EMPTY VESSEL: Journal of Taoist Philosophy and Practice FALL 2021

Empty Vessel Journal of Taoist Philosophy & Practice

Fall 2021

$6.95 U.S. $7.95 CAD

DISPLAY UNTIL 03-31-2022

Fall 2021 — Page 1

Fall 2021

Volume 28 Number 4

Features who is tao? by Jane english, PAGES 8-9 Experiencing the heart of character by Mankh, PAGES 10-11 HIstorical Sources of Daoist meditation by louis komjathy, PAGES 12-14 Emptiness and Coherence, part 2 by michael robbins, PAGES 16-20 a few words on death and grief by stuart alve olson, PAGES 22-23 holy cow! the mother of Dao by master zhongxian wu, PAGES 24-25 Commentary on Chapter 81 by C.L. Babcook, PAGES 28-31 Stoicism and Daoism by robert sessions, PAGES 32-33

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Thank you to Fall 2021 sponsor Linda Bredfeldt departments Taoism in the seasons, PAGE 7 poetry corner, PAGE 21

Like us on Facebook: @ EmptyVesselMagazine • Instagram: @EmptyVesselMag

www.EmptyVessel.net

acupuncture point meditation, PAGES 26-27 book reviews, PAGES 36-37 directory and classifieds, PAGES 38-39

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Publisher's corner Feature Contributors Happy Fall!

Thanks for continuing this journey of Taoism with us! This issue marks our third year as the “new” owners of the Empty Vessel, and we appreciate your continued support. Please share our magazine with your friends and colleagues, and consider gifting a subscription for the holidays.

In gratitude, Nicole and Chris

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Mankh (Walter E. Harris III) writes, edits, small press publishes, meditates, gardens, and travels a holistic mystic pathway staying in touch with Turtle Island. He has been doing brush calligraphy and studying Chinese pictographs for about 25 years and is now also doing brush calligraphy art in color with acrylics.

Mankh’s recent book is Moving Through The Empty Gate Forest: inside looking out. His website: allbook-books.com.

Heather Hernandez has been a part of Empty Vessel since 2018.

Currently she is Copy Desk Chief for the Daily Sun in Charlotte Harbor, Florida.

Inner Strength - page 6 Ying Yu Jade - page 14 Solala Towler - page 15 Tao Heart Mind - page 36 Traditions School - page 37 Jane English - page 40

Empty Vessel

Editorial, Design Dr. Nicole Noles Collins Heather Hernandez (Taoism in the Seasons)

Empty Vessel: A Journal of Contemporary Taoism is published quarterly by DaoDog Press, 3440 Conway Blvd. Unit 1D, Port Charlotte FL 33952.

Subscriptions are $27 per year (U.S. funds).

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Advertising Dr. Nicole Noles Collins Advertising rates are available by calling 941-979-9793 or emailing daodogpress@gmail.com.

The Empty Vessel is dedicated to the exploration of Taoist philosophy and practice. It is open to sharing the various traditional and contemporary teachings in a nondiscriminatory manner.

Publishers Dr. Nicole Noles Collins Christopher Collins

Social Media Team Dr. Nicole Noles Collins Christopher Collins Angelique Noles

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Journal of Taoist Philosophy and Practice

©2021 DaoDog Press, all rights reserved.

Empty Vessel is not responsible for opinions or statements expressed by authors or for advertisers’ claims.

Feature Contributors Jane English grew up in New England, did undergraduate work at Mount Holyoke College, and began photographing while completing a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Wisconsin. Her black and white photographs illustrate six books, including a best-selling translation of the Tao Te Ching, published in 1972 by Random House. She founded her own publishing business, Earth Heart, in 1985.

Dusty Bodeen, LAc is a 5 Element Acupuncturist, Eastern Medicine teacher, Gene Keys guide and musician. He composes music for guided meditations, educational experiences, and hip hop. He has a Master’s in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, is also a student of the world-renowned wilderness guide and 5 Element Acupuncturist, Dr. David Ford, DOM. You can contact him at dustybodeen@gmail.com.

