Middle Path
Wednesday, 30. May 2007, 02:53:08
Chapter 22
Yield and remain whole
Bend and remain straight
Be low and become filled
Be worn out and become renewed
Have little and receive
Have much and be confused
Therefore the sages hold to the one as an example for the world
Without flaunting themselves – and so are seen clearly
Without presuming themselves – and so are distinguished
Without praising themselves – and so have merit
Without boasting about themselves – and so are lasting
Because they do not contend, the world cannot contend with them
What the ancients called "the one who yields and remains whole"
Were they speaking empty words?
Sincerity becoming whole, and returning to oneself
We have a saying in my part of England "step backwards to see clearly" another is "be like grass, grass is cut but always grows again".
To yield can be good, to step back to yield can be productive. This is not saying that to defned others is bad, or to defend ourselves is bad, but that in most situations in life, defensivness is not helpful and creates more problems than it solves.
We have most of us been subjected to at some point in our lifes to rumour or to unfair accusations, situations where no matter how hard we deny or defend against said rumours or accusations they get worse.
Have you ever been in such a situation and yielded? Bent like the yellow grasses in spring? I have and the results are astounding, now true often the rumours and accusations still occur and do not and often will not just go away, but by removing the obvious target and just getting on with things, eventually those who listen to the rumours and/or accusations just stop listening and find other things to do. If you try to hit wind after a while you just look silly, which while it may well make some people angry it also stops eventually, because people stop watching.
If we can relinquish the need to be defensive, if we "step backwards to see clearly" then we may well find less frustration in ourlifes, and more clarity when facing difficult situations, indeed if we are humble then we may find less difficult situations as a whole.
rember this if a storm rages through the forest even the mightiest Oak risks being damaged but the yielding grasses have less risk of damage.
love and peace
becca
Hi, Becca.
I have heard it said that one who tries to hurt a sage is as one who casts dust into the wind: The wind blows the dust back to the attacker. So, about this: "We have most of us been subjected to at some point in our lifes to rumour or to unfair accusations, situations where no matter how hard we deny or defend against said rumours or accusations they get worse."
The retribution to each one's actions come back only to oneself. Little do attackers know this, I think. As for words, I think they say more about the person saying them than about the object of discussion; words point back to the speaker... what is inside of themselves.
Aye, one may yield, be as the grass.... Nature embraces chaotic storms, but even chaos is not chaotic to the mind that is empty. I have found it useful to be one with empty space, where there is no yielding... but there is no yielding only because there is fundamentally nothing to yield to. There is only an inner stillness even amidst would-be clamor, a stillness where there is fundamentally no grass, no trees, and no storm.
There is not even stillness or emptiness.
Hahaha... but these are just my simple thoughts.
Be well, Becca!
Peace,
Aalar
By anonymous user, # 1. June 2007, 05:40:20
Yield is but a word that does a job, one may say yeild or not hold onto. Either way the meaning is the same.
beccaxx
http://www.pathsofdao.co.uk/
By Munchkin97, # 2. June 2007, 01:16:52