Post by Kivawolfspeaker on May 22, 2006 14:13:10 GMT -5
Tao Living: Tao Cultivation
by Derek Lin
Once upon a time in ancient China, there were two brothers. Both worked hard and accumulated much wealth.
One day, they were traveling on the road when it started to rain. They were still far from the next village, so they looked around for shelter. They found an abandoned temple at a nearby cemetery.
They went into the temple and saw that an old man was already inside. They noticed he held a small gong in one hand. Curious, they asked him about it.
The old man said: "I am a messenger. My job is to go to the door of people who are about to die, and strike this gong three times. It is the signal for them to pass away."
The brothers were taken aback, but then they thought the old man was most likely crazy.
Seeing their expression, the old man said: "I know what you're thinking. You don't believe me. Well, it so happens that the two of you will die next week. You can see for yourself when your time comes." Then he vanished right in front of them.
The brothers were shocked. They resumed their journey after the rain stopped, but both were disturbed by this most unusual experience.
The old man's words weighed heavily on the older brother's mind. He kept thinking, "I worked hard to accumulate all this wealth, but what’s it all for? I have only a few days left, and then I will be gone." He lost his appetite and couldn't sleep. Soon he was sick.
When the day came, he was too ill to get out of bed. He heard the sound of the gong being struck three times and died, exactly as the old man said.
The old man's words also weighed heavily on the younger brother's mind. He kept thinking, "I worked hard to accumulate all this wealth, but what’s it all for? I have only a few days left, and then I will be gone."
Then he thought: "There is no time to waste. I must do something with this wealth, and quickly!" He jumped into the task of divesting his possessions. He went around his village to give money to worthy causes as well as public works.
The villagers were surprised by his generosity, and also very grateful. They got together and decided to hold a celebration in his honor. They all showed up in front of his house and had a big party. Musicians played music, people danced and toasted his kindness. Everyone was having a great time.
The old man showed up with his gong. He saw that it was very crowded and noisy. He had a job to do, so he got as close to the house as possible and struck the gong three times.
No one heard him. People assumed he was one of the musicians. The younger brother was so busy talking to people, accepting their thanks, and clasping their hands that he didn't even know the old man was there.
The old man tried again. And again. He was having no luck at all. Finally he got frustrated and left.
A week later, the younger brother was busier than ever. People saw him as a community leader, and many wanted him to work with them on various projects, or get his opinions on issues of common concern.
Between appointments, the younger brother found himself wondering: "Wasn't that old man supposed to show up at my doorsteps? Oh well, no time to worry about that. There are still many people I need to help."
There are several teachings in this story. The old man and the gong symbolize the inevitability of life leading to death. If you think about it, we can all expect a visit from the old man at some point in the future. We may not know when he’ll show up, but we do know he’ll arrive sooner or later. It is a fate that none of us can escape.
We react to this in different ways. Some of us, like the older brother, bow to the inevitability of it all. It depresses us. It robs us of energy. We may not get physically sick over it, but we can certainly be afflicted by a spiritual illness. This illness manifests itself as boredom and inertia. We’re bored and yet we don't want to do anything. What's the point? Why bother?
Another way to react to it is more like the younger brother. He recognized the same inevitability of the same fate, but he decided to do something about it. Rather than to admit defeat, the very fact that life was limited inspired him to live it fully.
Notice that only one thought separated the two. This demonstrates the possibility that an instant of clarity, a single moment of sudden realization, can be all it takes to change one’s life forever. This is the nature of enlightenment – seemingly so distant that it will always be beyond reach... but at the same time only a heartbeat away.
The wealth of the brothers represent all the things we accumulate as we move through life. Not just the material possessions, but also the mental baggage we drag around with us. The wealth is in fact clutter, in our environment and in the mind: the old magazines we can’t throw away but will never read again; the feeling of resentment against someone from the past; and so on.
The actions of the younger brother – divesting his wealth, giving to others, contributing to the common good – are symbolic of Tao cultivation. When we cultivate the Tao, we give unconditionally, we simplify our lives, and we focus on other people instead of ourselves. The more we do this, the more spiritually powerful we become, and the more joy we experience in life.
This is exactly what we learn in the following lines from chapter 81 of Tao Te Ching:
The sages do not accumulate
The more they do for others, the more they have
The more they give to others, the more they gain
These lines, considered in conjunction with the story, point to a powerful truth: Tao cultivation allows us to transcend fate. When the old man showed up at the younger brother's house, the younger brother paid him no attention – because he was giving of himself, totally focused on his guests, and fully engaged in living life to the utmost. Thus, the old man had no power over him.
It is exactly the same for us. Cultivating the Tao isn't all about solitary mediations and mountain retreats. It is also about community. It's about interacting with people, sensing our oneness with them, and feeling the invigorating energy that results from the personal interaction. The more we do for others, the more blissful contentment we experience; the more we give to others, the more joyous satisfaction we receive.
When we live this teaching, life becomes the party it should be, just like the one outside the younger brother's house. When negativity shows up at your doorsteps, it will have no power over you. The positive energy you have generated blocks it, so it has no choice but to leave you alone.
