Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

I discovered Taoism about 8 mos ago when I read a book that had been in my library for several years - The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff.  In reading Winnie the Pooh, to my nursing infant 6 years ago while feeding him, I was struck by the timeless quality of the stories and of course, their relevancy to my little boy who would grow up exploring the woods of our wild and rural Missouri forest.

I have been wanting to get into a discussion of Taoism here in this because I think it represents the Yin of metaphysics, while the passion for practice, for active application of The Science of Mind philosophy represents the Yang.  I am going to definitely want to discuss Benjamin Hoff's book in more detail some other time.  I would also like to explore some of the bits and pieces of the Tao Te Ching as this thread develops. 

I had already been working on a beginning thread on Taoism for a couple of days when, as I began to explore this month's Aug 2007 Science Of Mind magazine, I almost laughed out loud, for there in its pages is an article about Wayne Dyer's new book about Taoism called Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.  This phrase is very similar to one the SOM has used for many, many years (change your thinking, change your life).  I thought about buying his book and considered that perhaps I should buy it from Science of Mind's bookseller, when I received the current offering from One Spirit and decided to go with them, because their offer includes a Change Your Thoughts Meditation CD (total cost is $29.99 if you are already a member, more if not).  One Spirit can be reached online at http://www.onespirit.com/.  There is also a link there, where you can “Do The Tao Now”.  Dr Dyer will also be seen on PBS this month.

So, I thought before I go any further with what I was writing, I'd just go ahead and comment on/summarize from the SOM magazine article first.  Tao can also be thought of as another name for Source Energy.  When you consciously connect with this invisible intelligence, you begin to understand that you can trust it, even more than you trust in the things your senses tell you are real.  Tao is the supreme reality, the pervasive, all that transcends, yet animates all that is.  It does not begin or end.  In Tao, you learn that before any thing you can know physically was, it was an invisible intelligence first.  Lao-tzu (author of the Tao Te Ching) calls everything that exists, the “world of the ten thousand things”. 

All being comes from nonbeing.  As soon as you try to name the placeless place of the invisible, you lose it.  The opening line of the Tao Te Ching says that the “Tao that can be named is not the Tao.” or as Kierkegaard said, “Once you label me, you negate me.”  When you try to label anything you experience, you negate it because you become more focused on the label, than on what the experience has to teach you.  The truth is the truth - until you organize it and then it often becomes a lie.

Using metaphor, ambiguity and paradox, the Tao tries to convey truths our minds can't otherwise comprehend.  The Tao says “do little and get a lot done” or don't “take on big things and that way big things are accomplished”.  The Tao does nothing but leaves nothing undone.

Our minds are like prisms.  When light hits a prism, the prism refracts the light into hundreds or thousands or millions of little pieces and divides things up.  The mind is always carving things up.  Behind that carved up multiplicity or even duality, there's oneness, a place of no division.

Think of the number 0.  You cut it in half again and again and you always end up with 0.  Add it together over and over and you still end up with 0.

The Tao teaches us to hold two opposing ideas in our minds at the same time.  We are yin and we are yang, we are male and female energy, we are the light and the darkness.  This has the ability to lift us up out of appearances and allows us to discover the commonality what connects all.  It is there that power exists, that everything that is forms and then comes into being.

The Tao teaches us that the universal timetable is not necessary our idea of “when”.  You can't push the river.  You can't plant a tomato seed one day and get tomatoes a week later.  The Tao has a similar concept to Ernest Holmes' law of cause and effect.  It teaches that there is a very simple secret in the universe - change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.  You are still in the same world - things just are as they are - but what you notice has changed to support your perception (ie more supportive, more loving, more peaceful, etc).

The Tao says “Stop trying.  Just be.  Refrain from doing.”  What the Tao is trying to tell us is to yield, flow and bend - rather than be rigid and fixed.  Allow things to happen instead of trying to make them happen (allowing is a key concept in Abraham-Hicks philosophy).  Water is used a lot in the Tao, Abraham-Hicks speaks of going downstream.  All these common threads always speak to me of different ways of looking at the same truth. 

The Tao teaches non-violence.  “No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves, because the branches would realize that they're going to kill the whole tree in the process of doing so.”

An excerpt from Dr Dyer's new book is especially meaningful to me now as I watch the decline in my dear in-laws.  It is from the 23rd verse of the Tao Te Ching - “You are part of the law of form in time and space, composing and decomposing.  Everything in nature is returning to its Source … The question is, do you wish to participate consciously with this natural goodness, or would you rather spend your moments in anxiety and failure?” … our ego believes in the ability to force things, make things happen or be in charge.  The Tao teaches us that “the Way is responsible for everything, with a naturalness” that isn't forced.  What “seems so devastating in the moment is benevolent perfection in another moment”.  By conforming “to the naturalness of the universe, you cooperate with this all-creating power that flows through you.”

