Delayed Daily Musing - May 19th, 2013 - Stress - 應力 - Yìnglì

Stress - 應力 - Yìnglì

What is the source?
Others demands,
or your own desires?
A lack of rest,
too much responsibility,
or just restless?
When you close your eyes,
what first leaps out
 from the darkness?

Sometimes responsibility becomes so great that it is difficult to control mental equilibrium. Attention is scattered, frustration rears up, and tremendous sorrow results soon after. Your insides ache, yet you cannot eat. You lie in bed for hours but get little sleep. Quarrels with others constantly arise despite trying to close yourself off.

An old sage may glibly dismiss all of this as humanity's folly. They are undoubtedly right, but the lofty sage provides little guidance to those of us lost in the dirt.  We are scrounging for survival while they rest on some pristine white cloud. Many other people face these same pressures, at this very same moment. Even if we find a way out of this particular problem, we cannot forsake society once and for all.

When under stress, awareness of Tao is extremely difficult, if not impossible. If you are constantly fighting on the battlefield, or in the office, or at home, or in your mind, you will never be one with Tao. If you involve yourself in this type of life, then you must face these problems bravely...until you can no longer and must renounce it.

Every moment is a choice. You may seek to drown yourself in a pool of self-loathing, or you can climb from the muck and begin the slow process of cleansing your self. The best advice is remembering that stress is not absolute reality.

Delayed Daily Musing - May 18th, 2013 - Spider - 蜘蛛 - Zhīzhū

Spider - 蜘蛛 - Zhīzhū

Centered mind,
eight legs radiate out.
Daily devotion to crafting
a net with which to sift
Tao. 

A sage once said that the spider was the most perfect creature of Tao. Its body is composed of an elegant expression of one mind: to spin beautiful threads upon which its eight legs could perfectly traverse. The spider follows Tao by sensing the currents of life. Its mind determines the designs and gives directions to the body. The net is set in the most advantageous position, and then left alone. The spider does not interfere with the trap once it is set. It simply creates a pattern, waits, and Tao brings it sustenance. Whatever finds its way into the net, it accepts. What does not become ensnared, it ignores.

Once it has established itself, the spider does not desire to expand unnaturally. It does not encroach on the territory of rivals, it does not seek adventure, it builds no ramparts for defense, it enslaves no other than the prey who find their way into the net. Morality and intellect mean nothing to the spider. It is simply a spider, and is content being just that.



 

Delayed Daily Musing - May 17th, 2013 - Prophets - 先知 - Xiānzhī

Prophets - 先知 - Xiānzhī

A prophet peddles secrets,
infused with mysterious magic.
The sage, out on a stroll,
attracts little attention,
as he deals only in the ordinary.
Which is the true Tao?
That which is sold,
or given?

Prophets are a special category. These men and women were respected masters of meditation, philosophy, medicine, numerology, martial arts, science, literature, history, music, painting, poetry, and scripture. They accomplished that which is extraordinary. The questions they asked and answers they passed down are highly valuable. The secret knowledge they took with them to the grave is likely immense. Such a formidable set of skills combined with intense dedication is quite rare.

They were great men and women. Do not forget, however, that they were just that...men and women. Like you, they struggled. Life was not as simple as stories make it seem.

Those who follow Tao strive towards self-perfection, but are wary when the word prophet arises to designate who they are. The role of prophet is limited. Relying on others to designate you as a prophet is nearly as disastrous as issuing the proclamation yourself. Considering yourself to be a prophet brings with it the temptation for self-importance. How can this mesh with the ultimate aim of transcending identity? Those who call themselves prophets (or even masters) maximize their identity.

It is far better not to be considered a prophet, to eschew that divine responsibility. Do not allow yourself to be tempted down the path of limitation. Be obscure. Let others consider your ideas stupid. Having someone refer to you by a title diminishes the connection. Do not introduce needless interference. When witnessing the greatest wonder of life, the last thing a true master would do is stand in front of the light.
 

Delayed Daily Musings - May 16th, 2013 - Labels - 標籤 - Biāoqiān

Labels - 標籤 - Biāoqiān

Whatever you do,
do not call me
a follower of Tao.

