Balance   (from "365 Tao" by Deng Ming-Dao)

Summer withered grass to flaxen yellow,
Scorched leaves to brittle paper,
Chill autumn brought little relief --
Only frosted the devastation.
But with the early gentle rains,
The earth's fissures softened
And desiccated plants began to dissolve.
Slowly, balance comes once again.

Many  cultures  describe  old  people  as  having  seen  many 
winters.  Those elder have seen many cycles come and go,  and 
their wisdom comes from long observation of life's rising and 
falling.

If we have a long-range view, the we realize that equilibrium 
comes in the course of nature's progression.  Nature does not 
achieve  balance by keeping to one level.   Rather,  elements 
and  seasons  alternate  with  one  another  in   succession.  
Balance,  as defined by the Tao, is not stasis but a  dynamic 
process of many overlapping alternations; even if some phases 
seem wildly excessive, they are balanced by others.

Everything  has  its  place.  Everything has  a  season.   As 
events turn, balance is to know what is here, what is coming, 
and how to be in perfect harmony with it.  Then one attains a 
state of sublimity that cannot be challenged.

From "Zen" by Peter Pauper Press

Joshu  asked  the  teacher Nansen, "What is  the  true  Way?" 
Nansen answered, "Everyday way is the true Way." Joshu asked, 
"Can I study it?" Nansen  answered, "The more you study,  the 
further   from  the Way." Joshu asked, "If I don't study  it, 
how can I know it?" Nansen answered, "The Way does not belong 
to things seen: nor to things unseen.  It does not belong  to 
things known: nor to things  unknown.  Do not seek it,  study 
it, or name  it.   To find yourself on it, open yourself wide 
as the sky."


     Background:  Taoism the philosophy and the religion.

The  fifth to the third centuries B.C. was know in  China  as 
the  "period  of  warring  states" and  the  "period  of  the
philosophers."   In the fifth century the country  was  still 
divided into a large number of feudal states; in 221 B.C. the  
state of Chi'in won supremacy over its rival, and its  leader  
became the first Emperor of a united China.

Approximately  100  B.C. SSu-Ch'ien began work on  the  first 
written history of China.  Even at this early date it  became  
clear that while writing of Lao Tzu he had only uncertain and 
contradictory  information.  He wrote that he  believed  "Lao  
Tzu  was a man from the village of Chu Jen, district of  Lai,  
county of Hu in the kingdom of Ch'u.  His surname was Li, his  
given  name Erh, and his public name Tan."  This  corresponds  
to  the modern town of Luyi where an imposing 12'  statue  of 
Lao Tzu was still standing at the start of Sino-Japanese war,  
and apparently was destroyed before it could have been carbon  
dated.

The most popular legend is that in the sixth century B.C. Lao 
Tzu  took  up residence at court, but  perceiving  the  moral  
decadence  of  the House of Chou, he left,  heading  westward 
toward  the state of Ch'in.  The way led through  the  Han-ku 
pass,  whose gatekeeper, Yin Hsi begged Lao Tzu to compose  a 
book for him.  The philosopher wrote a book divided into  two 
sections and containing more than five thousand characters in 
which  he set forth his ideas concerning the Tao and  Te;  he 
then departed and nobody knows what became of him.

The  book  attributed to Lao Tzu was originally  titled  "Lao 
Tzu"  in  keeping with the practice followed  by  almost  all 
ancient  philosophers.   The  title of "Tao  Te  Ching"  (the 
sacred  book of Tao and Te) was accorded to give it the  same 
status  as  the Confucian classics.   The  character  "Ching" 
means moral cannon.

The  "Lao  Tzu"  appears to be  an  anthology  of  proverbial 
sayings borrowed partly from the common stock of wisdom,  and 
partly from various proto-Taoist schools.  We cannot know  by 
whom,  where,  and  when  the work as  we  now  know  it  was 
compiled.


The  Taoist Religion became prevalent about the beginning  of 
the Christian era, some sects of which still have temples  in 
Taiwan.   It is a salvation religion which  included  ritual, 
alchemy,   talismans,  dietary  restrictions, and many  gods.   
The ambition of the Taoist was to acquire a greatly  extended 
life span and perhaps even immortality.

Under  Emperor Wu (424-451 A.D.) a Taoist, K'ou  Ch'ien,  had 
ambitions  of establishing a holy empire on earth  under  the 
auspices  of Taoism, with himself as the grand  Taoist  pope.  
His influence at court led to the anti-buddhist  persecutions 
of  446  A.D.   In  an effort  to  make  Buddha  inferior  in 
position and posterior in time to Lao Tzu a paper was  forged 
(Hua-hu-ching  by  Wang Fu) claiming that when Lao  Tzu  left 
China,  he  went to India to become the Buddha.  As  late  as 
1258  A.D.  this  controversy continued,  until  Kublai  Khan 
called a grand assembly of 300 Buddhist, 200 Taoists, and 200 
Confucianists.  Under sharp questioning the Taoists  admitted 
that that the only work left by Lao Tzu was the Tao Te Ching.  
Kublai  Khan  ordered  that all copies  of  the  Hua-hu-ching 
(Sutra  on  the  Conversion of Barbarians)  be  sent  to  the 
capital to be burned.  