Re: Tao - meets Osho Zen Tarot

I drew this card from the website today

Card 58 - Glowing With The Flow 
                        (I love that I wrote glowing - it should have been going)

When I say “become water” I mean become a flow; don't remain stagnant. Move, and move like water. Lao Tzu says: The way of the Tao is a watercourse way. It moves like water. What is the movement of water? or of a river? The movement has a few beautiful things about it. One, it always moves towards the depth, it always searches for the lowest ground. It is non-ambitious; it never hankers to be the first, it wants to be the last. Remember, Jesus says: Those who are the last here will be the first in my kingdom of God. He is talking about the watercourse way of Tao–not mentioning it, but talking about it. Be the last, be non-ambitious. Ambition means going uphill. Water goes down, it searches for the lowest ground, it wants to be a nonentity. It does not want to declare itself unique, exceptional, extraordinary. It has no ego idea.

The figure in this card is completely relaxed and at ease in the water, letting it take him where it will. He has mastered the art of being passive and receptive without being dull or sleepy. He is just available to the currents of life, with never a thought of saying “I don't like that,” or “I prefer to go the other way.” Every moment in life we have a choice whether to enter life's waters and float, or to try to swim upstream. When this card appears in a reading it is an indication that you are able to float now, trusting that life will support you in your relaxation and take you exactly where it wants you to go. Allow this feeling of trust and relaxation to grow more and more; everything is happening exactly as it should.

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Wow!  So beautiful and truly uplifting.  I especially loved this:

“Our minds are like prisms.  When light hits a prism, the prism refracts the light into hundreds or thousands or millions of little pieces and divides things up.  The mind is always carving things up.  Behind that carved up multiplicity or even duality, there's oneness, a place of no division.”

As we each gently move our ego selves aside, connecting with the Tao…source energy…infinite loving, creative intelligence…or as some of my friends call it, sparky… we are embraced by the perfection of the wholeness…no division.  

Life is good…all is well…floating downstream in peaceful, harmonious joy.  Or we can wiggle and splash and swim upstream for the contrast…it's our choice, and either one is okay.

My love and prayers to you and your in-laws as you go through the process of letting go to the next experience together.

With love and appreciaiton,
Helen

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Helen,

Thanks so much for the beautiful thoughts.  I liked that passage about the prism as well and now you have expanded that so nicely for me.  I love it - sparky - wow, can I ever think of it by another name again?

And your imagery of wiggling, splashing and swimming upstream for contrast - how perfect for a blistery day.

Thank you for your kind personal thoughts.  A wonderful young lady started working today to assist my in-laws with their daily chores - when I left everyone seemed comfortable and happy, now that she is there (we are easing into it with lunch to dinner 5-6 days per week or no more than 40 hrs, it's a good start I think).  The days that remain will be a little brighter now and the way this young lady came into our lives is nothing short of remarkable.  I'll have to write about it soon.

All the best,

Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Deb,

I'm so glad to hear that your in-laws found the right person to assist them.  I love it when things work out like that. 

And thanks again for this pod…it's such a great place to visit for inspiration!

I don't know if I mentioned it before or not (sometimes I have CRS…can't remember sh..!)  I just ask for a leave of absence from my minister, so I'm on “inactive” status as a practitioner now.  I knew I just wasn't ready to go back to practitioner duties yet and I don't know when I will be…but I'm learning to trust that I only have to take the next indicated right step.

Life remains good and I know that all is well.

Helen

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Dr. Wayne Dyer has a book out Change Your Thoughts Change Your LIfe and is based on the Tao verse by verse. I just ordered it. Looks interesting.

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Last night I watched the Wayne Dyer PBS special “Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.”  (I recorded it on 8/6)  It was great and it seems like a progression of his previous work, even though the Tao Te Ching is ancient.

Thanks for the info about ordering the book from One Spirit, Deb.  I just got a delivery today from Sounds True so I'll have to wait till next month to order this one.  It feels good to help businesses make money that are in the business of uplifting people.

One of the things that stood out to me from the PBS talk was “Bring happiness to all you do.”  I'm not sure I've heard that one before.  “There is no way to happiness…happiness is the way.”  These really resonate for me.