Louis Komjathy, Ph.D., CSO is a Daoist contemplative, scholarpractitioner, and ordained priest. He serves as founding Co-director and senior teacher of the Daoist Foundation. He has published on Daoism, including Taming the Wild Horse: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Daoist Horse Taming Pictures. He lives in Chicago, Illinios.

Master Zhongxian Wu has written numerous articles and 15 books (5 in Chinese) on China’s ancient life sciences. In addition, he currently offers online Qigong and Yijing courses, private consultations, and remote healing sessions for Qi-friends all over the world. For more information, please visit his website at www.chinesewisdomtraditions. com.

Michael Robbins is a psychotherapist, Taoist internal energy arts teacher, artist and poet who lives and works in Somerville, Massachusetts. He is also a student of the Diamond Approach of A.H. Almaas and the Austrian mystic Thomas Hubl. For more information about Michael, please visit michaelrobbinstherapy.com.

C.L. Babcook is an aspiring Daoist who especially enjoys reading the Dao De Jing. She became interested in Daoism when she and her husband visited China in the late 1980s. Back in U.S., she took some university courses concerning ancient China which led to her writing commentaries and retelling Asian wisdom stories.

Robert Sessions is a retired professor of philosophy who often taught Daoist classics in his courses (a favorite is Wandering on the Way). He’s the author of On Becoming Real: Authenticity in an Age of Distractions and Working in America: A Humanities Reader.

Stuart Alve Olson is the founder, director, and head teacher at the Sanctuary of Tao. He is an author and translator of over thirty works on Taoist Philosophy, the I Ching, Taijiquan, Qigong, and Internal Alchemy practices, many of which now appear in several foreign language editions.

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Taoism in the Seasons

Lungs and skin need extra care this time of year, the dryness can crack your lips and produce a dry cough.

By Heather Hernandez

Autumn is associated with the

Metal element, the sound of crying and a rotten odor.

Eat

The taste in Fall is pungent, such as

garlic, cinnamon and ginger.

warming foods such as vegetable soups and try to include

pears, parsnips, plums and pumpkins.

Get plenty of rest and water,

keeping your immune system strong will help you this Autumn.

Leaves falling reminds us that Fall is about letting go and

being in-tune with cycle of the seasons.

SOURCES: WUWEIWISDOM.COM • ENERGYARTS.COM

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Who is Tao? Jane English - excerpts from the Introduction to the book, A Rainbow of Tao Here in the West, language structures our world into objects and actions. We have nouns and we have verbs.

Among the nouns we make a distinction between the “whats” and the “whos,” between inanimate things and living beings.

Translations from Chinese usually treat Tao as a noun; however, Tao cannot be so neatly categorized. It is both noun and verb; it is neither noun nor verb. Nor is it easily classified either as a “who” or as a “what.”

A defining statement of our Western culture is found in the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word . . .”

Yet Tao Te Ching begins with a starkly contrasting line that roughly translates as, “The Tao that can be spoken is not the real Tao.” Mindful of the paradox of using words and images to approach Tao, I invite you to enter this book with a spirit of adventure. Explore with me this Tao that has over the past few decades come from the Far East into our Western world.

When I first heard of Tao, I did not know what the word meant. Having now lived more years of my life with Tao Te Ching than I did without knowing of it, I still have difficulty defining Tao. Sometimes it is written as Dao rather than Tao. The correct pronunciation is said to happen when you place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth partway between the “t” position and the “d” position. The sound then produced has no equivalent in the English language, but is close to the Chinese sound.

During the fifty years since Gia-fu Feng and I created our version of Tao Te Ching, the awareness of Tao has made its way into all corners of our culture, as evidenced by the proliferation of books whose titles begin with “The Tao of . . .” The first such book I knew of was The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra, which I encouraged the British publisher of our Tao Te Ching to publish, even though it had by 1974 been rejected by a dozen other publishers. After that came my friend

John Heider’s book, The Tao of Leadership, followed

by The Tao of Pooh and others.

Out of curiosity I googled “The Tao of” and came up with over thirty books, a true rainbow of Tao.

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Why is Tao suddenly so popular? What treasures does this Tao from the Far East bring to our Western culture?

