The Tao | Understanding The Tao
The Tao Explained | Tao A Path of Thought
The word Tao (pronounced dau) in Chinese means “way,” indicating a path of thought or life that is the essential unifying force of everything that exists in the universe. Taoism is following the way. Many martial artists embrace the idea of the Tao without actually understanding the basic principles behind it.
The Tao-te Ching is the earliest document in the history of Taoism. It is a viewpoint that emphasizes individuality, freedom, simplicity, mysticism, and naturalness. Considered one of the great philosophical works of ancient China, Tao-te Ching literally means “The Classic of the Way and Its Power.” The book is less than 5,000 words long and is very likely one of the oldest written texts in the world. Authorship of the Tao-te Ching is generally credited to a man named Lao-Tzu but knowledge of him is so scarce that only legends remain. Seeking to learn more about Lao-Tzu only distracts us from his teachings. His name itself, means “old master” or “wise sage” – which only leads back to his writings.
The Tao is all encompassing. Despite the appearance of differences in the world, within the Tao everything is one. Since all is one, matters of true and false or good and evil are irrelevant and only arise when people cannot see beyond their narrow perception of reality. Taoism is a system of philosophical thought that puts emphasis on the spiritual life instead of the material world. The Tao is considered unnamed and unknowable. Followers of the Tao avoid wasting their energies on the pursuit of wealth, power, knowledge and other distractions. Instead, they concentrate on the reality of life itself of breathing, moving and living in harmony with the natural world. Because all is considered one, life and death merge into each other and immortality can be achieved.
Living the Way of the Tao can be expressed by the term wu-wei which means doing – not doing. This concept does not signify non-action, instead it hints at action without attachment to the action, action without thought of the action. Sounds a little like Zen, doesn’t it?
The roots of Zen are based in ancient Chinese philosophy. The Chinese word for Zen is ch’an. In Sanscrit, the ancient language of India, it is dhyana which can be roughly translated as pure human spirit. It can be imagined as the integration of the disparate aspects of the self into one complete and divine being. Zen was eventually brought to Japan where it was elaborated and “perfected” by the Japanese samurai. It is the foundation of the Bushido code, the way of the warrior. The samurai, who lived their lives at the edge of a sword and could die at any moment, were taught to concentrate on and immerse themselves in the here and now in order to connect with the fundamental core of their being. It helped them develop the powers of concentration, self-control, awareness and tranquility. If they approached each battle as if it were their last, they would be able to have every part of their being at their disposal.
Zen itself has no theory. It is not meditation. It is not thinking. It is not not-thinking. It is not something you learn. It is simply something you are. To practice Zen is to live fully and completely, not in the past or the future, but right here and right now. Zen is, in fact, the reflection of the moon in a mountain stream. It does not move, only the water flows by.
As with Zen, the power of the Tao is in simplicity, and yet it teaches one to become a master of all things by learning to go with the natural flow of the universe. Trying to walk upstream against the river is pointless. It is better to accept that change is inevitable, learn to embrace it and make the most of it when it comes.
The fundamental teachings of the Tao present basic wisdom to live by. They are as follows:
Be Careful:-
-As if you were crossing a stream that is covered with a layer of ice. Stepping too hard on the wrong spot can lead to misfortune.
Be Alert:–
As if you were a warrior entering enemy territory. Spies and traps may be hidden anywhere. Pay attention.
Be Courteous:-
As if you were a guest. There is no reason for anger or hostility; it only clouds your judgment.
Be Fluid:-
As if you were melting ice. Always ready to act or react as the situation or need demands.
Be Shapeable:-
-As a block of wood. The shape is pre-existing, allow yourself to be carved.
Be Receptive:–
As a mountain valley. Water flows down the mountain. Let things come to you. Be patient, warm and inviting.
Be Clear:–
As a glass of water. Allow the mud of the mind to settle and see things as they truly are.
Absolute happiness comes from erasing the distinctions that separate the self and the universe. Union with the Tao is embracing a higher wisdom, freeing the mind and expanding into the fullness of existence.
