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This winter we will experience the water dragons’ transformation
As you may recall, in Taoist Cosmology, 2012 was the year of the water dragon. For most of this year we were quite fortunate because the strong nature of the dragon was partially tempered by the water element which acted as a controlling force or counter balance.
During dragon years all events are heightened and it is quite easy to experience very strong emotions that usually accompany these major national and global events. This year however, thanks in part to the water element possible problematic scenarios were lessened, still strong, but not as strong as the full potential could have been. We will explore the past years events in the light of Taoism, in another article later this week.
What is of most concern for us now as we enter the peak of the winter season, is the influence the water dragon will have over the next 1.5 months. An important distinction is the winter solstice is not the first day of winter, according to the Taoist system; the solstice is actually when the winter season is reaching its peak. Winter actually began back on November 21st, which explains the so called early snow storms and Nor’easters often associated with winter.
Between the end of December and the end of January we may observe the very nature of the water dragon which acted as a counterbalance for most of the year, join together and create a late surge of Wind-Water energy combined with the strength of the Dragon which may create tremendous, record breaking, snowfall, blizzards and rainstorms. This may affect most of the country, Canada and parts of Europe and Asia as well, but in particular the following regions of the USA: Northeast, Northwest and Midwest. If the Midwest blizzard is any indication, we would do well to prepare our homes, bodies and families for what may arrive over the next few weeks.
According to Master Zhongxian Wu in his “Winter Greetings newsletter”:
“This winter will be extremely cold, and many areas will have record breaking snow and rain storms. It will be especially intense during the time period between November 21 2012 – January 20 2013. The angry Water Dragon will be stirring up some trouble in Nature and for many of us before it takes off in February. The extremes of cold and damp energy this winter will prove challenging for those with weak kidney, heart or digestive function.”
If you recall in the prior article, winter is also the time to retreat, conserve-store energy and rest. It is especially important this winter to maintain our internal pressure and heat while strengthening our kidneys, heart and digestive functions with the Tao of Revitalization exercises or gentle Qigong forms. In particular: the kidney exercise, Meridian massage, stomach rubbing, liver and stomach massage and the 8 Directional exercises. The deer-turtle-crane exercises will help store and circulate the energy within thus helping to protect your body from any potential illnesses or weakness.
Bruce Frantzis advised recently in an email message:
“For the Taoists, the winter solstice has always been an important energetic day and time of year. On and around the solstices is when the potential of change is the greatest. It is a perfect time to clarify your intentions for the coming year and to let go of anything not useful or serving you in your life.”
As you spend time with family and friends the next few weeks concluding this year of the Dragon and preparing for 2013 which will be the year of the Water Snake, take time to also reflect on the past year and prepare your goals and intentions for the coming year.
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(Article) God: the source of everything
There is a growing trend in the United States and the World to promote Atheism as the only rational and logical conclusion with regards to the age old questions: Where did everything come from and Is there a God? There have been marches on Washington, rallies in Universities and countless magazines, newspapers, television programs and doctoral thesis promoting Atheism and the belief that there is no God. In this article, we will address what the world’s oldest philosophy & science has to say about God.
Taoism has always been concerned with following/walking with God, many writers, scholars and sages have referred to God in many different ways. Some prefer; the One, the Source, the Sage, the Creator; throughout time, however, the preferred method was to simply call it Tao. Tao refers to the One and Only God. Let us examine a few sections of the Tao Teh Ching and see what Lao Tzu, the great Taoist sage had to say about this One Source, Tao.
Tao Teh Ching translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English:
Section 21:
The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao and Tao alone.
The Tao is elusive and intangible.
Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image.
Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is form.
Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within is essence.
This essence is very real, and therein lies faith.
From the very beginning until now its name has never been forgotten.
Thus I perceive creation.
How do I know the way of creation?
Because of this.Section 14:
Look, it cannot be seen- it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard- it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held- it is intangible.
These three are indefinable;
Therefore they are joined in one.
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
An unbroken thread beyond description.
It returns to nothingness.
The form of the formless,
The image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination.
Stand before it and there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the ancient Tao,
Move with the present.
Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao.