The only way I can attempt to answer this with integrity is to show you some of my own experience with Tao, which I offer first with words in this introduction, then with a dance of my images and words along with text from Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tsu, and finally with the story of how Gia-fu and I made our books.

Then you, the reader, can notice where this resonates in your own being, can see what is awakened in you. Each of us must find Tao in our own unique way.

My Journey with Tao

As a child I felt at home with nature in the woods and fields behind our house and, though I couldn’t put words to it, with the vast realm of spirit toward which the huge elm by the house seemed to point.

The human realm was more problematic. The rightangled human-made form of the house was both a safe haven where I slept, ate and played, and a limitation on nature and spirit. This ambivalence seems to be essential to human existence, the ongoing dance of freedom and constraint in the three worlds spoken of in traditional Chinese writings: heaven, human and nature.

One seemingly small event that had a large influence on my life was my picking up a copy of a book

by Alan Watts in the late 1960’s during the years I was

doing graduate work in physics. In this book I found discussions of various Eastern mystical traditions and was struck by the same paradoxical logic I had found in my undergraduate quantum physics texts. I read every book I could find by Watts and participated in an informal course on mysticism. I also bought a small paperback copy of Tao Te Ching.

One day as I was reading a book by Watts, something fell apart. I realized that I could not find a resolution to my confusion in that book, or in any book.

I tossed the book across the room in frustration! I didn’t know what to do.

In retrospect, I see that what I did was to increase my photographic work and my inner explorations. I sensed that the answer to my confusion was in nature and within myself.

While I was with Gia-fu during the early 1970s, I photographed intensively, delighting in creativity, my own

and nature’s. I was young and did my photographing in innocence.

I especially liked creating photographs that teetered on the boundary between being and non-being — tree branches that delicately merge with the sky, fog almost obscuring a mountain, details of shells or grass that are almost unrecognizable. For me this was a way to go beyond the too-static “thingness” of ordinary consciousness. It was a doorway to a vastness that felt like my native land.

I was reaching for a truth that seemed to reside in nature. Perhaps I believed that what I was searching for could be photographed. Through my photography I was intuitively going beyond words. I was seeing the ineffable, sometimes called Tao, through nature.

Tao confounds the adversarial mind and is friend to ambiguity.

—natalie ednie

yes, this is a color photo! -- the pond behind my Vermont home

Tao books, calendars and other items are at Jane English’s Earth Heart website at eheart.com Fall 2021 — Page 9

Experiencing the Heart of Character Editor’s Note: These excerpts are from Photo Albums Of The Heart-Mind by Mankh (Walter E. Harris III), (Allbook Books, 2017). See related book review, page 36.

Tao (Thou) You have to experience and live it to truly know, yet the following explanation of the ancient Chinese pictograph/ideogram for “Tao” can be considered as a sign of or gatepost into the actual experience or Way of Life. The modern English “go with the flow” is perhaps the best soundbite of the un-biteable.

In this traveler’s experience, even simply contemplating the pictograph and corresponding words can help you along the Path, plus, there are texts to study, and apply, and experience. The “<<<” above the head signify: “hair” and/or “three footprints” and/or “water/river.”

An original had “walking, marching” as one of the pictures, then later it became “step by step” or “going and pausing” — very Yang-Yin, and perhaps three footprints is going-pausing-going. Also, perhaps in conjunction with path-walking, the outer lines framing the head and “<<<” are considered as “crossroads/ gateposts.” A related pictograph mentions: “Top of the head. It is through the fontanel [soft spot of infant skull], that the soul of a Taoist contemplative goes out of the body, to rove about.”

‘Hair’ can also signify the gossamer string-like connection with being guided by Spirit/First-Mover, with hair acting as antennae. The steps — listed specifically as left foot forward, then right — could also be: looking left and right, where to step.

A simple summary: “rhythmic movement — to go ahead — intelligent rhythm.”

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To walk and live with the Tao is a form of heart-mind consciousness. The “<<<” also look like the pictograph for “river;” a dictionary note says that they are not, but this traveler says, maybe. Added associations are: “to guide, lead” and “tree, wood.”

In sum: a person guided by subtle spirit-body communications flows like a river, traveling the physical and spiritual worlds, guided by attention to the crossroads/ gateposts/signs/tree-consciousness.

