I Alone Am an Imbecile

 

 

 

 

 Chapter 20 of the Tao te Ching

Give up learning, and you will be free from all your cares.*

What is the difference between yes and no?
What is the difference between good and evil?
Must I fear what others fear? 

Should I fear desolation, when there is abundance?

Should I fear darkness, when that Light is shining everywhere?

In spring some go to the park, and climb the terrace;
But I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am.
Like a new-born babe before it learns to smile,
I am alone, without a place to go.

Most people have too much; I alone seem to be missing something. Mine is indeed the mind of an ignoramus, in its unadulterated simplicity!

I am but a guest in this world.

While others rush about to get things done, I accept what is offered. I seem foolish, earning little, spending less. Other people strive for fame; I avoid the limelight, preferring to be left alone.

Indeed, I seem like an idiot -- no mind, no worries. 
I drift like a wave on the ocean, I blow as aimless as the wind.

Everyone settles down in their grooves; I alone am stubborn and remain outside. But where I am most different from others -- is in knowing to take sustenance from the Great Mother.

 

~  ~  ~

 

*  Many interpret the translation in the first line as "thinking" -- but this misses the mark. Reading the Tao te Ching many times, it is like a circle, such that once you jump in and begin following, it explains itself. The 48th chapter explains why LEARNING is such a burden: because "Learning consists of daily accumulating; the practice of Tao consists in daily diminishing." To ease our burdens, we stop piling them on, and begin unburdening ourselves of the 'Wisdom' (programming) we carry already.  

We set ourselves free.

 

 🙔

Three Treasures

 

I have three treasures which I hold fast and watch closely.

The first is Mercy; the second is Frugality; the third is Humility.

From Mercy comes Courage; from Frugality comes Generosity; from Humility comes leadership.

There is no greater misfortune than feeling I have an enemy; for when I and enemy exist together, there is no room left for my treasures.

Lao Tzu

 

 🙔

Stillness and Tranquility

 

 

If you suspect you are living in a cult, try to leave.

See what happens.

 

If you suspect you are being lied to, try telling your truth.

See what happens.

 

If you suspect this world is engineered to keep you always moving, try being still.

See what happens.

 

If you suspect your existence feeds unseen forces with the oscillation between joy and pain, and the world is powered by your constant off-centeredness, to the point of illness, anguish, even death, try tranquility.

See what happens.

 

"Stillness and Tranquility set things in order in the universe...

When action is pure and selfless, everything settles into its own perfect place." 

Lao Tzu

 

 🙔

 

 

The Eightfold Path ~ Why Bother?

 

 

WHEN WE OBSERVE a wheel-type pictoral example of the Eightfold Path, we notice that indeed there are 8 ends, but look closer: two are on each end of the same oar, stick, line -- as if to suggest each is related to the other. One end lists an internal ideal, the other end leads to the material incorporation of this ideal. Pefect for displaying the 'as above, so below' precept. 

It is ancient for a reason.

Firstly, let us start with the beginnnig of all things, the Thought. Thought is a wild child; thought is ego and curiosity and discovery. It must not be tamed such that it loses its shape and place in our world.

The noble truth on the other end of that oar is, what else, but Speech. Our thoughts often turn into speech, whether they are governed or not. Aha, but it is in the governing that is the key to right speech. The storms of thought, like emotion, are not to be resented for blowing through your attention, which is their job; otherwise you would be noticing what the signals are signaling. Which leads us to our second truth on the incorporeal side: Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is that biblical adage of walking circumspectly -- and how we move about in the world is the tabla rasa, prime for conditioning "the way a man should go" such that "when he is old he will not depart from it" -- this is where the onion layers get put on, and where our self work comes in peeling them off. Seems unfair that by the time most of us realize what is happening, we are years behind in un-programming. Discovering why we do what we do is important because it leads directly to Action. Follow the trail of your actions back to the root causes, and you will find some threads that unravel and distract... but ultimately lead to some gems about yourself, if you stay the course.

Next in our incorporeal side of the list, there is View. One's view of the world paves the path to one's Livelihood, subsistence; the way to provide for oneself, living situation. How we go about our day is informed by our world view -- see for yourself:  If your movitation for the millions of choices modern humans must make each day is rooted in "this place is a meat grinder and I must both think offensively, and act defensively, to not only keep up with what is expected, but exceed expectations and aspire to higher and higher levels in every aspect of my home, work, family, and hobbies" -- that sounds like a lot. Indeed, it is what is required, to "get ahead."

HOWEVER, if one feeds a different worldview into the algorithm, one that affirms this is all happening FOR you... this mysterious existence we are suffering through as a layered mechanism to hone your soul, raise your core vibration, to recognize your real place and relationship with the infinite -- how differently would each choice look? How much would you be in charge of your emotions? 

