{"id":2597,"date":"2021-12-01T21:22:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T05:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/?p=2597"},"modified":"2021-12-01T21:34:19","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T05:34:19","slug":"daoist-daily-diary-for-november-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/?p=2597","title":{"rendered":"Daoist Daily Diary for November, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>THE DAOIST DAILY DIARY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/30\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To Taoism that which is absolutely still or absolutely perfect is absolutely dead, for without the possibility of growth and change there can be no Tao. In reality there is nothing in the universe which is completely perfect or completely still; it is only in the minds of men that such concepts exist.&#8221; &#8211; Alan W. Watts<\/p>\n<p>Today we take a look at our second Dao Yin Dragon sequence, Swimming Dragon. This is the easiest of the Dragons to perform. You should have no problems following along with the video. The one note I will mention is that the feet are parallel and not angled as with yesterday&#8217;s Soaring or Arousing Dragon. In case you had trouble performing that one, you can scroll down to 11\/24 and the Dao Yin Dragon Basic Stretches. In the video, look for the one titled &#8220;Coiling Snake.&#8221; That is the basic posture of the Soaring Dragon without stepping forward. Now just add the steps to it from yesterday&#8217;s video and have a great time practicing these two Dragons, folks!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1WNaAJAwjNE\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/29\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Welcome back, everyone! I hope no one got terminal indigestion from stuffing themselves on Thanksgiving, and I certainly hope no one was seriously injured from fighting through the hordes of shoppers on Black Friday. I&#8217;m glad that you are in one piece and can join me once again as we continue the series on the Dao Yin Dragons. Previously we viewed a podcast on Qigong vs Dao Yin and practice some Dao Yin preparatory stretches.<\/p>\n<p>Today we look at the first exercise set in the Dao Yin Dragons called Soaring Dragon. If you have a difficult time following the movements then slow down the video to .75 or even .50. Since there are no audio instructions, you can slow this up as much as you would like and pause and replay it at any point.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RqvxyEDQt6I\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/28\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Another magnificent weekend in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Temperature is in the 80s and the air is clean and fresh. A wonderful day to spend in the park doing tui shou with my tai chi brothers and sisters. Hope you have enjoyed your weekend and are ready to a full week of practicing. Thanks for stopping by. See you on Monday when we resume our series on the Dao Yin Dragons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/27\/2021 Small Business Saturday<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today was Small Business Saturday. I hope you shopped at a small business like this one&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3345\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/small-business-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/26\/2021 Black Friday<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Found an appropriate quote from Zhuangzi for today, Black Friday&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Kingly Man<\/p>\n<p>My master said:<br \/>\nThat which acts on all and meddles in none &#8211; is heaven . . .<br \/>\nThe Kingly Man realizes this, hides it in his heart,<br \/>\nGrows boundless, wide-minded, draws all to himself.<br \/>\nAnd so he lets the gold lie hidden in the mountain,<br \/>\nLeaves the pearl lying in the deep.<\/p>\n<p>Goods and possessions are no gain in his eyes,<br \/>\nHe stays far from wealth and honour.<br \/>\nLong life is no ground for joy, nor early death for sorrow<br \/>\nSuccess is not for him to be proud of, failure is no shame.<\/p>\n<p>Had he all the world&#8217;s power he would not hold it as his own,<br \/>\nIf he conquered everything he would not take it to himself.<br \/>\nHis glory is in knowing that all things come together in One<br \/>\nAnd life and death are equal.\u201d<br \/>\n\u2015 Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu<\/p>\n<p>Happy Black Friday, everyone!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3043\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/arguement-300x210.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/25\/2021 Thanksgiving Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBe content with what you have;<br \/>\nrejoice in the way things are.<br \/>\nWhen you realize there is nothing lacking,<br \/>\nthe whole world belongs to you.\u201d<br \/>\n&#8211; Laozi<\/p>\n<p>Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone! If you&#8217;re like me, I&#8217;m sure you have much to be thankful for. Just to be alive is plenty, and to appreciate life for what it is deepens our gratitude and adds an immense blessing to all we are and do. Have a wonderful day, celebrating Life by Giving Thanks. Bless you, one and all.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3339\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/thankful-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/24\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To a mind that is still the whole Universe surrenders.&#8221; &#8211; Lao Tzu<\/p>\n<p>Continuing with our series on the Dao Yin Dragons. Here is a short video on Dao Yin Basic Warmup Stretches by Nikolas Benedikt of Mountain Pathways &#8211; an affiliate branch of Lotus Nei Gong International., a Damo Mitchell school. Watch the video several times and follow along until you feel proficient. You can slow the playback speed if necessary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IFLMWDdMFkM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And in case you don&#8217;t stop by tomorrow, have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. Since many of you will be travelling and visiting family, we will resume the series on the Dragon Dao Yins on Monday. But the Holiday is no excuse not to practice, especially after gorging yourself with whatever Thanksgiving feast you are having.