The root meaning of Tao is path or way.  When used as a verb, 
the  same  word  means  to  direct,  to  guide  or  establish 
communication.    The   word  Tao  suggests  a  way   to   be 
followed  and,  by  extension, moral guidance or  a  code  of 
behavior.  The Tao Te Ching contains no demonstrations of any 
kind.  It gives only conclusions, not the steps by which they 
are  reached;  it is up to each person to take the  steps  on 
their own.

Unlike religious Taoism, the  Tao of philosophical Taoism  is 
metaphysical; it  is  the natural law of the universe.  There 
is  nothing the Tao does not do because the Tao is  the  same 
thing as universal spontaneity.  Every thing  in nature comes 
about of itself, without any particular kind of intervention.

"If we start from the principle that all things and creatures 
(man  included)  are fundamentally identical, i.e.  are  one, 
then we cannot legitimately pass judgment on them; we  cannot 
approve of some and condemn others."        Chan Tzu

Sources:  

"Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey"  by Kenneth Ch'en
"The Essential Tao"  by Thomas Cleary
"Lao Tzu and Taoism"  by Max Kaltenmark
"Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching"  by D. C. Lau
"Tao Te Ching"  translation by Stephen Mitchell
"Taoism" a post by Albertus Magnus


From "Zen" by Peter Pauper Press

A  master who lived as a hermit on a mountain was asked by  a 
monk, "What is the Way"? "What a fine mountain this is,"  the 
master  said  in  reply.  "I am  not  asking  you  about  the 
mountain,  but the Way." "So  long  as you cannot  go  beyond 
the mountain, my son,  you cannot reach the Way," replied the 
master.


Absolute  (from 365 Tao by Deng Ming-Dao)

They say, "You are god".
But everyone is.
They say, "All is god".
Then why are there differences?
They say, "All is an illusion".
But does that include god?

Everything  is  god.  We are also god.  However, we  fail  to
realize  this.   Why?   Because we look for  god  outside  of
ourselves.   We make the mistake of taking ourselves  as  the
viewer  and then seek god as the object of our  examinations.
Unfortunately,  everything  we  perceive is  tainted  by  our
subjectivity, and anything that we define as god "out  there"
cannot  be god because it is not absolute.  All you've  found
is something that exists in relation to your perceptions.

You  are god.  The only way to confirm this is to remove  the
barrier of subjectivity that prevents you from realizing your
essential oneness with all things.

Utopia

Chant one million times for world peace, they
told me.
Pray three times a day to end all wars.
Practice austerities to liberate all living beings.
But the world's miseries have never
diminished.

Periodically, some religious group proclaims that if everyone 
would  just do something like chant, some fundamental  social 
problem  would  be  solved.   Claims  have  been  made   that 
spiritual  devotion could affect wars, famine,  disease,  the 
economy, and overpopulation.

Only  personal endeavors can be spiritual.  What you do  with 
your  daily devotions is purely for your own sake.  Once  you 
put  ideals  on a grand scale, they are  compromised  by  the 
contradictions of life.

There is no utopia.  There never will be.  There is only  the 
valiant attempt of each person to live spiritually in a world 
where spirituality is almost impossible.


Balance  (from "365 Tao" by Deng Ming-Dao)

Summer withered grass to flaxen yellow,
Scorched leaves to brittle paper,
Chill autumn brought little relief --
Only frosted the devastation.
But with the early gentle rains,
The earth's fissures softened
And desiccated plants began to dissolve.
Slowly, balance comes once again.

Many  cultures  describe  old  people  as  having  seen  many 
winters.  Those elder have seen many cycles come and go,  and 
their wisdom comes from long observation of life's rising and 
falling.

If we have a long-range view, the we realize that equilibrium 
comes in the course of nature's progression.  Nature does not 
achieve  balance by keeping to one level.   Rather,  elements 
and  seasons  alternate  with  one  another  in   succession.  
Balance,  as defined by the Tao, is not stasis but a  dynamic 
process of many overlapping alternations; even if some phases 
seem wildly excessive, they are balanced by others.

Everything  has  its  place.  Everything has  a  season.   As 
events turn, balance is to know what is here, what is coming, 
and how to be in perfect harmony with it.  Then one attains a 
state of sublimity that cannot be challenged.


The following is a paraphrased and much condensed version  of 
Victor  H. Mair's hypotheses of the Indian influence  on  the 
Tao.  
 
It was long believed that China was cut off from the rest  of 
civilization  until  the middle of the second  century  B.C., 
however recent archaeological discoveries and anthropological 
field  work  have  proven this not to be  the  case.   It  is 
apparent that there was trade with India long before the  Tao 
Te Ching was written.  