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

This week, I did receive the Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life book along with the meditation CD by Wayne Dyer.  The CD is a very different experience for me.  Each track has one piece of a verse.  Then the word Tao is repeated in a long drawn out chant 3 times.  At first, this felt very strange to me.  I was listening while I hiked and I found it difficult to chant along because he has very extended breath control.  I have finally developed a method of taking a tiny breath as he emphasizes the “o”.

The beauty of this, is that this is the first practice I have found capable of taming my wandering thoughts because just as I start to get bored with the breathing chant, a new verse comes along.  It keeps me very much in the NOW and so, I've decided to keep doing this until I really feel I know these abbreviated versions of the Tao Te Ching verses - with only Sunday devoted to my much loved SOM meditation CD.  Somehow, my body is very happy to be doing this breath work but it is very challenging and difficult when hiking up hill.

I just started in on the book and am considering adding a board below our SOM Daily Guides to post these one at a time and discuss.

Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Oh goodie! I just got an email from Amazon today that mine is on the way. I also got the meditation CD. I read the reviews and some said that it was very different.
I can't wait to get it! Oh and I like the idea of a discussion thread. I don't know if I can carry both SOM and WD at the same time, I'll probably be going back and forth.

I think once I get past this very hard class, my time will open up more for my daily readings. I have my big final on Monday and I'll be pouring into both books.

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Denise,

Deadlines help in ordering priorities. 

Best wishes for good mastery on your final next Monday.

Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Denise,

On second thought, I did set up the space, but there's no rush.  We can start posting and discussing this next week.

All the best,

Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Oh not a problem Deb. I just got back from taking a test tonight. I felt really good about it and the final is on Monday. And yes, this is a priority. Massage therapy has been a long time goal of mine and I'm finally doing it and it FEELS good! ; )

I'm really looking forward to reading and listening to the stuff from WD I have coming. And I'm so glad you starting a seperate topic just for that!

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

I thought this might be of interest to those following this thread - Hay House, the publisher of many spiritual items, I believe also includes Abraham-Hicks - has podcasts of Dr Wayne Dyer, including the July 30th episode focused on The Wisdom of Tao and his new book -

http://www.hayhouseradio.com/episode_details.php?show_id=16&episode_id=2617

Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

I'm listening to it now! It's interesting that dr. WD says that he almost felt like he was channeling while writing the book. I saw the PBS special on his new book, that's what prompted me to order it. I hope it comes today!!!!

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Denise,

I am just now listening to the link I posted and did you get the feeling when he was talking to Lana that WD is channeling Lao-tzu?  He “knew” about the child I am suspecting she aborted and he reassured her that the child was there for the amount of time it was supposed to be there.

Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Yes! I felt that! First I thought if they had some kind of conversation before going live, but they didn't! How could he know that! LOL


Oh and I got my book today!!!!

Re: Tao - Posting Verses

I would like to start in on our new discussion board - The Verses of the Tao Te Ching (found at the bottom of our list) - this next week.

Someone in another pod - Global Daoism (here is the link for anyone interested http://pods.zaadz.com/daoism, the cultivator Erick recently joined our pod as well)
- was talking about Dr Dyer's book and said “I have found some of his interpretations interesting…but, I wonder if others have found that he has taken away the simplicity of the Tao?”

However, if you listen to the Change Your Thoughts Meditation CD by Dr Dyer using the Tao - it could not get any simpler than that, because he reduces each verse down to one sentence.  I am enjoying it.  The breathing while chanting Dao while walking was challenging for me but I have worked out a little breath, when it transitions from Da to O, that makes this more comfortable for my breathing needs while hiking.  I have been listening 6 days of the week while hiking and will continue until I find I know these simplified verses.  I give myself the SOM Meditation CD for a break on Sundays, just because I enjoy it so.

Beyond all this, I have been on a Tao buying frenzy, including joining Erick's pod because I really want a broad perspective.  My original introduction as I mentioned before was a bit unusual - The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet.  It is a fun and easy-to-understand-the-concepts read to have as an introduction.  I ordered an Osho audiobook called Meditations on Tao, an audiobook on the Tao by Ken Cohen (I can't imagine where that might take me) called Taoism: Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power, Byron Katie's book  A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are and a book recommended by the Daoism pod called The Book of Thou Does: The Virtuous Way As Human in a Worldly Life by Xiaozi.  I hope that all this immersion will result in some interesting discussions. 

My Osho Zen Tarot card today is called Intensity.  I'm not surprised given what I just shared with you about my upcoming study of the Tao.  It says “Everybody who has burned with intense inquiry has found the sunrise.  … The figure in this card has taken on the shape of an arrow, moving with the single-pointed focus of one who knows precisely where he is going. He is moving so fast that he has become almost pure energy. But his intensity should not be mistaken for the manic energy that makes people drive their cars at top speed to get from point A to point B. That kind of intensity belongs to the horizontal world of space and time. The intensity represented by the Knight of Fire belongs to the vertical world of the present moment - a recognition that now is the only moment there is, and here is the only space.”  I have been feeling amazing peace and serenity, almost dreamy.