God is…
The ancient sages did not envision God as an old man seated high above the earth, issuing punishments (lightning bolts etc…) when they sinned. Since Tao is omnipresent, it is everywhere, inside all of us and everything, as long as we are alive, because of this you can experience God in your daily life.
According to Dr. Stephen Chang (The Great Tao p. 15) “Tao is God, according to the Chinese, who translate Gospel John 1:1 thus: ‘In the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God, and the Tao was God.’ According to the English translation of the Bible, the Word is God. And according to the original Greek version of the Bible, Logos is God. The word Logos generally connotes life, light, creation, power, wisdom, love, healing, spirit, force, knowledge, rational, logic, reality, and method. The Chinese word Tao has the same connotations as the word Logos. That is why the word Tao was used in the Chinese Biblical translation.”
To understand the origin and the Source, God or Tao, we must imagine what is was like in the beginning, before anything else existed, the state of pure being that preceded the creation of the cosmos/universe. If we go back far enough, even before the Big Bang event, we would find a state that the ancient sages would often write about: “What thought could be the only thought that could possibly arise in that infinite state of omnipresence that preceded the creation of the cosmos? We know that a thought arises due to its perception of an object in the world but what would be the nature of a thought if the world of objects had not yet been created?”(Dr. Chang, The Great Tao, p. 19)
What could be the first thought in the Universe?
The only thought possible in this state of being would have been the realization of its own state of being Omnipresent! The first possible thought in the Universe could be: Tao (God) realizing that it is Omnipresent, or Tao thinking/realizing “I Am Omnipresent”! The second logical thought would be, since I Am Omnipresent, I am all powerful and can create anything.
What we call creation are God’s/Tao’s thoughts being created and “dying” with each successive thought. Each thought created more energy, the energy would gather and collect and begin to vibrate less and less until solid matter was formed. Solid matter after all is nothing more than energy vibrating at slower and lower levels. From the Taoist perspective, the basic purpose of Life is to Live and to exist, life will continue to evolve and change in order to live.
From this knowledge we can see that everything is made from one substance, the whole universe is alive, emptiness is not really empty, the One Universal Energy is Intelligent, God has the ability to materialize and create whatever it wants and God is One (Tao: The Way of God by Master Waysun Liao).
Our abilities to see, hear, taste, smell, touch, think, speak, walk, create, dream, make love, declare war, observe and create the sciences etc… is only because God is in each and every one of us. In Chinese terms, our Qi or energy/life force as well as our Shen or spirit is the piece of God inside of us.
One of the signs that man has God in each of us is our pursuit of perfection and improvement as well as our constant desire to understand the inner workings of the Universe. The original purpose for the sciences and universities was/is man’s attempt to understand and get closer to God, to be reunited with God. To assist our fellow humans, man created many ways to improve our condition: education, health care, healing & wellness programs, services for the underserved, agriculture, constitutions, philosophy, religion etc…
Humankind must guard itself from the tendency to disconnect from God, to insist that our will is mightier than God’s will or even more tragic, to deny God’s will in its entirety. To do this will run the risk of disrupting the delicate balance that exists in the natural order of the world, including our own evolution; body, mind and spirit.
Every day we have three options:
- Move towards God and goodness/light/harmony
- Move away from God and towards evil/darkness/disharmony
- Stay the same distance, neither moving towards or away from God
The choice is the same for all of us and exists every moment of the day. Which way are you moving?
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Winter: the season of conservation, storage and rest
Many people associate winter with: colder weather, storms, snow, holidays, family, gifts, New Year’s etc… Farmers and gardeners are aware that this is the time of year to cultivate and harvest certain frost and freeze friendly…(read more)
Autumn: the season of maturity, harvest and conservation
In the prior article, we explored how the seasons are not fixed points that occur at the whims of man; rather they are natural events that occur according to God’s/universal laws. The seasons occur at different times from one year to the next, depending on the energy of each season. For instance, a season that is too strong (excessive energy) will weaken the following season causing such phenomenon as the late summer or Indian summer; which is the result of strong/excessive yang fire energy (summer) intruding into the fall season.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 mentions this change:
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (King James Version, Regency Bible)”
Further elaboration on the nature of this change will have to wait for a future article so that we can focus on the season of autumn or fall.
