|
Post by withinsilence on Feb 26, 2012 18:03:40 GMT
Unfortunate as it is, this site is sadly inactive. Why, I know not, but as of the present, reality it is. As the late J. Krishnamurti stated; "Inquiry is the flame of attention" and that it is, as anyone who has had a serious longing for spiritual understanding has indeed inquired into the depths of themselves, scriptures, gurus, or anyone or anything they thought may help them in their quest and thus given their undivided attention to them. It is the mystery of the unknown that some long to understand. The mystery of life, the mystery of ourselves, our minds, who we truly are without the masks we wear to try and fit in with society, our friends or what our parents think we should be. For all who have traveled this path before us, they have been led to one most utterly unique, profound and serenely beautiful teaching the world has ever known called; The Tao Te Ching. If you have never read this book of "The Way" of life, I cannot recommend it enough. There are many translations but my personal and easy to understand favorite (for the western mind) is by Stephen Mitchell. His audio version where he reads his own writing is by far more enlightening as when we read things on our own we put the writers words through our own thought filters and perceptions that the writer may not have intended thus, when you listen to the writer read his own work, the speed he reads it, the inflections in his voice and the way he emphasizes certain words give the work the true meaning he had intended. Along with the Tao Te Ching is another lesser known work called; "Chunag Tzu" who supposedly was a contemporary of Lao Tzu the supposed author of the Tao Te Ching. Chuang Tzu uses metaphor, stories, humor and questions in his work that further point the reader to what Lao Tzu was trying to convey in the Tao Te Ching. Regardless of your present beliefs-non beliefs, faiths-non-faith, or religion-non religion, these works can serve as a way to know thyself, to live in accord with nature in ones truest primordial spiritual/material self. I will be posting certain chapters from the Chuang Tzu, The Tao of Perfect Happiness by Livia Kohn which I highly recommend if this interest you. If anyone has any question after reading a selected chapter then please by all means ask it as this work is deep enough to help reignite the flame within the human heart and also this smoldering site. Lets help bring it and each other to life and in the process help awaken our truest self in the process. I will post the first chapter once someone responds that they are interested.
Here is an example of this work: Chapter 15 The Perfected
The life of the sage is heaven in action, the death of the sage is being transformed.
In stillness, her inherent potency matches yin; in motion, her flow matches yang. She does nothing to initiate good fortune; nothing to anticipate calamity.
She gets an impulse, only then responds; receives a push, only then gets going; finds no other way and only then stirs herself.
Giving up analysis and precedents, she intuitively follows the inherent order of the cosmos. For this reason, she is completely free from all natural disasters, attachments to things, opposition from others and spiritual burdens.
Her life is a smooth flow; her death a welcome respite. She never thinks or worries, plans or organizes.
Full of radiance, she never shines bright; full of confidence, she never expects much.
She sleeps without dreaming and wakes without concern. Her spirit is pure and simple; her spirit soul never tires.
In emptiness and nonbeing, peace and serenity, she fully matches the inherent potency of heaven.
|
|
|
Post by gurthbruins on Feb 27, 2012 7:34:37 GMT
Do not be sad, o sage.
We are Perfectly Happy. This site is extremely active.
On my personal site, where I record my daily doings, I expect to get 0 views per day, if I get 3 views per week I am over-thrilled - to be a success in this life, I don't need 3 views per week, I need one view in my whole life!
Yesterday there were more than a dozen guests to this site. That is a very rich abundance.
And of that you are the chief cause and instigator (poster) - architect.
Everything proceeds by the divine laws of necessity - do not be dissatisfied.
Remember what Nietzsche said - "A mob success is a small success".
Nevertheless, on second thought, I must respect your dissatisfaction or ambition to improve the world as sublime, perfect, divine and inevitable.
Thanks to the critical approach and balance of popee, the silent but eloquent wisdom of tathagata, your own intense and classic body of work on these pages, not to mention my own selection of these potent forces, I stand already in admiration of this forum as the most concentrated, undiluted guide to wisdom currently to be found anywhere.
Just continue the good work! Make this place the repository of all your good thoughts, in ten years time they may have a wide readership for all we know.
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Feb 27, 2012 11:27:47 GMT
Thanks Gurth for your positive insights. Yes there is a body of work here that is honest, true and far reaching in spiritual depths for those willing to read it and look deeply within themselves.