I intend to use Dr Dyer's book as the starting point for each thread in our discussion board.  I would like there to be only one verse discussed per thread.  The starting post would be the entire verse, as translated for Dr Dyer's book, with the single sentence from the Meditation CD at the end set off with these words - Contemplation/Meditation Verse.  I'll do the first one to show a “standard” format so we can have some consistency.  After that, any member of this pod, who has this book by Dr Dyer, can post a verse but I would like to do them in numerical order (please don't jump ahead to your favorites).  We really don't have to do a verse a day but I do recommend not posting more than one verse a day.  I do request that Dr Dyer's essays on each verse NOT be posted (buy the book if you want to read these in their entirety) but they can be referenced.  Below the single sentence, meditation verse, I think it would be good for our personal “practice” to include Dr Dyer's exercise that he does for each verse, which comes under the heading “Do The Tao Now”.

In replying to the thread, any source of information about that particular verse can be shared or cited but the source should be clearly stated in the post.  Of course, the best posts are often those that are unique - personal thoughts, interpretations, observations, experiences and/or reactions.  I hope that all who participate in this discussion, in the coming weeks and months, will experience an amazing expansion into new perceptions and peace in their lives.  Always I am hoping for this, for all of you who have joined this pod. 

I may travel for the holiday (if all is stable and comfortably arranged for my in-laws care and assistance) from Thurs through Sun of this week and so, it may be hard for me to do any posting for either the SOM Daily Guides or the Tao Verses.  Help from anyone with the time and resources to do this will be appreciated.  Ongoing help is always be appreciated.

Deb

Re: Tao Te Ching resources for Dr Dyer's book

Dr Wayne Dyer consulted 10 different versions of the Tao Te Ching - definitely 5 of which were quite old and 5 of which were more modern.  They are listed in the Acknowledgments of his book, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life.  I list them here for your convenience …

[1] The Essential Tao: An Initiation into the Heart of Taoism through the Authentic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of Chuang Tzu (translated and presented by Thomas Cleary)

[2]  The Illustrated Tao Te Ching: A New Translation with Commentary by Stephen Hodge

[3]  Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tsu (translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English (deb's note - I have this same resource in the 25th Anniversary Edition as well)

[4]  Tao Te Ching: The Definitve Edition, by Lao Tzu (translation and commentary by Jonathan Star)

[5]  Tao Te Ching: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell

[6]  Tao Te-Ching: A New Translation by Lao-Tzu (translated by Derek Bryce and Leon Wieger)

[7]  Tao Te Ching: A New Translation by Lao Tzu (translated by Sam Hamill)

[8]  Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (translated by John C H Wu)

[9]  A Warrior Blends with Life: A Modern Tao by Michael LaTorra

[10] The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu (translated by Witter Bynner)

Re: Tao - some background on Dr Dyer's book

I posted the first verse today from Dr Wayne Dyer's new book “Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life”, definitely a play on the old SOM phrase - “change your thinking, change your life” - whether consciously or not.  I thought it might be appropriate here to add some background on Dr Dyer's writing of this book from his preface.  It has changed how I would like to pursue studying the verses.

The translations for the verses we will be posting in the new board are pieced together from the 10 resources I showed in the post just before this.  So, it could be said our verses from his book are a synthesized composite of 10 different versions.  Dr Dyer admits that this book is his personal interpretation of the Tao.  Recognizing that to name the Tao is to lose it, Dr Dyer says “The Tao is the supreme reality, an all-pervasive Source of everything.  The Tao never begins or end, does nothing, and yet animates everything in the world of form and boundaries, which is called 'the world of the 10,000 things'.  Generally Tao is interpreted as “the Way”, Te as “the shape and power” (how the Tao manifests) and Ching as “book”.

Dr Dyer describes writing this book as a “surrender to ideas that didn't always seem to fit a linear rational approach”.  In writing the book, Dr Dyer would read one verse and then meditate upon it on the first day of a cycle.  For the next 3 days, he would think about what Lao-tzu was offering and invite the Tao to be ever with him in his activities as a background.  I think this might be a nice plan for us as well.  To post no more than one verse every 4 days, to give plenty of time for contemplation and experience to inform our comments.  It is okay to comment immediately, but I would also be happy to see your comments at the end of this 4 day period.  I, who am always chomping at the bit, will try to restrain myself thusly (while not promising), to allow that quality into my own responses.