Over a day, a month... a lifetime?

The agency you unlock within would be unstoppable.

This must be why our brother Jesus kept insisting to give up the things that really belong to other people (he gave Caesar's face on a coin as an example) and follow his example; because as it is written, "you cannot serve god and mammon both" -- everyone tells us that this is the way it is. Search your heart and see if it isn't true, that we are pressured in our times to choose work/money over everything else in our life. Including life itself. We are pressured to only stop doing things for the machine when we reach the assigned age, which used to be 55 when I was growing up. The age of retirement now could have had a child then who would have been old enough to vote and drink years ago.

Lastly, the idea of Intent, when rightly practiced, leads to right Effort. This is what we spend our waking energy doing, what our finely chosen calories burn to enable us to do. There certainly is much energy expended out there to lie, cheat, steal, and hurt people. Their efforts to accoomplish what they do are successful because they take the time to feed their intent through the process. Just like rain falling on the just and the unjust, the physical process honors the effort given; it does not judge why, or care about how. Intent that is harmful, when activated, works more often than intent that is wholesome, but left undone, resolved to chance. The mechanism becomes engaged, turning the incorporeal into the corporeal, withut judgement. It is the nature of physics.

Here is where we look back and see how the invisible truths of thought, mindfullness, view and intent are magically transformed, on this plane of existence or another, into speech, action, livlelihood, and effort. One of my favorite TV show quotes ever is from Madmen, "If this is where we wanted to end up, then we all did everything perfectly."  Also  I love the Tony Robbins "you get what you tolerate" -- total ownership of the sum of our decisions forming present circumstances.

Many of us have experienced unfortunate incidents that seemed to be acts of supernatural origin, and certainly not linked to our behavior.  When looking at your other misfortunes, be bold and brave, adventure into a real jungle -- the one of your own mind that makes up lots and lots of reasons why some things are done and others left undone... when you meet that tabla rasa of you learning the way that you did, please treat that person gently. Give them a cup of tea and a biscuit, warm dry clothes, and a comfy chair. Let them tell you all about it. You will be fast friends, and it may surprise you how some of those ole habitual problems begin to take better care of themselves.

 Just like you.

 

 🙔

 

When We are Sick of our Sickness

 

Knowing ignorance is strength.

Ignoring knowledge is sickness.

 

Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick.

 

 🙔

 

 (verse 71 of the Tao te Ching)

 

On Krishnamurti

 

 

KRISHNAMURTI 

"Violence is not merely killing another. It is violence when we use a sharp word, when we make a gesture to brush away a person, when we obey because there is fear. So violence isn't merely organized butchery in the name of God, in the name of society or country. Violence is much more subtle, much deeper, and we are inquiring into the very depths of violence.

 

... Mere explanations will never eradicate the fact that we do not love our neighbour. On the contrary, it is because we are forever giving explanations and causes that we do not face the fact. You give one cause, I give another, and we fight over causes and explanations. We are divided as Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, this or that. We say we do not love because of social conditions, or because it is our karma, or because somebody has a great deal of money while we have very little. We offer innumerable explanations, lots of words, and in the net of words we get caught.

 

What happens when you face the fact and know for yourself that you do not love your neighbour or your son? If you loved your son, you would educate him entirely differently; you would educate him not to fit into this rotten society, but to be self-sufficient, to be intelligent, to be aware of all the influences around him in which he is caught, smothered, and which never allow him to be free. If you loved your son, who is also your neighbour, there would be no wars because you would want to protect him, not your property, your petty little belief, your bank account, your ugly country or your narrow ideology. So you do not love, and that is a fact.

 

 The contemptuous way you talk to others, the respect you show to your boss, the deep, reverential salute with which you greet your guru, your pursuit of power, your identification with a country, your seeking – all this indicates that you do not love. If you start from there you can do something. If you are blind and really know it, if you do not imagine you can see, what happens? You move slowly, you touch, you feel; a new sensitivity comes into being. Similarly, when I know that I have no love, and do not pretend to love, when I am aware of the fact that I have no compassion and do not pursue the ideal, then with the facing of that fact there comes a different quality; and it is this quality that saves the world, not organized religion or a clever ideology. It is when the heart is empty that the things of the mind fill it; and the things of the mind are the explanations of that emptiness...

 

So, if you really want to stop wars, if you really want to put an end to this conflict within society, you must face the fact that you do not love. You may go to a temple and offer flowers to a stone image, but that will not give the heart this extraordinary quality of compassion and love, which comes only when the mind is quiet, and not greedy or envious. When you are aware of the fact that you have no love, and do not run away from it by trying to explain it, or find its cause, then that very awareness begins to do something; it brings gentleness, a sense of compassion. Then there is a possibility of creating a world totally different from this chaotic and brutal existence which we now call life."

