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Tag Archive for: daoism

  • pure virtue is like water

Dao De Jing 8 – Dao is like water

01/24/2012
01/24/2012

The highest virtue is like that of water.

Water benefits everything and does not fight, it positions itself at place everyone dislike, and therefore is close to the Dao.

-> As we already discussed, the Dao is everywhere, impartial, and limitless.  It represents the source and context of all, and therefore allows for and benefits all thing.  Look at water, it consists of 70% of our physical body and exists in different forms in every parts of the planet. There is no fighting in water (it does not struggle), it merely is what it is.

It is excellent at: positioning itself, rooting its mind, giving out benevolence, maintaining its integrity, governing things, manifesting its abilities, and moving at the appropriate time.

-> Here Laozi describes what water is like, and what happens when one align with the Dao: One finds the right place to abode, knows ones root (of the mind), gives out right benevolence,  accomplishes what one said, manages affairs properly, manifests one’s ability perfectly, and moves at the right time.

It does not fight with/for anything, and therefore draw no grudge.

-> As one flows with the natural rhythm of the universe, of the Dao, there is peace within; no matter what the external conditions are, even in mist of wars and conficts, there is peace. Such is the teaching of the Sutra of Everlasting Peace – Qingjingjing.

* * *

Chapter 8 Discussion:

Virtue is the common value advocated by all religions and spiritual disciplines. What is the purest Virtue that we can seek and become? Instead of religious and moralistic right and wrong, Laozi describes the highest Virtue is like that of water. Seek the virtue that embraces and allows for all, even to the lowest, darkness, and beyond all men-defined preferences. When we align ourselves with this natural rhythm of the universe, we flow perfectly in the world, and is at peace no matter what happens in the phenomenal world.

DDJ Chapter 8 bilingual text: http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj1-8/

7 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class, Spiritual Cultivation /by Derek

Dao De Jing 6 – Feminine Quality of the Dao

01/17/2012
01/17/2012

The valley-like spirit does not die, it is the mysterious femininity.

-> Dao is like a vast valley that is everlasting, Laozi called it the mysterious femininity.  Why feminine? In Chinese culture, e.g. Book of Changes, Femininity is associated with giving birth, allowing, and embracing all things, with earth being the most “Yin” and feminine of all phenomena.  Just as the earth carries all things without preference or limits, the Dao allows for the arising and disappearing of all things, impartially, without limit, and without ends.

The door of this mysterious femininity, is the root of heaven and earth.

-> When one arrives at the gateway of this mysterious femininity, such as during the moment transiting to or from deep sleep and meditation, one finds the root of heaven and earth within. i.e. when one enters into the door, self disappear and so is the perceived heaven and earth; as the self appears, so is the appearance of heaven and earth and all entails.

It exist gently and steadily, we use it and it has no limit.

-> This source (the mysterious femininity) is everlasting, limitless, and without end.

* * *

Chapter 6 Discussion:

People often associates themselves with the masculine: I am this, i want to do this, i seek this, i will this to happen.  Laozi, being a enlightened master, found that the feminine is also useful in cultivating the Dao.  Instead of driven by a strong and masculine “self”, he advocates for surrendering the attachment to, and identification of the “self”. Through laying down one’s bias, judgements, desires, one learns to live one’s life in harmony with the natural rhythm of the universe, and will eventually realizes the reality beyond the “self”.  The acceptance of our more feminine side, therefore, facilitates the process.

DDJ Chapter 6 bilingual text: http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj1-8/

2 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class /by Derek
  • Dao De Jing 5 – Impartiality and endless capacity of the Dao,

Dao De Jing 5 – Impartiality and endless capacity of the Dao

01/10/2012
01/10/2012

Heaven and earth do not fixate on benevolent; they deal with all things as if they are grass dogs.

The sages do not fixate on benevolent; they deal with people as if they are grass dogs.

-> Sun and moon rises and falls impartially, they do not shine over certain country or people just because they like them more.  Similarly, enlightened sages who transcend the self has no bias and deal with all according to the natural rhythm of the universe

If we look at the space between heaven and earth, isn’t it like a musical wind chamber?

When emptied it is without limit, when moved it gives out limitlessly.

-> Multiple levels of interpretation are possible here. On breathing its describe the natural coming and going of air or energy in one’s body. On awareness, it describes the coming and going of consciousness in one’s life, on the universal level, it describes the coming and going of universe with one’s perception.

