Dao De Jing 27 – Interdependency of Sage vs. Layman
Those who master travelling leave no trace,
-> When one has been to, and is everywhere, one cannot be traced or described by a particular trace.
Those who master talking speaks no fault;
-> They communicate perfectly and completely and therefore left no fault.
Those who master counting need no tool;
-> All is known and there is no need to count or record.
Those who master locking need no extra shuts; those who master tying needs no rope.
-> Job is done perfectly without extra and unnecessary measures.
Sages master saving people, and therefore no one is unsaved; (Sages) master saving thing, and therefore nothing is unsaved. This is called inner-wisdom.
-> When Sage embrace everything completely, there is nothing left out and unsaved.
Therefore Sage is the teacher of the layman; layman is the asset of the Sage.
-> Sage embrace and treasure all impartially, including the layman and those labelled undesirable.
When teacher is not respected, or asset not treasured, one falls into great confusion despite of being intelligent. This is key.
-> When one still have bias in receiving certain people (whether sage or layman) or situation, one is still in the dualistic separation of a self and others, and therefore is away from the reality of oneness and nonduality.
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Chapter 27 Discussion:
Instead of labeling people as good or bad, sage or layman, Laozi recommended embracing all, and treasuring all without personal bias. When one does this, every people and situation can be seen as blessings to cultivate one self, is welcomed and treasured, for they provide opportunity to test what’s left in personal bias, and opportunity to cultivate awareness and compassion. Gradually ones acceptance and compassion will grow and eventually to encompass all. Gratitude (described as treasure by Laozi) therefore, is an useful attitude in cultivation and to face life.
Bilingual text of Chapter 27: https://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj11-3/
Master Li Si Ming,
Is there more to gratitude than the feeling that one is very lucky or for instance that somebody has been very kind (or not and one has been fortunate to learn from this experience)? Is there more to gratitude than just a feeling or sense?
Apart from the feeling grateful to lucky, kindness, and the opportunity to grow, one can be appreciative of other elements of perception as well, such as images, thoughts, emotions, sounds, colors, sensations, etc. To do an experiment of gratitude, pick a day, starting from the moment of wake, thank you all for coming into your awareness, be it a thought, an image, a sound, a person, a situation, an emotion, an object, thank you them for appearing in your awareness. You don’t necessary to said it out or tell the object you are thanking, doing it internally (via your intention) is sufficient. When the mind doubt the stupidity or validity of the experiment, thank the doubt and the mind as well. Also, you will notice your resistance in thanking certain situation. Note it, and thank it too. Keep thanking thorough the day, and you will feel the power of gratitude.
At a more underlying level, one could be appreciative of just what one is, irrespective of what in or not in one’s awareness. One’s existence itself in the world, or without the world, is the greatest blessings and miracle ever, isn’t it?
Yes…
Thank-you for the gift of the experiment…