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/23\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the more important aspects of Neigong training, especially in the beginning, are the Dao Yin Dragons. These are a series of choreographed stretches that open the fascia and the connective tissues that enable a more robust flow of Qi. There are four Dragons: Awakening Dragon, Swimming Dragon, Soaring Dragon and Drunken Dragon. Some liken them to Qigong and other actually classify them as Qigong exercises, but they are not. Because of the intensity of their stretches, they are in a class by themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Today we start a short series on the Dao Yin Dragons with a podcast by Kong Jie, who discusses the basics of Dao Yin in general as well as how it differs from standard Qigong. He speaks rather quickly. So, if you cannot understand some of his points, adjust the playback speed from Normal to .75. And have a great practice, everyone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wNi4LSjoNzM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/22\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Only when we can start with the simplest exercise of absorbing the awareness into the body and increasingly relaxing our mind will we enable the evolution of our breathing processes to lead towards a true state of Gong.&#8221; &#8211; Damo Mitchell<\/p>\n<p>Today, we conclude our series on Taoist Breathwork not with another breathing exercise, but with a podcast on where the proper breathing takes us once we have developed true abdominal breathing. What happens then is that the breath becomes a major factor in building the dan tian and filling it with Qi. So, today we have Damo Mitchell of Lotus Neigong and the Internal Arts Academy explaining how the process works in a podcast entitled &#8220;Filling the Dantien Bucket.&#8221; Hopefully, this will clear up some misconceptions and put you on the correct path that leads to a true state of Gong. Enjoy your practicing, everyone! Thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WuoQ6WlmiiQ\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/21\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A magnificent day in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Temperature is in the 80s and the air is clean and fresh. A wonderful day to spend in the park doing tui shou with my tai chi brothers and sisters. Hope you have enjoyed your weekend and are ready to a full week of practicing. Thanks for stopping by. See you on Monday.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/20\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is nothing to try to do, for whatever comes up moment by moment is accepted, including non-acceptance.\u201d &#8211; Bruce Lee<\/p>\n<p>Today we look at another very specific breathing practice &#8211; Tu Gu Na Xin or Tu Na for short. This is not for everyday breathing or to be used in your Internal Arts Qigong, Neigong or Taiji exercises. This is a stand alone practice that one does in short 5-round or 10-round bursts before or directly after practice or as a breath refresher during the day.<\/p>\n<p>Taoists directly relate ones quality of breath with their quality of life. Tu Gu Na Xin is a Daoist breathing method that cleans and clears the lungs. This allows for deeper, fuller breaths, contributing to a richer experience of life. This video teaches you to assess your breath capacity in addition to various methods for improving overall lung health and riding them of toxins.<\/p>\n<p>It is presented by David Wei, a 16th generation lineage holder for the Wudang San Feng Life Nourishment Sect. He has over 20 years of experience in Taoist arts and culture, with a specialization in Tui Na acupressure. David is also the founder of Wudang West, an Oakland-based Heritage Center aimed to practice and preserve the cultural wellness arts of Wudang, China.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hL7vQ_yg6b0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/19\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As you &#8220;observe the breath&#8221; for longer, you will naturally start to become aware of the nature of Qi moving within your system.&#8221; &#8211; Damo Mitchell<\/p>\n<p>Today, we are going to look at another form of Taoist breathing techniques known as &#8220;Bone Breathing.&#8221; This is not the same as &#8220;Bone Marrow Washing&#8221; but is simply a breathing technique to soften the connective tissue around the bones and thus create a greater flow of Qi within your channel system. It is a simple technique to learn and even adapt to your Qigong exercises. It is presented here by Dr. David Clippinger of Still Mountain Tai Chi in a short six-minute video. Enjoy your practicing, folks, and thanks so much for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GJIXfW8Lo1M\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/18\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have to breath anyway. We might as well be breathing efficiently and with power.&#8221; &#8211; Lee Holden<\/p>\n<p>Over the last two days we listened to Sifu Mark Rasmus explain and demonstrate Internal Breathing Methods, namely Vital Pore Breathing or Whole Body Breathing. Today Sifu Rasmus is back with us presenting a very specific type of breathing known as &#8220;Dragon Breathing.