What is important about autumn and how does it impact us?
Since man has a physical body and occupies a place in time and space, we are affected by elemental forces of both earthly and celestial influences. There is no denying this Universal Law; all one needs to do is observe how the lunar cycle influences a woman’s menstrual cycle, or how high tides are influenced by a full moon etc… No matter how much mankind may want to separate himself/herself from Nature, or deny the existence of Universal Laws and God, it will never change the fact that these laws do exist, and will impact humanity whether mankind likes it or not.
According to Huang Di (a great Taoist Sage and Emperor aka the Yellow Emperor):
“In the three months of autumn all things in nature reach their full maturity. The grains ripen and harvesting occurs. The heavenly energy cools, as does the weather. The wind begins to stir. This is the changing or pivoting point when the yang, or active, phase turns into its opposite, the yin, or passive, phase. One should retire with the sunset and arise with the dawn. Just as the weather in autumn turns harsh, so does the emotional climate. It is therefore important to remain calm and peaceful, refraining from depression so that one can make the transition to winter smoothly. This is the time to gather one’s spirit and energy, be more focused, and not allow desires to run wild. One must keep the lung energy full, clean, and quiet. This means practicing breathing exercises to enhance lung qi [energy]. Also, one should refrain from both smoking and grief, the emotion of the lung. This will prevent kidney or digestive problems in the winter. If this natural order is violated, damage will occur to the lungs, resulting in diarrhea with undigested food in winter. This compromises the body’s ability to store in winter. (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine by Maoshing Ni, PhD, p.6)”
One of the major areas of study in Taoism and among Taoists is observing the forces and nature of change and the impacts of that change on mankind, so that humanity can prepare for the change prior to its occurrence and adapt to it when it arrives. This is one of the secrets to health, longevity and illness prevention, as well as creating a peaceful life and world for all. Take Huang Di’s advice and observe the autumnal change, modify your lifestyle according to this season and you will have good health through winter.
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Did autumn already arrive for 2012?
In the western/modern calendar, the seasonal solstice/equinox is treated as a stagnant occurrence that is as routine and unimportant as the days of the week. People are told that September 22, is the beginning of autumn; a logical question could be: why is September 22 the first day of autumn, why not the 19th or 25th or any other day in September, or even another month.
Contrary to what many people think in the “modern world”, man does not determine the proper order of the seasons and the seasons do not occur according to political ambitions or on a set day every year.
A fundamental natural law, observed by Taoists, is that everything in the universe is in a constant state of change, and nothing remains the same or constant with the exception of change itself. It is with this law in mind, that we are faced with the irony in the modern observance of the solstices, equinoxes and the first day of the seasons.
September 22, 2012 is recognized as the Autumnal Equinox, however, the equinox does not represent the first day of the season; it is actually the peak or height of the season, when the season’s energy is the most full and active. This means that every day after September 22, we are moving one day closer to winter, as the energy of winter slowly begins to build (or retreat depending on the perspective).
According to the Taoist and Classical Chinese calendars, August 7, 2012 was the first day of autumn. The Taoist calendar is based on observing the natural cycles and changes of the Sun (Solar), Moon (Lunar) and Stars (Celestial) in relation to the Earth/Earthly changes and has been used for thousands of years. This is in contrast to the Western calendar that was established by Julius Caesar and later modified by Pope Gregory XIII to create the modern Gregorian calendar.
If you look outside and closely observe nature you will begin to see the signs of autumn already in action, leaves are beginning to change in many parts of the country, animals are beginning to prepare for hibernation, birds are already flying south, and the cool winds and cold fronts are taking shape as well. Nature is responding to the autumnal change that began its influence over a month ago.
In the next article we will explore what the autumn season represents and how it can impact our health.
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(Article) Lao Tzu: Tao can be spoken of
Lao Tzu is one of the most important Taoist Sages and Teachers of all time. One of his greatest contributions was the Tao Teh Ching (Sacred/Heavenly text of Tao’s [God’s] Virtues). The Tao Teh Ching is the second most published and translated book in the world; behind only the Bible.
