The Rambling Taoists

Plaguing Others

2012-05-30T04:03:00.001-07:00

Scott Bradley

The fourth of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi (those generally assumed to have actually been written by Zhuangzi (ca. 369-286 B.C.E.)) begins with an extensive, hypothetical conversation between Confucius and his favorite disciple, Yan Hui. Yan wishes to go set right a tyrannical ruler of a nearby kingdom by "applying" the principles Confucius has taught him. Confucius will have none of it; Yan is not yet ready.

"The Consummate Persons of old made sure they had it in themselves," says Confucius, "before they tried to put it into others." (4:3; Ziporyn) Principles are not something exterior to ourselves that we apply; they are something we are, and until we are what we wish to preach, we have no business preaching at all.

You were expecting me to shut up at this point? Well, my excuse is that I am teaching myself in public, not proclaiming "the" Way. Still, I am in some sense 'committing yang', putting forth ideas I have not fully realized and generally materializing an egoic presence which can (and has) impinge(d) upon other egoic presences. Such is life: messy.

"Confucius" calls applying to others principles which one has not personally realized, "plaguing others". And the consequence of plaguing others is being plagued by others in return. If others do not accept what we have to say, there is only one place to look for the cause, ourselves. I have previously quoted Mencius in this regard: "If others do not respond to your love with love, look into your own benevolence; if others fail to respond to your attempts to govern them, look into your own wisdom; . . . . In other words, look into yourself whenever you fail to achieve your purpose" (Mencius, IV A 3).

Zhuangzi's Confucius cuts right to the heart of this inclination to apply principles to, preach to, and govern others. "Virtuosity [te] is undermined by getting a name for it. Cleverness [zhi; wisdom, knowledge] comes forth from conflict. For a good name is essentially a way for people to one-up each other, and cleverness is most essentially a weapon for winning a fight. Both are inauspicious implements, not the kind of thing that can be used to perfect your own behavior." All this equates to the essential of egoic behavior — trying to be somebody. It can neither perfect the behavior of others nor accomplish the true work, perfecting one's own.

"Confucius" eventually leads Yan to the realization that his first responsibility is to learn freedom from self. And this he does when he discovers and surrenders into his own essential emptiness, the very conduit for the expression of Dao, and proclaims, "it turns out that 'myself' has never begun to exist" (4:10).

You can check out Scott's writings on Zhuangzi here.

Question - Why Do Christians Get Divorced?

2012-05-29T23:10:00.003-07:00

Trey Smith

Divorce -- legal dissolution of a marriage -- is very prevalent in American society. The most recent data indicates that about one-half of all marriages end in divorce. Couples from all faiths or no faith regularly divorce. My question is: Why do Christians sanction divorce just as non-believers do?

I ask this in light of Matthew 5:31-32.

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

That seems very clear to me. Unless you catch your spouse screwing someone else, divorce is off the table! Since being an adulterer is a big no-no -- it's one of the 10 Commandments -- how can a Christian claim to follow Jesus IF they can't bother to abide by a very direct and straightforward prohibition?

Just as important, why do most Christian churches sanction -- or look the other way -- when it comes to the issue of divorce? There are many prominent ministers, church leaders and faith-based politicians and celebrities who have divorced (for reasons other than fornication) and even remarried. Why aren't they automatically shunned (or stoned, for that matter) as adulterers?

To see what other questions I've asked about the Christian Bible, go here.

Chapter 17 - Doctrine of the Mean

2012-05-29T20:30:00.001-07:00

The Master said, "How greatly filial was Shun! His virtue was that of a sage; his dignity was the throne; his riches were all within the four seas. He offered his sacrifices in his ancestral temple, and his descendants preserved the sacrifices to himself.

"Therefore having such great virtue, it could not but be that he should obtain the throne, that he should obtain those riches, that he should obtain his fame, that he should attain to his long life.