In fact, you wouldn't even notice that the negative karma came and left – just like the younger brother, you would be far too busy celebrating life!
from www.truetao.org
by Derek Lin
Once upon a time in ancient China, there were two brothers. Both worked hard and accumulated much wealth.
One day, they were traveling on the road when it started to rain. They were still far from the next village, so they looked around for shelter. They found an abandoned temple at a nearby cemetery.
They went into the temple and saw that an old man was already inside. They noticed he held a small gong in one hand. Curious, they asked him about it.
The old man said: "I am a messenger. My job is to go to the door of people who are about to die, and strike this gong three times. It is the signal for them to pass away."
The brothers were taken aback, but then they thought the old man was most likely crazy.
Seeing their expression, the old man said: "I know what you're thinking. You don't believe me. Well, it so happens that the two of you will die next week. You can see for yourself when your time comes." Then he vanished right in front of them.
The brothers were shocked. They resumed their journey after the rain stopped, but both were disturbed by this most unusual experience.
The old man's words weighed heavily on the older brother's mind. He kept thinking, "I worked hard to accumulate all this wealth, but what’s it all for? I have only a few days left, and then I will be gone." He lost his appetite and couldn't sleep. Soon he was sick.
When the day came, he was too ill to get out of bed. He heard the sound of the gong being struck three times and died, exactly as the old man said.
The old man's words also weighed heavily on the younger brother's mind. He kept thinking, "I worked hard to accumulate all this wealth, but what’s it all for? I have only a few days left, and then I will be gone."
Then he thought: "There is no time to waste. I must do something with this wealth, and quickly!" He jumped into the task of divesting his possessions. He went around his village to give money to worthy causes as well as public works.
The villagers were surprised by his generosity, and also very grateful. They got together and decided to hold a celebration in his honor. They all showed up in front of his house and had a big party. Musicians played music, people danced and toasted his kindness. Everyone was having a great time.
The old man showed up with his gong. He saw that it was very crowded and noisy. He had a job to do, so he got as close to the house as possible and struck the gong three times.
No one heard him. People assumed he was one of the musicians. The younger brother was so busy talking to people, accepting their thanks, and clasping their hands that he didn't even know the old man was there.
The old man tried again. And again. He was having no luck at all. Finally he got frustrated and left.
A week later, the younger brother was busier than ever. People saw him as a community leader, and many wanted him to work with them on various projects, or get his opinions on issues of common concern.
Between appointments, the younger brother found himself wondering: "Wasn't that old man supposed to show up at my doorsteps? Oh well, no time to worry about that. There are still many people I need to help."
There are several teachings in this story. The old man and the gong symbolize the inevitability of life leading to death. If you think about it, we can all expect a visit from the old man at some point in the future. We may not know when he’ll show up, but we do know he’ll arrive sooner or later. It is a fate that none of us can escape.
We react to this in different ways. Some of us, like the older brother, bow to the inevitability of it all. It depresses us. It robs us of energy. We may not get physically sick over it, but we can certainly be afflicted by a spiritual illness. This illness manifests itself as boredom and inertia. We’re bored and yet we don't want to do anything. What's the point? Why bother?
Another way to react to it is more like the younger brother. He recognized the same inevitability of the same fate, but he decided to do something about it. Rather than to admit defeat, the very fact that life was limited inspired him to live it fully.
Notice that only one thought separated the two. This demonstrates the possibility that an instant of clarity, a single moment of sudden realization, can be all it takes to change one’s life forever. This is the nature of enlightenment – seemingly so distant that it will always be beyond reach... but at the same time only a heartbeat away.
The wealth of the brothers represent all the things we accumulate as we move through life. Not just the material possessions, but also the mental baggage we drag around with us. The wealth is in fact clutter, in our environment and in the mind: the old magazines we can’t throw away but will never read again; the feeling of resentment against someone from the past; and so on.
The actions of the younger brother – divesting his wealth, giving to others, contributing to the common good – are symbolic of Tao cultivation. When we cultivate the Tao, we give unconditionally, we simplify our lives, and we focus on other people instead of ourselves. The more we do this, the more spiritually powerful we become, and the more joy we experience in life.
This is exactly what we learn in the following lines from chapter 81 of Tao Te Ching:
The sages do not accumulate
The more they do for others, the more they have
The more they give to others, the more they gain
These lines, considered in conjunction with the story, point to a powerful truth: Tao cultivation allows us to transcend fate. When the old man showed up at the younger brother's house, the younger brother paid him no attention – because he was giving of himself, totally focused on his guests, and fully engaged in living life to the utmost. Thus, the old man had no power over him.
It is exactly the same for us. Cultivating the Tao isn't all about solitary mediations and mountain retreats. It is also about community. It's about interacting with people, sensing our oneness with them, and feeling the invigorating energy that results from the personal interaction. The more we do for others, the more blissful contentment we experience; the more we give to others, the more joyous satisfaction we receive.
When we live this teaching, life becomes the party it should be, just like the one outside the younger brother's house. When negativity shows up at your doorsteps, it will have no power over you. The positive energy you have generated blocks it, so it has no choice but to leave you alone.
In fact, you wouldn't even notice that the negative karma came and left – just like the younger brother, you would be far too busy celebrating life!
from www.truetao.org