&#8221; This is particular method specializes in strengthening virility, increasing testosterone and also fast tracks an astral feeling of qi. So, get comfortable, listen to Sifu Rasmus&#8217; instructions and follow along. Hopefully, you will find this method useful and effective. Enjoy your practicing, folks, and thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/722SktNwKfs\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/17\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Every conscious breath is qigong&#8221; &#8211; Sebastian Wunches<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, we viewed a podcast by Sifu Mark Rasmus on Internal Breathing Methods with the focus on Pore or Vital Breathing also called Whole Body Breathing. Today, in a short 7-minute video Sifu Rasmus guides us through a Whole Body Breathing exercise. Follow along and see how Rasmus&#8217; method resonates with you and your body. As always, have a great practice, everyone. And thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uFCoDg7JmTI\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>\\11\/16\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Unwilling to face our deepest fears, we breathe our emotions; and our emotions in turn breathe us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday we heard from Armand at ChiSkills.com in Holland, a long-time desciple of Sifu Mark Rasmus. Today, we hear directly from Sifu Rasmus, himself, in this first part on Internal Breathing Methods, where he focuses on Pore or Vital Breathing also called Whole Body Breathing. Tomorrow, we will take a look at the second part and practice this method along with Sifu Rasmus. This is a short 5-minute talk today, so enjoy and see if you can work some of his points into your practice. And thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6oFhbiQmjx4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/15\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Extreme softness begets extreme hardness. Your ability to be lively lies in your ability to breathe.&#8221; From Understanding How to Practice the Thirteen Dynamics (of Zhang San Feng)<\/p>\n<p>Our thanks to Damo Mitchell of Lotus Neigong and the Internal Arts Academy for starting off this series on Taoist Breathwork. If you missed his &#8220;Anchoring the Breath, Parts 1 &amp; 2&#8221; podcast, just scroll down this page to 11\/12 for Part1 and 11\/13 for Part 2. Today we are going to learn about Pore Breathing or Vital Breathing from Armand at ChiSkills.com in Holland. Armand has been a long-time disciple of Sifu Mark Rasmus. We will hear from Sifu Rasmus starting tomorrow. But, in the meantime, Armand explains the basics of pore breathing and leads us in an exercise. I hope you enjoy this short video and gain enough practical information that you can put into practice right away. So enjoy and have a great practice, everyone. Thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/H70e1wqku3c\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/14\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Another beautiful weekend in Los Angeles. Height of Summer weather here in the middle of November. I enjoyed a day at the park today doing tui shou with my friends. How about you? Hope your getting some rest tonight to prepare for a week of practice. As always, good practicing, folks!<\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/13\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Tension is stagnation, which causes blockages in the channels. A healthy flow of Qi serves to end emotional tension.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, we began to look at the Taoist methods of breathwork. Damo Mitchell, the Director of Lotus Neigong and the Internal Arts Academy, led us off with an explanation of the Taoist practice of &#8220;Anchoring the Breath, Part 1.&#8221; If you missed it, please scroll down to yesterday&#8217;s post 11\/12 before going on to today&#8217;s video of &#8220;Anchoring the Breath, Part 2,&#8221; where you can follow along with Damo Mitchell as he shows us how to develop this practice. Enjoy, everyone. And have a great weekend. See you on Monday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WfL9Gks4mdc\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/12\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When we reach a high level of breathing practice, our breath can become a form of release from tension and stress.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Breathing has a special place in Taoist Alchemy. It is where beginners start their practice and continues through all the levels of cultivation. It is responsible for breaking up stagnation and moving the different forms of Qi through the channels. So, over the next few days we will look at several form of breathing practices and exercises.<\/p>\n<p>We begin today with an explanation a basic Taoist breathing practice called &#8220;Anchoring the Breath&#8221; by Damo Mitchell, Director of Lotus Neigong and the Internal Arts Academy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N0fTg23psfw\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/11\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the two most consistent themes or qualities running through the Tao Te Ching are Moderation and Modesty\/Humility.<\/p>\n<p>Chapter 9 is exclusively about Moderation:<br \/>\n&#8220;Stretch (a bow) to the very full,<br \/>\nAnd you will wish you had stopped in time.<br \/>\nTemper a (sword-edge) to its very sharpest,<br \/>\nAnd the edge will not last long.<br \/>\nWhen gold and jade fill your hall,<br \/>\nYou will not be able to keep them safe.<br \/>\nTo be proud with wealth and honor<br \/>\nIs to sow seeds of one&#8217;s own downfall.<br \/>\nRetire when your work is done,<br \/>\nSuch is Heaven&#8217;s way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At the end of Chapter 15, Laozi sparkles with this gem:<br \/>\n&#8220;He who embraces this Tao<br \/>\nGuards against being over-full.<br \/>\nBecause he guards against being over-full,<br \/>\nHe is beyond wearing out and renewal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 24, Laozi touches on both Moderation and Modesty by revealing what they are not. Then he concludes with a firm rebuke:<br \/>\n&#8220;He who stands on tiptoe does not stand (firm);<br \/>\nHe who strains his strides does not walk (well);<br \/>\nHe who reveals himself is not luminous;<br \/>\nHe who justifies himself is not far-famed;<br \/>\nHe who boasts of himself is not given credit;<br \/>\nHe who prides himself is not chief among men.<br \/>\nThese in the eyes of Tao<br \/>\nAre called &#8220;the dregs and tumors of Virtue,&#8221;<br \/>\nWhich are things of disgust.<br \/>\nTherefore the man of Tao spurns them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 29, Laozi warns us against interfering with the flow of Tao and the balance of Yin and Yang then concludes with this:<br \/>\n&#8220;Hence the Sage eschews excess, eschews extravagance,<br \/>\nEschews pride.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There are many more, too many to list here. However, I would like to include my favorite Laozi passage on Moderation entitled &#8220;Be Content.