"Thus it is that Heaven, in the production of things, is sure to be bountiful to them, according to their qualities. Hence the tree that is flourishing, it nourishes, while that which is ready to fall, it overthrows.

"In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'The admirable, amiable prince displayed conspicuously his excelling virtue, adjusting his people, and adjusting his officers. Therefore, he received from Heaven his emoluments of dignity. It protected him, assisted him, decreed him the throne; sending from Heaven these favors, as it were repeatedly.'

"We may say therefore that he who is greatly virtuous will be sure to receive the appointment of Heaven."
~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~

Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Doctrine of the Mean.

Poor Poor Pitiful Me

2012-05-29T18:30:00.005-07:00

Trey Smith

In my last post, Weigh on Down, I briefly discussed the challenge the chronic pain sufferer must deal with to ward off depression. Of course, the other part of the issue is fighting the urge to feel sorry for yourself.

Let's face it. We all do it. At different points in our life, things don't go as well as we might like. Sometimes our problems are of our own making and sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. Regardless of which one it is -- it often is a combination of both -- we get to thinking that the stars are conspiring against us and experiencing great glee at our travails and misfortune.

Since we are each self-centered and self-focused, we tend to view all the aspects of life through the prism of me. If the grandiose me isn't getting what it desires, then it tends to be mad at the world writ large and to coddle itself for being so "unfairly" impinged upon!

This kind of attitude is easy for the chronic sufferer of pain to fall into. For most of us, this isn't the kind of existence we asked for. Most of us are powerless to stop or lessen the pain or infirmity to a significant degree. All we know is that, by the luck of the draw, we have become a prisoner that is chained to it and, in some cases, it amounts to a life sentence.

So, how do we ward off self-pity? There is no one magic formula. Each one of us must dig deep to find our own answer.

In my particular case, being an individual who does not believe in an afterlife, I reckon that this is my one chance at life. Regardless of the hand I've drawn, I need to live this one life to the fullest extent possible, even if the fullest extent is damn meager.

I didn't ask for this life -- the Grand Mystery decided that for me and nature will take me away when it deems the time is appropriate. Between these two points on the continuum is my time to make the best of things...the best that I can.

Afternoon Matinee: Human Nature As an Evolved Creature 2/2

2012-05-29T16:30:00.001-07:00

Weigh On Down

2012-05-29T13:00:00.003-07:00

Trey Smith

For those of you who live with chronic pain, this post will in no way provide any sort of revelation. You know as well as I do that one of the great challenges to life is staying upbeat. Constant pain has a way of wearing you down; it is a weight that is seldom relieved.

Our mind and bodies feed off of each other. When the former is bound up in tension and anxiety, we often suffer physically. It is just as true the other way around. When our body is wracked with pain, it can disturb the mind.

Part of the problem is that we feel like a shell of our former selves. Many of us can remember times -- some not that long ago -- when we were more active. We can recall times when gardening, cooking, helping a neighbor with a strenuous project or playing with the grandkids was easily within our reach. We can remember when getting out of bed, dressing ourselves or bathing was a run-of-the-mill activity.

Chronic pain, particularly the kind that grows progressively worse, robs us of our ability to be independent actors. We are forced to rely on others more, even to perform once routine tasks. After a while, it's hard not to feel that we've become a burden to our friends and family.

And so, it's a constant struggle to keep ourselves from falling into depression. It's a constant fight not to throw up our hands and wave the final white flag.

Line by Line - Verse 69, Line 9

2012-05-29T11:11:00.002-07:00

To do that is near losing (the gentleness) which is so precious.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

By underestimating the enemy, I almost lost what I value.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Underestimating the enemy almost made me lose my treasures
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

[No corresponding line]
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Derek Lin takes this line and applies it to current society.

Many people believe that overwhelming aggression wins respect. This belief forms the basis of the "shock and awe" military strategy. History shows that it simply does not work. Aggression succeeds only in planting the seeds of subsequent retaliation. It is wisdom and restraint that win respect and admiration, not force.