Te (Dei) The ancient Chinese pictograph for Te or De [1] includes “heartmind” and is a key aspect of the philosophical verses of the Tao Te Ching (Thou Dei Jinn). Te is typically transliterated as “virtue” yet also akin to “deity” whose root is dyeu — “to shine,” and associated with “god, sky, heaven, divine.” Dei is an energy of blessing, yet that blessing is typically earned — the pictograph gives a clue as to how.

The left picture signifies: A person walking, going forward, going to meet others.

The right picture: Bottom “heart,” middle “eye,” top “straightforward/intuition, and the number ten.”

Originally the “+” was one vertical line signifying: looking directly at/into things, intuition. Then it became a ‘cross,’ signifying the number ten (which contains all the other basic numbers, 0 thru 9) and signifies: 2 x 5 or multi-dimensional North, East, South, West, Center.

Be pure of heart, see through any fears, see into the true nature of things on all levels/dimensions (as much as you can), relate with others honestly and straightforwardly — and the spirits, the deities will look out for and guide you.

ideas are a guidepost that one can ponder and apply. As example, this traveler tunes-in to jinn energy by trying to see or know what is happening beneath the surface (whethThe left picture is composed of: two cocoons producer at a party, with world news, or life in general), and by ing the lightest thread, with the bottom part signifying: remembering that an impulse, idea, and intuition as light several threads intertwined into a bigger thread. Conas a strand of silk could determine sider the spinning jenny — used which way my day goes; following an for making cotton thread — as an This traveler’s version is a mix from: urge for coffee then meeting people ‘by industrialized jinn; consider genes.

• Chinese Characters: Their Origin, Etymology, History, chance’ at a café, the day’s intertwining Classiftcation, and Signiftcation: A Thorough Study from Chinese Documents, Dr. L. Wieger, S.J. (Paragon of strands. Jinn as ‘spirit in a machine’ The right: “the underground waterand Dover, 1965, originally from 1927, 1915); is both solid as earth and delicate as a course.” From: “ —under the surface” • Tao: The Watercourse Way, Alan Watts with Al slender thread. and “<<< water” and the “I” shape Chung-liang Huang (Pantheon Books, 1975); signifies: a person standing with the • Westward-Singing Bird: A westward-transmittal of Mother Earth: “— surface, soil” and Notes the Teachings of Lao Tzu’s THOU DEI JINN, Khiron, “ — subsoil, rock” with the vertical the Kuei-Shen Hsien, (1998) line: what grows or is produced.

[1] “De”- https://en.wikipedia.

• Wikipedia “Tao.” org/wiki/De_(Chinese) & Westgratitude for their helping to further elucidate Thus, “to examine the underground Much ward-Singing Bird: A westand understand the great and mysterious Tao. veins” so as to see what may happen ward-transmittal of the Teachings of or grow. “Geomancy (earth divinaLao Tzu’s THOU DEI JINN, Khiron, tion) is a method of divination that interprets markings the Kuei-Shen Hsien, (1998). https://spirit-alembic.com/ on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls thou.html of soil, rocks, or sand.”[2] A reminder to look to Nature and All Our Relations for guidance. The pictures-words[2] “Geomancy” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomancy

Ching (Jinn)

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Part 3: Historical Periods and Sources of Daoist Meditation

By Louis Komjathy 康思奇, Ph.D. Transcript prepared and edited

by Aranyelixír Kiadó This is Part 3 of the transcription of a lecture given to the Contemplative Studies Initiative at Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island) in 2011. The transcript was prepared and edited by Aranyelixír Kiadó (Budapest, Hungary), revised, supplemented and approved by Louis Komjathy in September 2014.

Visualization Visualization is the next major form in Daoist meditation.

In terms of historical origins, it was first systematized in the early Shangqing or Highest Clarity movement of early medieval Daoism. Visualization involves visualizing or imagining the inner regions of the body (the microcosm) and other realms of the universe (the macrocosm). Vision and imagination are the primary faculties utilized here.

While there are many complex Daoist visualization practices, two representative examples will suffice.

