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The Western TAO - Part Two -
Basic Beliefs
by James
Robinson (See also: Part
One - An Introduction)
TAO AS THE ULTIMATE REALITY
TAO is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed
before the universe was formed and which continues to
guide the world and everything in it. TAO is sometimes
identified as the Mother or source of everything. But
the source is not a god or supreme being. Taoism is
not monotheistic and its followers do not worship one
god. Its practitioners instead focus on coming into
harmony with TAO.
NOT-BEING
TAO, from which all being comes is called the Great
Void - an emptiness or "not-being". The Taoist seeks
union with this emptiness which is seen as a higher
state then consciousness or thought. This state is called
WU WEI. The Taoist cultivates WU WEI, described as non-doing.
It is sometimes interpreted as an invitation or excuse
to withdraw from society but is actually a higher level
of action; one that is in harmony with the natural order.
Wisdom and serenity comes from conforming one's life
to the natural laws of the Universe.
Non-being is often associated with Taoist meditation,
which requires an emptying of the mind so that the creative
forces of TAO can flow in.
HARMONY AND BALANCE - YIN AND YANG
TAO cannot be seen but can be experienced in the rhythmic
cycles of nature - night and day, winter and summer,
spring and fall, rain and sun, birth and death. These
opposing forces of nature express the Chinese concept
of Yin and Yang. These two forces demonstrate TAO and,
because TAO is in everything, Yin and Yang are part
of TAO. Yang, the heavenly form, is associated with
movement, light, fire, warmth and life, to name a few
attributes. Yin is Yang's opposite but can not be separated
from Yang. The two operate together, in cycles that
are part of nature and of TAO. Yin and Yang sum up all
opposing forces in life. They are not, however, truly
opposites as they complement each other and resolve
differences in the great circle of TAO.
THE RELATIVE UNIMPORTANCE OF ALL THINGS
Yin and Yang are permanently fixed opposing forces
but are relative to one another. A cloudy day is yin
- dark when compared to a sunny day, but is yang - bright
when compared to night. In Western Taoism, good - bad,
yes - no, etc., are not very far apart. So it is possible
to accept trouble of life calmly. The way of nature
is neither right nor wrong - it just simply IS.
The Western Taoist attempts to harmonize with nature
in which everything is constantly changing from Yin
to Yang and back again.
In life, no one can tell how things will turn out.
If one waits long enough - good fortune may turn out
to be bad or vise versus. Everything has equal drawbacks.
Thus all things are really the same in TAO.
Simply being, and getting along as nature does, comes
ahead of achievement. Too much pride causes one to be
brought low.
The Western Taoist prefers, like water, to take the
low ground. Water is soft and yielding but melts the
hardest things in time. It lies in low places but nourishes
all life.
To the Western Taoist, creation is passive or yin -
the mysterious female that gives birth to all. The Taoist
tries to develop the stillness within through meditation
and devotional activities that promote and bring about
peace and calm. In trying to be like nature, the Western
Taoist cultivates an appreciation of TAO. Some Taoists
seek closeness to TAO in natural settings such as mountain
tops or peaceful valleys. But TAO can be found anywhere
by simply being - not fanatically looking for it. Wherever
they are, Western Taoists seek stillness and peace within
themselves. For TAO is in us and we are in TAO. Everything
else is relatively unimportant.
PEOPLE AND THE WAY OF NATURE
In Taoism, there is no rebirth into a heavenly kingdom
after death as in Christianity. There is no reincarnation
or rebirth in another form as in Buddhism. The Taoist
focuses on life here and now, life in this world. Taoists
hope to have a long earthly life, and try to do everything
possible to see that they will have it. Living according
to Taoist principles requires self-discipline, self-awareness
and self-control.
Taoists resist the desires and excesses that threaten
to rob them of life. They hope that through the practice
of various life enhancing activities such as exercise,
meditation and healthful diets, to live a very long
life. They believe that by doing so, they will become
XIAN, that is, able to achieve immortality in the present
life.
The Taoist sees human beings as a natural part of
the Universe. Therefore, the life of a person who brings
his or her life into complete harmony with natural laws
and cycles of the Universe should continue to exist
as long as heaven and earth exist.
Stories are told about Taoist sages describe how they
became XIAN or immortal. In these stories, the sages
died and were buried, but later their coffins were opened
to reveal not a body but a bamboo cane or sword. The
Taoist understands these changes to mean that although
the body appears to die, what really died is the mortal
shell to which the person has given his likeness. The
person's true body has gone away and dwells in the paradise
of the immortals.
The Western Taoist pursues immortality in the present
life with the hope that by the time of death, he or
she will have been transformed. Ideally, his or her
real, immortal body will already be present within the
shell of the mortal body visible to others.
Taoists try to transform their bodies by nurturing
the forces of Yang or life within themselves.
THE THREE TREASURES
Taoist seeks to preserve the three treasures of human
life.
- Vitality or Jinq - creativity, procreation and basic
body functions.
- Energy or Chi - essence of life associated with
movement and strength.
- Spirit or Shen - consciousness, intellect and spirituality.
These three treasures must be kept in harmony and balance
in order that the Taoist may live a long and peaceful
life while seeking TAO.
THE GOLDEN FLOWER (T'AI CHIN HUA TSUNG
CHIH)
The Golden Flower is the mysterious light in the human
body thought to be the sexual energy of the individual.
It can be aroused and converted into spiritual force
by Taoist Yoga and meditation practices. The successful
conversion of this energy results in spiritual insights,
wisdom and incomparable bliss.
The basic difficulty for Western man in following the
WAY, is the western concept of the Intellect. It is
paramount and understanding of life is equated with
intellectualization. For the Eastern Mystic, however,
experience is paramount and the intellect is merely
a secondary refinement, which may be used to clarify
the experience.
In Western Taoism, we seek a balance between intellectualization
and experience in order to unite both worlds into a
total reality. Chinese mystics speak of the opening
of the Golden Flower as a means of finding the way.
The T'AI CHIN HUA TSUNG CHIH describes the subtle geography
of the human body as experienced in meditation. It shows
where the attention is fixed, how the sexual force is
aroused, and conducted through pathways in the body
(balancing the polarity of Yin and Yang) and transmuted
into the GOLDEN LIGHT, which illuminates the world of
higher consciousness with its blissful wisdom.
In Part three of The Western TAO, we will look
at some Western Taoist Ways.
This three-part article was previously published
on Themestream.com
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