Hence, the so-called "War on Terror" cannot be won. It only plants the seeds for more terror by all sides!

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

Killing the Messenger

2012-05-29T09:45:00.003-07:00

Trey Smith

It seems the old adage is true: Nobody likes a snitch! This sentiment especially is true of those in power. They don't like their shenanigans exposed to the public, particularly when such exposure places them in a bad light and suggests some degree of dishonesty, corruption or lawlessness.

But something in our world has changed over the past generation or two. It used to be that the information released by whistleblowers led to some recriminations plus efforts to ensure that the dubious or nefarious activities exposed would not be repeated again (think of the Pentagon Papers). Today, however, that's not what occurs at all. Instead of looking at the misdeeds exposed, the powers that be go out of their way to go after the messenger, the whistleblower!

As statistics show, the Obama administration has gone after more whistleblowers -- folks exposing government dishonesty, illegality and/or malfeasance -- than all previous presidential administrations combined! Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks are the poster children of these efforts. At the same time, they willfully have chosen NOT to investigate any of the "crimes" exposed nor punish anyone responsible for them.

This is not simply a US problem either. This same scenario is playing out in Vatican City. The butler for the Pope has been arrested for leaking documents to the Italian press that include "allegations of corruption, mismanagement and cronyism in the awarding of contracts for work in the Vatican and internal disagreement on the management of the Vatican bank."

Since this is a Christian organization -- one that follows in the footsteps of a certain Jewish carpenter -- they must be handling the situation far differently than Barack Obama, right? No way! The powers in the church vehemently have attacked the butler and one higher up stated that, like Jesus, the Pope has been betrayed by his own Judas!

All attention has been focused on the messenger and not on the activities he exposed. The Vatican has been working hard to sweep their dirty laundry back under the rug in the hope that nobody notices the huge lump in the carpet!!

Chapter 16 - Doctrine of the Mean

2012-05-29T07:30:00.001-07:00

The Master said, "How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them!

"We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them.

"They cause all the people in the kingdom to fast and purify themselves, and array themselves in their richest dresses, in order to attend at their sacrifices. Then, like overflowing water, they seem to be over the heads, and on the right and left of their worshipers.

"It is said in the Book of Poetry, 'The approaches of the spirits, you cannot surmise; and can you treat them with indifference?'

"Such is the manifestness of what is minute! Such is the impossibility of repressing the outgoings of sincerity!"
~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~

Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Doctrine of the Mean.

Daily Tao - Look Back

2012-05-29T06:00:00.001-07:00

You're looking for something,

That if you did not already have,

You'd be unable to begin in looking,

See ?

Daily Tao is a reprint from Ta-Wan's blog, Daily Cup of Tao, which offers one post per day for an entire year. You also can read these posts in an ebook.

How Things Are

2012-05-29T04:03:00.001-07:00

Scott Bradley

Zhuangzi relates a story about the wake of Lao Dan (Laozi) in which one of his admirers, Qin Shi, arrives to participate in the mourning, but after a few quick expressions of grief, precipitously departs. Qin's disciple enquires as to whether he did not love the deceased and how such an apparently superficial expression of grief could reflect that love. The master replies that he expected to find mourners there who exemplified the teaching of Lao Dan, but instead he found an excessive expression of grief, a clear indication that they had failed to realize his teaching. He departed for fear that he, too, should get caught up in such folly.

(Some translators put the blame on Lao Dan for having acquired adulating and dependent disciples, rather than ones free of such excessive attachments. Ziporyn's translation seems to me the more likely meaning.)

Qin Shi explains that succumbing to this overflowing of grief, "would be to flee from the Heavenly and turn away from how things are." (Zhuangzi, 3:8; Ziporyn) Lao Dan, for his part, embraced the unavoidable with equanimity: "When the time came to go, he followed along with the flow. Resting content in the time and finding his place in the flow, joy and sorrow had no way to seep in." These mourners took death as a great tragedy, but he for whom they mourned understood it to be just one more transformation within the flow of endless transformation. He had effectively "put life and death outside himself".