 

It is worth wondering if, as Jiddu says, the empty heart is filled with the mind's conjurations... then let us try the opposite, to empty the bellows we call our mind, and fill it with heart. It is said that the sage empties minds and strengthens bones... we could all use stronger bones, as we seem to have certain rugs pulled out from beneath us more and more often. But how to fill an empty heart? Since hearts are very personal, of course this is difficult to answer. There are six basic human needs (see the Traveler's Cloak post) regardless of continent or age -- so if one is willing, one may take some time to measure what aspects of life are filling those coffers, and how much -- and what aspects are subtracting more from your energy than what you would prefer.

Maybe it is easier to sit back and lament that "it was this way when I got here" and how is one person supposed to change the whole rotten world? Ahhhh, but who first convinced you it was here for you to change? Grasshopper, I am going to ask you a very deep question, one I myself wrestled with, and know its insanity... but -- what if, just what if.... what if nothing is wrong, and everything is just as it is supposed to be... such that YOU are being funneled into developing your knowledge of yourself, and your relationship to the infinite? 

 

Sounds crazy, especially when so much is going wrong, it seems we have no direction we can turn without hearing about tragedy and experiencing it ourselves. The amount of bad news and poor decisions of leaders make for an awfully hard climate to be our best. What if you could get rid of all your frustration? Not most of it, but all? 100%? What would you be willing to do for that? How about nothing? And so "the greatest intelligence seems stupid (TtC)."

But at this moment, look honestly at the care you give yourself.  The things you do when your body needs them, how you welcome things that are sustainable and life-promoting, and avoiding illness-promoting stress, or making important decisions while hangry, for example. Because how can you show your family and friends you care for them, if you do not know and practice care for your own body? 

 

When our brother Jesus said we are all one body, how none should compare to other parts for function -- what else do you think that meant? Like Jiddu said, we know but do not do. And again our brother pleaded with us, how can you call me Lord if you don't actually follow my example? When people ask what religion a person is, it is really asking what god do you serve, what is the spirit of your ideal.

 

 Regardless of what our keepers tell us for our own good, we have proof in their fruit, like our brother said. One peoples tell how their ancestors came here seeking a place to live in peace, taking only what they need, and living close to the land. How can we tell this is true? By seeing that they take only what they need, and are living in peace close to the land. Can you tell then, which peoples worship a different ideal? That some came here to find underlings to carry out their wishes, sewing discord with the land, polluting any number of people and places to get what they want? Eroding mind, body, and soul and killing independent thought, encouraging sheep-like behaviour to facilitate the consistent shaking up of the ant hill, watching them scurry about trying to keep their lives in order, never able to change the system of their discontent. Can you tell which people worship THAT god? 

Anyone can rid themselves of the chains they were born in. Know this now, it is damned uncomfortable, and living without comfort will have to be okay for an indefinite time -- maybe always -- but is the price and ransom of the big Truth. The reason you hear people tell you that for big change you must take big actions (Robbins) is that physics demands a huge up front ante in getting over that hump of ignorance.  It is uncomfortable to regrow an outdated mindset. The time and effort it takes is akin to having a whole other job. It is even scarier to think that one's own government isn't only lying to keep things easy and controlled, it is hurting people in the process. 

 

Adapt! This is not the end of the world just yet! Only the true note rings long. The falsities of this world outnumber us and our time on the planet. So begin with the very close, personal world of YOU. Make the garden of YOU abundant, healing, transformative -- and your fruits will surely bless all around you, for all the days of your life. That is real, abiding comfort. Don't settle for the cheap knock off. You see how that has gone.

 

But unless you look at taking care -- perfect care -- of your own person, from inside to out, from crown to ground -- there is really not much you have to offer your kids, your community, or your god.

 

🙔

Beyond Krishnamurti

 

 

 

WHAT IS the root of suffering, if not desire... and what is desire, but the creation of the idea of being without? But what is so wrong with desiring to see a loved one again, or to experience a positively abundant day? Jiddu Krishnamurti discusses such examples, landing on yee oldee Buddhist premise, that Want creates Suffering, regardless of the intent of one who wants. Apparently this is how the road to hell is paved. Wanting something good, like a hug or having a perfect dance performance -- thinking of these creates an artificial binary situation, mentally. As I paraphrase Mr. K, it is the mind's creation of the state of NOT having the thing, comparing the current situation to another, one where an experience was being enjoyed.

If one could just experience the Now without attachment to it, one is free from this wish-fulfillment cycle, always chasing some carrot that will be the key to the next moment of satisfaction, not realizing by thinking of it in these polar terms (having = good, not having = bad) we are literally forging our own unhappiness with our own thoughts.