Do not put into words which should remain silent. Following the path is an intensely personal endeavor which should continually be refreshed. Spend each moment of your life in the present, picking up on the Universe's pulse. You should ride the current, without seeking to control the shifting Tao. Experience every thing. Once you have lived like this, you will want nothing more than to be one with the void - a perfect mirror to reflect the myriad of nuances which life presents.

By placing labels upon yourself, you separate from Tao. As soon as you designate race, gender, name, or fellowship as a requirement for oneness, you give rise to inexorable conflict. By claiming constant contact with Tao, you stand invariably in contrast with True Tao.

This is why those who truly follow Tao never seek to identify themselves as such. They do not care for labels which others bestow. All people have equal access to Tao. Those who choose to utilize this conduit desire no recognition.


Reject
labels
identities
conforimity
convention
definition
names.

  

Delayed Daily Musing - May 15th, 2013 - Order - 秩序 - Zhìxù

Order - 秩序 - Zhìxù

A life is built
brick by brick.
When you finally reach the end,
it is possible to find the path of truth,
stretching back to your first moment.
Those who have lived a life of fantasy
will only find shifting sand beneath their feet.

What is good today is based upon what was good yesterday. Certain principles are not valued the same by all people, but their intrinsic worth is unchanged. This is why we should be continually attentive to our actions and their consequences.
The first step is living a frugal life. Recycle, do not simply consume. Forge a closer relationship with your food. Do not rely on others to make your dinner edible; simple recipes will suffice. Do not waste water. Do not spend money frivolously. Apply these same principles to your quest for spirituality.

Do not fritter away your energy on amusements. Rather, concentrate on the efforts most fundamentally important to you. Do not randomly gather information; rather, consciously categorize and compile the data into a comprehensive whole. Do not carelessly tell lies, or you will find yourself divided from truth. You cannot live an authentic life on charisma alone.

Whether your current status in life is magnificent or wretched, what matters is how you order the little details that add up each day. Organize the parts, compose them into an attractive scene, and find pleasure in everyday life. Only then will you find meaning in this world.

Delayed Daily Musing - May 14th, 2013 - Perfection - 完美 - Wánměi

Perfection - 完美 - Wánměi

The young hero descends the mountain road,
radiating power with every step.
An old man refuses to clear the path;
the hero cannot ignore the slight.
One tussle brings an end 
to a life lived arrogantly
in pursuit of
perfection.

There are always people in the world to learn from if you hope to better yourself. Learn to recognize elders, not simply based on age, but by wisdom. Respect them, and learn to respect yourself. Know that you will not be great right away. Seek to live a long, rich life full of experience. To perfect one's self is difficult, but not impossible. To forgo perfection for wisdom, much rarer than the first alone.
 

Delayed Daily Musing - May 13th, 2013 - Redemption - 贖回 - Shú huí

Redemption - 贖回 - Shú huí

Every night-
meditate.
Every morning-
cleanse.
Still, uncovering flaws,
struggling to keep
(s)in balance.

Those who seek to improve themselves on a daily basis still possess many faults. Eliminating one, they find another shortcoming soon enough. Freeing themselves from one situation, they are soon entangled in another conflict. They may cry:

Why is it so hard to find liberation?

They never stop to think about the source of their difficulties. Their own mind holds them back.

We are blessed with intelligence and ambition, but these two traits give rise to intense desires. We want things. We devise strategies to acquire what we want. Whether we are thinking about food, sex, or societal approval, we all hunger in some way for satisfaction. Once we have desire, we begin to objectify our desires. Money, sex, fame, infamy; all results from the over-grasping mind.Anger, frustration, and disappointment are all too often associated with one's failure to meet the demands of the self. Even if we get what we want, there is always room to desire more...

This grasping never ends.

Meditation can help temper desire, but it cannot eliminate it. Therefore, when in the midst of meditation, one must be entirely sincere when declaring that redemption will not come quickly or easily. The follower of Tao knows how to eliminate some desires, accept most personal shortcomings, and work towards a patient co-existence with the mind's hunger towards outward satisfaction. Tame the beast inside, ignorance will do no good.