There is something special about the inevitability of death; nothing serves better to bring us face to face with "the Heavenly". The Heavenly is that which is given, beyond knowing the what and the why of it; it is "how things are". Some might fear and flee it; Daoism embraces it as a means to liberation in life.

Death, though the most powerful example of the unavoidable, is not the only expression of "how things are". Indeed, every moment of our existence is nothing more than an encounter with the inevitable. It might be that our present circumstances were avoidable, but that does not change their present unavoidability. These, too, are thus an invitation to release and liberation through acceptance, affirmation and thankfulness. They are, each one, an opportunity to transcendence, an opportunity to flow without resistance.

It is normal that we should mourn the loss of someone loved; grief and sorrow, like joy and gladness, are authentic human expressions. Only to be balanced and healthy, they must also be informed by that open-ended 'bigger picture' which renders them relative. We mourn the loss of a loved-one, but we understand, too, that nothing is truly ever lost in Vastness.

The most authentic human expressions are both intensely experienced and transcended. Writes Fang Yizhi (1611-1671): “When he is sad, it is a sadness in which neither happiness nor sadness can get at him. Happiness is the certainly happiness, but sadness is also a kind of happiness.”

You can check out Scott's writings on Zhuangzi here.

Tao Bible - Matthew 5:29

2012-05-28T23:11:00.002-07:00

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
~ King James version ~

Love of colors bewilders the eye and it fails to see right.
Love of harmonies bewitches the ear, and it loses its true hearing.
Love of perfumes fills the head with dizziness.
Love of flavors ruins the taste.
Desires unsettle the heart until the original nature runs amok.
~ from Chapter 12 of the Zhuangzi ~

When we allow our insatiable desires to rule the roost, we so cover up the divine within us/our inner nature that we create our own anguish and misery. Keep those unmitigated desires in check and our lives will flow much smoother.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

Chapter 15 - Doctrine of the Mean

2012-05-28T20:30:00.001-07:00

The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground.

It is said in the Book of Poetry, "Happy union with wife and children is like the music of lutes and harps. When there is concord among brethren, the harmony is delightful and enduring. Thus may you regulate your family, and enjoy the pleasure of your wife and children."

The Master said, "In such a state of things, parents have entire complacence!"
~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~

Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Doctrine of the Mean.

Such a Flirt!

2012-05-28T18:30:00.003-07:00

Trey Smith

A while back, I was up visiting my buddy Paul at his mini mart. Being the close friend of the owner means I get to sit behind the counter. When people come in, I sometimes take part in the banter between the staff and the customers.

After one particular customer left, Dan (the night stocker, not stalker) remarked that the woman had been flirting up a storm with me. He kiddingly chastised me for flirting back because "you're a married guy!"

But here's the thing: I wasn't aware that any flirting was going on! From my perspective, all we were doing was shooting the breeze.

In all honesty, I don't understand flirting at all. While I certainly understand the dictionary definition of the word, I can't spot it in real time in real life. What others consider to be flirting, I consider to be simply talking and I tend to relate to people the same way regardless of their gender, age or level of physical attractiveness.

From reviewing the literature, I realize this is related to my autism. It is because I don't read people well (or at all!) that I can't tell when a woman is expressing interest -- casual or serious -- in me. I tend to take things at face value and, unless someone straightforwardly expresses a direct interest in an intimate and/or sexual relationship, I'm certain to miss the obvious hints.

In our society -- though this is changing -- the guy is expected to make the first move. In ALL of my dating experiences years ago, I NEVER made the first move. The gal I was with either had to kiss me first or ask me why I wasn't trying to kiss her. If the latter, I would ask if she wanted me to kiss her and, on more than one occasion, the answer was Duh!