At the end of the 3 days, Dr Dyer would ask his picture of Lao-tzu “What did you mean?  How does this apply here, today, to anyone who might want to live according to these majestic teachings?”  He said it was mind-blowing for him how the answer to these question would simply come.  It felt like automatic writing to him and to those of us interested in channeling and who have witnessed channeling, that may be what has happened through him.

Dr Dyer recommends that we each make reading this book, the Tao Te Ching, in whatever form we choose, a personal journey.  Interestingly, there is a 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Deng Ming-Dao which I will try to get for our use as well.  In an excerpt, I found this “enter Tao …Yet, if you try to communicate what you experience, there is no one to undertand you, no one who will believe you.  The more you walk this road, the farther you are from the ordinary ways of society… If you meet someone who can profit by your experience, you should share.  But if you are merely a wanderer in a crowd of strangers, it is wisdom to be silent.”

Finally, Dr Dyers says of the Tao that “you'll find yourself startled by its simplicity and naturalness.  The advice of this ancient master is so easy to apply that you mustn't try to complicate it.  Simply allow yourself to stay in harmony with your nature, which can be trusted if you just listen and act accordingly.”

At the beginning of the book is the quote attributed to Confucius, after he visited the elder Lao-tzu to seek advice …

Re: Ken Cohen on Taoism

Denise said in comments for the Aug 30th Daily Guide -

“I just love how LOA, SOM and the Tao just blend so beautifully together! Delicious!”

Today I received a set of 3 cassette tapes by Ken Cohen titled simply Taoism with a subtitle of Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power.  I believe this is “out of print” so to speak and mine are used but in good condition.  They were put out by Sounds True.  I am beginning to understand why I have been drawn to Tao and why it feels so in harmony with SOM and LOA teachings.  His lecture is an amazing glimpse into the development and history of Taoism and it turns out to have strong roots in the feminine and in shamanism.  It is a study that is nature based.  Oh, I see how Wicca and Paganism are in a sense Western versions of Eastern Taoism.  There is a strong healing element and I find that Qigong which is Chinese Energy Healing is part of this.  Coincidentally (is there such a thing?) I recently received a mailer for Spring Forest Qigong that I have seriously been considering taking up the study of.

Oh, the pace quickens…  I have only begun listening to the first Ken Cohen Taoism cassette this evening during my walk and I even got goosebumps at one moment for the insights that welled up inside me.  I highly recommend it.  This is not a discussion of the Tao Te Ching verses per se, though they come up of course over and over but more a broader understanding of all things Taoist.  Taoists are eccentic individualists.  Ha, no wonder I am more and more attracted to integrating this into my being.

All the best,

Deb

Re: Tao - The Butterfly of Chuang-tzu

Lars, shared with me this website and so, I share with you this story from Taoism.net.  Always have I  loved butterfly stor
 
Here’s the link -
http://www.taoism.net/sanctuary/flash/livingfish.htm 
 
It is a very nice site that I highly recommend.  Thanks, Lars.
Deb
____________________________________________________________________
Tao Living
The Dream of the Butterfly
by Derek Lin
 
It was a cool evening in ancient China. Chuang Tzu’s friend went looking for him at the local inn. He found Chuang Tzu sitting at a table, sipping his drink in a contemplative mood.
 
“There you are!” Chuang Tzu’s friend greeted him. “I thought by now you would be telling everybody another one of your stories. Why so quiet?”
 
“There is a question on my mind,” said Chuang Tzu, “a question about existence.”
 
“I see. Would you like me to leave you alone to your thoughts?”
 
“No, let me share it with you. Perhaps you can provide me with your perspective.”
 
“My perspective is of little value, but I would be glad to listen.” He pulled up a chair.
 
“I was out for a stroll late in the afternoon,” said Chuang Tzu. “I went to one of my favorite spots under a tree. I sat there, thinking about the meaning of life. It was so warm and pleasant that I soon relaxed, dozed off, and drifted into a dream. In my dream, I found myself flying up above the field. I looked behind me and saw that I had wings. They were large and beautiful, and they fluttered rapidly. I had turned into a butterfly! It was such a feeling of freedom and joy, to be so carefree and fly around so lightly in any way I wished. Everything in this dream felt absolutely real in every way. Before long, I forgot that I was ever Chuang Tzu. I was simply the butterfly and nothing else.”
 
“I’ve had dreams of flying myself, but never as a butterfly,” Chuang Tzu’s friend said. “This dream sounds like a wonderful experience.”
 