Experiencing The Tao
Experiencing the Tao is about existing in the present moment. It is enjoying life regardless of the circumstances. Have you ever met someone who is unhappy with their situation and continuously gripes that if only they could change this or that they would be happy or feel that if they lived somewhere else things would be better? Unfortunately, a darkness of the heart is not cured by moving the body from one place to another. Chances are they would be just as miserable even if they got the change they were looking for.
Living the Tao is about finding the freedom to enjoy whatever you have at this present moment. True freedom is adapting to the infinite variety of life conditions without losing confidence in your ability to connect to the deeper spiritual essence within.
This philosophy is based on simplicity. If you have no expectations, then everything that happens is a surprising success. If you have no desires, then everything you get is a bonus.This is Zen, the true meaning of following the Tao. It is being alive in the present moment, experiencing life as it happens and reacting to it in a calm and natural way. It is living fully and completely.
Defining the spirit is difficult because no definition can come close to the truth. The more it is defined the less it resembles the true spirit. Some attempt, however, at definition can help set you on the path toward greater awareness of it. Define the spirit as the state of being totally conscious and alive. When you are living life and experiencing it at every moment, you are touching your spirit.
These ideas are not new. Chinese masters have spoken of it for years. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, one of India’s most widely respected spiritual teachers, calls it “aliveness.” It is a feeling independent of any outward forces. It is being happy without having a reason to be happy. The difficulty lies in reaching this state of being and experiencing it. It is easy to speak of it. Living it is another story.
Lao Tzu, in writing the Tao Te Ching, observed that plants, animals and humans are born supple and soft, yet when they die they are stiff and brittle. In order to experience the kind of “aliveness” Lao Tzu and Rajneesh are referring to, we must be supple and soft. We must be a disciple of life.
We need to learn to allow the soft and supple aspects of life to prevail. That which is hard and stiff will be broken. Fighting against the natural flow of life will only lead to difficulty and disaster. It is not the way. Relax and take the time to observe things as they are especially when you cannot control them. Allow things to take their course and happen naturally. And, of course, pay attention to the present moment. Then you will be well on the journey towards freeing your spiritual nature.
Any art is but one path to travel along on this journey. None of them can claim to be the only answer. Whatever art you choose may, however, assist you in understanding the question. In the words of Lao Tzu…These words here are like fingers pointing at the moon. If you concentrate your attention on the fingers, you miss seeing the moon.
There are some things that money simply can’t buy. For it doesn’t seem to matter if the economy is booming or bombing… if the bank account has money in it or is empty, most people still feel as though something in their life is missing. There is a deep rooted sense of a lack of security. In today’s world, especially in Western society, people are conditioned to believe that the key to a happy and fulfilled life is financial wealth.
In the Tao of Abundance, Laurence G. Boldt challenges this misconception. In the Tao of Abundance you will go on a journey that will help you discover what your true belief system is and how your life is being manipulated by the misconception that peace of mind is gained through the acquisition of material things.
Laurence G. Boldt stresses six things that money should not do in The Tao of Abundance. The six things that money should not do are:
Cost you your soul,Cost you relationships,Cost you your dignity,Cost you your health,Cost you your intelligence,Cost you joy.
Laurence G. Boldt then challenges you to determine what financial wealth is costing you. The Tao of Abundance is a journey, one in which you will be guided on a mesmerizing and eye opening journey of self-discovery as you contemplate the great teachings of the Taoist philosophy. It is then through this philosophy that you will gain the insight that will transcend you from the misguided notion that material wealth will bring you peace to the point where you are able to find contentment through your own inner directed life peace and fulfillment. Only you can define what success means to you, what it will take for you to have inner peace.
There are eight principles that are essential for abundant living. Such as:
-Realizing that the unity of everything starts you on your path to true abundance.
-That learning to receive will open the door to your greatest good.
-That following the path of least resistance will actually bring you success with ease.
-That in order to improve your health, deepen your relationships and generate wealth you must learn how to circulate your energy.
-That the road to authentic power is the road that allows you to honor your dignity and use your inborn abilities.
-To eliminate stress and bring about peace of mind you must find the balance of Yin and Yang in your life.
-Take time to nurture yourself and what is important to you such as relationships, take the time to grow, the time to be.
-Finally learn that in order to achieve your destiny you need to trust and embrace the organic pattern of your life.