Of course, being a long-time married bloke, this isn't that important of an issue in my life right now. It's really immaterial if a woman flirts with me or not. I'm not in the market for an extramarital affair. But I often wonder that, if Della was to die in the next few years, I might be back on the market. I would be just as lost in the world of women and dating as I was in my youth.

That would create a lot of anxiety, so I've told my dear wife that she is not allowed to depart this world until I'm of an age that it doesn't matter anymore. ;-)

Afternoon Matinee: Human Nature As an Evolved Creature 1/2

2012-05-28T16:30:00.002-07:00

Government Does Not Like Small-Time Thieves

2012-05-28T13:00:00.003-07:00

Trey Smith

Food stamp recipients are ripping off the government for millions of dollars by illegally selling their benefit cards for cash — sometimes even in the open, on eBay or Craigslist — and then asking the government for replacement cards.

The Agriculture Department wants to curb the practice by giving states more power to investigate people who repeatedly claim to lose their benefit cards.

It is proposing new rules Thursday that would allow states to demand formal explanations from people who seek replacement cards more than three times a year. Those who don't comply can be denied further cards.
~ from Food Stamp Fraud Raising Concerns in Gov't Offices by Sam Hananel ~

On the surface, this doesn't sound like a bad solution for a growing and vexing problem. If a large number of people are trying to defraud the government, then the government should go after them. But dig a little deeper and it raises some salient questions.

First off, is this type of Food Stamp fraud prevalent? Further down in this report we're told that

Most fraud occurs when unscrupulous retailers allow customers to turn in their benefits cards for lesser amounts of cash.

Now the word most is a nebulous term, but it does indicate more than 50 percent. So, this type of fraud is the lesser of the two, yet this is the one government seems most concerned with.

Secondly, how much money are we talking about?

Food stamp fraud costs taxpayers about $750 million a year, or 1 percent of the $75 billion program...

Now fraud is fraud, regardless of the amount of money in play. However, in terms of other kinds of fraud routinely perpetrated against the government, $750 million is miniscule. Compare it to, for example, the suspected amount of Medicare fraud in the US in 2010. The latter is estimated to be to the tune of $528 billion. Food Stamp fraud represents approximately 0.14 percent of this amount (and remember that most of said fraud is committed by businesses, not individuals)!

Third and most importantly, does the government go after those suspected of committing fraud in an evenhanded manner? Hell no! Various reports over the past few years found that huge corporations like Bechtel, Halliburton and Blackwater (to name a scant few) defrauded the government out of hundreds of billions of dollars in terms of contracts for various projects in Iraq. What was their punishment? More contracts!

This is what troubles me about reports of this nature. Folks who average about $132 per month in Food Stamp benefits -- that comes out to a whopping $1,584 per year -- receive intense government scrutiny because a few of them may be defrauding the system, while corporate repeat offenders receive almost no scrutiny, even when it is well documented that they are defrauding taxpayers of billions of dollars per year!

Line by Line - Verse 69, Line 8

2012-05-28T11:11:00.002-07:00

There is no calamity greater than lightly engaging in war.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

There is no greater catastrophe than underestimating the enemy.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

There is no greater disaster than to underestimate the enemy
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Attacking an enemy you've underestimated is a costly mistake.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In war and everyday life, we land ourselves in trouble when we start believing our own press clippings! Overconfidence is one of the banes of the human psyche. And, for me, that's what underestimating others is all about.

When we come to think that we are the smartest, strongest, prettiest, most powerful of the lot, our planning becomes slipshod. We don't do our due diligence. We end up undermining our own hopes for success.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

Some Choice!

2012-05-28T09:45:00.003-07:00

Trey Smith

Less than six months before the November presidential elections in an exceptionally distressed United States the narrow, unpleasant parameters of political possibility are emerging. Two alternatives confront the American people, both to the right of center.

