Blog | Mindfulness, Meditation, Journaling & Walking in Nature
1257
blog,paged,paged-44,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,select-theme-ver-2.1,vertical_menu_enabled, vertical_menu_width_290,side_menu_slide_from_right,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.9.0,vc_responsive
 
Writings and Readings Blog

Madhu Bazaz Wangu

Sixty-Fifth Chapter

Posted on January 23, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
0 Comments

Sixty-Fifth Chapter Tao-te Ching Those who practice Tao well Do not seek to enlighten others, Make them aware of their ignorance. People who think they know the answers are difficult to govern. He who thinks he has all the answers is a robber of the state. He who is simple hearted and blended with the people is a blessing to the state. One who knows these two things also knows the secret. Simplicity is a profound and secret virtue. Not using cunning is a deep virtue. Be content with an ordinary life. Show people the way back to their original state. Then complete harmony will be reached. # As I Understand It: "I don't know" is a powerful phrase. This chapter, meant for politicians, may be also read from a personal point of view. The sage says don't force your rules upon the people you...

Read More

Sixty-Fourth Chapter

Posted on January 18, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
0 Comments

Sixty-Fourth Chapter Tao-te Ching What remains still is easy to manage. What is not yet manifest is easy to plan for. What is brittle is easy to crack. What is small is easy to scatter. Deal with things before they appear. Put things in order before disorder arises. A tree that fills a man's embrace grows from a tiny shoot. A tower of nine stores begins with a heap of earth The journey of a thousand li starts with a single step. He who takes action fails. He who grasps things loses them. The sage takes no action and therefore does not fail. He does not grasp and therefore does not lose. People usually fail when they are about to succeed. So be as careful at the end as at the beginning, then there will be no failure. The sage does not treasure what is...

Read More

Happy 2009!

Posted on January 9, 2009
in Being in Nature
1 Comment

Dear Readers and Writers, Happy New Year! A good place to start the year 2009 is with the sixty-third chapter of Tao-te Ching. (See under "Readings") In this verse the sage Lao Tzu asks us to pay attention to the present moment, to the task at hand, and not worry about the next moment or the trillions of future moments that would follow it. It is only by doing little things that we can accomplish something great. I have planned a wonderful year of "Readings" and "Writings" to share with you. In May this year, we will finish reading Tao-te Ching and start Dhammapada, a collection of vivid verses based on the teachings of the Buddha that were preserved by his students. The topics in this collection of harmonious poetry are...

Read More

Sixty-Third Chapter

Posted on January 9, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
2 Comments

Sixty-Third Chapter Tao-te Ching Practice nonaction. Work without doing. Taste the tasteless. Magnify the small; increase the few. Reward bitterness with care. See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in little things. Take on difficulty while it is still easy; do great things while they are still small. The sage does not attempt anything very big, and thereby achieves greatness. If you make rash promises, you will be little trusted; Because the sage always confronts difficulties right away, he never encounters them. # As I Understand It: Trillions of moments make up our lifetime. All we ever have to do is to live in the present moment to make life effortless. Instead of worrying about a future that has not even arrived do tiny things and achieve big tasks. Sage says confront difficulties the moment you face them--bitter moments with objectivity, lovable with...

Read More

Sixty-Second Chapter

Posted on January 2, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
0 Comments

Sixty-Second Chapter Tao-te Ching Tao is the storehouse of all things. It is the good man's treasure and bad man's refuge. Fine words can gain honor And fine deeds can gain respect from others. Even when a man is bad, has Tao ever rejected him? On the occasion of crowning an emperor or installing the three ministers, Rather than present large pieces of jade preceded by teams of four horses, It is better to kneel and offer this Tao. Why did the ancients highly value this Tao? Did they not say, "Those who seek shall have it and those who sin shall be freed? For this reason it is valued by the world. # As I Understand It: There is a treasure house deep within us-the wondrous wellspring of the Tao. When we are in tune with this space we know the source of...

Read More

Sixty-First Chapter

Posted on December 26, 2008
in Meditation, Reading
2 Comments

Sixty-First Chapter Tao-te Ching A big country may be compared to the lower part of a river. It is the converging part of the world. It is the female of the world. The female always overcomes the male by tranquility, And by tranquility she is underneath. A big state can take over a small state if it places itself below the small state. And a small state can take over a big state if it places itself below the big state. Thus some, by placing themselves below, take over (others), And some, by being (naturally) low, take over (other states). After all what a big state wants is but to annex and herd others. And what a small state wants is merely to join and serve others. Since both big and small states get what they want, The big state should place itself low. # As...

Read More

Sixtieth Chapter

Posted on December 18, 2008
in Meditation, Reading
0 Comments

Sixtieth Chapter Tao-te Ching Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish, You spoil it with too much poking. Approach the world with the power of Tao And evil will have no power. Although evil is powerful, with Tao in our hearts, it cannot harm us. It cannot harm and sage too is protected. If the ruler and his people refrain from harming each other, The virtue and its benefits will be accumulated in the country. # As I Understand It: Don't interfere without, cultivate a sacred space within. We view the world with fear. If we cultivate an inner awareness, we gain courage. The Tao awareness shields us with an invisible areole. The evil cannot penetrate it. When we stop having fearful and negative thoughts the wicked powers become impotent. Fear begets more fear and...

Read More

Fifty-Ninth Chapter

Posted on December 12, 2008
in Meditation, Reading
0 Comments

Fifty-Ninth Chapter Tao-te Ching To rule people and to serve Nature there is nothing better than frugality. Only by being frugal can one learn to restrain. To restrain oneself means to accumulate virtue heavily. By the heavy accumulation of virtue one can overcome everything. If one can overcome everything, then there are no limits. When a man knows no limits, he is fit to lead. This is the way to be deeply rooted and firmly planted in the Tao-- The secret of long life and everlasting vision. # As I Understand It: When we cultivate virtues such as frugality, restraint and moderation there's nothing impossible for us to do. The one who lives according to the Tao has a chockfull of such virtues. She exemplifies virtuous life and encourages others to make choices based on such high standards. An individual...

Read More

Ancient Female Deities

Posted on December 5, 2008
in Journaling
1 Comment

Ancient Female Deities, Now Retired More than four thousand years ago inhabitants of the fertile region of Ganga-Jamuna delta sang hymns of praise. They sung in honor of the powers of nature, of sky, of atmosphere, of earth. They sung the hymns of awe and terror to the powers of dawn, sun, ether, night, earth-its fertility and fecundity, water, vegetation and fire. Slowly the powers were personified. They were given thousand eyes and ears, multiple heads and hands. Most of these were male but many female: mothers, and spouses of the male deities. Consorts, spouses and mother deities were efficacious but lacked profile and power. They were easily interchangeable with one another. Their names were simply the feminine suffices of the names of the male gods. For example Agneyi was...

Read More

Fifty-Eighth Chapter

Posted on December 5, 2008
in Meditation, Reading
0 Comments

Fifty-Eighth Chapter Tao-te Ching When the ruler knows his heart, the people are simple and contented. When he meddles with their lives, they become restless and contentious. Calamity is what happiness leans on. Happiness is what calamity hides in. Who knows the end of this process? Yet what is good soon becomes bad. And the bad again becomes good. People have been confused (by this) for a long time. The sage becomes an exemplar and does not impose his will. He is pointed but does not cut. He straightens but does not disrupt. He illuminates but does not dazzle. # As I Understand It: If our heart is pure the apparent reality is plain and simple. If we play games with others the reality becomes restless and flammable. This is because apparent reality--the 10,000 things--is in constant motion, neither permanent nor predictable. Only the Tao...

Read More