Tao will allow you to transform your focus and perceptions, so that you can use your energy to move the natural flow of the universe and open doors that will grant your abundance, satisfaction and inner peace.
Many Eastern philosophies talk about the essential essence of things, of being in the flow of life rather than being stilted in strife. Most strive to achieve this essential flow by meditation, or careful thought in movement like tai chi etc. But things in nature have a natural ebb and flow that one can interact in all manners such as sport, observation even emersion. Take for instance the act of surfing which takes such incredible thought concentration over an extended period that it borders on meditation. Mixed with the physical exertion and release of endorphins, the end result is a feeling of bliss and contentment. Even if you are freezing as you climb back into your crappy car and go back to a life that previously seemed all too much. You really are in the NOW.
Cleanse your Aura in the waves
It is said that washing your head with the energized sea water, will re-energize your aura. Certainly there are high levels of ions in the salt water of the ocean, and this must have an enduring effect on the natural magnetic field of the human body. This leads to the surfer belief that every surf session is a baptism in the sea, from whence you emerge a new person.
Spirituality by the sea – the sea refreshes
Now health is difficult to define, but there is a proven link between regular exercise/ less stress and the decrease in illness/disease. Surfing fulfills these requirements by forcing heightened cardiovascular exercise, and taking individuals outside their everyday world, and therefore view their normal stresses in a more objective light.
Tao is the Chinese word meaning flow, or life, or universal. These words are generally quite hard to translate. It’s more of that universal feeling you get when you’re standing on top of a mountain, or watching an elephant, or hearing the chanting of monks in a far flung location. If you’ve got the tao. You’ve got the now. And so surfing is one the easiest ways after meditation and thoughtful martial arts to attain a sense of health and wellbeing.
As with all things in life surfing presents its challenges. For many their simple baseline fitness is not good enough, then when you’re out in the water struggling against adversity, their strength or agility, or flexibility, or just will power fails them. This is where practice and a determination to overcome personal challenges takes priority. So go surf.
Lindsay Macvean is a surfer dude who lives on the South West coast of Ireland, amongst the ancient traditions of the Celtic culture. He found an interest in surfing at the age of 15 on a school trip, and now travels the world following his interests in all extreme sports. Lindsay’s interest in his own words is the “progression of the human cause in the universal existence”. Surfing seems to suit that, with its challenges for the mind, body and soul.
You’ve got to take ofyourself outside of the little box of reality which we all live in all day long. It could be anything from riding a wave (no matter how big), to moving to a new place. These challenges are not obstacle but learning experiences which force us into the Tao of now.
No matter what our personality style, true success comes when you can initiate a balanced cycle of Ready, Aim, Fire, Ready, Aim, Fire, Ready… You don’t spend too much time in either the state of Reflection or of Action.
It should also be mentioned that in teams, individuals may play different roles in the Ready, Aim & Fire analogy. Some focus on the reflection roles and others on the action roles. This is valid as everyone has different strengths. When it comes to leadership (and we all have leadership roles) and our personal lives, we must take control and be active in both parts.
Stumbling blocks to success and specifically to creating the Tao of Success include acting too often without any sense of direction or spending too much time reflecting without creating outcomes. Do either of these descriptions sound like you?
So, what can you do to create more of the Tao of Success in your life? The first thing would be to understand that both components of the Tao of Success are active verbs. You are either actively reflecting or actively doing something. SUCCESS is NOT about INACTION.
The next thing to consider is whether you can spend time reflecting and acting at the same time? The short answer is… sort of. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. This is an important point for us to remember when we are considering focus and balance in our lives. It is also important in the Tao of Success. You can be going through periods of reflection and action at the same time but the truth is that at any specific moment in time we are only spending energy in one of the two areas. We may switch between yin and yang quickly enough that we “appear” to be supporting both at the same. The reality is not true.
The wonderful thing about the Tao of Success is that it applies to our personal lives, our extracurricular lives and our business lives. Whether you are goal setting, working on your motivation, working on personal development or working on your professional development, you can implement the concept of the Tao of Success.
A good way to remember the power of the balance of Reflection and Action is to consider a child swinging. When a child swings, they put energy into the swing during the motion part of the swing. Then, they have a moment where they are completely motionless where they still have a great deal of potential energy. Then, instantaneously, this energy is released in a new direction.