One of the most representative types of Daoist meditation focuses on the sun, moon and stars. In the Jinque dijun sanyuan zhenyi jing 金闕帝君三元真一經 (Scripture on the Perfect Ones of the Three Primes by the Lord Gold Tower; DZ 253; cf. DZ 1314), part of the original 4th century Highest Clarity revelations, aspiring adepts are instructed to visualize the Northern Dipper, that is, the Big Dipper or Ursa Major, according to the method of “guarding the One.” Now we have shouyi being used for a completely different kind of practice. This practice is also called “guarding the Three Ones” (shou sanyi 守三一).

Visualizing the Big Dipper At midnight on the lichun 立春 (Spring Begins) node [approx. Feb. 2], practice aligned meditation (zhengzuo 正坐) facing east. Exhale nine times and swallow saliva thirty-five times.

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Then visualize the seven stars of the Northern Dipper as they slowly descend toward you until they rest above you. The Dipper should be directly above your head, with its handle pointing forward, due east. Visualize it in such a way that the stars Yin Essence and Perfect One are just above the top of your head. The two stars Yang Brightness and Mysterious Darkness should be higher up. In addition, Yin Essence and Yang Brightness should be toward your back, while Perfect One and Mysterious Darkness are in front. Though the image may be blurred at first, concentrate firmly and focus it in position. Then concentrate on the venerable Lords, the Three Ones. They appear suddenly in the bowl of the Dipper above your head. Before long their three ministers arrive in the same way.

After a little while, observe how the six gods ascend together to Mysterious Darkness, from where they move east. When they reach the Celestial Pass, they stop. Together they turn and face your mouth. See how the Upper Prime supports the upper minister with his hand; how the Middle Prime supports the middle minister; and how the Lower Prime supports the lower minister. Then take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you can. The Upper Prime and his minister follow this breath and enter your mouth. Once inside they ascend and go to the Palace of Niwan 泥丸 in the head.

Take another breath as deep as you can. The Middle Prime and his minister follow this breath and enter your mouth. Once inside they descend and go to the Scarlet Palace in the heart. Take yet another breath as deep as you can. The Lower Prime and his minister follow this breath and enter your mouth. Once inside they descend and go to the lower Cinnabar Field in the abdomen. Next visualize the star Celestial Pass and bring it down to about seven inches in front of your mouth. While this star stands guard before your mouth, the Three Ones firmly enter into their bodily palaces. With this complete, concentrate again on the Perfected to make sure they are all at rest in their residences. From then on, whether sitting or lying down, always keep them firmly in your mind.

At any point during the practice, if concerns or desires arise in your mind, it will push to pursue them. Then, however much the mind strains to break free, make sure to keep it firmly concentrated on the Three Ones.

See that you remain at peace and in solitude. Moreover, if your room is quiet enough, you may continue the practice well into the day.

These are the names of the stars of the Dipper, according to Daoism: 1. Yangming 陽明 (Yang Brightness) 2. Yinjing 陰精 (Yin Essence) 3. Zhenren 真人 (Perfect One) 4. Xuanming 玄冥 (Mysterious Darkness) 5. Danyuan 丹元 (Cinnabar Prime) 6. Beiji 北極 (North Culmen) 7. Tianguan 天關 (Celestial Pass)

The Seven Visible Stars of the Big Dipper Source: Jinque dijun wudou sanyi tujue 金闕帝君五斗三一圖訣, DZ 765, 16b

Within this method, the Daoist adept visualizes the Big Dipper above his/her head. The two lower stars of the Dipper bowl rest in close proximity to the top of the head, while the handle extends forward so that the 7th

star, called Celestial Pass, rests in front of the mouth.

At the beginning of spring, one faces east, that is, one enters a posture of cosmological alignment based on the Five Phases (Wood/spring/east).

One internally visualizes the Three Ones, also known as the Three Primes and the Three Purities in the Dipper bowl. The Three Purities represent primordial ethers and cosmic qi, the earliest emanations of the Dao. They are the highest “deities” of the Daoist pantheon. They are usually represented in anthropomorphic form, three old Chinese men, wearing Daoist ritual investments.

