The Monk's Lesson

This lesson is the most important one for us to understand and incorporate into our everyday lives. One's "Path with Heart" begins at this moment and continues throughout life. Please tell me what the lesson is. There is never judgement here, just learning and growing together. All that I ask is that you be serious and sincere with your contribution.



This is a true story from a Shaolin Temple that poses a question one must understand to become a warrior and overcome this world. Can you tell me the lesson? Please try but only if you're serious.

There was a young Shaolin Monk who had endured and trained for quite a while the intense mind and body studies required to become a true warrior priest. One day he received word that his master wanted to see him. Now most of you probably don't know that the only possessions a monk had were his clothes, a staff, and a rice bowl. These were with him always so when he went to see his master, he had these with him. Upon arrival at the master's quarters, he was told to have a seat on the bench in the outer room until summoned. He had no idea why his master wanted to see him but figured he was to be tested. After all, he was training and studying hard so what else could it be. He started going over everything he could think of in his mind wanting to be prepared and not disappoint his master. After a while, his master summoned him into the next room where the monk sat down and hoped he was prepared. There was a brief pause, then his master said, "I have but one question for you. Which side of your staff did you set your bowl?"

Being and Non-Being

I have been ask to explain these terms and will do my best to help those interested . In all things material there must be an opposite, a yin/yang, in order for anything to exist. Consider "up". How can "up" exist without "down". Each becomes meaningless without the other. The same with left/right, light/dark, right/wrong....you get the picture. This is relativism. The existence of each is relative to the existence of the other. We can take this further to explain our perception of existence or what we refer to as "self". Self can not exists without everything else to contrast against. It would be like writing on black paper with a black pen. Just a side thought here: consider the paper as the material world and the pen as "self" or ego. As the color of the pen (self) gets lighter, the easier it is to see or the stronger the sense of "self" or ego is. Now let's take it to another level. If everything exists there must be it's opposite or nothing. In the beginning there was nothing. Then Bang" and now there is everything. Did nothing exist before everything? How could it be known? The ole "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound ?" question. So now we have "nothing" or non-being which is the source and "everything" or being which came from the source. Now let's look at the significance of all of this and how it applies to the Tao and our relationship to it.

"The men of old understood a great deal. How much?
In the beginning they did not know that anything existed; this is virtually perfect knowledge, for nothing can be added. Later, they knew that some things existed but they did not distinguish between them. Next came those who distinguished between things, but did not judge things as 'being' or 'non- being'. It was when judgments were made that the Tao was damaged...."
--The Book of Chuang Tzu, Chapter Two "Working Everything Out Evenly", trans. Martin Palmer

The passage above parallels the development of the child's mind. The sage is like a child, open, not separate, not thinking so not- doing(another blog topic...lol), the empty mirror. The child's consciousness does not differentiate. The" wise" (adults) think and in doing so "damage" the essential perfection of Tao. Thought and language "distinguish" and divide. The sage laughs at the wise fools? "What do we 'know'?"

So now back to being/non-being. Being is everything material, everything you can describe or fathom. Non-being is where we came from, beyond description yet it's always with us. It is our task here in the material world to get back to our beginning, our perfect state. To become like children again. I imagine most have heard that statement before by the wisest man I know.

To know something definite is totally different than knowledge of Tao because Tao is beyond concept and language.

To conceptualize is to categorize, which divides Tao into that which is, and that which isn't, making it imperfect knowledge because Tao is indivisible. Thought follows the same principle as language, it relies on distinctions and relations to be intelligible, but there is no relation in the absolute. To think, conceptualize, or speak is to profane Tao by making it into relative truth.

Realization is not necessarily the realization of a thought, it can be realization of Tao by manifesting wholeness, the realization of the sage.

Although the sage is wise, he is like a baby because he does not divide the world into self and other, subject and object. That is the first division upon which all language and thought are based. Without this initial division there can be no coherent meaning. In Piaget's stages of childhood development there is indeed a stage like this, it is a scientifically observable fact. Children at or below this stage (even though they can use language) think that everyone knows what they are thinking because their concept of self and other is not yet fully congealed. The Taoist sages knew this thousands of years ago.

I hope this helps everyone interested. I wish you all well on your journey down your respective paths.