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;Fame or one&#8217;s own self, which does one love more?<br \/>\nOne&#8217;s own self or material goods, which has more worth?<br \/>\nLoss (of self) or possession (of goods), which is the greater evil?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Therefore: he who loves most spends most,<br \/>\nHe who hoards much loses much.<br \/>\nThe contented man meets no disgrace;<br \/>\nWho know when to stop runs into no danger &#8211;<br \/>\nHe can long endure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Now a quick few on Modesty\/Humility.<br \/>\nIn Chapter 2, Laozi concludes with another gem:<br \/>\n&#8220;He (the Sage) acts, but does not appropriate;<br \/>\nAccomplishes, but claims no credit.<br \/>\nIt is because he lays claim to no credit<br \/>\nThat the credit cannot be taken away from him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 22, Laozi examines what the Sage does to become a model for the entire world to follow.<br \/>\n&#8220;Therefore the Sage embraces the One,<br \/>\nAnd becomes the model of the world.<br \/>\nHe does not reveal himself,<br \/>\nAnd is therefore luminous.<br \/>\nHe does not justify himself,<br \/>\nAnd is therefore far-famed.<br \/>\nHe does not boast of himself,<br \/>\nAnd therefore people give him credit.<br \/>\nHe does not pride himself,<br \/>\nAnd is therefore the chief among men.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>We have already looked at Chapter 24 above where Laozi reveals what both Moderation and Modesty are not. I want to conclude with Chapter 77, a wonderful verse, &#8220;Bending the Bow, another one of my favorites, that also combines both Moderation and Modesty.<br \/>\n&#8220;The Tao (way) of Heaven,<br \/>\nIs it not like the bending of a bow?<br \/>\nThe top comes down and the bottom-end goes up,<br \/>\nThe extra (length) is shortened, the insufficient (width) is expanded.<br \/>\nIt is the way of Heaven to take away from those that have too much<br \/>\nAnd give to those that have not enough.<br \/>\nNot so with man&#8217;s way:<br \/>\nHe takes from those that have not<br \/>\nAnd gives it as tribute to those that have too much.<br \/>\nWho can have enough and to spare to give to the entire world?<br \/>\nOnly the man of Tao.<br \/>\nTherefore the Sage acts, but does not possess,<br \/>\nAccomplishes but lays claim to no credit,<br \/>\nBecause he has no wish to seem superior.<\/p>\n<p>So, let&#8217;s see if we can cultivate these two powerful, revealing qualities &#8211; Moderation and Modesty &#8211; into our daily lives. And enjoy practicing them, folks. That will seal or bind them to your consciousness.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3307\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Humbling-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/10\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to consistency of themes and sought-after qualities perhaps the four most consistent are the feminine or female, child or infant, moderation or middle way, and humility or modesty. We will look at the last two, humility and moderation tomorrow. Today we will take a look at a few of Laozi&#8217;s quotes on the feminine and the infant.<\/p>\n<p>One of his most famous quotes on the feminine is from Chapter 6:<br \/>\n&#8220;The Spirit of the Valley never dies.<br \/>\nIt is called the Mystic Female.<br \/>\nThe Door of the Mystic Female<br \/>\nIs the root of Heaven and Earth.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Continuously, continuously,<br \/>\nIt seems to remain.<br \/>\nDraw upon it<br \/>\nAnd it serves you with ease.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Then in Chapter 10, Laozi stresses both the feminine and the infant:<br \/>\n&#8220;In controlling your vital force to achieve gentleness,<br \/>\nCan you become like the new-born child?&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In opening and shutting the Gate of Heaven,<br \/>\nCan you play the part of the Female?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 20, he mentions both the new-born child and the Mother (the feminine):<br \/>\n&#8220;The people of the world are merry-making,<br \/>\nAs if partaking of the sacrificial feasts,<br \/>\nAs if mounting the terrace in spring;<br \/>\nI alone am mild, like one unemployed,<br \/>\nLike a new-born babe that cannot yet smile&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The people of the world all have a purpose;<br \/>\nI alone appear stubborn and uncouth.<br \/>\nI alone differ from the other people,<br \/>\nAnd value drawing sustenance from the Mother.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 25, he likens the Tao to the Mother of All Things:<br \/>\n&#8220;Before the Heaven and Earth existed<br \/>\nThere was something nebulous:<br \/>\nSilent, isolated,<br \/>\nStanding alone, changing not,<br \/>\nEternally revolving without fail,<br \/>\nWorthy to be the Mother of All Things.<br \/>\nI do not know its name<br \/>\nAnd address it as Tao.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 28 he again stresses both the female and the child but also another consistent theme &#8211; the valley, ravine or lowly places:<br \/>\n&#8220;He who is aware of the Male<br \/>\nBut keeps to the Female<br \/>\nBecomes the ravine of the world.<br \/>\nBeing the ravine of the world,<br \/>\nHe has the original character (teh) which is not cut up.<br \/>\nAnd returns again to the (innocence of the) babe.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 52, Laozi identifies the feminine as the Mother of the Universe:<br \/>\n&#8220;There was a beginning of the universe<br \/>\nWhich may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe.<br \/>\nFrom the Mother, we may know her sons.<br \/>\nAfter knowing the sons, keep to the Mother.<br \/>\nThus one&#8217;s whole life may be preserved from harm.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 55, Laozi&#8217;s most famous quote on the new-born child emphasizes qualities he considers most important:<br \/>\n&#8220;Who is rich in character<br \/>\nIs like a child.<br \/>\nNo poisonous insects sting him,<br \/>\nNo wild beasts attack him,<br \/>\nAnd no birds of prey pounce upon him.<br \/>\nHis bones are soft, his sinews tender, yet his grip is strong.