Yes there is something within me that longs to interact with others, to discuss thoughts, ideas, views and to try and answer any questions of those who are on their spiritual journey. Not that I have the right answer as we all must find our own truth, but to help others to realize that truth and to help those who are suffering in life to find a way to lesson its burdens.
When I find a writing that expands the mind, unlocks and opens the endless doors within it and allows the divine creative light to flow ever more freely, I enjoy sharing it with those who are led to its results, such are those that are on this site.
Thanks to all who contributed and to those who may to this site, your words are the catalyst to change peoples lives and my post above was written with the intent to stir the mind and stoke the flame of wisdom this site has to offer.
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Mar 4, 2012 15:31:13 GMT
The Tao of Perfect Happiness- Here is a short story that is right for this election year in the U.S. and is much needed for those in any power positions to learn and heed. In fact its a great story for the world, as its lesson reminds us that the "things" those in power send others to kill each other for, if they had to give up their own limbs, those "things" might not be necessary to take after all.
It raises the questions; Why am I doing what I'm doing and is it worth my own bodily harm? How can I send another human being to do my bidding if I wouldn't do it my self?
"The more personally-in their own bodies and families-politicians are involved in the decisions they make, the less damage those decisions are likely to cause." Livia Kohn
When in Power Chapter 28: The states of Han and Wei were fighting over a piece of conquered territory. Hua-tzu (Huazi) went to see Duke Chao-hsi (Zhaoxi) the ruler of Han. He looked depressed. Hua-tzu said, "Let's assume the world writes up an agreement and puts it before you. Its text reads: If you take this with your left hand, your right hand will be chopped off. If you take it with your right hand, your left hand will be chopped off. But if you take it, you will get the world. Would you take it?" "I certainly would not." "Great. Look at it this way then: your two arms are more important to you than the world. Your body is even more important than your arms. In addition, the state of Han is far less significant than the whole world and this piece of land your fighting over today is even less significant than the state of Han. You see, it is totally unacceptable to harm your body and labor your life by being depressed and worrying over a mere piece of land!"
|
|
|
Post by gurthbruins on Mar 5, 2012 6:32:08 GMT
I doubt whether being an election year will have any lasting influence over the rulers of the world, but I do hope your story might appeal to them. Perhaps they are already in good agreement with one another and with the divine Tao.
I particularly liked Livia Kohn's Chapter 15, her language is quite exquisite.
I think there is still a need for much unhappiness, or at least some. Even if not for me personally. (I tend to see everything as a joke. It's difficult to be unhappy when you can't take anything seriously.)
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Mar 5, 2012 11:14:05 GMT
For me it was many year of unhappiness that eventually led me to look within myself for its cause and see that " I" was it. Within misfortune hides fortune, out of sinners come saints, out of suffering we might learn not to suffer. Yes, when you see the world as a stage, yourself as a character and all of the actors acting their parts perfectly, life is simple, perfect as it is and you can sit back and know that the only thing you should take seriously is no-thing. Its only when we "think" life "should" be the way we "think" it "should" be instead of accepting it as it is that we cause unhappiness.
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Mar 8, 2012 1:13:19 GMT
Continuing on with The Tao of Perfect Happiness- Chapter 18-Perfect Happiness
In this world, is there such a thing as perfect happiness? Is it possible to live to the fullest in this body? If so, what should we do? What can we rely on? What should we avoid, what support? What is best to pursue and what had better be abandoned? What should we delight in, what detest? The things people in today's world consider most valuable are wealth, position, vigor and a sense of being good at something. The things that make them happy are physical comfort, rich tastes, beautiful clothes, lovely colors and great music. On the other hand, they uniformly detest poverty, low status, early death and crime. Their greatest suffering occurs when their bodies cannot get comfortable, their mouths cannot feed on rich tastes, their physical form cannot fit into beautiful clothes, their eyes cannot look upon lovely colors and their ears do not have a chance to listen to great music. When they do not get these things, they are deeply frustrated and develop tremendous anxiety. Such utter dedication to their physical body-is this not totally stupid? to be continued....this is a long chapter so I will spread it out a little.
The ideas mentioned in this chapter are quite hard for most to grasp and accept as most are raised and conditioned to believe just the opposite of what this chapter is saying brings true happiness. It is not saying to not participate in this world but is pointing at something beyond it.
If you stopped trying to find happiness, would you just be happy?
|
|
|
Post by gurthbruins on Mar 8, 2012 6:59:32 GMT
"In this world, is there such a thing as perfect happiness? Is it possible to live to the fullest in this body? If so, what should we do? What can we rely on? What should we avoid, what support? What is best to pursue and what had better be abandoned? What should we delight in, what detest?"