According to this method, the Three Purities ascend together to the fourth star, Mysterious Darkness, move to the seventh star, Celestial Pass, and wait there facing towards the adept’s mouth. The adept then visualizes each one in sequence.

So the upper, middle and lower entering their respective corporeal locations, that is, niwan in the center of the head, the Scarlet Palace in the heart, and the cinnabar field [in the abdomen], which are called the three cinnabar or elixir fields. In this way the three heavens and their corresponding gods become located in the Daoist adherent’s very own body.

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The text in turn advises the Daoist aspirant to follow the same instructions for the commencements of the other seasons: lixia 立夏 (summer begins; around May 5th) facing south; liqiu 立秋 (autumn begins; around August 8th) facing west; and lidong 立冬 (winter begins; around November 11th) facing north. The corresponding time seems to be the same, namely 11 pm to 1 am. There are thus seasonal, cosmological and theological dimensions of the practice.

Another distinctively Daoist visualization method centering on the Big Dipper appears in the 4th century in Dongfang jing 洞房經 (Scripture on the Cavern Chamber; DZ 405, 13b). The dongfang 洞房, or “Cavern Chamber,” of the text title refers to one of the Nine Palaces, which are the nine Daoist mystical cranial locations, that is, you have Nine Palaces in your brain that you can access through Daoist practice. According to this text, the Daoist adept visualizes and then locates each of the seven stars and its corresponding body organ.

As such, this method falls somewhere between the categories of visualization and ingestion, as one seems to be taking the actual energies of the stars into the body.

Installing the Dipper in One’s Body Source: Yutang zhengzong gaoben neijing yushu 玉堂正宗高奔內景玉書; DZ 221, 2.13a17b

This method is called “returning to the origin” (huiyuan 迴元), and a corresponding illustration orients the Big Dipper in a reversed manner from the above-mentioned technique for guarding the Three Ones—it is upside down compared to the other one.

That is, the bowl of the Big Dipper is upside-down with the handle pointing backwards.

One begins by visualizing the first star of the Big Dipper, Yang Brightness, descending into and connected to the heart. This is followed by locating in second star, Yin Essence, in the lungs; the third star, Perfect One, in the liver; the fourth star, Mysterious Darkness, in the spleen; the fifth star, Cinnabar Prime, in the stomach; and the sixth star, North Culmen, in the kidneys. The practice concludes with visualizing the seventh star, Celestial Pass, descending into and connected to the eyes. The latter is noteworthy as more standardized Daoist visualization methods associate the left and right eye with the sun and moon, respectively. The adept is also instructed to perform each of the seven visualizations while practicing “calm” or “level sitting” (pingzuo 平坐) at midnight on the corresponding day. So you can kind of map out all the days in our associations.

Here I should also mention that the Big Dipper is centrally important in the Daoist tradition.

Generally speaking, Daoists view the Big Dipper as the center and pivot-point of the universe. The entire cosmos turns around it. It is also associated with human fate (ming 命), one’s endowed destiny. Many Daoist texts claim that through Daoist training and spiritual transformation one can change one’s fate. That is, the handle of the Big Dipper is within oneself. In addition to the visualization practice such as the one just described, the Big Dipper becomes a map for the body. Sometimes it extends out from the heart. More commonly, it is imposed on to the spine, with Huiyin 會陰 (the perineum) corresponding to the first star and Mingtang 明堂 (third-eye) corresponding to the seventh star.

To be continued in Winter 2021 edition

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To instantly download these courses go to www.abodetao.com Fall 2021 — Page 15

Emptiness and Coherence part 2

Integrating Emptiness with the Three Treasures of Love, Wisdom and Vitality

By Michael Robbins, M.A., L.M.H.C. michaelclearmind@gmail.com, website: michaelrobbinstherapy.com

Qi Gong practice is the art of cultivating a state of energetic harmony between all levels of our being and with the energies of earth and the cosmos. By learning how to skillfully train our attention on different areas of our body/mind, practicing correct posture and movement patterns, and learning healthy breathing patterns, we cultivate a state of vitality in our physical body, increase our capacity to give and receive love, and access a clear and quiet state of mind. In the words of the esteemed neurobiologist Dan Siegel “attention sculpts the nervous system” (Siegel, 2012). Simply put, what we practice, we become.

