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Tao

WuWei


Seven Universal Principles of the Order of the Universe
Everything is a differentiation of One Infinity.
Everything changes.
All antagonisms are complementary.
There is nothing identical.
What has a front has a back.
The bigger the front, the bigger the back.
What has a beginning has an end.

Twelve Laws of Change of the Infinite Universe
One Infinity manifests itself into complementary and antagonistic tendencies, yin and yang, in its endless change.
Yin and yang are manifested continuously from the eternal movement of One Infinite Universe.
Yin represents centrifugality. Yang represents centripetality. Yin and yang together produce energy and all phenomena.
Yin attracts yang. Yang attracts yin.
Yin repels yin. Yang repels yang.
Yin and yang combined in varying proportions produce different phenomena. The attraction and repulsion among phenomena is proportional to the difference of the yin and yang forces.
All phenomena are ephemeral, constantly changing their constitution of yin and yang forces; yin changes into yang, yang changes into yin.
Nothing is solely yin or solely yang. Eveything is composed of both tendencies in varying degrees.
There is nothing neuter. Either yin or yang is in excess in every occurrence.
Large yin attracts small yin. Large yang attracts small yang.
Extreme yin produces yang, and extreme yang produces yin.
All physical manifestations are yang at the center, and yin at the surface.



Taoism, an ancient Chinese system of thought, views the Universe as an interconnected, organic whole. Nothing exists separately from anything else. The Universe is governed by a set of natural and unalterable laws which manifest themselves as a flow of continuous change. This natural order and flow is referred to as the Tao, or the Way. By recognizing and aligning ourselves with these laws, humans can attain a state of being which combines the experience of total freedom with one of complete connectedness to life’s processes - being at one with the Tao. To help gain this level of existence, Taoist writings offer us various principles to be followed in the course of everyday living. Understanding and adopting these values presents the opportunity to become whole and complete, to consciously become an inseparable part of life’s flow. A central concept in Taoist thought is that of te, or virtue. This word appears in the title of the famous work by the legendary sage, Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching - The Power of the Way. Though virtue is the literal translation of te, the word is used in Taoist literature to indicate power or strength (as the Latin root, virtus, indicates). Te refers to the fact that all things contain an inherent power or strength that comes from their own essential being or true inner nature. This power derives from the fact that our true self is an expression of the Tao, because it is intrinsically connected with the power of the Universe. However, the idea of te is that of power exercised without the use of force and without inappropriate interference in the existing order of things. In our modern society much attention is devoted to promoting self-awareness: "finding ourselves," "knowing who we truly are." Many traditions, including certain schools of Western psychology, regard this discovery and acceptance of self as central to personal well-being, an important step on the path of individual transformation. It also is the belief of certain social thinkers and activists that, without a high degree of individual self-awareness and responsibility, it will remain impossible to resolve the many social and environmental problems currently facing mankind. What guidelines does Taoism offer in this area? How can we manifest our te, know our true selves in a manner that connects us with the rest of our world? Our conventional Western outlook is based on the assumption that humans are all separate entities, existing apart from each other and from the surrounding environment. Te, on the other hand, implies a trust and belief in one’s own inner nature and in the interconnectedness of all life. -------------------------------------------------- Lao Tzu writes that "All things arise from Tao. They are nourished by Virtue (their own inner nature.) Virtue is goodness and faithfulness." -------------------------------------------------- As a first step, we are asked to believe in ourselves, in our own inherent goodness, in the process that is Tao. "The great Tao flows everywhere. It nourishes the ten thousand things. It holds nothing back," Lao Tzu states, encouraging us not to give in to our doubts and fears. As a means of developing this trust and belief in the Tao and expressing our inner nature, Lao Tzu counsels us to move beyond conventional values, those social mores and norms which tend to strengthen our view of ourselves as separate egos or selves and which are rooted in doubt and fear. These values only serve to lock us in our sense of separation and rob us of the power of our true being. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sage tells us: Accept disgrace willingly. Accept being unimportant. Do not be concerned with loss or gain. Love the world as you love your own self. Then you can truly care for all things. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To help manifest our te, Lao Tzu gives us his "three treasures" which assist us in developing our perception of the unity of life and in cultivating a way of being that is harmonious with the Tao. The first treasure is compassion, the second is frugality or balance, and the third is humility, "daring not to be ahead of others." We must feel and experience our connection with all of humanity, all of life. In this way we are able to respond to various situations in an appropriate, helpful manner, serving the higher good. This is compassion. Practicing frugality works to preserve the delicate balance that exists in life and harmonizes our actions with those of the Universe. The Tao will nourish us if we make wise use of its resources. And adopting an attitude of humility allows us to be guided by the creative forces of the Tao and orients our actions towards service to all mankind and the Universe as a whole. In this way our te emerges. More and more we find our actions truly expressing our inner nature. More and more they are in harmony with the Tao. As our te manifests we experience ourselves as an integral part of our environment, moving effortlessly and naturally along life’s path.