Both  the  Tao  and  the  Bhagavad  Gita  evolved  from  oral 
traditions.  The Bhagavad Gita was written between the fourth 
and  second  centuries  B.C.   There  are  many  similarities 
between the two sacred books.

Mair  sights,  among  many  other  comparisons,  non  action, 
elaborate analysis of nature and purpose, created beings  and 
eternal  cosmic principle.  Both contain references  to  free 
from  desires,  and not prizing rare and costly  goods.   The 
Bhagavad  Gita  book  3, stanza 38  is  almost  identical  to 
chapter 54 (10) lines 6 & 7, and  book 8 stanza 12 to the Tao
chapter  19 (56) lines 4 & 5, which Mair believes is  one  of 
many similar  description of Yogic practices.  

He  is  not suggesting that the Tao Te Ching was  written  in 
Indian  and  "borrowed" by China, but rather that  there  was 
mutual cultural exchange before the Tao Te Ching was written.  
He states that Taoism most certainly laid the foundation  for 
the  most  genuinely  Chinese of all  Buddhist  sects,  Ch'an 
(zen).


Pa Kua:  soft internal school of martial arts.

based  upon the trigrams and hexagrams of the Yi Jing. are  a 
few practitioners of that art stateside, but not many.<< most 
people who claim to practice it, are actually practicing some 
of the more essoteric forms of a slightly different  internal 
school that is based upon the five elements of Daoism, and is   
mistakenly thought to be based upon the Yi Jing as well.  
I'll  tell  you the name, when i remember it ---  its  pretty 
common,  and most people don't realize that it is a  fighting 
art. >>  The other is Tai Chi.


T'AI CHI CH'UAN
    LUN

by Wang Tsung-yeuh

*T'ai Chi*
comes from
*Wu Chi*
and is the mother of *Yin* and *Yang*.

In motion it seperates;
in stillness they fuse.

It is not excessive or deficient;
accordingly when it bends,
it then straightens.

When the opponent is hard
and I am soft,
it is called *tsou* (yielding).

When I follow the opponent
and be becomes backed up,
it is called *nien* (adherence).

If the opponent's movement is quick,
then quickly respond;
if his movement is slow,
then follow slowly.

Although the changes are numerous,
the principal
that pervades them
is only
one.

From familiarity with the correct touch,
one gradually comprehends *chin* (internal force);
from the comprehension of *chin*
one can reach wisdom.

Without long practice
one cannot suddenly understand it.

Effortlessly the *chin* reaches the headtop.

Let the *ch'i* (breath) sink to the *tan t'ien*.

Don't lean in any direction;
suddenly appear,
suddenly disappear.

Empty teh left wherever a pressure appears,
and similarly the right.

If the opponent raises up I seem taller;
if he sinks down, then I seem lower;
advancing, the distance seems
incredibly longer;
retreating, the distance seems
exasperatingly short.

(So light an object as) a feather
cannot be placed, and
(so small an insect as) a fly
cannot alight
on any part of the body.

The opponent doesn't know me;
I alone know him.

To become a peerless boxer results from this.

There are many boxing arts.

Although they use different forms,
for the most part they don't go beyond
the strong oppressing the weak,
and the slow resigning to the swift.

The strong defeating the weak
and the slow hands ceding to the swift hands
are all results
of the physical instnctive capacity
and not of well trained techniques.

From the sentence "A force of four ounces
deflects a thousand pounds"
we know that the technique
is not accomplished with strength.

The specticle of an old person
defeating a group of young people,
how can it be due to swiftness?

Stand like a balance and
rotate actively like a wheel.

Sinking to one side is responsive;
being double-weighted is sluggish (stagnant).

Anyone who has spent years of practice
and still cannot neutralize,
adn is always controlled by his opponent,
has not apprehended
the fault of double-weightedness.

To avoid this fault
one must know *yin* and *yang*.

*Yin* and *yang*
mutually aid and change each other.

Then you can say
you understand *chin* (internal strength).
After you understand *chin*,
the more practice, the more skill.

Silently treasure up knowledge
and turn it over in the mind.
Gradually you can do as you like.

Originally it is giving up yourself
to follow oters.
Most people mistakenly give up the near
to seek the far.
It is said, "Missing it by a little
will lead many miles astray."

The practitioner must carefully study.

This is the *Lun*.
/*\/*\/*/\/\*/*\\*/\*/\*\/\*

well, alittle more Martial artist-ish, but still has some pearls in it...

The next chapter is "expostions of insights into the practice of the
thirteen postures" by Wu Yu-hsiang.

I read it, it talks much of Ch'i and how it is created/relates to
the body/mind.

I can stop if one tells me.....

these may seem on the top to be unrelated, but as I've said, I'm
seeking correlations between Tao and MA, and since T'ai Chi is
(supposedly) predicated on the Tao, it seems to fit.
I'm not a T'ai Chi Ch'uan practioner (as yet). 




... WARNING:  Reading this label may cause eyestrain.
--- Blue Wave/Max v2.12 [NR]
 * Origin: The Funny Papers * Lodi, NJ * (201)478-8476 (93:9010/0)