TAO IS MOVING

TAO  IS  MOVING

 

It's been a while since my last posting

because I've been busy making a new website out of this blog

 

JUST  GO TO

www.taoiching.org

 

 

It'll be great to see you

 

 

 

TAO The Naked Truth

ADAM AND EVE PAINTED BY PETER PAUL RUBENS 1597

At the start, Adam and Eve. What is relevant about this picture is that both people are naked, and this introduces a concept or idea, or a way of being in, or 'using', the world. At the same time, another picture shows Fu Hsi (pronounced "foo shee"), the first mythical emperor of China, at around 2852 -2738 B.C.He wears skins and furs to indicate that he has a background in hunting and agriculture, and 'uses' Nature. This is the start of History.

Prior to History, TAO existed, and still exists.

The first great idea that the Ancient Chinese had was that "There is a flow of energy running through the universe, that takes you and everything with it". They called it "TAO". By living close to Nature, and the elements, all the clues were provided. These days almost everything around us is 'man-made' in our modern civilization, but that close connection can be re-established by a walk in the country, or looking at the sky, and being exposed to the weather.

This flow of energy animates everything - all things, places, and beings. The energy flows through everything and everyone, and as it does so, it animates and gives life. Everything is alive when this energy passes through it. Stones, water, trees, animals, and people ! TAO is not exactly 'the life force', since that would preclude inanimate (non-alive) objects. TAO flows through everything. You could see this as 'consciousness', through the act of looking, hearing, moving, and, if you have a mind to, thought. Even the rocks and trees see and hear, and in a 'mindless' way "think", and are aware.

You don't need eyes, ears, or limbs, to travel distances, to be involved, to experience and appreciate, in your dreams (while you actually lie inert in bed). If you look with your heart (sensitivity, intuition, and feelings) and not only with your eyes, you will see and understand more. You can see, feel, and know, this for yourself by simply looking and listening (without mental judgements or comparisons). This period of looking, of quiet reflection, only lasts uninterrupted for up to 2 minutes, before the next wave of TAO energy rushes through you. Without this flow of energy, you are inert. That energy changes everything.

The second great idea that the Ancient Chinese had was that this TAO energy can go in two very different directions. That changes everything. It's a good thing that they left us with a book about all of this, and called it 'The I Ching The Book of Change'.

This version is called "The Book of Chance and Change" and explains everything.

www.taoiching.com

TAO UNPLUGGED

What happens if you unplug TAO ?

Don't touch that plug ! Only kidding ! You are plugged into the great flow of Tao whether you like it or not, and there isn't much you can do about it. Most just ignore it, or refute its existence. Well, it is only 'symbolic'.

The advice of the TAO I CHING can be similarly dismissed, unless you have a practical or spiritual problem to sort out. The reason for the advice is that, unless you were aware of it, there are a few general problems or conflicts that you could avoid at the start, to make your life a little easier.

DON'T REACT. Reaction causes, and fuels, conflict. Look at the facts first, then decide what YOU want to do. This should be part of your own plans, without the aid or discouragement of others.

DON'T FIGHT. The world appears to be full of 'other things' that need combating. If you fight you will stimulate an opponent (and reaction, or retaliation). Most of the time these other 'forces', people, or situations, will have nothing directly to do with you, but do exist to subvert and redirect your energy.

All of this suggests that an agreement or compromise can be reached, or an understanding achieved, either within yourself, or with others. But its not that straight forward, and the energy in the world won't let you get away with it that easily. TAO is the great flow of energy running through the universe, and it has two 'directions', 'forms', or 'aspects'. [Defining TAO is not an activity to be encouraged, for it takes us into explanation and description, rather than 'the thing' itself.]

An understanding of these flows of energy can be found in the book "Tao I Ching The Mystic Gateway". Basically, remember that (so-called) 'negative energy' has a stronger effect when expressed in the world in competition with 'positive' energy. Although, it is not necessarily 'stronger'. A bad word can ruin your day, or week. A good word can change your life. To 'combat' these 'darker forces', don't fight them, and certainly don't react, for this will only get you deeper into the situation.

So, if you shouldn't react or fight, what can you do ?