“It was, but like all things, it had to end sooner or later. Gradually, I woke up and realized that I was Chuang Tzu after all. This is what puzzles me.”
 
“What is so puzzling about it? You had a nice dream, that’s all there is to it.”
 
“What if I am dreaming right now? This conversation I am having with you seems real in every way, but so did my dream. I thought I was Chuang Tzu who had a dream of being a butterfly. What if I am a butterfly who, at this very moment, is dreaming of being Chuang Tzu?”
 
“Well, I can tell you that you are actually Chuang Tzu, not a butterfly.”
 
Chuang Tzu smiled: “You may simply be part of my dream, no more or less real than anything else. Thus, there is nothing you can do to help me identify the distinction between Chuang Tzu and the butterfly. This, my friend, is the essential question about the transformation of existence.”
 
Many philosophers and students of the Tao feel that of all the stories ever told by Chuang Tzu, this is the one that best captures his essence. There is so much agreement on this that the butterfly has come to represent Chuang Tzu in Chinese culture. But what is so special about this story? It seems rather short and simple, so why do people consider it to be so imporant?
 
One thing that sages have observed about the world is that many people talk too much but convey little that is meaningful. The Tao seems to be the opposite in that it says nothing and yet expresses everything. The sages occupy a position between the two in that they speak concisely but convey a world of wisdom. This characteristic applies to Chuang Tzu and this story as well - it may not seem to say much, and yet embedded within it are four important lessons for us to ponder.
 
First Lesson: Oneness
 
By connecting himself with the butterfly, Chuang Tzu is pointing out that all living things are united by the life force within them. The drive to survive and thrive in us is the very same drive that also exists in everything from the largest creatures to the smallest insects. When we recognize this, we can begin to see ourselves as part of nature rather than apart from nature.
 
Chuang Tzu has chosen the butterfly deliberately to emphasize this point. In terms of appearance, the butterfly seems as different from a human being as anything can be. Nevertheless, at a fundamental level it is exactly like us - a manifestation of life, and therefore of the Tao, in the material world.
 
If we can say that about a butterfly, then we can say that about anything. Therefore, one of the most basic truths in the world is that all are one.
 
Second Lesson: Life is Like a Dream
 
Chuang Tzu also points out in this story that a dream can seem every bit as real as our waking existence. All the sights and sounds, feelings and emotions in the dream can be just as vivid and intense as our experience in reality.
 
This lesson is an exercise in detachment in two areas of life: emotional obsessions and material obsessions. The key to this lesson is the realization that if we can see how dreams can seem completely real, then we can also see how reality can be just like a dream.
 
We can become emotionally obsessive when we interact with others. Sometimes people say positive things about us and we grasp onto their compliments and approval; sometimes they say negative things instead and we cling to the destructive feelings of taking offense or being attacked.
 
Let us use the negative side as an example. Suppose someone has said something that you find extremely hurtful and insulting, and you become angry. You wish to regain your tranquility, but your anger makes it impossible. What to do?
 
Step one: recall to mind Chuang Tzu’s equivalence between dream-state and reality. If you experience the insult in a dream, you would feel just as hurt, offended and angry.
 
Step two: realize that you already have a natural ability to deal with it. If the event occurred in a dream, you would simply shrug it off upon awakening. It’s only a dream; everything’s okay. We have all done this before. We are all experts in dealing with bad dreams.
 
Step three: apply this natural ability to deal with your negative emotions. Although the event has actually occurred and isn’t a dream, your emotional reactions to it are, again, exactly identical. This basic equivalence gives you the leverage to manage your rage. Handle the negativity as if it is the result from a nightmare, and reflect on how in some ways this is literally true. Soon you’ll discover letting the anger go is not so impossible after all.
 
Third Lesson: Awakening Awareness
 
Becoming fully awake is a powerful metaphor in spiritual cultivation. The word “buddha” literally means someone who has become fully awakened. Compared to this true state of wakefulness, our everyday consciousness resembles sleep, and everything we consider real in life turns out to have no more reality than a dream that fades into nothingness.
 
This may be difficult to understand. After all, at this very moment you probably feel very much awake. Why would anyone say you are asleep when you know you aren’t?
 
The truth is that almost everyone operates at a low level of awareness most of the time. Consider the last time you locked a door, walked away, and then had to go back to double-check because you couldn’t be sure you actually locked it. Or, think of the last time you walked into a room and couldn’t remember why you went in there. Were you looking for something? If so, what was it? Chances are you had to retrace your steps just to reconnect with your original intent.
 