Then, the cycle continues over and over again creating REAL RESULTS.
Moderation and balance are usually considered general bases for points of wisdom and insight. This understanding is exemplified variously throughout philosophical sapience. Buddhism teaches of a middle way, a path of moderation between extremes. Classically, virtue is found between two vices. Realizing the cosmos as in a state of unity, dichotomies are revealed as illusion. The concept of Yin and Yang along with the Tao address this adage specifically. Singularity is illustrated as a thing proceeds to an extreme state, it moves to its opposite. Careful examination and analysis of our language and the reality which we create is necessary to evolve and expand in consciousness and understanding.
Mistaking Pessimism as Realism.
Too often cynical people will describe their worldview as ‘realist.’ This is a direct result of a social pathology in which our place and role in the natural world has been distorted. Distrusting of others, driven by an animalistic sense of survival, these people let their emotional dispositions tint their lens of objectivity. The concept of realism includes a plethora of philosophies and institutions, but in this context refers to ‘seeing things how they really are.’ Ironically, this position is just unrealistic. The mind presents a mere interpretation of sensory input, and could not provide a ‘realistic’ impression of anything. To say that the human perspective (of the small amount of reality that we are able to perceive) is anywhere near accurate would just be unrealistic. In this sense we can begin to realize that to understand any actual truth, we must transcend our humanity and embrace the cosmic.
Forgoing this position of cosmic truth, lets attempt to undermine the pessimism as realism view pragmatically. People who subscribe to this view tend to ‘prepare for the worst.’ They have a strong sense of right and wrong, good and evil. Their theology is usually riddled with guilt, judgment, and punishment. These conditions cast a person into bondage, as they mistake man-made concepts (which do serve an important and practical purpose) for ultimate truths, and base their spiritual core around them. This method of existence traps your spirit, the cosmic self, to social constructs. Somehow, nestled in this worldview is that sacrifice and suffering leads to reward and peace. This delusion originates from a startled inner peace due to uncontrolled desires and emotional imbalance. Good and evil, on a cosmic level, do not exist. True realism would start in detaching from human constructs.
Dignity without Pride.
They say that pride is the sin from which every other derives. Excessive pride is the flaw of tragic heroes throughout literature, and is the antagonist of everyday moral struggle. Despite this, society equates pride with a sense of self. There is a misconception that with a lack of pride comes disrespect, unfair treatment, and diminished self-worth. Pride in one’s self, family, and country are glorified. This position is clearly a mix of lingual discrepancy and social stigma. Dignity should never be confused with pride, as in my opinion, the two are contrary.
Dignity implies self-respect, but above all else self-control. The ability to maintain balance, emotionally, mentally, and physically, bespeaks and exacts dignity. It is a quality similar to the Tao, the way without force, idealized as winning a battle without fighting. Foresight, precision, and perspective are necessary for dignity. Pride undermines each of these attributes, counterpoising judgment.
Pride is concerned with ego, and gives ground to the delusional. It indicates separation, illusion, and irrationality. Avoidance of pride is imperative to stability as it has the ability to confuse priorities and lead to a misjudgment of significance. Behind the mask of pride unity is mistaken for separation, and illusion as truth. Rather than glorifying pride, we should rather work towards dignity.
The Tao of Jesus.
Upon careful analysis of religions consistencies between them become obvious. Various contemporary Christian practices originate from pagan rituals. Anthropological evidence supports that primitive drug cults, specifically using coprophillic fungi, are a common ancestor of all modern day religious and spiritual practices. Interestingly, wisdom and insight held within ancient Vedic texts accurately conform to modern day scientific knowledge. Stripping away cultural abstractions and anecdotal details from spiritual works and religious texts, an identical skeleton appears behind them all. From sacramental practices to theological philosophy, a methodological core may be explicated and developed. In Cosmic Religion: The Future of Spirituality such filtration is presented as the primary goal in spiritual development.Commonalities and recurring themes among religions is a topic worthy of entire book lengths. Sacramental practices can be traced to ritualistic inebriation. Islam’s ‘will of Allah,’ closely resembles the way of the Tao. The release of DMT, described as ‘the spirit molecule,’ at human death creates an uncanny analogy to a last rights ceremony. The Christ story goes back to the time of the Egyptians, taking on various incarnations throughout history, and has striking astrological significance. The story of Jesus Christ lends enormous insight to spirituality when carefully explicated in a philosophical context.
