Dear readers,

After 26 months of discussion and exploration, we have finally completed our online discussion on the core teachings of the three great classics in Chinese Civilization.  

With the focus on personal and spiritual cultivation, we first learnt about the transcendental reality and the way towards it from Laozi’s Daodejing.  After understanding our self, and going beyond it, we then learnt the importance of fulfilling our personal, family and social responsibility in the world through practical advises from Confucius’s Analects.  Finally, after mastering the world and the reality beyond it,  we learnt from the Buddhist Diamond Sutra that all teachings and phenomena, no matter how extraordinary and spectacular, are temporary like dreams and bubble and therefore are not to be attached.

If we can gain a throughout understanding of these three classics, and integrate them into our daily life, then a solid foundation is laid on the roadway of personal and spiritual cultivation.  Hopefully these discussions could serve as an opening door and overall guidance for further studies and practice.

This concludes this series of our online classes.  As Laozi said, “excessive speeches exhaust our reason, it’s better to stay centered.” The foundation understanding of cultivation has been laid and it is time for practice and integration into our life.  If you have further question on the topics mentioned, you may contact me for advice or further discussion.  Thank you for your interest and support all along.

Best wishes to you in your life, studies, and practices.    

Regards,

Li Siming

March 2014

19.3 Serving vs. learning

子夏曰、仕而優則學、學而優則仕。

Zixia said, ‘The officer, having discharged all his duties, should devote his leisure to learning. The student, having completed his learning, should apply himself to be an officer.’

* * *

Zixia, a prominent student of Confucius, talked about the importance of balancing work and study.  When we are in schools, study well and prepare ourselves for serving in the society (Note that in the old days, the goal of study was to provide service for the government and society).  When we are at work and in society, AFTER we have discharged our duties excellently, engage in study and continuous cultivation.

Note that Confucius teachings did not call us to abandon our social-work-family role for personal cultivation, but to fulfill our roles first and at the same time strive to upgrade our selves.  This is in-line with the Confucius classic “Daxue(大学）”，which calls for development in a step-by-step manner: from personal, to family, to country (social organization), and finally to the world (修身齐家治国平天下）.

Such advice is still valid for spiritual students in this modern world. In cultivating our life, how should i position my self, to best fulfill our various roles in life, to fulfill the highest good of all?

Last week we finished the discussion on the general image of a proper Confucius/Superior Man.  This week we start the discussion on the topic of study.  Study leads to knowledge.  The world “knowledge” in Chinese, consists of two components: Learn (学）and Ask （问）. Learn implies acquiring, while ask includes thinking and inquiring.  These 2 components are considered essentials in learning wisdom and truth, and often represent the theme of a student/scholar/teacher in his/her entire lifetime.  Study, and its related topics, will be the theme of our discussion in the following few weeks.

2.9 Learn (acquire) and think

子曰、學而不思則罔、思而不學則殆。

The Master said, ‘Learning without thinking is labour lost; thinking without learning is dangerous.’

-> Learning without thinking is like a recording information without knowing what it is, whether it is true or not, and how it can be used, therefore provide no meaning and represent labour lost.

-> Thinking without learning (proper study, research, validation), is dangerous because when we run into questionable and possible negative information and people, thinking alone in them could lead us to confusion and destructive patterns, e.g. following question teachings/practices of a cult.  Learning widely and broadly　(e.g. the classics of the Confucius/Daoist/Buddhist schools), therefore, could be useful in comparing and validating information presented.

5.1 Learning and asking question.

子曰、敏而好學、不恥下問。

The Master said, ‘Learn diligently, not ashamed to ask question, even from inferiors (people with lower social rank/status).’

-> No human could be number one in every area, to upgrade ourselves and to understand the world, we need to find teachers who are more advanced than ourselves in respective areas to learn (and think).  When need clarification or advice, overcome our laziness, pride, and fear to ask question when needed.  This is good student.

* * *

Great masters from Confucius, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions are mostly also well-learnt scholars.  This is a Chinese saying in the Daoist tradition: “未有神仙不读书” (no immortal had succeeded without study). This suggests the importance of study in personal and spiritual development.

Study and one accumulates, cultivate (Dao) and one surrenders.

-> When we study in school, at home, in society, typically we acquire and accumulate information.  When we cultivate the Dao, on the other hand, we surrender our attachments and aversions.

Keep surrendering and one will arrive at non-doing.

-> In the beginning, the strong attachments of the someone is surrendered, e.g. attachment to feelings is surrendered, aversion to physical discomfort is surrendered, etc.  At a later stage, attachment to the “someone” and “someone doing” are surrendered, doing happening on its own without the notion of anyone claiming authorship and ownership. This is non-doing.

Not-doing and not not-doing.

-> Not-doing: no “one” doing. not not-doing: no “one” not doing.  Ordinary people just do and not-do; Advanced students align to not doing, masters neither do nor not-do.

Rule the world in non-doingness, if one perceive something to do, he is not sufficient to rule the world.

-> Be in the world in non-doingness.  In such state, all is perfect.  When attention is drawn back to the self and its perception, the notion of something to do arises, one becomes limited and not sufficient to rule the world (discordant from the universal rhythm of the Dao).

* * *

Chapter 48 Discussion:

This chapter outlines a key attitude in cultivation – surrenders.  In conventional study, one usually thinks of learning something, acquiring something, understanding something, and realizating something, and realizing something.  At a more advance stage, all of the above continues, yet no separate self drives or claims to drive the process.  All becomes part of the flow, with one merely agree to and allow the process to unfold.  Such is surrender.

Bilingual version of ch48:  https://www.lisiming.net/ddj34-52/