If you’ve ever had experiences similar to the above, then you already understand Chuang Tzu’s point. As we go through the motions in day-to-day existence, we seem to be sleepwalking most of the time. Once in a while we have a moment of clarity, like a sleeper awakening just enough to check the alarm clock, and then we go right back into slumber.
 
How can we become more fully awake? This is something that requires persistent effort. Tao cultivators who focus on this aspect of life would consistently practice being present. Through diligent repetition, they develop the habit to always ask themselves “What exactly am I doing right now?” and “What exactly is going on around me right now?” People who
do this invariably make surprising discoveries. They catch themselves doing things that make little sense, or they suddenly become aware of something significant and obvious that somehow eluded their notice before. The more they practice this, the better they get at it, and being in the moment becomes a more natural and much more frequent occurrence.
 
Fourth Lesson: Transformation
 
The last lesson from Chuang Tzu is also the most important. The butterfly in the story is crucial, because it represents joyous freedom - a liberating state of spirituality where one transcends fears, just like the butterfly flying free of the limitations imposed by gravity. A Tao cultivator who achieves this freedom becomes an unbounded individual, not held back by emotional or material attachments that tie most people down.
 
The transformation that Chuang Tzu speaks of in this story, in conjunction with the butterfly, form a powerful imagery that represents the complete process of Tao cultivation. We start out making slow progress, learning one lesson after another, just like the caterpillar crawling slowly, eating its way through leaves.
 
After sufficient accumulation of knowledge over a period of time, the mind begins processing the information to extract wisdom for the soul. This is a time of meditation, reflection and quietude, much like the fully grown caterpillar going into the chrysalis stage.
 
Then, the magical metamorphosis begins. Miniature wings, almost imperceptible, expand rapidly to become much larger. A spectacular transformation takes place, and the stunning creature that emerges from the chrysalis bears no resemblance to its former self. The child has become the adult.
 
In the same way, someone who goes through the metamorphosis of the Tao has become a new person. The Tao cultivator has transformed into a sage. The wings of spirituality have expanded to become much larger, much more colorful and beautiful.
 
Now we can see even more clearly that Chuang Tzu chose the butterfly with careful deliberation. It is also quite obvious now why the butterfly has come to represent Chuang Tzu in Chinese culture. Every piece of the puzzle fits together so well that it simply cannot be any other way.
 
Is Chuang Tzu telling us with this story that we all have the potential to turn into the butterfly?
 
Yes, but not without going through the larval and pupal stages. To jump directly into the butterfly stage can only be a dream that soon comes to an end. If you encounter people who claim to be enlightened, be especially cautious, because in all likelihood they are merely caterpillars no different from you and me. They may be convinced they are the butterfly, but that’s because they are dreaming.
 
What Chuang Tzu has given us is a glimpse of what we can achieve through Tao cultivation. If we have patience, diligence and faith as we seek and consume nutritious leaves, then the day will come when we go into the chrysalis and eventually emerge from it. That is when we will know… that the joyous freedom of the butterfly is no longer a dream!
 
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Re: Tao - The Butterfly of Chuang-tzu

Potential and Imagination.
Thanks for posting this Deb, I love that little fish and I have a great respect for the Butterfly. This little video takes it a little deeper, if that’s possible.

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

“One thing that sages have observed about the world is that many people talk too much but convey little that is meaningful. The Tao seems to be the opposite in that it says nothing and yet expresses everything”


beautiful!

Re: Tao - The Ma-Wang-Tui Manuscripts

I found a new version of the Tao Te Ching at my mother's cabin last night, as we were cleaning out my in-laws personal belongings from their bedroom.  I remember loaning my MIL The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet, after I had read that book by Benjamin Hoff, which was my own first exposure to the Tao Te Ching.  I believe it likely that she purchased this version after reading that. 

So, I took a look at our current Verse 71, to see if it was different enough, to begin including this reference resource in our own study.  I was very pleased with how different it was.  Then, I read the translator's preface this morning, and not only do I think some of his thoughts are worth sharing here - but I discovered that he uses a different numbering method.  Therefore, # 71 will be moved to # 27 where it will be more helpful to us (the link above, should take you there - to # 27).  See note at the bottom of this post for more information on that aspect.

Victor Mair mentions that the Tao Te Ching is the most translated book next to the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita.  He lists the reasons that he believes that is so. 

[1]  The Tao Te Ching is considered to be the fundamental text of both philosophical and religious Taoism.  In fact, “The Way” is at the heart of ALL Chinese religion and thought.  The core belief being that there is a single, overarching Way that encompasses everything in the universe, which is the similarity that the Tao Te Ching shares with other major religious scriptures.

[2]  It is brief; few classics are so short and yet, so packed with insights that it encourages repeated readings.