BEYOND ENLIGHTENMENT

EVOLUTION
Enlightenment is an evolutionary stage not a theistic comprehension. Buddhists have no concept of deity. The Tao has existence and yet is not. As well as the thinking immanence of being, higher mystical expression alludes to absence as well as presence. The void, unknowable, unthinkable is part of mature experience. Your enlightenment is from you and for you. Hanging on to God is a stage, just as insisting on void. Do not rush the stage you are at. Allow the progression its natural time and direction. God is such a profoundly complex experience that it simplifies the person. If you are a strong believer in God, this is right and proper but it is not everything. There are stages beyond belief for and against. The enlightenment process is possible for the irreligious or secular. It may foster in them a change in perspective that is more orientated towards the arts and altruistic behaviour. As the process is internal they may provide an explanation based on ideas of alterations in body chemistry or psychological explanations. There is no reason why such explanations should not be equally valid and open to investigation. Spiritual materialism as well as the crude and obvious formulations has other more subtle manifestations: The worship of knowledge or God even for its own sake has no place in the settling of truth which is not in action, worship or its opposite. Acceptance is not passive or in conflict. It is the allowance of the end of journeying. Movement and stillness become meaningless. Ideas of transition and change and leaving behind previous vehicles, knowledge bases and behavioural models are equally subtle ego states for they still appertain to the idea of movement to higher states. Intense intellectual study or religious practice becomes the focus of a group; attracting people on this basis. The ecstatic mystic who expresses only the Truth may never gain the acceptance needed to instigate a complete program of evolution. All formulations can be gauged by their members. Superior contact must produce superior results. Using the process of consciousness in a new way outside of definition is the hallmarks of many forms of mysticism. In order to break the tendency to know, feel or sense this new mentation, a movement is often induced towards apparently nonsensical practices. Alleged higher consciousness always can be described or understood, the genuine article is too nebulous to be ascribed any quality. The spurious is always keen for verification; the real is its own answer.

EXERCISE
So called higher senses are meaningless until proper evaluation of existing senses occurs. Bias, conditioning, expectation, choosing to be misinformed, inappropriate screening and so on, all limit rather than expand our possibilities. The enlightened have always attempted to improve the existing possibilities before going any further. The techniques of sensory stilling through meditation may initially provide a more accurate understanding. However used in certain unbalanced and unsupervised ways meditation may provide altered perceptions as biased as the previous mind state. The effects of meditation can be somatic and similar to drug addiction and just as dangerous to the system. Meditation like any technique in isolation is not a cure-all but must be used within a balanced range of procedures. There are similar difficulties with excessive prayer and unsupervised chanting, energy invocation systems etc. Admitting the possibility of error in our contemplation allows the awareness of error should it occur. People are at different stages of development and distinct in their needs. This means people must be provided with appropriate exercises, dissuaded from doing exercises or what ever. When a system offers the same to everyone it may be of benefit to some but hold back others. A beneficial and appropriate practice should bring an individual to a state where they can gauge and refine themselves. People who practice chanting, meditation, prayer etc. may well experience change. CHANGE IS NOT PROGRESS. In fact the very experience of change may convince an individual that progress has occurred when this is not the case. They may just be 'moving about' rather than moving forward. The drifting back into unenlightened thought though never complete is what Sufis call `earth sickness'. The most realised individuals have overcome sufficient of their natures to not need props to reestablish awareness. They use their everyday life and experience as part of their evolution. However for the lesser mystic there are several techniques, some of which are:
1. Concentration and exclusion
Concentration on a singular point of reference and/or exclusion of superfluous thought results in heightened awareness. This can be achieved by any form of relaxed focus on a single point in space, sound or being.
2. Immersion
Complete absorption in activity and being is achieved by bringing the mind constantly into awareness. Immersion is activity with awareness.
3. Slowing
Slowing physical movements in order to observe them is the simplest example of this. Slowing and pausing ones interaction, being just that little bit ahead of what is going to be said or done allows one the capacity to observe and decide what and how to express. The slowing of physical and mental expression allows for easier observation with which this must be tied.
4. Inspiration
An open mind state allows one to be in communion with aspects of the internal or greater mind. From here a course of action can be allowed entrance.
5. Awareness
Focus on the presence is the development of a sense of awe and surprise, a feeling of freshness and delight in each moment. The ability to meditate whilst engaged in gainful employment and activity is of tremendous potential for the work dominated West. The development of guilds, the scientific attitude of alchemists and the efforts of artists and artisans all contain this dual nature.
6. Asceticism
People who lock themselves in monasteries, hermitages or perform acts of deprivation are quite often unbalanced. The true ascetic finds such behaviour easy not difficult and is therefore expressing his or her nature rather than suppressing it. True asceticism is the performing of observances that cause manageable degrees of voluntary not masochistic deprivation.
7. The release of negativity
From negative qualities, experiences and even behaviour good can come. Inducing negative mind states to give them expression and release might today be seen as a process of holistic therapy. These negative states may be avoided until such time (usually inappropriate) as they surface unintentionally.
8. Dissolving
This is the quality of attaining to one of unspirituality and unimportance. Any aura of sanctity or specialness has gone. Dissolving into the environment by being simple, plain and neutral.
9. Imagination or Visualisation
Creating and investing with power imagined archetypes of sanctity. Creating and maintaining a link with these creations. People assume that higher characteristics can be displayed when it best suits the individual. In fact this is just play acting and displayed by many 'spiritually minded' people. High minded generosity and other qualities are constant reminders that they exist as permanent conditions. As well as the visible are a range of inner qualities that those with perceptions may enjoy. These paradoxically call attention to and protect the mystic. When through circumstance they may be occasionally exposed the people involved may learn from the process


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