From ancient times till now, the One has been the source of all attainments. By realizing the One, Heaven becomes clear, Earth becomes still, spirits gain power, and hearts fill up with joy. By realizing the One, kings and lords become instruments of peace and all creatures live joyfully upon this earth. Without the One, Heaven has no clarity and would crack, Earth has no peace and would crumble, spirits have no power and would lose their charm. Without the One, hearts would dry up, empires would fall, all things would go lifelessly upon this Earth.
- Unity is the source of life.
- When one embraces unity, the power of life rushes in and a sense of peace prevails
- When one denies unity, he is at odds with the perceived world
Application: With all this chaos around the world, it is easy to perceive who has not realized the One. If you do not realizing the One, your goals are selfish and only lead to suffering. I can see this in myself when my goals are selfish. We just have to learn to relax.
Long ago kings and lords called themselves "orphaned," "lonely," and "unworthy." What honor can there be without humility? What heights can be reached without being low?
- A humble position delivers an honorable position.
- When down, the goal is up.
- When up, there is no believable progress.
Application: This is why certain people and institutions gain no respect--they are lacking in humility. I notice this in myself when I'm feeling on top of the world, that people don't like it when I tell them all of my good news without humility. Why do you need support when you have everything else you need? When this happens, the support is taken out from under and how quickly the mighty have fallen. This applies to a personal as well as a national level.
The pieces of a chariot are useless unless they work in accordance with the whole. A man's life brings nothing unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe. Playing one's part in accordance with the universe is true humility.
- To find one's purpose in life, one needs a universal perspective
- A self-serving life yields no rewards
Application: When I finally realized the Tao through contemplation, I gave up my old childhood dreams of becoming famous. I don't care to be famous or materially wealthy. If I do what is in accordance with nature, I will inherit the wealth of the universe. It feels great not to strive for such selfish dreams as fame and fortune.
So whether you're a gem in the royal court or a stone on the common path, if you accept your part with humility, the glory of the universe will be yours.
- Once you've found your calling, happiness is yours.
- No matter your path, it serves another person.
Application: This has caused me to step back from politics. My calling is not to agitate or stir up people for socialist reasons. I believe nature will take care of us more than people can. The less interference from human authority the better. Nature and people won't stand for it. If you don't believe this now, you will soon enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment