wonders [Original text by Lao Zi] The Dao that can be talked about is not the invariable Dao; the name that can be named is not the invariable name. The beginning of universe is nameless; what can be named is the mother of all things. So, often observe the wonder without intention; observe the hole with intention. These two come from the same source and have different names; they both are mysterious, mysterious and profound, it is the door of all wonders. [Commentaries by Huang Yuanji] Zhu Zi says: ¡°The Dao is just like a road, it is common for all people.¡± It is the source of heaven, earth, human and all things, so we call it Dao. Before universe was born, this Dao hangs on emptiness; after universe was born, this Dao fills in heaven and earth. What Dao is this Dao? It lives forever earlier than this world; it also will not be decayed after the world. It lives before the universe, lurks in emptiness, nothing can be seen, also nothing can be heard. So Lao Zi says: If we talk about the Dao, it is loquacious and dark, there is really nothing that can be talked about; what can be talked about are all the phenomenons of the Dao, they are not the true invariable Dao itself. If we talk about name, it is empty, there is really nothing that can be named. What can be said are all the residue of the Dao, they are not the true invariable name. People do not know the Dao, why not read the <Poem>! It says: ¡°What the heaven carries, without sound without smell¡± ¨C the Dao cannot be said as having something. It says again: ¡°It maintains the heaven¡¯s life silently without end¡± ¨C the Dao also cannot be said as nothing. One should know, in the extreme emptiness, there is extreme being; in the extreme void, there extreme trueness exists. The Dao really cannot be talked about by form or place. Lao Zi guides people mercifully, he expounds truth widely, says: before universe was born, it is in chaos without any form ¨C although it is nameless, heaven, earth, human and things all are gestated in it. That is why it is the beginning of universe. When it quiets long, Qi germinates, and then there is something that can be named, this one and only congenital Qi densely flows in the universe, nurturing all lives. That is why it is the mother of all things. Beginning reveals there is just the one and only congenital Qi before the universe was born; mother reveals this one and only congenital Qi creates and runs all things after universe born. In the beginning of internal cultivation, there is not any other method, just intently sitting upright, giving up all ideas, closing your eyes lightly and watch the inner lightly. Under the heart, and above the kidneys, as if there is an empty hole. Always put your Shen in this empty hole, and put every breath in this empty hole, let it breathe in and breathe out naturally, but give priority to concentrating your Shen and Qi in this centre hole. For a moment, Shen and Qi mix to be one. Then let it be ignorant, do not rise any clear idea. Such for a long time, you get into the emptiness state dimly. At this moment, you do not know whether the Shen gets into Qi, or Qi fills in the Shen, completely harmonic and you do not have the awareness of others, yourself, heaven or earth, but again this is not muddleheaded ¨C if muddleheaded, then it is just withered wood or dying embers. Once here, cultivator should extinguish the perturbing mind, but do not extinguish the illuminating mind. Just keep this state, wise but as a fool, full of wisdom but not use. At the unconscious moment, suddenly there is an awareness of sprouting; this is what Taiji starts. One should know this awareness is natural; it is not produced by thought, only that this is my original true awareness. Daoists call it a mysterious portal; it is just among breathing in and breathing out. When breathing in, it is Yin, it is quiet, it is empty; when breathing out, then it is Yang, it is active, it is existence. Even in the minute of one breath, there is also the mysterious portal. If you want to cultivate the true awareness, only at the moment of this awareness sprouting, there is a living and real original person without thoughts and dregs. So it is said the universe produces all things by this awareness, human produces Jindan (the pill of immortality) by this awareness. However, this awareness is as lightning, now it is, it will be not in a twinkle of the eye, the difference is among the least bit. Cultivators must know it clearly at ordinary times, and then you can grasp it at the time when the occasion requires. Since time immemorial, all sages, immortals and Buddhas succeed from nothing but accumulating this awareness. At the beginning of internal cultivation, if you do not start from ¡°observing the wonder without intention; observing the hole with intention¡±, then where is the origin? Emptiness and existence, wonder and hole, they are no more than Yin quiet and Yang active, the one and only congenital Qi divides into Yin Qi and Yang Qi, and again these two Qi return to one congenital Qi. Because it sprouts after long time quiet, born from emptiness, it is called the first Yang born or the living Zishi; because it acts to extremity then returns quiet again, existence returns to emptiness again, it is called returning to origin to restore life. The important point is just Yin and Yang that are divided from one Taiji. Although these two have different names, they come from the same origin ¨C Lao Zi calls it mystery, says it is mysterious and profound. If you want to get this profound Dao, you must be quiet and quiet, calm and calm, without anything in mind; this is ¡°observing the wonder without intention¡±. This is profundity. When Qi sprouts, although you are aware of that, you do not raise an idea of awareness; although there is activity of Qi, you do not have a thought of activity. You have one intention only, without other ideas, this is ¡°observing the hole with intention¡±. This again is profundity. In so far as mysterious and profound, it is really the place of returning origin, if it is not the door of all wonders, what is it then? What we pity for is ordinary person has this mysterious hole, but does not know cultivating it straight, so it opens in a flash and closes soon, never stops until Qi is used up. At the moment that the mysterious hole opens, the sage is aware of it immediately, and grasps it firmly, cultivates it permanently, never leaves it for a very short time, so that goes to the highest origin, and to be a completely awake immortal. The beginning of internal cultivation relies on the mysterious hole. Lao Zi points out nameless and namable, observing wonder and observing hole at the first chapter, it serves to show that the important point of Dao cultivation just rests with the mysterious hole, without this mysterious hole, there is no way to make progress. So the first four sentences say the origin of great Dao is really formless, it can not be imagined and understood thoroughly. At the primeval state of the universe, it is in chaos without shape, just like one straight cultivates the Dao in quiet. When universe is born, quiet to extremity and then Qi sprouts, it wakes up with awareness, this is just how one detects Qi in activity, it is the first foundation of making the Dan. Considering it is in a short moment, if you do not have the sword of wisdom, you cannot get it. In a word, when the awareness rises, it is the key; it is really the beginning of creation. Since time immemorial, the immortals all succeeded form this opportunity of sprouting with awareness. Again, Lao Zi says ¡°observe the wonder without intention; observe the hole with intention¡±, one of these two is quiet, and another is active, they are based on each other, so they ¡°come from the same source and have different names¡±. Things that have forms can be considered and measured, but this mysterious hole is empty but existing, it is existing but empty again, it really could not be named or delineated by form or place. Even if one speaks with a flow of eloquence, he still cannot speak one word on it, so it is called mysterious and profound. However, cultivator also cannot take it for dim, and never thoroughly seek an assured source. If you really find the truth on this, others take it dim; to me it really has evidence and certainty. In the course of time, Qi will sprout clearly every time you start training.
Ah! So this is the first teaching about having the awareness in the central body, under the heart and anbove the kidneys? Yes, experience has shown this can produce effortless and natural stilness of the mind and emotions almost instantly, even if they are not already still and calm. Attachments seem to displace the awareness from this place and so have to be let go off. Otherwise this natural place of awareness is a foundation for living enlightenement in every moment. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks Peace and love Jnanic
Long time absent here, I just worked out a website to introduce ancient Chinese cultivation system. A lot of valuable information there, those were never published before, feel free to take a visit at http://greattao.net/