We will save a history of the Tao Teh Ching and Lao Tzu for another article. The purpose here is to correct and explain a common misinterpretation and mistranslation of one of the most important tenets of the text; the first two lines of the first section.
A brief historical note is necessary here to clarify the intended point. The Tao Teh Ching was recorded 2,500 years ago in Classical Chinese script. This poses many problems for translators:
- Very few people today are able to read and write Classical Chinese
- The text was encrypted with Taoist writing techniques hiding the true meaning and often misleading those who do not have mastery of Taoism
- In order to read the Tao Teh Ching today, it must first (unless you understand Classical Chinese) be translated from Classical Chinese into Modern or Simplified Chinese (Mandarin)
- For the rest of the world the text must then be translated into another language ie: English, German etc…
Popular Translations
As you can imagine, if one mistake is made in this process or if one piece is missing even though you may be reading the Tao Teh Ching, it can become quite difficult to say you are reading “The Tao Teh Ching” as written by Lao Tzu. The first two lines will demonstrate this problem.
- Tao Te Ching, Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English (25th Anniversary Edition): “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name…”
- Tao Te Ching, James Legge: “The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name…”
- The Complete works of Lao Tzu, Hua-Ching Ni: “Tao, the subtle reality of the universe cannot be described. That which can be described in words is merely a conception of the mind. Although names and descriptions have been applied to it, the subtle reality is beyond description…”
- Revealing the Tao Te Ching, Hu Xuezhi: “The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name…”
Note: this is only a selection of the vast array of translations available and is used to describe an overall trend in practically all of the available translations of the Tao Teh Ching.
The overall trend and intention of the translations of the first two lines is to say: The Tao cannot be named and cannot be spoken of. Dear reader, please ponder this meaning for a moment….
Why would Lao Tzu a Taoist Sage, chief/head/minister of the Imperial Archives write a book with the title The Sacred text of God’s Virtues, and continue to write 81 sections about these Virtues, if Tao cannot be named and cannot be spoken of?
The simple answer is:
The common translation and interpretation of the first two lines (as well as others) is not correct and not what Lao Tzu wrote.
If you carefully examine the Classical script along with the knowledge of Taoist Philosophy & Science you come up with an entirely different translation:
“The Tao can be spoken of, thought about and practiced.”
“The Great Tao has no bodily form, but It produced and nourishes heaven and earth. The Great Tao has no passions, but It causes the sun and moon to revolve as they do. The Great Tao has no name, but It effects the growth and maintenance of all things. I do not know its name, but I make an effort, and call It the Tao” (The Great Tao by Dr. Stephen T. Chang & Ching Chin Ching: The Classic of Purity by James Legge).
Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Teh Ching for the same reason Fu Xi recorded the I-Ching and Huang Di wrote “The Classic of the Internal”, because Tao can be spoken of, thought about, taught, practiced and experienced. This is why Lao Tzu described it as “My Tao is easy to follow and simple to practice, yet very few will.”
As Lao Tzu said: “The highest person upon hearing the Tao immediately practices it, the average person upon hearing the Tao thinks about it or is unimpressed, the lowest person upon hearing of the Tao laughs loudly. If there was no laughter than it would not be the Tao.”
May the path and your journey be more clear.
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(Article) What is Tao?
What is Tao?
(Continued from the article Taoism: The Science and Philosophy of Life & Longevity)
If Taoism is the Science and Philosophy of Life & Longevity; then a logical question is; What is Tao? What is the source of that which Taoists study?
Most people translate Tao as the path or The Way. This is partially true, if you use the lower case version of tao. Others will mention being in harmony with nature, being at peace, flowing with what’s natural, balancing Yin & Yang etc… All of these are accurate descriptions but the question still eludes us, if Tao is the Path or The Way, then what is it the WAY of. What we are discussing here is not just tao, but TAO or Da Tao(大道, Great Tao). So what is this Da Tao or TAO that the ancient Taoists were speaking of. Quite simply TAO or Tao is the Chinese word for The Way of God. When a person is following The Way and he/she is in harmony with nature, at peace, balancing Yin/Yang, etc… they are literally walking with God, by elevating their body, mind & spirit. Let us look at a section from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu to see what he had to say about Tao. Note the following qoutes are from the “Tao Te Ching translated by Gia Fu Feng and Jane English”. Notice how the text reads when you replace Tao with God.
