THE TAO TE CHING - VERSE 11

This week I focus on Wayne Dyer’s interpretation of the 11th verse of the Tao Te Ching.

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub; it is on the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges.  Shape clay into a vessel; it is the space within that makes it useful.  Carve fine doors and windows, but the room is useful in its emptiness.  The usefulness of what is depends on what is not.


According to Dr. Dyer this verse is about the value of emptiness.  Lao Tzu is asking us to live from the core of who we are, from the void. I interpret the void to be that part of me that is beyond my body.  The part of me that is aware of everything.

In order for me to wrap my arms around what is being said here I have to divide myself into parts.  I am made up of the body, the mind and the spirit.  The body is all the different physical manifestations, as well as the 5 senses and all my emotions (which are actually chemical reactions set in motion by thoughts).  The mind is made up of pure knowledge and the thoughts that categorize that knowledge.  The ego is the part of the mind that has the inner dialogues (sometimes I call it the committee in my head).  It’s the part of me that likes to stir the pot and make things more difficult than they need to be. 

The best part of me is the spirit.  This is the core of me; the part of who I am that is connected to Source.  It is this invisible life force that is eternal.  When I die, people will not look at my inanimate body and say that is me...they will say that I have gone.  But what is it that is gone?  It is that essence, that life force that animated the parts you see as me.  Or as spoken in this 11th verse it is that part of me that fills the center of the hub, that fills the space inside the clay vessel, that makes the room no longer empty.

When I meditate I breathe in and out, concentrating on the motion so that I can touch that center that can’t be seen.  When I am able to step beyond the body and mind, only then can I feel the real me, that which is not the body and mind.  The real me has been hidden deep inside the whole, from years of feeling separate from Source, but it is that which fills the void.


I am reminded of a time when I was in my teens and twenties, when something bad would happened, like a breakup with a boyfriend, or the death of my parents, and that void inside me would ache, so intensely I often thought there was a hole going straight through me.  The pain back then was so intense because I did not realize that inside that void was Source and that if I concentrated on that hole long enough I could touch Source and feel it filling the void. Now, as I have grown older and wiser I no longer feel that hole, nor do I feel the depth of pain I felt back then.  That is because I know that Source is always here inside me, supporting me, filling that void deep within so that I never have to feel that pain of aloneness ever again.

References:

Mitchell, Stephen (2009-10-13). Tao Te Ching (p. 6). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The Laozi (2009-10-04). The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and its Characteristics (Kindle Locations 29-30). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Mitchell, Stephen; Katie, Byron (2007-02-06). A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are (p. 13). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Dyer, Wayne Dr. 1 Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Audio Version, (Disc 2)

THE TAO TE CHING - VERSE 10

In week ten of my journey through the Tao I am using Stephen Mitchell’s interpretation. 

Can you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original oneness? Can you let your body become supple as a newborn child’s? Can you cleanse your inner vision until you see nothing but the light? Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will? Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course? Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things? Giving birth and nourishing, without possessing, acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue.

What I glean from this message is how, when we come into this world as babies, we are pure love, straight from the Creator. But as we stay in this world we begin to feel the separation from where we came and soon we are no longer supple, our vision is clouded, and judgment rears its ugly head.  Yet the ultimate truth of what we are doing here is to accept the duality of humanity and try to become like the new born baby again.  We must learn to transcend the body and touch the soul, to make peace with both our feminine and masculine natures, to acknowledge the ego then move beyond it to the Tao.  For the Tao is the unconditional love we all long for while the ego is nothing but judgment.  Unfortunately from the moment we are born we are taught to label and then judge...labeling everything as either good or bad.  Yet in reality nothing is good or bad until we put a label on it and judge it. 

So my journey through the Tao this week is to take note of my judgments.  Where do I label something good and something else bad?   Can I move through this world without wanting to possess anything or have an expectation of others?  Wow, no judgment is a heavy order. Wish me luck!

References:

Mitchell, Stephen (2009-10-13). Tao Te Ching (p. 6). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The Laozi (2009-10-04). The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and its Characteristics (Kindle Locations 29-30). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Mitchell, Stephen; Katie, Byron (2007-02-06). A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are (p. 13). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Dyer, Wayne Dr. 1 Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Audio Version, (Disc 2)

THE TAO TE CHING - VERSE 9

This week I’m using Stephen Mitchell’s interpretation of the 9th Verse of the Tao Te Ching as the basis of my blog.

Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.

I interpret this verse to mean that if I live in the Tao I know when to stop.  First of all if I am connected to Source I am satisfied no matter how much I have or don’t have.  But even if I’m an expert manifester...which I believe I am...if I stay tuned to my higher Source I know when enough is enough.  I know when to step back and enjoy the serenity of my manifestations.  This concept has always been true for me, whether it be eating, drinking, working, shopping, whatever it is that is going on with me, if I stay aware and connected at the time of the actions I know what is best for me.  A perfect example was last night as I was sitting on my lanai and decided to have a glass of one of my favorite liqueurs.  As I watched the lights and the water below me, I moved into an unintentional meditation, really feeling a strong sense of the Now and a magnificent connection to Source.  All of a sudden I realized I really didn’t want any more liquor, that enough was enough.  So I stopped drinking long before the glass was finished and felt satisfied with where I was at that moment. 

Byron Katie writes about this verse in terms of how “...nothing outside us can give us what we’re really looking for....everything comes and goes.”  I identified with those words because that’s exactly what is going on when I over eat or drink, or I push myself to make more money or buy more things, I’m looking for something outside of me to make me feel better.  Yet nothing outside of me will ever satisfy me nor can everything outside of me be used all at once.  And everything will be gone someday because it will either disintegrate or I’ll die and can’t take it with me. 

I’ve had cravings for food, like ice cream—or anything fried--that when I finally ate it, I realized it really wasn’t as good as my craving for it convinced me it would be.  That is why my most successful attempts to lose weight are always when I stay aware of what I’m eating and how hungry I am.  Then when I get a craving, I ask myself why I want this food, versus mindlessly eating whatever is in front of me.

I have learned over time that it is the ego that wants more and more, not the Tao that is inside me.  So this is a good lesson for me to utilize this week as I have houseguests arriving today, which means we’ll be eating out more, drinking more and imbibing treats I don’t normally eat.  If I stay in awareness and listen to what the Tao wants for me, I can still enjoy the meals, alcohol and treats but will also be aware of when enough is enough.

References:

Mitchell, Stephen (2009-10-13). Tao Te Ching (p. 6). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The Laozi (2009-10-04). The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and its Characteristics (Kindle Locations 29-30). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Mitchell, Stephen; Katie, Byron (2007-02-06). A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are (p. 13). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Dyer, Wayne Dr. 1 Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Audio Version, (Disc 2)

The TAO TE CHING - VERSE 8

Stephen Mitchell's interpretation of the 8th verse of the Tao states, The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao. In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. When you are content to be simply yourself don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

I resonate with this verse because I love water (the name traveling mermaid might give me away). I am more at home in, on, or around water than anywhere else on this planet. So using water as an analogy for the best way to live life makes perfect sense. I like to swim laps several times a week and when I do I find I can clear my head of all the muck my mind & more specifically my ego tries to get me to think about. So in that way, as in many others, water cleanses me. So how appropriate for me when Byron Katie while discussing this verse states, "When the mind is clear, life becomes very simple." A true statement by my book yet how hard it is to clear the mind.

So this week my plan is to let my life flow like water heading downstream. If I should meet any blocks as I flow along my way I shall take the path of least resistence just like water. Doesn't that sound peaceful?

I think I'll even imagine the sound of water as I flow through this week. I don't know anyone who thinks of a flowing stream and doesn't feel like sighing. Maybe I can illicit that same feeling from everyone I come in contact with this week also. What a wonderful service I would be providing everyone I meet if I could make them sigh. Wow, now I'm excited to see if flowing like water can help bring a feeling if peace to all.

Happy sailing everyone.

References:
Mitchell, Stephen (2009-10-13). Tao Te Ching (p. 6). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The Laozi (2009-10-04). The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and its Characteristics (Kindle Locations 29-30). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Mitchell, Stephen; Katie, Byron (2007-02-06). A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are (p. 13). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Dyer, Wayne Dr. 1 Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Audio Version, (Disc 1)