"The fish trap exists because of the fish; once you've gotten the fish, you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit; once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning; once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can have a word with him?" Zhuangzi, chapter 26; trans. Burton Watson, The Complete Works of Chuang-tzu, 302

Wu Wei (Doing by Not-Doing) and Nothingness

I found this wonderful explanation of "doing" and "not-doing" or "doing by not-doing" and feel I can not explain this basic concept of wisdom any better. Many thanks to this unknown author. This should add yet another major piece to the puzzle I am trying to complete so anyone interested just might have a great awakening to the understanding of who we are, what is our purpose, and how do we achieve it. The greatest and wisest beings to walk this earth (Jesus, Lao Tsu, Chuangtsu, Siddhārtha Gautama (Buddha as he is better known), to name the most well known) were all describing the same wisdom in hopes that we would understand and follow their "Way". Though the terminology obviously be different, the "Way" that each taught is identical.

"To attain knowledge add something every day, to attain wisdom remove something every day." This ancient Chinese proverb illustrates the value that the Chinese culture places on nothingness. In Chinese art the space in a picture is as important as the painted area - and in meditation and martial arts an empty mind is viewed as the ultimate attainment. This is really just a logical application of the theory of yin and yang - the yin side (emptiness and nothingness) is just as important as the yang side (movement and action.) Those following the Taoist path are advised to empty out their minds until nothing remains.

But why bother? Well, a mind that has no preconceptions or rigid plans is far more flexible. A person who constantly labels, analyses and ponders can become stuffed up with intellectual ideas that stop them from seeing what's there. The 'empty vessel' of Taoist writings can act spontaneously as the situation demands because they are not tied to any particular set of actions. In martial arts, a fighter with a perfectly clear mind can react instantaneously to any attack, and spotting a weakness, exploit it without hesitation. A fighter who already plans his next attack will miss the opportunity.

As well as emptiness the Tao teaches the benefit of nothingness. It is when we practice doing nothing that our body and mind relax and we feel at peace, so nothingness is brought into everyday life in the idea of Wu Wei. Wu Wei translates as 'not doing' or 'doing without doing' and like much of Taoist thought it goes against the way many things are done in our society. Really, the idea is to go with the flow around you and not struggle against the tide. When someone advances, yield. Be pliant and patient, and wait until you are in a strong position before advancing. The image of the 90s man or woman is one of a hard working hard playing businessperson who gets things done by being vigorous and aggressive, managing social life, family and work with the same overzealous approach. This very yang attitude is highlighted by marketing departments to sell us the painkillers, mobile phones and ready meals which we all need in 'todays hectic world'. What we really need is a good holiday, and a few moments to rest each day, and we need to ask - 'is this really what I want?'. The modern Taoist says no, and tries to bring the yin back into the balance of his life.

Wu Wei is often the Taoist concept that people have most trouble grasping. This is not really all that surprising since it seems to do away with the rigid notion of causality that the Western world-view is based upon. Typically, in order to get something done, it is considered that you must work at it. The more work and effort that is put in, the quicker it will happen. However, this is not the Wu Wei approach. This is not 'doing without doing' it is simply 'doing'. To use Wu Wei is to have a kind of Taoist patience - it is to allow things to unfold in their own way, in their own time. This does not imply a complete lack of energy expenditure - just a recognition of the flow and cycles of the world around us. Acting at the appropriate time with the appropriate amount of force is the key. By appreciating at a more subtle level what is happening around him, holding onto nothing, and acting with simplicity the Taoist can flow with the Tao, and will always be in the right place at the right time. The Taoist master becomes like the Tao itself - he does nothing, yet nothing is not done

Introduction

Welcome to my Path with Heart - a path that leads back to our True Nature. There is a Universal Truth that has existed since the beginning of time and it is this ubiquitous essence that unites us all. My beliefs are based upon many years of scholastic study, a lifetime of observation, all combined with a plethora of personal experiences. Throughout these years, I have found that the ancient Taoist teachings of Lao-Tse called, "The Way and It's Virtue" (Tao Te Ching) and the Real teachings of Jesus of Nazarus which he called, "The Way" represent the clearest path to understanding this fundamental Truth - the same Truth as taught by Buddha, Mohammad, Native American Men of Knowledge, and many others throughout history and throughout the world. I will use public philosophical writings of those I have studied and those I encounter who share similar beliefs and/or experiences. Writing this helps me to associate my spiritual experiences with my studies in order to transform abstract knowledge into timeless Wisdom. Please join me on this journey of discovery as I travel my path back to the very essence of Self! Relax, clear your mind, and step into the incredible beauty and infinite wonders of the Present!

Namaste'