Simply do what you do, and if you are constrained in some way, do the smallest you can. It is that 'smallest thing' that grows and doubles in strength. If you need help, look to The Five Spiritual Additions (which require you to add them), Optimism, Enthusiasm, Encouragement, Generosity, and Humour. You can apply one or more of them at any time, and even just act them out if you are not 'naturally' drawn to one of them { and it may well be 'the job of the world' to keep you away from these qualities of change}. It is the addition of these that causes change in the world.

All the rest, the wars, the conflict, and the control, will only repeat or prolong the status quo.

The TAO I CHING suggests (read the introductory chapters) another course of action, which can be applied in all circumstances. This is a way, or "The Way", 'the way of actionless action', action without effort, and lots of other mystifying terms, used to express a particular philosophy of action. You could call it "letting go", or "acceptance", but this might lead you to think that you need to be more at ease or spiritually advanced than you are. Elsewhere I've tried to find a suitable translation, but, to cut through all the terms and definitions, you only need one little affirmation or saying, which, as you say it, you can put into practice . . . .

BE HERE NOW

You say this to yourself at any point, and at any time you get caught-up in too much concern and worry, and, most splendid of all, at any moment during your day when you are not doing anything in particular. This is simply looking and listening where you are now. This is an encapsulated version of the 2 minute exercise for seeing the energy of TAO for yourself, on my website http://www.taoiching.com/ . If you get this right you live in the present with inner peace, or you can remain plugged-in to the energy you are already using. That other energy that you are presently using will promise you everything, and a full life, or a life full of continual conflict. The alternative is quiet, still, and magical, and also very much in the world around you everyday, at every moment.

"Look

You won't see it.

Listen

You won't hear it.

Move one inch

And you miss it.

You looking, listening, moving

All the time

Is all it takes"

TAO TOM TOM

How to navigate the present moment

I was in the car the other day using our newly acquired Tomtom navigational aid on the dashboard. With the visits to MBS Fairs in different venues around the country almost every weekend, the Tomtom has taken the stress out of driving to unknown destinations. As I appreciated the amazing concept of a satelite navigational system available to the public, I also thought wouldn't it be wonderful to have a spiritual tomtom. This would be a moral, ethical, spiritual, and practical, device, making the right choices in every situation, and guided 'from above'.

Oh ! Oh ! I Thought. We already have this. The TAO I CHING and set of ELEMENTS do precisely this ! Instead of "After 800 yards take the next left" we have "After a little while take the next option" , or "Go left at the roundabout and take the first exit" is now "Look at your situation, and consider withdrawing as soon as possible". The selection and manipulation of the ELEMENTS provides this aspect of personal direction, rather than simply following a map or book with 'flat information'. The direction and guidance is offered to you, dependant upon where you are at any one moment. Once you have programmed-in your destination to the Tomtom, you really have no idea where you are in relation to the rest of the country around you. You have a close-up picture of where you are now, and a little of what lies immediately ahead. That momentary changing picture is all you need.

The final destination for each journey in the Tomtom is an address, postcode, or Home. In everyday life, once you establish your destination, desire, or ambition, you can let the hexagrams show you the way. The hexagrams are like stepping stones in every direction. Use your ELEMENTS to select the changing hexagram for information, direction, and 'speed'. The amazing thing about the Tomtom is that if you take a wrong turning, after 5 seconds, it recalculates your new position and a new course to get you to your destination. Once again, the parallels are remarkable. If you follow the information in the TAO I CHING your way ahead is calculated and shown to you. If you don't take the advice or ignore the information, your new situation is immediately recalculated with your next selection of ELEMENTS.

Actually, you are not 'going' anywhere. The car will only deliver you, and your stuff, to somewhere else. It's still you here, or somewhere, with stuff, or without stuff. By all means have an end in sight, or a direction, but this is only a material, physical, emotional, or spiritual, framework. Everything else is in the present. You see, unlike the crude sophistication of the Tomtom (which may be the scientific wonder of the decade), the TAO I CHING has a message that you can hear now, everyday, and at every moment.

" YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION "

We have already arrived ! That's the message, but of course, that conflicts with the notions future happiness, prosperity, ambition, desire, and the unfolding drama of creation (or destruction). Now that we are all here (whatever state, age, sex, each of us might be in), you only have to quietly 'navigate' the present.

No thoughts in a garden

How can we make it through life

Without knowing inner peace

That sublime inner quiet

Of complete affinity

With all things.

Utterly unknown to us.