When our chi flows in a natural and unobstructed river through all levels of our being, we access deep levels of our potential. Qi Gong practice nourishes this potential and helps us to realize the true nature of reality. In the view of the Taoist sages, reality is an open system of luminous intelligence in which everything is knit together in a great interdependent web that spans from the smallest atomic quark to the movements of the stars. According to Taoist practice, in a human being this intelligence manifests as the three treasures Empty Vessel — Page 16

of vitality (Jing — lower Dan Tien), love (Qi — middle Dan Tien) and wisdom (Shen — Upper Dan Tien), which are knit together by the central channel. The nature of the central channel is emptiness. In an accomplished practitioner, the three treasures are open and balanced and consciousness flows from emptiness to form and back to emptiness in an unbroken circle.

Because of our conditioning and the various traumas that we have experienced in life, we usually find ourselves cut off and alienated from this flow in some way. Qi Gong practice allows us to begin to address this problem. Through our practice we dissolve the blockages we experience and remember our place in the web of life.

The current of chi we access through practice is skillful and precise medicine. Different practices address different blockages and restore the flow of chi in specific ways. A well-trained Qi Gong master has many practices at his or her disposal to address the blockages they discover in themselves and their students. This “medicine chest” of practice in Taoism is vast. After 45 years, I still feel like a beginner!

On the other hand, the core of all of this is very simple.

Relax and do the practices! The deeper you relax the more you practice the more the natural flow of the Tao

will heal and balance your body, heart and mind. The greatest teacher is the practice itself.

What follows are 4 simple practices that can be used to balance the Dan Tiens of the belly, the chest and the head, and begin to cultivate an awareness of emptiness.

These are fairly simple and safe methods. If you practice them with sincerity, they can have a profound balancing effect on your body and mind.

with each breath. Begin by feeling this vitality expanding through your abdomen. If your capacity to sense your body from the inside is strong, you could breathe into each internal organ. Simply placing your attention specifically on each internal organ can have a strong effect on the flow of fluids and chi to that area. If you are not familiar with the placement of each organ it can be useful to consult an anatomy book.

Dan Tien breathing is sometimes also called longevity breathing, ocean breathing, or six-sided breathing.

Sit comfortably in a chair with your spine straight and your feet planted on the floor, or if you know how to do Taoist standing meditation, stand with the correct alignments.

Gradually increase the range of this pulsation until it moves all the way out to your skin. Then slowly include the field of energy around your body. Feel your chi reaching from the center of your belly to the periphery of your chi-field and back to the center in an even relaxed pulsation. As you do this, allow the possibility that your breath can slow down even more. The slower you breathe and the more your attention can rest in an unbroken stream within it and with the subtle movement of chi, the more coherent, quiet and focused your mind will become. Stay with the sensations of these pulsations allow a deep sense of enjoyment, inner peace and relaxation to emerge with each breath. Bless each breath and consciously recognize it as a gift of vitality. Breath is life.

Without breath, your life in the body would cease.

Allow your attention to begin to rest in your breath.

Invite your breathing to relax and deepen until you are breathing diaphragmatically. You will know you are breathing diaphragmatically when your belly is rising and falling with each breath.

Training your attention to rest in your breath and this pulsation from center to periphery takes time. Feel this time as a gift to yourself and your well-being. Be patient. Practice this until you can rest in your breath with an undistracted mind for 10, 20 or 30 minutes.

Gently begin to feel your belly from the inside. Notice any places of tension, overcharge or undercharge, contraction, or anything that feels imbalanced or not quite right. With your awareness in your breath, invite any sensations of imbalance or tension to relax and unwind.

As your mind becomes more and more settled and tensions dissolve at deeper levels of your belly, invite an awareness of emptiness to emerge in the center of your belly. This might feel like a profound, relaxed, stillness and presence that pervades your entire body-mind.

Rest in this presence. Allow the energies that flow into your belly naturally from emptiness to heal and to balance you at every level.

This is not meant to be a substitute for study with a teacher. As always, I encourage you to seek out a competent Qi Gong teacher or Taoist master that you can study with directly if you want to truly progress in mastering this wonderful art.