[3]  Paradox is the essence of the Tao Te Ching.  Even scholars with a solid grounding in classical Chinese cannot be sure they have grasped its intended message.

The discovery in 1973, by Chinese archaeologists, of 2 ancient, silk manuscripts at Ma-wang-tui, in central China about a hundred miles south of the Yangtze River, was exciting to scholars because they include 49 other important items, including the earliest extant version of the Book of Changes.  The tombs were from the Han Dynasty (over 2,000 yrs old).

The translator feels that these manuscripts are much more intelligible than the old standard editions because millennia of distortions and obfuscations had occured in attempts to “improve” the text, with commentaries and interpretations, that served special interest's needs, such as religious, philosophical and political aspects of living.

The translator finds working with the Ma-Wang-Tui manuscripts a stimulating challenge, as well as inspiring, more difficult than using the standard editions would be.  A personal breakthrough, for the translator himself, came as he worked with these manuscripts.  The nearness of their dating to the original Tao Te Ching naturally preserves, more faithfully, many of the features of the oral wisdom upon which it is based.

Mr Mair spent 2 months trying to arrive at a satisfactory translation for Te.  The choice of “integrity” is based on etymology and careful consideration of the 44 times it occurs in the text.  In time, he came to understand it meant the totality of an individual, including their moral stance, whether good or bad.  The archaic forms of the Chinese character for Te signified the holistic inner quality or character of a person.  The components were an eye looking straight ahead, and the heart, and a sign for movement or behavior.  Some of the unknown texts, that were found at the site, contain elaborate discussions of the metaphysical questions related to Te, which he found useful, as he contemplated its intended meaning.

The translator brought historical linguistics and a desire to accurately convey such aspects as poetic beauty, meaningful layout and formatting of verses, parallelism, antithesis, employing sometimes rhyme, other times consonance, assonance among other familiar poetic techniques.  It was his hope to be able to replicate the effects of the original, while translating it in his own language.  Therefore, he did not seek to ameliorate roughness, or unintentionally lose a lyrical quality, because the style of the Tao Te Ching varies greatly between verses.

The voices that speak through the Tao Te Ching include the Taoist mystic, the political strategist, the utopian architect, the anti-Confucian philosopher, the clairvoyant poet, the meditative Yogin which the translator calls concertstuck.  For it is his belief, that the Tao Te Ching represents the accumulated wisdom of centuries, not the enterprise of one author and indicates the title “Sayings of the Old Masters” would be accurate.

The translator also noticed an intimate relationship of the Tao Te Ching with the Bhagavad Gita, having read both in their original languages repeatedly and attentively over a period of 20 years.  He has found many similarities between Indian Yoga and Chinese Taoism.  He has arrived at 3 explanations for this -

[1]  China borrowed the Yogic system and its attendant practices from India;

[2]  India borrowed Taoism and its attendant practices from China;

or

[3] Both India and China were the recipients of inspiration from a third source.
(deb's note - bold emphasis mine)

He feels that it is ultimately of little consequence whether Taoism is indebted to Yoga or Yoga to Taoism, they are both unique manifestations of a common human heritage.

Verse Numbering -
It is going to be a challenge for me to post his verses, his number in parentheses does seem to match our “main” number.  So, my earlier post today in Verse 71 will have to be moved to Verse 27.  I will show “our” number on top and his order number below in parentheses.  Therefore, the traditional number will show on top.  He says regarding the numbering of the verses, which he employs in his translation, “The number running consecutively from 1 to 81 follow the sequence of the Ma-wang-tui manuscripts.  The numbers in parentheses indicate the corresponding chapters of the previous standard test.” 

I know this is confusing, because it was for me, but just so you understand that in order to make the verses comparable from one author to the next, I will show the Ma-wang-tui sequence number in parentheses.  The opposite of how it shows in his book. 

It is my intention to begin working backward through the Tao Te Ching, when I have completed all 81 verses.  I plan to construct an index, so that the order in which they appear in the room will never matter.  Whether one is looking for a particular verse or should one wish to read the verses from 1 to 81, they will be able to utilize the index link, to go directly to the verse they want to read. 

My final intention will be to post comments of my own, synthesizing my insights with the various essays and insights of the authors I have chosen for our study here.

Peace & Blessings -
Deb

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Very interesting find Deb..
This link has some hidden treasures in it.
I will find a copy and read it at depth..
I lov your intention..and discern its depth.

Re: Tao - The Way of Lao-tzu

Deb, this is a real treasure and it is just amazing and wonderful that your MIL gifted you this find in this way. We are blessed that you will share it with us.