Intentions
Friday, 8. June 2007, 14:27:07
A Man Who Loves Sea-Gulls ~ China Page online
A Man Who Loves Sea Gulls
A man who lived by the sea loved seagulls. Every morning at daybreak he would go to the seaside and play with the gulls. Hundreds of gulls would come to him and not fly away.
His father said, "I heard that seagulls like to play with you. Catch a few for me so that I can play with them too."
The next morning when he went to the seaside the seagulls swooped about in the skies but none came down to him.
One may try, but unable to, hide one's inner thoughts. Even birds and animals can sense one's true feelings.
Chapter 16
Attain the ultimate emptiness
Hold on to the truest tranquility
The myriad things are all active
I therefore watch their return
Everything flourishes; each returns to its root
Returning to the root is called tranquility
Tranquility is called returning to one's nature
Returning to one's nature is called constancy
Knowing constancy is called clarity
Not knowing constancy, one recklessly causes trouble
Knowing constancy is acceptance
Acceptance is impartiality
Impartiality is sovereign
Sovereign is Heaven
Heaven is Tao
Tao is eternal
The self is no more, without danger
Chapter 39
Those that attained oneness since ancient times:
The sky attained oneness and thus clarity
The earth attained oneness and thus tranquility
The gods attained oneness and thus divinity
The valley attained oneness and thus abundance
The myriad things attained oneness and thus life
The rulers attained oneness and became the standard for the world
These all emerged from oneness
The sky, lacking clarity, would break apart
The earth, lacking tranquility, would erupt
The gods, lacking divinity, would vanish
The valley, lacking abundance, would wither
Myriad things, lacking life, would be extinct
The rulers, lacking standard, would be toppled
Therefore, the honored uses the lowly as basis
The higher uses the lower as foundation
Thus the rulers call themselves alone, bereft, and unworthy
Is this not using the lowly as basis? Is it not so?
Therefore, the ultimate honor is no honor
Do not wish to be shiny like jade
Be dull like rocks
When we say "Oneness" we mean "Dao" so to attain oneness is to attain that inner connection to Dao, our "true self".
The Man in the story who loved seagulls and they loved him had oneness, he had clarity and did not over try to have seagulls flock to him, yet they found his calrity and did so instinctivly. Where as the father wished to have them caught for him, he wished to force the seagulls to come to him. He had not attained "oneness" or "dao" so was working out of "Self" not from the connection of "True Self". Indeed we could say that the Son had internal "harmonious balance" while the father did not.
Don't we find that these verses and the story can apply to life situations? How often do we see those who say all the right words but whose actions and intentions belie those words? This is why even though there are many paths of dao, many ways to follow Daoist teachings and thoughts, some seemingly conflicting ways, some without the label of "Dao" attached, those who have attained oneness, found that connection to their "true self" and have their internal harmonious balance, instinctivly sense as the seagulls did in the story above, when words are just words or when words are made with clarity and "oneness"
Of course we all go through the process of the "Self" and say things which we do not really understand on a internal "true self/inner heart" level. Which to a point is all part of following the way of Dao, however this will fall away from those who truely follow the way of Dao/oneness who will find that connection to their "true-selves".
peace to you
becca
WIDGETIZE
Anonymous # 8. June 2007, 23:12
Nice post. I'm just here resting in the silence, sipping a cup of tea. :) Hope ya don't mind. =p
Aalar
Becca James # 9. June 2007, 00:27
hope you enjoy your tea ... and thank you again
beccaxx