Excessive speeches exhaust ones reasons, it is better to stay centered.

-> it is easy to get lost in words and thoughts. Seek and abide in the center, which is the underlying reality beneath speeches and reasons.

* * *

Chapter 5 Discussion:

We have biases. We like certain people better, we don’t like others. We prefer certain situation (e.g. chocolate), we do not prefer others (bitterness). Yet, when we look around the nature, the sky (including the sun and moon and stars), does not have bias and shine only to certain people or country. The earth beneath and supporting us all, does not favor certain species other others. They treat us all equal like neutral grass dogs, and continue its role and jobs as sky and earth. Through this lack of bias, impartiality is achieved.  A realized sage, similarly, also live ones life like heaven and earth, beyond the limitation of any bias, and therefore achieve impartiality. The way towards this impartiality and its effects (benefits) will be explained more in Chapter 16.

DDJ Chapter 5 bilingual text: http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj1-8/

4 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class /by Derek

Dao De Jing 4 – Qualities of the Dao

01/03/2012
01/03/2012

The Dao is like a vessel; we use it and it has no limit. It is deep, like the source of everything.

-> Contrary to the limitation found in forms, which are bound the notions of birth and death (coming into and ceasing to be as describable existence), the Dao is beyond form and therefore has no limit.

It does not have sharpness, dissolves disputes, blends brightness, and is ordinary like dust.

-> Despite of its mightiness and wonder, the Dao dulls sharpness, beyond worldly disputes, blends brightness, and is ordinary like dust.

It can not be seen but appears to exist. I do not know who give birth to it, it appears to exist before god.

-> It can not been seen directly (as it is beyond form), but can be intuited/realized through advanced master. People like to ask the source of it, Laozi did not know, but it appears to him that it exist prior to the concept of God.

* * *

Chapter 4 discussion:

This chapter describes the qualities of the Dao, as beyond form, represents the source of all things, and can be used limitlessly like a deep valley.  The Dao is also described as very ordinary like dust, and does not necessary shows off its power and existence through sharpness/conflict/brightness. How can these qualities of the Dao been seen? Laozi said it cannot be seen directly, but could be intuited/realized subjectively.  Where does the Dao comes from? If it is the source of all things, does it has a source itself?  Laozi expressed it appears even prior to the concept of God.  When even the concept of God does not exist, where exist the human to ask this question?

DDJ Chapter 4 bilingual text: http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj1-8/

0 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class /by Derek

Dao De Jing 2 – Dualistic nature of worldly standards, vs. non-dual lifestyle of sages

12/27/2011
12/27/2011

Everyone know what is beauty, because of the concept of not-beauty; Everyone know what is virtue, because of the concept of not-virtue;

-> quality behind the adjective “beauty” exists not independently, but co-dependently with a judgement/comparison to what considered “not beauty”. i.e. when one let go of labeling something as beautiful or ugly, there is be perception before these adjectives arise in one’s mind.

Therefore, beingness and nothingess creates each other, difficult and easy forms each other, long and short calibrates each other, high and low leans toward each other,tone and sound harmonizes each other, front and back follows each other.

-> similar holds true to the opposites of virtue-not virtue, being-nothing, difficult-easy, long-short, high-low, tone-sound, front-back.

Therefore the sage manages affairs without the concept of doing anything, and he educates other through his speechless living.

-> Sages see the falsity of the “self”,  and the illusory nature of a separate “i“ “doing” anything.  Since language and speeches are commonly perceived to be spoken and listened dualistically (by one “i” to another “i”), the sages, in order to avoid further misleading the listeners, speak little in his life.

All things do their works without slightest complaint, they give born to others without claiming ownership. they do things without telling others what they have done, and they retire when their job is done. Because of their retirement, their achievement is eternal.

-> look at the nature, plants live their lives without complaint, they give birth without claiming ownership, they do things without the on-going need to inform others what they have done, and they retire when their job is done (flower wither after spreading pollen, fruit wither/eaten/carried away to spread seed, a lot of plants die every winter).  As they have no attachment to the temporary (flower, fruit, plant), they remains at one with their real nature, which beyond and not subjected to the temporariness of the phenomenal changes.