This is why you have heard, As Above, So Below. Due to the magic of our amazing material-spirit bodies, there is a space in the brain that seems to be where all humans play the movies of our memories, where our dreams are rendered, where some of us envision new, abundant worlds -- remember those "watch your thoughts, they become your words, words become your character, character becomes your destiny quotes we saw as kids. We are inspired through this apparatus, and are likely inspiring (we hope) others when we literally use our heart and brain power to purposefully THINK something... almost like a spell, sending our energies into the spirit realm.

Is it joy? Prayers of hope? Condemning damnation? Jealousy, fear... it all ripples outward. This is where many practices are in accord, in saying that we must tame our thoughts and discipline the creative energies put out by the beating of our hearts. WE ARE creators of realities somewhere, by how we occupy our creative voids.Tis is why Gandi said we must BE the change we want to see in the world, because modeling it is DOING it. And doing it is modeling it. In this way, we follow what our brother says, thinking on things therefore that are good and kind.
 
But in a system that profits off our misery, we are surrounded every day by  choices between ourselves/loved ones, and work. We have no end to sources of stress, and people are literally disappointed to death. This is not the way we were meant to "find each one our silence" in one translation of the TtC. With expectations placed on us from before birth, we have been measured, poked, sampled, guided... given choices, but in limited lanes. Maybe one day the People will feel like they count again, but there is much work to be done.

In the meantime, Lao Tzu wrote the Tao wants us to treat others gently, leave no one behind; well, much more of course, but this nutshell is after the fashion of Jesus' words, that to love others as yourself will naturally fulfil any specific or group of commandments.

We know, and many of us hear every day, the words of anger, frustration, and un-love. Even those in the customer service profession seem ill equipped. Golden are those whose words can calm without condescending, acknowledge without removing any agency, who can soothe and sate in awkward situations.

So what does it look like to run into a wall of love? a pool of understanding? When a high vibration consciousness turns their attention to communicate with us, would we notice?


The sages are described as :
"Watchful, like those crossing a winter stream
Alert, like those aware of danger
Simple as uncarved wood
Hollow like caves
Yielding, like ice about to melt
Amorphous, like muddy water..."

...because out of this dirt soup, life arises, once stillness has cleared it. 

"The sage lives openly with apparent duality and paradoxical unity." 

The mud is messy, not many will choose it. Those who do may advance. To live with a child mind is to be vulnerable all the time, not many will opt to feel this way constantly. Those who do, may advance. To live a genuine life, one naturally gravitates toward care, taking care first of oneself, then what is closest, and outward. The true spirit does not want distance between hearts, and therefore does not defend itself from pain, no matter the source. This is why the sage heart must distance themself from others at times.

In our world we recognize excess, and reward extreme. The acquiusition of titles causes much strife; maintaining it, consternation and insecurity; and disappointment, ultimately in its loss. But because of how we have learned to be, conundrums arise - "the way of illumination seems dark; going forward seems like retreat; the easy seems hard. True power seems weak; true purity seems tarnished; true clarity seems obscure. The greatest art seems unsophisticated; the greatest love seems indifferent; the greatest wisdom seems childish. 

Do you know people with any of these descriptions, whose mind may have more to it than at surface observation? If you met a Jesus, a Buddha, a Hanuman, would you notice? Would you shun your invented life you've been living to be a part of something True? or would you excuse yourself to get somewhere else, to do some other invented busy work... return to what you know... and just forget there is anything else out there for you.

We are told that if we want to understand humanity, we must begin understanding the Tao, then unlock understanding heaven; once we can do that, we move to understand the earth; only then do we begin to understand people. "What a piece of work is man," indeed.

Perhaps that is why it is written, "The greatest tragedy is discontentment." It skews all things with the weight of it. But the remedy is easy: "Stillness and Tranquilty set things in order in the universe." Try doing that. No equipment needed or apps to download. We also know that "Learning consists of daily accumulating; practicing the Tao consists of daily diminishing." We are called to "embrace yang, and carry yin" which is reflected in our beloved phrase about chopping wood and carrying water.

So watch for an oddity, see the mastery in the demure. Know that the old saying is true, the sage "treats with goodness those who are good; those who are bad are also treated with goodness, because the nature of their being is good. They are kind to the kind, and also kind to the unkind, because the nature of their being is kindness... faithful to the faithful, but also faithful to the unfaithful; lives in harmony with all under heaven, loving everyone as their own child... indeed, even behaves like a child."

There are myriad acts and languages of love and kindness, but the question is, Grasshopper, how will you recognize them? Are they languages you speak? What is it that YOU are communicating, with your thoughts, words, actions, character? Have you tamed the firehose of your own mind? 

If you have, you understand the difficulty ... 

and if you haven't, we could sure use an ally to grow with.

We shall address how shortly!

🙔