Section 21:
The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao (God) and Tao (God) alone.
The Tao (God) is elusive and intangible.
Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image.
Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is form.
Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within is essence.
This essence is very real, and therein lies faith.
From the very beginning until now its (God’s) name has never been forgotten.
Thus I perceive creation.
How do I know the way of creation?
Because of this.
Section 23:
To talk little is natural.
High winds do not last all morning.
Heavy rain does not last all day.
Why is this? Heaven and earth!
If Heaven and earth cannot make things eternal,
How is it possible for man?
He who follows Tao (God)
Is at one with Tao (God).
He who is virtuous
Experiences (God’s) Virtue.
He who loses the Way (God’s Way)
Feels lost.
When you are at one with the Tao (God),
The Tao (God) welcomes you.
When you are at one with (God’s) Virtue, The Virtue is always there.
When you are at one with loss,
The loss is experienced willingly.
He who does not trust enough
Will not be trusted.
Taoism developed its 8 Subjects/Pillars with the goal of helping a person to not only achieve balance, peace and harmony, but to literally create a system to completely elevate their body, mind & spirit so they could “walk with God”.
Let us review for a moment:
Tao is The Way of God, Taoism is the Science and Philosophy of Life & Longevity (designed to elevate a person’s body, mind and spirit), and a Taoist is a person pursuing this path in an active, engaged manner. It is interesting to point out that being a Taoist does not interfere with a person’s Religious beliefs or cultural customs. It is very common for someone to follow Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism etc… or be Agnostic and also apply the Taoist Principles and the Science of Life & Longevity to their lives in a meaningful way that further enriches, and deepens their life and understanding. Let us take a break for now and ponder the words of Lao Tzu. Before we meet again, make sure you go for a walk, breathe slowly and deeply, and take the time to enjoy family-friends-and nature.
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(Article) Taoism: the science and philosophy of life & longevity
What is Taoism?
Taoism is the Philosophy and Science of Life & Longevity with over 6,000 years of success. Taoism and Taoists have influenced almost every conceivable topic, training and subject matter from:
- how to manage a home at one end to running a country or nation at the other
- preventing illness in an individual to improving the health of all people
- improving your physical wellbeing to completely elevating the body, mind and spirit
Taoism’s roots did begin in what we now call China, however, Taoism deals with matters that are Universal in nature and apply/can apply to everyone and everything. One of the purposes of these articles will be to explore and “Examine” Taoism in its entirety including; how it applies to current events and in our ever changing “modern” world. We will do this by focusing our attention on the 8 Pillars or subjects of Taoism (The Great Tao by Stephen T. Chang):
- Philosophy
- Internal/Self Healing Exercise (including Taiji Quan aka Tai Chi and Qigong aka Chi Kung)
- Diet & Nutrition
- Herbology
- Healing Arts (Tui-Na, massage, Acupressure, Acupuncture, etc…)
- Sexology (Family planning, Relationships and Complete Achievement)
- Science of Management (from the Individual, Family, Career, Corporate, Nation etc…)
- I-Ching Sciences (Exploring the nature of Change)
What are some of the Influences?
Each of these Pillars or Departments have over time become greatly fragmented and reduced into many fields and specializations. For Instance, many people are familiar with Acupuncture, but many, including Acupuncturists, are unaware that it is only one “twig” of one branch that Taoists call the Healing Arts. Another example is how the knowledge of Herbology and Alchemy inspired and created what we now know as Chemistry; Taoist Philosophy in many aspects has become Physics, Psychology etc… The list of influences, fragmentations and specializations is very long…to long in fact to cover in one article. You can look forward to many exciting and tantalizing articles and perhaps friendly debates and discussions.
So in the nature of Taoists from long ago through today, pull up a chair, and prepare to sip your favorite beverage as we discuss Life & Longevity.
With this I wish all of you Many Blessings on your/our Journey towards Tao; which will be the topic of the next article…What is Tao?.
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