Very interesting, important questions which are a challenge demanding answer. Questions Shakespearian in their terseness: "How begot, how nourished?"
"Who knows upon what soil they fed Their hungry, thirsty roots?" (Christina Rossetti)
I'll postpone the rest of my reply till I hear more.
|
|
|
Post by popee on Mar 8, 2012 20:17:04 GMT
I say avoid the land of opposites ... happy/unhappy are perfectly balanced .. reside at the fulcrum
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Mar 9, 2012 0:06:32 GMT
I say avoid the land of opposites ... happy/unhappy are perfectly balanced .. reside at the fulcrum Yes, that is the whole point of this teaching. Not happiness like you got a new car, not the temporary happiness from ones attachment to impermanent things or the identity getting what it desires, but exactly what you said-balance, centered-ness, equanimity. I love reside at the fulcrum..that is good stuff. Like a car that is always in neutral. It can go a little forward or a little back but it always and easily comes back to neutral and does the best it can to remain there for no other reason than the selfishness of choosing to feel good inside. The only way I know of to return to this natural state is to look within oneself and enter oblivion by letting go or complete surrender to life as it is which again is total acceptance. Give up dualistic concepts and reside at UNI-ty or the state of being one with everything. Does no-body realize we all are living within a UNI-verse not a dual-verse?
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Mar 9, 2012 0:30:08 GMT
Continuing on with Chapter 18 Perfect Happiness
To attain wealth, people submit to great suffering and make themselves sick. Then they accumulate so much stuff that they cannot even use it! However dedicated they are to their lives, it is entirely outside of themselves. To attain position, people slave day and night without stopping. Even then, they keep worrying constantly whether they come across as being good at their job! However dedicated they are to their lives, it is yet entirely separate from them. When people are born, whatever they do, frustration is born along with them. Thus, even to attain long life, people make themselves ignorant and dull. Still, they spend all their time worrying about not dying. However dedicated they are to their lives, it is yet far away from them. Valiant fighters, all these people do lots of things to be seen as good at what they do by the world around them, yet they never really manage to live to the fullest. I do not know whether they are in fact good at what they do. But even if they are, that alone is not enough for them to live to the fullest. And if they are not, well, then they may just be living vicariously through others. Thus the advice: "If you make supportive suggestions that are not adopted, just sit still and let go. Do not push and compete." Tzu-hsu pushed with his suggestions and got himself killed. Had he not pushed, he would not have become famous. So, was he good at living or not? People these days do all sorts of things and claim these make them happy, but I don't really know if they are in fact happy or not. I see how they go after their so-called happiness, pursuing it with the determination of death and as if unable to stop in their tracks. What they call happiness does not make sense to me, but then I can't really say it's not happiness either.
to be continued....
notice the words in italics, the words underlined; what are they telling you, who are they pointing at and where are they pointing at?
There are five enlightened masters that everyone has all the time to "Reason" Truth. They are: What, When, Why, Where and How...ask and ye shall receive, as inquiry is the flame of attention!
Also, did you notice the gentle eloquence of the writer of these words? Lastly, Tzu-hsu was a minister in the feudal state of Wu. He repeatedly warned the king about a "possible" attack, making "supportive suggestions" . The king did not heed his "continued" advice and lost his temper and ordered him to commit suicide in 484 BCE. Yes, Tzu-hsu became famous for presenting his convictions selflessly but was that success? Was he happy? I don't know!
|
|
|
Post by withinsilence on Mar 10, 2012 14:16:17 GMT
Continuing Chapter 18 Perfect Happiness
Is there in fact happiness? Is it possible in this life and world? To me it is found only in complete nonaction, something that ordinary people see as great suffering. Thus the saying; "Perfect happiness is being free from the need to be happy. Perfect accomplishment is being free from having to accomplish anything." What is right and wrong in the world is impossible to decide. However, in nonaction there is clear right and wrong. Perfect happiness and living to the fullest can only be realized in this state of nonaction. Let me explain this a bit more. Heaven rests in nonaction and is perfectly luminous. Earth rests in nonaction and is perfectly at peace. As these two merge in their respective states of nonaction, the myriad things come forth. How vast! How amazing! They seem to come from nowhere. How amazing! How vast! They have no image or symbol. The myriad things in their great variety all grow from cosmic nonaction. Thus the saying; "Heaven and earth rest in nonaction and there is nothing they cannot do." What, then, can a mere human being do to attain this ultimate state of nonaction?