<br \/>\nNot knowing the union of male and female, yet his organs are complete,<br \/>\nWhich means his vigor is unspoiled.<br \/>\nCrying the whole day, yet his voice never runs hoarse,<br \/>\nWhich means his (natural) harmony is perfect.<br \/>\nTo know harmony is to be in accord with the eternal,<br \/>\n(And) to know eternity is called discerning.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And finally, in Chapter 61, he joins his theme of the feminine with that of the lowly places in describing a large country:<br \/>\n&#8220;A big country (should be like) the delta low-regions,<br \/>\nBeing the concourse of the world,<br \/>\n(And) the Female of the world.<br \/>\nThe Female overcomes the Male by quietude,<br \/>\nAnd achieves the lowly position by quietude.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow we will look at the other two major themes in the Tao Te Ching, moderation and modesty. Until then, keep Laozi&#8217;s consistent themes in mind while you enjoy your Internal Arts practicing. Thanks for stopping by, folks!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3304\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Mother-of-the-Uni-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/09\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yesterday we looked at the consistency of Laozi&#8217;s teaching within the Tao Te Ching. Specifically, we focused on handling problems while they are small and the quality of consistency, itself, which Laozi highly recommends if we are to accomplish anything.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we look at the consistency of his teachings on clarity<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 15, Laozi asks:<br \/>\n&#8220;Who can find repose in a muddy world?&#8221;<br \/>\nAnd then he immediately answers:<br \/>\n&#8220;By lying still, it becomes clear.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Actually, the above quote contains three qualities that he consistently urges us to adopt &#8211; clarity, stillness, and water. Here he is implying that a muddy world is like muddy water. Leave it alone so the water remains still and the mud will eventually settle at the bottom.<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 52, Laozi has two references to clarity:<br \/>\n&#8220;He who can see the small is clear-sighted;<br \/>\nHe who stays by gentility is strong,<br \/>\nUse the light and return to clear-sightedness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another recurring quality or theme in the Tao Te Ching is lessening our attention that we place on the five senses. By doing so, Laozi implies that this brings about clarity.<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 12, he states:<br \/>\n&#8220;The five colors blind the eyes of man;<br \/>\nThe five musical notes deafen the ears of man;<br \/>\nThe five flavors dull the taste of man;<br \/>\nHorse-racing, hunting and chasing madden the minds of man;<br \/>\nRare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.<br \/>\nTherefore the Sage:<br \/>\nProvides for the belly and not the eye.<br \/>\nHence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And again in Chapter 52<br \/>\n&#8220;Stop its apertures,<br \/>\nClose its doors,<br \/>\nAnd one&#8217;s whole life is without toil.<\/p>\n<p>Open its apertures,<br \/>\nBe busy about its affairs,<br \/>\nAnd one&#8217;s whole life is beyond redemption.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And in Chapter 56, there&#8217;s this&#8230;<br \/>\n&#8220;He who knows does not speak;<br \/>\nHe who speaks does not know.<br \/>\nFill up its apertures,<br \/>\nClose its doors,<br \/>\nDull its edges,<br \/>\nUntie its tangles,<br \/>\nSoften its light,<br \/>\nSubmerge its turmoil,<br \/>\n&#8211; This is the Mystic Unity.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then love and hatred cannot touch him.<br \/>\nProfit and loss cannot reach him.<br \/>\nHonor and disgrace cannot affect him.<br \/>\nTherefore is he always the honored one of the world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Thus to achieve true clarity and discernment, we want to perceive beyond the five senses and not dwell or get our desires tangled up in the turmoil of this muddy world but instead be still and see that turmoil for what it really is. Enjoy your practicing, people. Thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3298\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mud-settling-300x204.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/08\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the most essential qualities in developing character and advancing one&#8217;s cultivation in the Internal Arts is consistency. This is not a quality to be taken lightly but harkens back to Laozi and the Tao Te Ching. Here is a quote from none other than Osho on Laozi&#8217;s consistency:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To understand Lao Tzu\u2019s logic you will have to create eyes. It is very subtle, it is not the ordinary logic of the logicians \u2014 it is the logic of a hidden life, a very subtle life. Whatsoever he says is on the surface absurd; deep down there lives a very great consistency. One has to penetrate it; one has to change his own mind to understand Lao Tzu.&#8221; &#8211; Osho<\/p>\n<p>One of the concepts in the Tao Te Ching, which Laozi stresses with consistency is handling problems while they are small.<\/p>\n<p>In Chapter 63, Laozi says:<br \/>\n&#8220;Deal with the difficult while yet it is easy;<br \/>\nDeal wit the big while yet it is small.<br \/>\nThe difficult (problems) of the world<br \/>\nMust be dealt with while they are yet easy;<br \/>\nThe great (problems) of the world<br \/>\nMust be dealt with while they are yet small.<br \/>\nTherefore the Sage by never dealing with great (problems)<br \/>\nAccomplishes greatness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Then he comes right back in Chapter 64 and repeats the same admonition:<br \/>\n&#8220;That which lies still is easy to hold;<br \/>\nThat which is not yet manifest is easy to forestall;<br \/>\nThat which is brittle (like ice) easily melts;<br \/>\nThat which is minute easily scatters.<br \/>\nDeal with a thing before it is there;<br \/>\nCheck disorder before it is rife.<br \/>\nA tree with a full span&#8217;s girth begins from a tiny sprout;<br \/>\nA nine-storied terrace begins with a clod of earth.