Most perspicaciously distinguished in the New Testament is the understanding of Jesus’ third way. Methods of nonviolent resistance, utilizing creativity and foresight, enable the Christ to actively convey a message of peace and justice. Jesus did not preach passivity to abuse, but rather a way of acting without force in the face of oppression. More importantly than either of these Tao-like points involving Jesus’ practice was his effortless exhibition of insight. The most profound theme of Jesus’ work was to let your life, in your everyday actions, be your message to the world. Transcendently this was communicated by allowing his life to be this very message. Mahatma Gandhi, in this same way, practiced creative nonviolent resistance, once saying “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
BadAss Tao
There is a book out there called “The Tao: Everything You Have To Know To Be A Complete Badass With Women” by Joshua Pellicer. For those of you who have not heard the buzz, he claims that Tao will enlighten males of the level of skill the way to be the star that women love.
The term badass implies different things to various individuals, and it is also relative to the problem at hand. If you’re searching how you can seduce, attract and find women, he saysyou have to embrace a bit of bad ass within your technique, attitude and style.
Welcome to Friday night! You just busted your ass all week working for the person and now it’s time to begin raging! Jump in the shower with your sipping beer and uhhh… your are likely to put on this Ed Hardy shirt out?
Before hand, you have to understand that this is not a system regarding masculinity or perhaps posturing as a few might take from the post or even concept. What he claims to do is actually show men the way to do all the vital “moves” in the seduction game without getting fearful, silly, or sneaky. Early courses claiming to do exactly the same fell short of exactly the same declaration.
Nonetheless, you have to walk a fine line between being someone who actually grabs and also holds attention along with a badass that simply turns ladies away. When you learn how to utilize a bad ass mindset and appeal to attract women, you’ll definitely find yourself having a much greater success rate when you go out to meet women.
The peer pressure in the life of a youngster today, imposes an unintentional restriction when it comes to socializing. This leaves the young man of today a bit distressed with no proper guidance on how to get in touch with women. On the day of a date, he starts a frantic search on the Internet and goes into an experiment mode. After implementing various online tips, failures and rejections make him depressed leading to inferiority complex and other behavioral issues.
The Internet abounds in books written on dating. But, the trouble is that most of them are either too difficult to understand or are full of impractical tips. Reading them is sure to put you in a trial-and-error mode leading to great frustration in the long run.The search on Google, for a book written by an expert in the field, is sure to come up with “The Tao .”
A glimpse into the book:
Following are some of the points, it contains:
1. How to muster the courage to make the first move?
2. How to radiate self-confidence through eye contact?
3. How to pass the test and get qualified for an on-going friendship? Know that women tend to test men for their sincerity and honesty.
4. How to initiate a friendly conversation without sounding too informal? The book also contains practical tips on the art of moving forward from a superficial liking.
How to interpret The Tao by body language?
Joshua Pellicer claims to have done lots of experiments on this which is the basis for his approaches. He also claims to have a lot of knowledge of the ever changing dating scene and truly understands and knows what he explains to the world. A self-confessed guru in this field and has a radio show which shares thoughts on dating. He reveals his knowledge correctly seduce women.
He gives numerous tips such as the following: attract females without pickup lines or needing to give a background of yourself, learn that facing a woman directly removes potential sexual attraction, understand what gals need which won’t include a buff body, money, and attractive facial expression and learn strategies to keep her falling in love with you.
The guides claim to help men on what to do in certain situations. The book discusses how you can grasp the body language of females. The technique on this book claims to assist men to read her body gesture without the need to stare and zoom in on all her movements. Determining the bad and good body languages as well as understanding the tone of her voice.
Men are taught that they need confidence. However, it’s easier in theory. The material demonstrates how to gain confidence. You have to have an optimistic picture of on their own self even if they are overweight, do not have good looks, and that are too shy and scared to go out.