To the clouds

And all things

We are utterly, completely, unknown

When you've finished looking at the clouds, the trees, and the wind, please read

THE SMALL PRINT OF YOUR CONTRACT

YOU ARE BORN INTO THIS WORLD AS A TOTAL STRANGER. YOU ARE WELCOMED BY PEOPLE WHO ALREADY LOVE YOU, AND OTHER STRANGERS. WHILE YOU ARE HERE, NOW, IN THIS PLACE, WHICH EXTENDS OVER THE WORLD, OVER YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN MAKE CONNECTIONS THROUGH YOUR HEART. THIS IS EASY BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE HEART DOES, AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS ARE THROUGH ENTHUSIASM, OPTIMISM, ENCOURAGEMENT, HUMOUR, AND GENEROSITY.

ACHIEVING INNER PEACE

" Achieving Inner Peace ". It's easy. Follow the diagram, read the instructions (not included), go to the talk, read The Book, and just accept the advice from the most reliable source (not included).

The other weekend I was at 'Quest' , a Mind Body Spirit Festival at Newton Abbot in Devon. I went to a free one hour lecture entitled "ACHIEVING INNER PEACE". "Balance, harmony and inner peace can be achieved if we observe and act on the universal principles that govern our lives. These Laws or Principles work unfailingly whether we know them or not. Harmonizing with these Laws brings inner peace." This sounds a little bit like the stuff I go on about, so I went to see what it was all about. The room was full ! A man in a smart suit gave a measured and ordered lecture on the topics of Truth, Justice, and Wisdom, but only after he told us that inner peace was out of the question unless we accepted The Creator. It occurred to me that I was in the wrong room. I was, perhaps, actually expecting inner peace right there !, but after an hour I went out the door I came in.

What is inner peace ? Where can you find inner peace ?

In the wisdom of the ancient Chinese TAO I CHING {AFFINITY HEXAGRAM} inner peace is a state of quietness, and inner strength, based on the cessation of thoughts and ideas, worries and concepts. These discursive thoughts about all sorts of things, memories, and notions, never cease of course, but 'gaps' can be found. Now you can't look for the 'gap' (well, you can, but that's meditation), and you can't apply effort, or reason. You can't try harder to be more at ease, and with no thoughts there is no reason or logic to this. So, if it's not or emotional/experiential or 'intellectual', and nothing to do with anything really, where can such a thing or state be found.
It's in your heart, Dude ! Don't look for it. You've got it with you all the time, but maybe you can't see it or feel it. Your heart is the centre of your awareness, sensitivity, and intuition, but most of the time there are more pressing activities to get on with. Inner peace is not a state exactly, more like a way, or flow of energy.The big secret is that inner peace is not static or still (although it can give that impression) but moving all the time. It is like a flow you become aware of. A flow from you, and from the world to you.The outpouring of the elements of the heart (awareness, sensitivity, intuition, and a kind of open trust), which you can do easily by simply observing what is around you, doesn't cause inner peace (it's not an exercise) - it is inner peace. Look out at the world and others quietly, without any thoughts or preferances, judgements or comparisons. Wow ! that's letting go of a lot of the stuff that maintains your identity and individuality, but you won't loose anything by just looking. If you now want to get involved, impress, or distract, you'll most likely step away from inner peace.
Use your sensitivity by 'looking with your heart, not your eyes'. The ancient Chinese would call this 'looking symbolically' (as close as I can get to a translation), and it takes in all the Elements of the world as a 'picture' of where you are. It doesn't take much to realise that the whole thing is on the move - not to anywhere, but here changing. From being relaxed and at ease with the world as it is, comes an inner quiet or peace, whatever your circumstances might be. It's a way of being in the world. That world doesn't stop moving, neither do you. Inner peace is a way through the world, and it's excellent for going through doors.

No one told us it was going to be this easy !

"Allow TAO to change your routine, to challenge you, surprise you, and show you wonders. TAO will amaze, amuse, attract or distract, to engage you, one way or another. Chance and change affect us all. Now add your light into the world, for no reason at all. Just smile - "Shine out". When you are relaxed and comfortable in yourself, the world will talk to you everyday, like the clouds that protect and provide, and give form to light."

TAKEN FROM THE HEXAGRAM "INFLUENCE" OF THE TAO I CHING. THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF EIGHT CARDS CONTAINING THE EIGHT SPIRITUAL LAWS OF TAO.