<br \/>\nA journey of a thousand li beings at one&#8217;s feet.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Then in the very next verse in Chapter 64, Laozi deals with inconsistency, stating that the lack of consistency causes our affairs to fail especially when they are close to coming to fruition:<br \/>\n&#8220;The affairs of men are often spoiled within an ace of completion.<br \/>\nBy being careful at the end as at the beginning<br \/>\nFailure is averted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So let&#8217;s see if we can put these two qualities of consistency and handling problems as soon as they emerge or even beforehand with preventive measures into our everyday lives as well as our Internal Arts practices. And have a great practice, everyone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3295\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/consistency2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/07\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A beautiful day in L.A. Great for going to your favorite and just chilling out or&#8230;doing some push hands and learning while doing. Now it&#8217;s time to rest up and get ready for a full week of practice. Enjoy it, folks!<\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/06\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Cessation of mind equals cessation of breath. Cessation of breath equals cessation of self\u2026&#8221; -Damo Mitchell, Internal Arts Academy<\/p>\n<p>In light of the Zhuangzi story, &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple,&#8221; which we just concluded yesterday (Part 4, 11\/05), I would like to post a podcast on Guan Yin by my Nei Gong and Alchemy teacher, Damo Mitchell. In this talk, he explains the concept of Guan Yin in terms of Daoist alchemy, which is basically a way for Internal Arts cultivators and other meditators to begin to realize how their awareness works in the context of our internal complexities. This lack of understanding was precisely what caused Keng&#8217;s disciple so much frustration and despair.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U1gpYZHHhK8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/05\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today we conclude &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple&#8221; with Part 4 from Thomas Merton&#8217;s collection of Zhuangzi stories entitled &#8220;The Way of Chuang Tzu.&#8221; To review any of the previous parts of the story simply scroll down the page. For Part 1 scroll to 11\/02, for Part 2 scroll to 11\/03 and for Part 3 scroll to 11\/04.<\/p>\n<p>Have you guessed which chapter from his Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu quotes as advice to Keng&#8217;s overwrought disciple, who cannot seem to put the teachings into practice and cultivate desirable qualities while ridding himself of undesirable ones? Let&#8217;s find out.<\/p>\n<p>KENG&#8217;S DISCIPLE Part 4<\/p>\n<p>Lao Tzu replied:<br \/>\n&#8220;Can you embrace the One<br \/>\nAnd not lose it?<br \/>\nCan you foretell good things and bad<br \/>\nWithout the tortoise shell<br \/>\nOr the straws?<br \/>\nCan you rest where there is rest?<br \/>\nDo you know when to stop?<br \/>\nCan you mind your own business<br \/>\nWithout cares, without desiring reports<br \/>\nOf how others are progressing?<br \/>\nCan you stand on your own feet?<br \/>\nCan you duck?<br \/>\nCan you be like an infant<br \/>\nThat cries all day<br \/>\nWithout getting a sore throat<br \/>\nOr clenches his fist all day<br \/>\nWithout getting a sore hand<br \/>\nOr gazes all day<br \/>\nWithout eyestrain?<br \/>\nYou want the first elements?<br \/>\nThe infant has them.<br \/>\nFree from care, unaware of self,<br \/>\nHe acts without reflection,<br \/>\nStays where he is put, does not know why,<br \/>\nDoes not figure things out,<br \/>\nJust goes along with them,<br \/>\nIs part of the current.<br \/>\nThese are the first elements!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The disciple asked:<br \/>\n&#8220;Is this perfection?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Lao replied: &#8220;Not at all.<br \/>\nIt is only the beginning.<br \/>\nThis melts the ice.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This enables you<br \/>\nTo unlearn,<br \/>\nSo that you can be led by Tao,<br \/>\nBe a child of Tao.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If you persist in trying<br \/>\nTo attain what is never attained<br \/>\n(It is Tao&#8217;s gift!)<br \/>\nIf you persist in making effort<br \/>\nTo obtain what effort cannot get;<br \/>\nIf you persist in reasoning<br \/>\nAbout what cannot be understood,<br \/>\nYou will be destroyed<br \/>\nBy the very thing you seek.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To know when to stop<br \/>\nTo know when you can get no further<br \/>\nBy your own action,<br \/>\nThis is the right beginning!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So, if you said Chapter 10 or Chapter 55 of the Tao Te Ching, you were correct. Parts of each are contained in Laozi&#8217;s advice to Keng&#8217;s Disciple. And as Zhuangzi would have it, good advice for all of us to follow. That is the reason he has developed principles from both chapters to give all of us advice on how to begin cultivating desirable qualities and ridding ourselves of undesirable ones. So for all Internal Arts practitioners, have a great weekend and enjoy practicing, folks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-982\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/tao-300x191.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/04\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, we look at Part 3 of &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple&#8221; from Thomas Merton&#8217;s collection of Zhuangzi stories entitled &#8220;The Way of Chuang Tzu.&#8221; Scroll down to 11\/02\/2021 to read Merton&#8217;s commentary and Part 1 with the disciple&#8217;s frustration of being unable to realize Keng&#8217;s teachings or put them into practice like the other disciples, and Keng advises him to present himself to Lao Tzu. Scroll down to 11\/03\/2021 to read Part 2 when Keng&#8217;s Disciple leaves his temple and journeys south to meet Lao Tzu. Meditating alone in a cell and trying to cultivate desirable qualities only led to further despair. And now Part 3<\/p>\n<p>KENG&#8217;S DISCIPLE Part 3<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Miserable!