Ponderings on the Eternal Tao (3)
Posted on Apr 25th, 2008
by 
wanderer7
wanderer7
the empty mind
If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.
The Master leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know.
Practice not-doing,
and everything will fall into place.
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.
The Master leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know.
Practice not-doing,
and everything will fall into place.
the first verse speaks to envy, and how it works in the mind of man. Start placing people on a pedestal; and they will want to worship. Hoard things; and others will want what you have. Share the common weal, be part of the community you are in; there are individual differences, but you are all spirits to begin and end.
"The Master leads by emptying people's minds and filling their cores" - what an opening salvo in the next verse! bliss! beauty! before we can reform who we are, we have to let go of a certain amount of our past, the little lingerings of who we were. And once we have seen the untruths, we need to have truths to take their place. The 'Master' here, of course, is no specific person, or teacher, but rather the learning process itself; you interacting with the divine cosmos in real-time.
this magnificent second verse continue on with the developmental process; how we become more transcendent individuals; "He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire" is more poetical bliss. Very buddhist in thinking. And then the Master "creates confusion in those who think that they know"; there is nothing quite like the cocksure person in this life; in terms of close-mindedness they are sealed tighter than a vacuum jar. Think Richard Dawkins, or Christian Preachers. Those that THINK THEY KNOW, know nothing at all. Be open to all viewpoints, all the time keeping your own centredness. Life is multifacteted; like a beautiful gleaming diamond, splintering the light in all directions. Diversity is the rule of nature.
and we close with the zen couplet ... don't do, and things happen!
love and light my friends
"The Master leads by emptying people's minds and filling their cores" - what an opening salvo in the next verse! bliss! beauty! before we can reform who we are, we have to let go of a certain amount of our past, the little lingerings of who we were. And once we have seen the untruths, we need to have truths to take their place. The 'Master' here, of course, is no specific person, or teacher, but rather the learning process itself; you interacting with the divine cosmos in real-time.
this magnificent second verse continue on with the developmental process; how we become more transcendent individuals; "He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire" is more poetical bliss. Very buddhist in thinking. And then the Master "creates confusion in those who think that they know"; there is nothing quite like the cocksure person in this life; in terms of close-mindedness they are sealed tighter than a vacuum jar. Think Richard Dawkins, or Christian Preachers. Those that THINK THEY KNOW, know nothing at all. Be open to all viewpoints, all the time keeping your own centredness. Life is multifacteted; like a beautiful gleaming diamond, splintering the light in all directions. Diversity is the rule of nature.
and we close with the zen couplet ... don't do, and things happen!
love and light my friends
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action
July 2008 
I like the idea of “Not Doing” or imparting your will to “Make” things happen..If we are sincere and clear about what we want…All we need to do is get out of the way and everything will fall into place…Best Regards to all!
scares me though…
look! I found my fear and I wasn't even looking for it.
Pesky thing, that.
See, now I found my irritation, which is the younger sibling of
anger.
Don't I have a lot to learn!
Loved it, and diversity by nature truly rules.
we all have a lot to learn and thankfully many many teachers including our dear friend here
Really enjoy these–looking forward to more!
“Those that THINK THEY KNOW, know nothing at all.” These words are wisdom in print. Thank you for this wonderful, and truthful, post.