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Chapter of the Week: #07

CarlCarl
edited April 2007 in Taoism and the Tao Te Ching
Speaking of pleasure, pain and neural pathways...
[cite] Lynn Cornish:[/cite]... I'm sure it's more that you are creating pathways of neurons that ignite ...
Talent may just be the neural pathway that finds pleasure in a particular area making that area the area of one's 'talent'. At its core, talent narrows perspective just as following any pleasure does. The more we 'dedicate' ourselves to a particular pleasure, the more narrow we become. Geniuses, experts and idiot savants will all know what I'm talking about, I'm sure. :lol: To be fair, pleasure also accounts for all the ways we find to be obsessive and self involved. Pain is part of the dynamic, so I should have written 'pleasure-pain' but then that would just sound awkward.

Speaking of talent, I find that life's deepest adventure lies not so much in expressing my 'talent', but rather in discovering pleasure through that which I have previously failed to notice... really notice! So, you could say 'noticing' and 'pleasure' are really the same thing. The beautiful Vedic statement, 'That Thou Art' (Tat Tvam Asi) point in that direction, in my view.

Speaking of 'That Thou Art', I am struck by how we humans tend to differentiate ourselves from the rest of Nature, i.e., from rocks, plants and ants on up. Nothing wrong with that per se, except that... [chref=71]not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty[/chref]. In this case such 'thinking' leaves us feeling special, and thus terribly alone. Emphasizing the similarities and discounting the differences (i.e., feeling [chref=56]mysterious sameness[/chref]) is a way to [chref=16]return[/chref] to where [chref=50]there is no realm of death[/chref]. Ah yes, but [chref=36]if we would have [our species centric ego] weakened, we must first strengthen it [/chref]. So, everything is going according to plan after all. Whew!

Comments

  • CarlCarl
    edited June 2007
    Each week we address one chapter of the Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching can be obscure, especially if you think you're supposed to understand what it's saying! We find it easier and more instructive to simply contemplate how the chapter resonates with your personal experience. Becoming more aware at this fundamental level simplifies life. This approach conforms to the view that true knowing lies within ourselves. Thus, when a passage in the scripture resonates, you've found your inner truth. The same applies for when it evokes a question; questions are the grist for self realization.

    Chapter 7
    Heaven and earth are enduring. The reason why heaven and earth can be enduring
    is that they do not give themselves life. Hence they are able to be long-lived.

    Therefore the wise puts his person last and it comes first,
    Treats it as extraneous to himself and it is preserved.

    Is it not because he is without thought of self that he is able to accomplish
    his private ends?

    Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
    Read notes on translations
  • CarlCarl
    edited December 1969
    [Note: I italicize phrases I borrow from the chapter, and link to phrases I borrow from other chapters to help tie chapters together. While making it more tedious to read, :? the Tao Te Ching is best pondered in the context of the whole.]

    This chapter parallels one of Christ's observations, "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." This reflects the 'yin-yang' essence of Taoism, which baffles our instinctive 'common sense' [chref=43]understanding[/chref] of life. Simply put, 'you can't have that to which you cling, you can own only what you give up'. I think of this ironic fact of natural as 'cosmic justice'. While it looks like the selfish greedy people are 'getting away with it', if truth they suffer the most of all.

    Another irony is that if you ask greedy people, "are you suffering", they will say no! -- unless they are experiencing an obviously trying circumstance. Their suffering is 'sub-thought' - beneath the threshold of their conceptual awareness (*). Nevertheless, their actions reflect (i.e. are symptomatic of) their inherent suffering - [chref=46]desires[/chref] increase as we feel the lack of contentment. And what is lack of [chref=33]contentment[/chref]? Suffering, plain and simple.

    And who are these selfish greedy types? Alas,... us!

    The literal Chinese for this chapter goes like this:
    heaven long earth long.
    heaven earth therefore can long further long,
    because it not self exist, reason can long exist.
    is because sage behind his body yet body first,
    outside his body yet body keeps (survives).
    not use his selfless heresy!
    hence can accomplish his private

    And here is my attempt to 'translate' this into something approaching normal English:
    The Natural being of all creation (heaven and earth) is eternal.
    Eternal because it does not exists separately as self.
    The wise man leave his body behind, and so his body come first,
    Is beyond his body, and so is within his body.
    He lets go of the reality (selfless heresy) he knows!
    Thus, he can get on with living as he truly [chref=64]desires[/chref]

    (*) Huh? Suffering below the threshold of conceptual awareness?... What we [chref=71]think that we know[/chref] is often contrary to what is. In this case, desire itself give us a sense of pleasure. The expectation of satiation fixates us firmly to the objects of our desire. We are biologically set up to feel this as 'fun, exciting, new, and a promise of wonderful things to come'. Thus, instinct hoodwinks us into chomping at the bit of life, ever yearning satisfied only briefly before being lured away on our next wild goose chase. It is a fascinating process when you think about it, eh?
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