&#8221; said Lao.<br \/>\n&#8220;All blocked up!<br \/>\nTied in knots! Try<br \/>\nTo get untied!<br \/>\nIf your obstructions<br \/>\nAre on the outside,<br \/>\nDo not attempt<br \/>\nTo grasp them one by one<br \/>\nAnd thrust them away.<br \/>\nImpossible! Learn<br \/>\nTo ignore them.<br \/>\nIf they are within yourself,<br \/>\nYou cannot destroy them piecemeal,<br \/>\nBut you can refuse<br \/>\nTo let them take effect.<br \/>\nIf they are both inside and outside,<br \/>\nDo not try<br \/>\nTo hold on to Tao. Just hope that Tao<br \/>\nWill keep hold of you!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The disciple groaned:<br \/>\n&#8220;When a farmer gets sick<br \/>\nAnd the other farmers come to see him,<br \/>\nIf he can at least tell them<br \/>\nWhat is the matter<br \/>\nHis sickness is not bad.<br \/>\nBut as for me, in my search for Tao,<br \/>\nI am like a sick man who takes medicine<br \/>\nThat makes him ten times worse.<br \/>\nJust tell me<br \/>\nThe first elements.<br \/>\nI will be satisfied!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow we will conclude with Part 4 where Lao Tzu quotes one of his famous chapters from the Tao Te Ching as advice to Keng&#8217;s overwrought disciple. Can you guess which chapter that is? Which chapter would you quote to Keng&#8217;s disciple? And why? Contemplate on that tonight and join me tomorrow for the conclusion. And don&#8217;t forget to enjoy practicing and contemplating, everyone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3282\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/monk-and-Lao-Tzu-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/03\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, we look at Part 2 of &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple&#8221; from Thomas Merton&#8217;s collectioj of Zhuangzi stories entitled &#8220;The Way of Chuang Tzu.&#8221; In Part 1 yesterday (scroll down to 11\/02\/2021), Keng&#8217;s Sang Chu&#8217;s disciple complained to his master that the other disciples get the Master Keng&#8217;s meaning and can put it into practice, but he cannot. No matter how hard he tries, it just does not ring any bells inside. Keng admits that his own capacity is too slight to help his student. Thus, he suggests that the student journey to see Lao Tzu. That&#8217;s where we begin today.<\/p>\n<p>KENG&#8217;S DISCIPLE Part 2<\/p>\n<p>The disciple got some supplies,<br \/>\nTravelled seven days and seven nights<br \/>\nAlone,<br \/>\nAnd came to Lao Tzu.<br \/>\nLao asked: &#8220;Do you come from Keng?&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;Yes,&#8221; replied the student.<br \/>\n&#8220;Who are all those people you have brought with you?&#8221;<br \/>\nThe disciple whirled around to look.<br \/>\nNobody there. Panic!<br \/>\nLao said: &#8220;Don&#8217;t you understand?&#8221;<br \/>\nThe disciple hung his head. Confusion!<br \/>\nThen a sigh. &#8220;Alas, I have forgotten my answer.&#8221;<br \/>\n(More confusion!) &#8220;I have also forgotten my question.&#8221;<br \/>\nLao said: &#8220;What are you trying to say?&#8221;<br \/>\nThe disciple: &#8220;When I don&#8217;t know, people treat me like a<br \/>\nfool.<br \/>\nWhen I do know, the knowledge gets me into trouble.<br \/>\nWhen I fail to do good, I hurt others.<br \/>\nWhen I do good, I hurt myself.<br \/>\nIf I avoid my duty, I am remiss,<br \/>\nBut if I do it, I am ruined.<br \/>\nHow can I get out of these contradictions?<br \/>\nThat is what I came to ask you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Lao Tzu replied:<br \/>\n&#8220;A moment ago<br \/>\nI looked into your eyes.<br \/>\nI saw you were hemmed in<br \/>\nBy contradictions. Your words<br \/>\nConfirm this.<br \/>\nYou are scared to death,<br \/>\nLike a child who has lost<br \/>\nFather and mother.<br \/>\nYou are trying to sound<br \/>\nThe middle of the ocean<br \/>\nWith a six-foot pole.<br \/>\nYou have got lost, and are trying<br \/>\nTo find your way back<br \/>\nTo your own true self.<br \/>\nYou find nothing<br \/>\nBut illegible signposts<br \/>\nPointing in all directions.<br \/>\nI pity you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The disciple asked for admittance,<br \/>\nTook a cell, and there<br \/>\nMeditated,<br \/>\nTrying to cultivate qualities<br \/>\nHe thought desirable<br \/>\nAnd get rid of others<br \/>\nWhich he disliked.<br \/>\nTen days of that!<br \/>\nDespair!<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow we will get into Part 3 of &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple&#8221; and his encounter with Lao Tzu. Until then, enjoy your practicing, folks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3282\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/monk-and-Lao-Tzu-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/02\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today we begin Part 1 of &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple,&#8221; the longest story in Thomas Merton&#8217;s Zhuangzi collection entitle &#8220;The Way of Chuang Tzu. We will start off with Merton&#8217;s commentary.<\/p>\n<p>MERTON:<br \/>\nThe &#8220;man of Tao&#8221; does not make the mistake of giving up self-conscious virtuousness in order to immerse himself in an even more self-conscious contemplative recollection. One cannot call Chuang Tzu a &#8220;contemplative&#8221; in the sense of one who adopts a systematic program of spiritual self-purification in order to attain to certain definite interior experiences, or even merely to &#8220;cultivate the interior life.&#8221; Chuang Tzu would condemn this just as roundly as the &#8220;cultivation&#8221; of anything else on an artificial basis. All deliberate, systematic, and reflexive &#8220;self-cultivation,&#8221; whether active or contemplative, personalistic or politically committed, cuts one off from the mysterious but indispensable contact with Tao, the hidden &#8220;Mother&#8221; of all life and truth. One of the things that causes the young disciple of Keng Sang Chu (Keng&#8217;s Disciple) to be so utterly frustrated is precisely that he shuts himself up in a cell and tries to cultivate qualities which he thinks desirable and get rid of others which he dislikes.<\/p>\n<p>KENG&#8217;S DISCIPLE<br \/>\nA disciple complained to Keng:<br \/>\n&#8220;The eyes of all men seem to be alike,<br \/>\nI detect no difference in them;<br \/>\nYet some men are blind;<br \/>\nTheir eyes do not see.<br \/>\nThe ears of all men seem to be alike,<br \/>\nI detect no difference in them;<br \/>\nYet some men are deaf,<br \/>\nTheir ears do not hear.<br \/>\nThe minds of all men have the same nature,<br \/>\nI detect no difference between them;<br \/>\nBut the mad cannot make<br \/>\nAnother man&#8217;s mind their own.<br \/>\nHere am I, apparently like the other disciples,<br \/>\nBut there is a difference:<br \/>\nThey get your meaning and put it in practice;<br \/>\nI cannot.<br \/>\nYou tell me: &#8216;Hold your being secure and quiet,<br \/>\nKeep your life collected<br \/>\nin its own center.<br \/>\nDo not allow your thoughts<br \/>\nTo be disturbed.&#8217;<br \/>\nBut however hard I try,<br \/>\nTao is only a word in my ear.<br \/>\nIt does not ring any bells inside.&#8221;<br \/>\nKeng San replied: &#8220;I have nothing more<br \/>\nTo say.<br \/>\nBantams do not hatch goose eggs,<br \/>\nThough the fowl of Lu can.<br \/>\nIt is not so much a difference of nature<br \/>\nAs a difference of capacity.<br \/>\nMy capacity is too slight<br \/>\nTo transform you.<br \/>\nWhy not go south<br \/>\nAnd see Lao Tzu?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow we will learn what happens when the disciple meets Lao Tzu. Until then, enjoy your practicing, everyone. Thanks for stopping by.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11\/01\/2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I will let Thomas Merton introduce our next Zhuangzi story from Merton&#8217;s collection entitled &#8220;The Way of Chuang Tzu.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>MERTON:<br \/>\nMeanwhile, though he (Chuang Tzu) consistently disagreed with his friend the dialectician, Hui Tzu, and though his disciples, who were not without &#8220;the need to win&#8221; always represented Chuang as beating Hui in debate, Chuang Tzu actually used many of Hui Tzu&#8217;s metaphysical ideas. He realized that, by the principle of complementarity, his own thought was notcomplete merely in itself, without the &#8220;opposition&#8221; of Hui Tzu.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most famous of all Chuang Tzu&#8217;s &#8220;principles&#8221; is that called &#8220;three in the morning,&#8221; from the story of the<br \/>\nmonkeys whose keeper planned to give them three measures of chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening but,<br \/>\nwhen they complained, changed his plan and gave them four in the morning and three in the evening.<\/p>\n<p>When we wear out our minds, stubbornly clinging to one partial view of things, refusing to see a deeper agreement<br \/>\nbetween this and its complementary opposite, we have whati s called &#8220;three in the morning.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What is this &#8220;three in the morning?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>THREE IN THE MORNING:<\/p>\n<p>A monkey trainer went to his monkeys and told them:<br \/>\n&#8220;As regards to your chestnuts: you are going to have three<br \/>\nmeasures in the morning and four in the afternoon.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At this they all became angry. So he said: &#8220;All right, in<br \/>\nthat case I will give you four in the morning and three in the<br \/>\nafternoon.&#8221; This time they were satisfied.<\/p>\n<p>MERTON:<\/p>\n<p>The two arrangements were the same in that the number of chestnuts did not change. But in one case the animals were displeased, and in the other they were satisfied. The keeper had been willing to change his personal arrangement<br \/>\nin order to meet objective conditions. He lost nothing by it. The truly wise man, considering both sides of the question<br \/>\nwithout partiality, sees them both in the light of Tao. This is called following two courses at once.<\/p>\n<p>What does this story mean? Simply that the monkeys were foolish and that the keeper cynically outsmarted them? Quite the contrary. The point is rather that the keeper had enough sense to recognize that the monkeys had irrational reasons of their own for wanting four measures of chestnuts in the morning, and did not stubbornly insist on his original arrangement. He was not totally indifferent, and yet he saw that an accidental difference did not affect the substance\u00b7 of his arrangement. Nor did he waste time demanding that the monkeys try to be &#8220;more reasonable&#8221; about it when monkeys are not expected to be reasonable in the first place. It is when we insist most firmly on everyone else being &#8220;reasonable&#8221; that we become, ourselves, unreasonable. Chuang Tzu, firmly centered on Tao, could see these things in perspective. His teaching follows the principle of &#8220;three in the morning,&#8221; and it is at home on two levels: that of the divine and invisible Tao that has no name, and that of ordinary, simple, everyday existence.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s one more important story with Merton&#8217;s commentary, &#8220;Keng&#8217;s Disciple.&#8221; It&#8217;s one of Zhuangzi&#8217;s longest stories; thus, I will break it down into parts. Part 1 will be tomorrow. Don&#8217;t miss it. Meanwhile, enjoy your practicing, everyone. And thank you for starting off this month of Thanksgiving with me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3275\" src=\"http:\/\/enlightenyourdays.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/3-in-the-morning-300x218.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE DAOIST DAILY DIARY 11\/30\/2021 &#8220;To Taoism that which is absolutely still or absolutely perfect is absolutely dead, for without the possibility of growth and change there can be no Tao. In reality there is nothing in the universe which is completely perfect or completely still; it is only in the minds of men that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2597"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601,"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2597\/revisions\/2601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socaltaichi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}