1. If President Barack Obama is reelected, with the Democratic Party retaining control of at least one chamber of Congress, there probably will be four more years of economic stagnation, high unemployment, increasing poverty and inequality, more wars, erosions of civil liberties and global warming.

2. If Mitt Romney is elected, with the right/far right Republican Party dominating either House or Senate, every particular of the travail afflicting the country today will be multiplied, with emphasis on fulfilling the desires of the 1% at the expense of the 99%.

What else could be expected during the present conservative era?
~ from The Electoral Tunnel by Jack A. Smith ~

I think that pretty well sums it up. It's a choice between bad and badder or worse and worse still. If there was ever an election that catered to the idea of voting for the lesser evil, this one certainly fits the bill.

And this is why I will not vote for either of these candidates. I might cast a vote for the Green Party candidate, but I probably won't even do that. What's the point?

Whoever the rest of you decide to vote for in the presidential race, it's going to be a wasted vote...well...unless you're a member of the 1 percent. In that case, you will get your money's worth and more. The rest of us will get the shaft.

Again.

Chapter 14 - Doctrine of the Mean

2012-05-28T07:30:00.001-07:00

The superior man does what is proper to the station in which he is; he does not desire to go beyond this.

In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a position of wealth and honor. In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and low position. Situated among barbarous tribes, he does what is proper to a situation among barbarous tribes. In a position of sorrow and difficulty, he does what is proper to a position of sorrow and difficulty. The superior man can find himself in no situation in which he is not himself.

In a high situation, he does not treat with contempt his inferiors. In a low situation, he does not court the favor of his superiors. He rectifies himself, and seeks for nothing from others, so that he has no dissatisfactions. He does not murmur against Heaven, nor grumble against men.

Thus it is that the superior man is quiet and calm, waiting for the appointments of Heaven, while the mean man walks in dangerous paths, looking for lucky occurrences.

The Master said, "In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself."
~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~

Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Doctrine of the Mean.

Daily Tao - Weiqi

2012-05-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

Today:

Play, or learn to play, Weiqi (Go).

Daily Tao is a reprint from Ta-Wan's blog, Daily Cup of Tao, which offers one post per day for an entire year. You also can read these posts in an ebook.

No Obstructions

2012-05-28T04:03:00.001-07:00

Scott Bradley

"It is the 'being', the presence, of things that obstructs us, while the emptiness of the Dao is open, allowing free passage. Before you have heard the Dao, everything you see is a thing. Afterward, everything is the Dao." This is part of Lu Huiqing's (1032-1111) response to the story of King Hui's cook's explanation of how he learned to effortlessly butcher an ox. (Zhuangzi, 3) When the cook has finished his explanation, King Hui exclaims, "From hearing the cook's words I have learned how to nourish life!" (Ziporyn)

Before he had realized the perspective of Dao, he only saw an ox. "But now I encounter it with the spirit rather than scrutinizing it with the eyes," he explains. "My understanding consciousness, beholden to its specific purposes, comes to a halt, and thus the promptings of the spirit begin to flow." The understanding consciousness is both purposive and thing-full. If he comes to a difficult part of the work and applies his mind with determination to overcoming it, he will make a mess of it. This is in part because, in thinking about it, he makes it a "thing"; and things are obstructions. If, on the other hand, he quiets himself and lets the open path through the problem reveal itself, he awakes as if from a trance to find the work already done.

I have just begun reading Byron Katie's Loving What Is, and am amazed at how her perspective resonates so closely with the Daoist vision. As I have only begun to read her, I can only share first impressions. Among these is her understanding that thoughts are always necessarily merely interpretations of reality. If reality is found to be stressful, this is because our interpretation of it makes it so. We are stressed because we believe our thoughts. She simply suggests we cease to do so. This is essentially what King Hui's cook tells us.

