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Tag Archive for: master

  • 任重而道遠

Confucius Analects – practice in all situations

12/25/2012
12/25/2012

2.4 Conduct when alone, in different environment

子曰、吾與回言終日、不違、如愚。退兒省其私、亦足以發、回也不愚。

The Master said, ‘I have talked with Hui [Hui] for a whole day, and he has not made any objection to anything I said;–as if he were stupid. He has retired, and I have examined his conduct when away from me, and found him able to illustrate my teachings. Hui!– He is not stupid.’

-> practice in group and alone

4.2 Ongoing dedication to virtue

君子無終食之間違仁、造次必於是、顛沛必於是。

‘The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.’

-> practice moment by moment, even in chaos and dangers.

15.1 Scholar and the virtuous abide to virtue in all situations

子曰、志士、仁人、無求生以害仁、有殺身以成仁。

The Master said, ‘The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.’

-> practice of virtue is more important than one’s own life.

8.2 The puruse of perfect virtue requires vigorous endurance

曾子曰、士、不可以不弘毅、任重而道遠。

仁以為己任、不亦重乎、死而後已、不亦遠乎。

The philosopher Zeng said, ‘The officer may not be without breadth of mind and vigorous endurance. His burden is heavy and his course is long.

‘Perfect virtue is the burden which he considers it is his to sustain;– is it not heavy? Only with death does his course stop;– is it not long?

-> practice is a life-long dedication

* * *

Personal and spiritual practice, requires dedication in different times and spaces (including the transcendence of either or both of them).  It is to be chosen in front of others and while alone, in good times and bad, and be seen as more important than even one’s own life (including its aversion).  How difficult it is!  Can you be humble and wise and kind and strong across all situations in life?  In front of others and while alone, in good times and bad, and even in life threatening situations?  Successful practitioner are therefore real masters, respect to Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, and Laozi!

 

0 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Confucianism, Online Class, Spiritual Cultivation /by Derek
  • Dao De Jing 33 – Transcending oneself as the pathway towards wisdom and longevity,

Dao De Jing 33 – Transcending oneself as the pathway towards wisdom and longevity

04/10/2012
04/10/2012

Those who understand others is wise, those who understand oneself is enlightened.

-> Externally we seek to understand others (e.g. our family, company, country); internally how many seek to understand our own “self”?  We might understand our personality, including strengths and weaknesses, but more fundamentally, what is this personality?  Where does it come from and how does it arise?  Can it last or is it temporary?  All in all, what am “i”?

Those who conquer others has force, whose who conquer oneself is strong.

-> In conquering others, we can use external force such as armies, allies and money.  In conquering our “self”, internal strength is needed: we need courage to face our “self” and the world, willlingness to work through habits and believe systems, acceptance of our limitations and short-comings, reason to contextualize and understand, kindness to love and to forgive, and humility to see and surrender our attachments and illusions.   Conquering others by force is temporary (as can be seen in world history), while internal mastery is forever.

Those who content is rich.

-> With spiritual maturation, we become more appreciative to the richness of life.  Those who are thankful are rich.

Those who preserve in advancing has will.

-> Cultivation is a life-long dedication, persistence is essential.

Those who stay with their root can last. Life beyond death is real longevity.

-> Our real root is not subjected to changes and the temporariness of physical life, when we realize our true nature which is beyond physical death, we reach real longevity.

* * *

Chapter 33 Discussion:

This chapter starts by describing the different between external power and internal strength, that spiritual studies require one to direct our attention to within.  When we develop our internal strength, face life with gratitude, and dedicate our life to the fulfillment and upliftment of all (including ourselves), then our contentment with life expands.  Eventually we realize our everlasting root, beyond the limitations of physicality and changes, we are finally home.

Bilingual version of Ch33: https://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj11-3/

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

Dao De Jing 28 – Know masculine, abide in feminine

03/20/2012
03/20/2012

Know the masculine, but abide in the feminine, be the most humble of the world.

-> Master the self (masculine, active), but abide in reality underneath the self (feminine, passive).  Then the self can serve humbly in the world.

The most humble always remains with virtue, and eventually return to infant.

-> By abiding in reality underneath the self, one is not afflicted by the various recklessness of the typical self, and therefore remains with pure virtue.  Like infants, before it is affected by various patterns and believe systems of the world, it is pure.

Know white, but abide in black, be the model of the world.

-> Model of the world is not affected by the selfish attachments or aversion of the typical self (white), it realizes and abides in the reality underneath the self (black).  How to attain real abiding in the black?  Through knowing the white (understanding and mastering the self).  I.e. one needs to fully know what one’s “self” is to master and transcend it.  (To claim one has transcended the “self” without knowing what the self is, would be like a ostrich burying its head underneath the sand and claiming there is no predator)

The model of the world always aligns with virtue, and eventually returns to the unmanifest.

-> When one goes deeper into the core of one’s existence, underneath the self is the non-personal witness, underneath the non-personal witness is the non-personal Self, and underneath the non-personal Self is the unmanifest.  So the model of the world eventually returns to the unmanifest.

Know honour, but abide in insult, be the valley (vassel) of the world.

-> On the worldly level, like we typical like honor and recognition, know this is the self’s need, but allow for insult as well.  If we can embrace insult and be unmoved by honor, we go beyond these two states (no self arise in either case), and will become the valley that allows for both.

The valley of the world always fills with virtue, and eventually returns to simpleness.

-> Valley is not empty or lifeless, it is filled with virtue (it embraces and manifests).  When one is at one with the valley, what is the need for complexity, extra or special?  Simplicity manifests diversity.

When simpleness is dispersed it manifests as forms.

-> When the simple unmanifest become manifested, oneness appears as forms.  E.g. When we wake up from unconscious to conscious, we see forms appearing.  When we abide in the non-personal witness, we see forms coming and going.  The underlying is simple.

When sage use it (simpleness) and he becomes the lord of the officers, therefore great system does not segregate.

-> sages realize and abide in the simpleness (witness-Self-Unmanifest) underneath forms (manifested), he know who is the father and who are the sons.  And therefore he knows the proper relationship between the lord (father) and the officers (sons).  E.g. In computer the CPU is running and giving orders to the computer parts.  Great system, like a computer, works as a whole (with its designated father-and-sons like structure).  The monitor can not function when it is segregated from the CPU.  Likewise in human life, the self cannot function without the ongoing support of the reality underneath it.

* * *

Chapter 28 Discussion:

Dao, when perceived as human, is pure like infant; when reached at its depth by human, is the unmanifest; Despite of its ultimate potential for diversity and complexity, is simple in its nature; despite of its manifestation into seemingly segregate forms, is whole.

How do we approach Dao?  We master the external (masculine, white, changing), and abide in the internal (feminine, black, unchanged).  When we master something, we accept it, reown it, transcend it, and then we are freed from it.

Bilingual version of Chapter 28: https://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj11-3/

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

Dao De Jing 27 – Interdependency of Sage vs. Layman

03/13/2012
03/13/2012

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.

* * *

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/

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

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