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Chapter of the Week: #74 [Archive]
No, this isn't about Yoga being the way to lose weight, though Yoga can certainly help.
I've had a reversal of fortune, for the better! I had figured my 'hay day' of Yoga was over, and that no matter what I did, I was going to continue to lose flexibility and strength and the years went by. That was not a problem though for I see the heart of Yoga as being in the approach, not in the accomplishment. Put simply: Work with perfection without expecting perfection.
Well, surprise surprise. I recently lost about twenty five pounds which puts me at the healthier weight I enjoyed thirty years ago. Low and behold, I am as flexible and as strong as I was then. Certainly I don't have the stamina as I did then, but I have more than enough to get the job done.
There are other more subtle benefits of this weight loss difficult to describe, so I won't. I will be curious to see if the benefits of being at this healthier weight is enough to keep me away from that cookie jar between meals, and generally eat less, which means allowing myself to feel more hungry throughout more of the day.
Hungry? We aren't set up biologically to be 'happy' with letting ourselves feel hungry, especially when we have so much delicious food within mouth's reach. In the wild, animals jump at any fortuitous opportunity to gorge themselves on fat, protein or carbohydrate rich food. Being animals, we're no different. The only difference is that we are not living in the wild anymore. But we are still stuck with an instinct to eat as though we were.
I get a kick out of all the dancing around we do rationalizing our 'problem' with food and being overweight. We say, for example, that some people have a genetic propensity for obesity. Some? Certainly a slowing metabolism played a role in my weight gain. But honestly, just send me back to the jungles of Borneo to live with the Dyak tribe and this would not be an issue!!! No, our ready access to food is the sole true reason we get overweight. 'Food' – too much, too rich and too cheap – is just another example of the unintended consequence of civilization, especially a wealthy one.
Now, if we actually had free will all this would not be a problem, of course. Not having free will, I'll have to rely on wisdom and experience. In this case it comes down to two main issues: (1) I actually find that allowing myself to feel hungry for more of the day is truly invigorating. Now, I've known this through personal experience for many decades now, yet I gained the extra weight (40 extra pounds after I quit smoking) and kept much of it on over the years. Why? My biology - instinct - is in charge! (2) Thus, I can only influence my feeding instinct if I remain aware - moment to moment - what the stakes are, and that instinct is in control. Knowing, moment to moment, that 'I' am not in control is the best way I've found to be in control. Ironic isn't it? Although, I should really call it pseudo control. So, we'll see,...
I've had a reversal of fortune, for the better! I had figured my 'hay day' of Yoga was over, and that no matter what I did, I was going to continue to lose flexibility and strength and the years went by. That was not a problem though for I see the heart of Yoga as being in the approach, not in the accomplishment. Put simply: Work with perfection without expecting perfection.
Well, surprise surprise. I recently lost about twenty five pounds which puts me at the healthier weight I enjoyed thirty years ago. Low and behold, I am as flexible and as strong as I was then. Certainly I don't have the stamina as I did then, but I have more than enough to get the job done.
There are other more subtle benefits of this weight loss difficult to describe, so I won't. I will be curious to see if the benefits of being at this healthier weight is enough to keep me away from that cookie jar between meals, and generally eat less, which means allowing myself to feel more hungry throughout more of the day.
Hungry? We aren't set up biologically to be 'happy' with letting ourselves feel hungry, especially when we have so much delicious food within mouth's reach. In the wild, animals jump at any fortuitous opportunity to gorge themselves on fat, protein or carbohydrate rich food. Being animals, we're no different. The only difference is that we are not living in the wild anymore. But we are still stuck with an instinct to eat as though we were.
I get a kick out of all the dancing around we do rationalizing our 'problem' with food and being overweight. We say, for example, that some people have a genetic propensity for obesity. Some? Certainly a slowing metabolism played a role in my weight gain. But honestly, just send me back to the jungles of Borneo to live with the Dyak tribe and this would not be an issue!!! No, our ready access to food is the sole true reason we get overweight. 'Food' – too much, too rich and too cheap – is just another example of the unintended consequence of civilization, especially a wealthy one.
Now, if we actually had free will all this would not be a problem, of course. Not having free will, I'll have to rely on wisdom and experience. In this case it comes down to two main issues: (1) I actually find that allowing myself to feel hungry for more of the day is truly invigorating. Now, I've known this through personal experience for many decades now, yet I gained the extra weight (40 extra pounds after I quit smoking) and kept much of it on over the years. Why? My biology - instinct - is in charge! (2) Thus, I can only influence my feeding instinct if I remain aware - moment to moment - what the stakes are, and that instinct is in control. Knowing, moment to moment, that 'I' am not in control is the best way I've found to be in control. Ironic isn't it? Although, I should really call it pseudo control. So, we'll see,...
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Chapter 74
When the people are not afraid of death, wherefore frighten them with death?
Were the people always afraid of death, and were I able to arrest and put to
death those who innovate, then who would dare? There is a regular executioner
whose charge it is to kill. To kill on behalf of the executioner is what is
described as chopping wood on behalf of the master carpenter. In chopping wood
on behalf of the master carpenter, there are few who escape hurting their own
hands instead.
Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
In a way this chapter says to me, 'mind your own business' [chref=52]and to the end of your days you will not meet with danger.[/chref] It is interesting how tempted we are to [chref=48]meddle[/chref] in other people's lives when we have so much left undone in our own [chref=8]affairs, speech, quality of mind, action[/chref] and so on.
I don't bemoan this any longer now that I view most everything I observe as a symptom of [chref=2]Something[/chref]. So what causes us to chop wood on behalf of the master carpenter? I suspect the social instinct drives this, at least when we are poking our nose into other people's affairs and giving advice.
Heck, that's what drives me to post here. So, let's look at me, why don't we. Voicing my observations re-enforces them emotionally within me. (So, if I really knew, perhaps I would [chref=56] not speak[/chref]?) Thus, by 'helping' others - whether in a humble way or evangelically pushing an agenda - I am doing so to make (or feel I am making) headway in my own life. I mean, if I get my neighbor to clean up his yard at least somebody's yard is being tended to, even if it isn't mine. :roll:
How, in approaching life this way, can we frequently hurt our own hands? If one is constantly concerned about others, how can one ever [chref=16]return to one's roots [where in] one's action will lead to impartiality[/chref]. But of course, impartiality isn't attractive if we are on a crusade. I began to find it impossible to chop wood on behalf of the master carpenter as I began to see how I was hurting my own hands instead. The moral of this being that once we become truly aware of the trade-offs, 'right' action [chref=23]follows[/chref] effortlessly and naturally. We need [chref=48]do nothing at all[/chref].
Here is how the Chinese characters literally put this chapter. It matches the translations well. Although, here I can more easily read into it that Nature is the master craftsman and killer.
people no respect death,
useless use death to dread.
if enable people always respect death, and become astonished,
we catch and kill, who dare.
always have killer kill.
man on behalf killer kill, call on behalf master craftsman.
man on behalf master craftsman, rare have no hurt his hands.