every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
. . .
Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell
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Layer upon layer
She finds deep in her own experience the central truths of the art of living, which are paradoxical only on the surface: that the more truly solitary we are, the more compassionate we can be; the more we let go of what we love, the more present our love becomes; the clearer our insight into what is beyond good and evil, the more we can embody the good. Until finally she is able to say, in all humility, "I am the Tao, the Truth, the Life." S. Mitchell
Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell, Harper & Row, 1988. In keeping with copyright law only the chapter under study is fulltext. All other chapters show only the first stanza.
Study Group Contac: Lissa Lord:lissalord@gmail.com
Tao in WordLayers
Layer upon layer
There are times when I want something to come about much faster than it does or doesn’t, e.g.: pregnancy, laboring to birth, writing a book to completion. Why the dry spells when effort seems fruitless? Where is the jewel I’ve been extracting for such a long time? [extraction: To obtain despite resistance]. When is plodding through resistance a passage to completion, to finding the grail? At what point does persistence become interference with the way things are?
ReplyDelete“This one ordinary deliberate step. . .” (Bright-Fey) When does ordinary become extraordinary? With the realization that “the process” is movement forward. When stepping forth, deliberately, is about letting go of the old and falling into the new. A deliberate step comes at the end of decision making. A solitary beginning to new behavior. Awareness makes this step possible. It is like an entirely new day. It involves sacrifice and self discipline. It “feels” right even though it is very difficult. The ordinary deliberate step can be the process of taking on a new job, city, husband. . .
“An authentic life is an unlearning process.” (B-F) Unlearning addiction, perhaps? Unlearning the ways I have always lived. “You cannot force the Tao Way of Life to manifest. You can, however allow it to appear.” Watch the process of craving the ways of old behavior as they pass rather then jumping into the thick of unmet desire and failure. There is a quiet sense of accomplishment when you know you are becoming new. New? The old is no longer there. In place of that which is lost is the peace of no conflict with your own thoughts, feelings and body.
Here you live the life you intend to live.
Small Fish:
ReplyDeleteTo me this is like falling in love. You can't make it happen. It just does. Watching a sunrise does not require any action, its non action.
Around the house projects always lead to something else. If you paint one wall then you have to paint the whole room and then the whole house. Yet once you are done there is nothing left to do. And as you get closer to finishing there is less to do also.