This concludes this chapter. Here is "my" interpretation and understanding of what this chapter is saying. This is not a concept or an idea, it is an actual Way of living in this world.
nonaction does not mean laziness or physically doing nothing. It is a psychological state of mind where one is doing not doing.
"Perfect happiness is being free from the need to be happy. Perfect accomplishment is being free from having to accomplish anything." This is it in a nutshell. If one can look within and realize this, there is nothing more to understand.
Who, is trying to be or accomplish, the body or that which animates it? When one tries to be happy, it is looking outside itself as it "believes" happiness is found outside of its own being-ness. When one tries to accomplish something, it already has a predetermined goal, an idea or ideal to live up to or achieve and if this "thought", this goal or idea or ideal is not reached then this leads to unhappiness. Just be. Just flow with life, if you reach a goal good, if not, good. Stop looking at life as a problem to be solved, a goal to attain, an ideal to live up to, as a this or a that and see the lesson (truth) to be learned....to let all concepts go, all ideals go, all beliefs go, all divisions go, all status go, all the masks, all the identities, all the false assumptions, all the me, the my, the I want this, I need that, just let all of it go and simply, gently flow with the river of life. When you try to swim up the river you waste much energy and suffer greatly.
Please note: I am not saying to not think, but to be aware of the thinker, be aware of the thoughts, just see them for what they actually are, to see thoughts as only thoughts and not reality. When I say to let go, I am not saying you can't have any ideas, or thoughts, but to know that they are nothing more than that, just thoughts and to not attach your "self" to them, your "happiness" to their outcome or to accept them as reality as they are not reality they are only thoughts within the mind which is in the now, the present. Your thoughts might be based in the past or the future but "you" are only and ever can be present now! Just observe your thoughts to see this truth.
For example: you have the thought; "I am going to go on vacation in one week. You plan the trip, the whole time going to do this, going to do that and you are going to be so happy when you get there and relax. Then the day of the trip you get really sick and can't go and all that stuff (in the future) you planned to do does not happen as you "thought" it would. Now what? Is it not better to just be happy now, if the trip happens good, if not what can you do about it? Get well and go another time right? Thus its OK to plan but not be attached to its outcome.
When you fight life as it is, you will always lose and suffer from non-acceptance. This is like denying the will of reality or nature (God-Tao). Why fight what you have no control over? The only "thing" you have control over is how "you' choose to feel now as you experience life as it presently is right now, not in your thoughts but what you're presently seeing in front of you at this exact moment. Do you want to suffer through life lost in "your" thoughts or not? Acceptance of the past as it was perfect, acceptance of not knowing the future, and acceptance of this present moment as it is without thinking is "should be" any different than it actually is, is the key and you hold all the power to use it, in fact you are the key, the lock and the volition to open the door to non-suffering.
In other words, one simply lives as it naturally is, no attachment to an identity, no need for acceptance, no cunning desire for position, no concepts of how life should be, no judgment of anyone or anything nor yourself. Simply live life as it is.
If you get a good position good, if you don't, good. If you are accepted, good, if not, good as you are no longer living with masks or false identities to try and "get" these outside "things" but are living as you truly are not as you "think" you are or as you or anyone else "thinks" you "should" be.
An Eagle is free to fly when it wants, where it wants, for as long as it wants, as high as it wants and for no reason other than it simply enjoys flying, because that is just what it does, it is what it is and does naturally. Is an Eagle more free than you?
An eagle needs not permission or acceptance, nor a high enough position, nor the acceptance from society, to be seen as beautiful, or to judge others as ugly to live as it truly is. When its hungry it eats, when its tired it sleeps, when it wants to fly it flies, when its time to die it dies, it forces nothing, tries not to be anything more than the perfection it already is, but simply glides through the air in its natural magnificence. That's it nothing more, nothing less. It does nothing for an "image or identity, or what it or others "thinks" or "believes" it "should" be doing.
How can anyone else know what one is "supposed" to do in this life but the one? Are you letting someone else live your life for you? Why?
Simply let your light shine: just be happiness just be loving just be kindness
Don't try to go and get these things, but bring them with you wherever you go as they are who we all truly are inside for you can't find outside that which you already are within!
We are all the same on the inside, don't let the masks we wear, the identities we create or our ignorant actions continue to hide the truth, let you light shine brightly and it will enlighten those dark places which in truth only lack a little light.
|
|