There are no obstructions anywhere in the world save those created by the mind. We need not believe that "all is well" to understand how this is true. If there is an obstruction, there is someone being obstructed. But there was a time when this 'someone' did not exist, and it will soon be the case that it exists no more. Where then is the obstruction? The perspective of Dao takes one beyond being 'someone' who can be obstructed; every obstruction is merely a negative interpretation of encountered reality.

Katie seems to suggest that we exchange our negative thoughts for positive ones. Is there a justification for doing so given that thoughts are all equally interpretations of reality and not reality itself? Yes; for two reasons. Firstly, she suggests that happiness and joy are values worth pursuing, and freeing ourselves from stress creating thoughts is a way toward realizing those values. How could we disagree? We might, if such an affirmation rested on some manufactured theory of reality, but these values are self-evident and self arising — they are an expression of our humanity. They are "the promptings of the spirit".

Secondly, she does understand that "all is well." She has had (is having) an experience of this, and this is the foundation and beginning of her teaching. Because all is well, we can turn all negative thoughts into positive ones. We can say, "Yes", to every reality we encounter.

You can check out Scott's writings on Zhuangzi here.

Tao Bible - Matthew 5:25

2012-05-27T23:11:00.002-07:00

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
~ King James version ~

After a bitter quarrel, some resentment must remain.
What can one do about it?
Therefore the sage keeps his half of the bargain
But does not exact his due.
A man of Virtue performs his part,
But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfill their obligations.
~ from Verse 79 of the Tao Te Ching ~

We tend to expect others to make the first move whenever we find ourselves in disagreement. We expect them to apologize or to refrain from being resentful. When we place the onus on others, we excuse ourselves.

Want to lessen conflict in your life? Then, keep your part of the bargain...first.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

Chapter 13B - Doctrine of the Mean

2012-05-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

"In the way of the superior man there are four things, to not one of which have I as yet attained. To serve my father, as I would require my son to serve me: to this I have not attained; to serve my prince, as I would require my minister to serve me: to this I have not attained; to serve my elder brother, as I would require my younger brother to serve me: to this I have not attained; to set the example in behaving to a friend, as I would require him to behave to me: to this I have not attained. Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license. Thus his words have respect to his actions, and his actions have respect to his words; is it not just an entire sincerity which marks the superior man?"
~ James Legge translation via nothingistic.org ~

Go here to read the introductory post to this serialized version of the Doctrine of the Mean.

It is Getting Hot in Here

2012-05-27T18:30:00.004-07:00

Trey Smith

Climate-heating carbon emissions set a record high in 2011, in a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year, the International Energy Agency reported this week. The main reason for this dangerous increase is that governments are failing to implement policies to prevent catastrophic increases of global temperatures.

A new report released on the last days of international climate talks in Bonn, Germany this week reveals that the planet is heading to a temperature rise of at least 3.5 degrees Celsius, and likely more, according to the Climate Action Tracker (CAT), despite an international agreement to keep global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.

Not only are pledges inadequate, but countries are unable to fulfill even those pledges, a new CAT analysis shows.
~ from Global Temperatures Rising on a Devastating Trajectory by Stephen Leahy ~

The onus of this report is not that unlike a husband who severely beats his wife. Each time it happens -- it happens frequently -- the police get called. They haul his sorry ass before the judge and the reprobate husband promises to do better. The judge believes him and sends him home. Within a few days, the jerk beats his wife again.

If the court doesn't step in to throw him in jail, chances are he will one day beat his wife to death. The authorities will say that they didn't see this coming because he had pledged to change his act and they took him at his word. How on earth could they "know" that he would go back on his word and continue beating her?

In this same vein, the industrialized nations of this world -- particularly the US -- keep promising to clean up their act and yet they go back on their word almost every time. While all the key signs point to a climate in trouble, they keep to business as usual.

If we continue on this same path, we will destroy the very habitat with which we need to sustain our lives.

And what will be our collective excuse? Aah yes, our leaders will cry that they never saw it coming!

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2012-05-27T16:30:00.001-07:00