* * *

Chapter 2 discussion:

Chapter one introduces the Dao as beyond speech, name, form and non-form. This chapter further discusses the limitations of dualistic separation commonly adopted in the world. What for? you may ask. Instead of continuing with our current perception of separation and duality, What benefit is there to adopt this state of nonduality? Laozi explains, a wise sage is like plant in the nature, it comes to the world, live, grow, blossom, fruit, and die, without attachment to any specific stage in life, any need to claim any process being “i”, and any need to tell everybody about their achievement. Because of their non-attachment to all this transitory, they remains at one with their real nature. which is everlasting and beyond changes.

DDJ Chapter 2 bilingual text: http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj1-8/

5 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class /by Derek
  • Dao De Jing 1 – Dao is beyond words and names, form and non form

Dao De Jing 1 – Dao is beyond words and names, form and non form

12/20/2011
12/20/2011

“The Dao that can be spoken is not the enduring and unchanging Dao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.”

-> As Dao is beyond forms, words and names are only symbols and pointers of the Dao.

“Nothingness, is the origin of heaven and earth; Beingness, is the mother of all things.”

-> Prior to the self/i arising (e.g. in deep sleep), there is no perception and therefore no heaven and earth. With the self/i arising, perception appears and one see all things.

” Abide in nothingness, one see deep wisdom; Abide in beingness, one see boundless creation.”

->When one discover the reality beyond forms, one discover the wisdom beyond the phenomenon world, when one abide in the reality of forms, one see the diversity of all creation.

“Both arise from same source but have different names, together they are called mystery.” “Lie in the deepest of mystery, is the gate to all wisdom and wonder.”

->If  there is a ultimate reality that is accountable for all creations, it gives rise to both (form & beyond form). Together and beyond separation ties are gateway to the deepest wisdom and wonder.

* * *

Chapter 1 Discussion:

In this first chapter of Daodejing, Laozi presents the nature of reality (Dao) as beyond words, names, forms, and non-form. It represents the source of above all, and is beyond all dualistic separations such as form/non-form, being/nothing.  This chapter cautions readers up front that one should not be lost  in words, even that from this Daodejing itself. Treat them as pointers and temporary information, but seek and aim for the (Dao).  The Chapter also introduces Dao as beyond duality and opposites.  Typically, our minds likes to draw separation and describe the world with a subject and an object (e.g. a “i” in a “world”, a “this” vs. “that”), and think of phenomena as having opposites such as hot/cold, fast/slow, high/low, etc. Laozi discovered the reality (Dao) as beyond all this separations, including the ultimate separation of nothingness(non-form) and beingness(forms).

DDJ Chapter 1 bilingual text: http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj1-8/

4 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class /by Derek

Weekly Daodejing starting Dec20!

12/19/2011
12/19/2011

If you are interested in the wisdom of Laozi’s Daodejing, but you don’t have the privilege to come study here, here is the good news: Starting dec20,2011, I will be sharing my teachings of this sacred text, one chapter a week, with detail explanations and my interpretations of it.  I hope you will find them beneficial to your life. So stay tune here! Share the wisdom, raise questions, and let’s have fun learning and growing together in this journey of the Dao.

Wish you good fortune, longevity, health, and peace.

Regards,

Derek 

2 Comments/in Daoism, News /by Derek
  • Zhang San Feng – The Internal Alchemist,

Zhang San Feng – The Internal Alchemist

09/06/2011
09/06/2011

Besides being a master martial artist, Zhang San Feng is also a master in Daoist Internal Alchemy.  In his treaty “Speaking of the Dao in plain words”, Zhang San Feng provides a brief yet clear overview of the pathway of Dao cultivation via meditation and Internal Alchemy.

He discusses the general outline of different stages of Daoist cultivation, structure of the human essence-energy-spirit system, important explanation on key concepts such as truth, nature, spirit, mind, foundation practices in breathing and meditation, and barriers and useful attitudes to facilitate the practice.

As the master said, practice proceeded blindly leads one to go nowhere (section 16).  This article therefore helps practitioner to focus their efforts on the core and direct pathway towards the Dao.

http://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-cultivation/zhangsanfeng-teachings/

1 Comment/in Daoism, Spiritual Cultivation, Wudang /by Derek

What is Dao?

07/31/2011
07/31/2011

What is Dao?

Dao is the origin, the path and the destination.

(see Summary of Daodejing)

Most people live their lifes for survival,
many live for possessions,
some live for achievements,
few just be themselves,
rarely still are those just are.

What is your path? Where is your destination?

0 Comments/in Daoism /by Derek

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