The Tao
- Nov 13, 2019
- 4 min read
Lately, I have been practising the way of the Tao. And in doing so, I feel I don't know what to say. It emphasises being humble, compassionate, simplistic and aware. I now look for the simple pleasures in life, such as watching the birds, looking at the sun through the trees, listening to the sounds around me and slowing down! I tend to get caught up in the hustle of life which leaves me overwhelmed, multitasking and getting less done. The Tao is teaching me to stop and focus my energy on one thing at a time. It is not only more productive, but it is also WAYYYY less stressful. And we need more of that!
One aspect that I keep getting tripped up with, is about knowing what to say. The Tao is simple and teaches us to listen more than talk. Talking too much might be a way that our ego tries to be heard and accepted. The Tao says; "Because he believes in himself, he doesn't need to prove himself to others. Because he accepts himself, the whole world accepts him". Meaning that when we feel whole in ourselves, we don't seek acceptance from others. But then how would we communicate if we didn't speak? I feel that I cannot talk about any of this without knowing more about it. But would that lead me a life of silence, as to know everything is merely impossible? But even the mindset of thinking we understand it may mean we don't truly understand it. The Tao is everything (universe etc). It is "the way". How does one truly know it all?
Some key messages from the Tao:
If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die
When he doesn't know who he is, other people recognise themselves in him
Because there is no goal in mind, everything you do will be a success
Express yourself completely, then keep quiet
He who rushes ahead does not go far. He who tries to shine dims his light. He who defines himself doesn't know who he really is
Follow your intuition
Peace is the highest value
There is so much more wisdom of the Tao, but this is a starter. It varies to how the Western mind thinks. It values less rather than more. Being rather than doing. Minimalism rather than materialism. It values flow and ease. It reminds us to have a healthy sense of humility, reminding us of what we are capable of, and what we are not. There is nothing wrong with having limitations. Where we go wrong is when we don't recognise, acknowledge and accept these limitations. We cannot be expected to know everything, so remain humble and acknowledge the weaknesses- it leaves room for growth.
I was reading a very interesting book today called "A Long Road". It is a book with several volumes, following a journey of an Acupuncturist and some of the different cases that he sees in the clinic. But it also includes conversations he has with a master and student. These conversations were extremely helpful to read. It talked about learning how to learn and just a general mindset we should aim to have. This reminded me of the Tao. The masters of Chinese Medicine hold so much wisdom, yet they do not feel the need to talk all the time. They simply give the nudges to point the student in the direction of understanding. It isn't about telling the student what they need to know, but rather allowing them the space to learn it themselves. It mentions that to truly understand something involves enough repetition that it is no longer interesting. When something is interesting, we do not fully understand it.
An amateur practises until he gets it right. A master practises until he makes no errors.
There is a time for having a beginner mindset, and a time for having an expert mindset. But having a beginner mindset allows more room for us to learn and grow. Whereas an expert mindset suggests that we cannot learn any more. So I suggest the mindset of a beginner. There is always more for us to learn, even if we have read all the books, studied all the subjects and experienced all the experiences. Each time we revisit something we pick up on a little something extra, that's the journey of life.
Stay humble.
Love and light,
Al xx
P.S. More on the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu to come!
But in the meantime, here are some quotes:
“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”
“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”
“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”
“The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.”
“Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.”
It is my new bible, and I LOVE it! xxx
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