Balancing the Belly

As your belly relaxes, begin to explore the different directions that your breath moves. Notice how your breath can expand your belly to the front, back, right, left, and up and down. Explore each of these directions separately and note the areas that are more difficult for you. A good way to check if your breath is open in a particular area is to place your hand on that area and see if you feel movement.

As your breath reaches in all six directions with more evenness and ease, imagine that there is a luminous sea of energy in your belly pulsing out in all directions

Standing Meditation Opening the Five Gates This is one of my favorite practices to connect the Dan Tien of the belly with the energy of the earth. It is tremendously grounding and stabilizing for the nervous system.

I feel particularly indebted to Bill Ryan and Bruce Frantzis (Frantzis, 1993) for guiding me through the finer points of standing meditation.

Fall 2021 — Page 17

To do this practice, first we have to learn how to meditate while standing. Standing meditation is called the secret of Qi Gong (Cohen, 1997). There are many advantages to standing meditation. For many people it keeps their attention in their bodies and in their sensations more effectively than sitting practice. It also challenges postural misalignments and body armoring that block the streaming of energy from the crown of our head all the way to our feet.

Then bring your attention to your midback. Widen the space of your scapula so that you have a sense of the chi wrapping around your body from the back. This should relieve any tension in your upper back. While you do this, open your armpits as if they have quail’s eggs in them and melt any tension you feel in your chest down into your lower Dan Tien.

Begin by standing with your feet parallel, directly under your hips. Bring your attention to the bottoms of your feet and imagine the soles of your feet melting evenly into the ground like soft wax. Allow your weight to be evenly distributed throughout your soles with no more weight in the front the back the left or the right side. Feel that the boundary between your feet and the ground beneath you is dissolving as if you have energetic roots that extend below your feet.

Finally, become aware of your head and neck. Gently pull your chin in and have a sense that you are lengthening the back of your neck and opening the area of your occiput. Finally imagine the topmost point of your head opening and reaching for a star above your head. Imagine that your whole body is hanging from this star, totally relaxed, like a suit of clothing hung up in the closet. Allow the chi from the star above your head to stream down through your whole body dissolving any areas of tension, contraction, overcharge or undercharge, and anything that feels twisted or armored or in any way “not quite right”.

Then bring your attention to your ankles. Feel that there is a luminous cushion of chi in between the bones of your ankles that relieves any pressure. Give yourself the suggestion that this cushion is a little fatter in the back of your ankles than the front. This will encourage a sense of buoyancy and resilience in your ankles.

Once you are standing with proper alignment, bring your attention to your breath and belly as in the belly breathing practice above. Now you are ready to focus on relaxing open the five gates. Gradually become aware of the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet, and your perineum. Slowly bring your hands in front of your body with your palms pointing downward.

Next, bring your attention to your knees. Find a “sweet spot” in your knees where they are neither bent nor straight. Enter your knees with your awareness through the backs of your knees and fill your knees with a luminous, pulsing fluid that relieves any stress in your knees. In Taoist practice, the knees are a weight-transfer joint, not a weight-bearing one.

Then notice your sacrum. Drop your sacrum downwards as if you have a dinosaur’s tail that gently pulls your sacrum down towards the ground. Feel an energetic connection between your sacrum and your heels and sense rivers of chi flowing down your legs from your sacrum into your feet and then into to ground.

Begin to sense five luminous streams of chi extending from your belly center through these five gates. into the earth until your body feels like a tree with five luminous roots. Extend these roots deep into the energy field of the earth. Open yourself to the possibility that you can directly and experientially sense the energy field of the earth. Invite the innate intelligence, order and self-correcting balance that is inherent in the earth to communicate directly with your belly center. Feel your chi field and the field of the planet becoming synchronized. If your sensitivity is highly developed, you might feel the natural pulsations of the earth’s magnetic field moving through your body.

Next become aware of your lumbar spine. Sense cushions of light between each vertebrate relieving any pressure in your low back. Allow these cushions to be a little fatter in the front of your lumbar spine than the back so the vertebrate nest easily down into your sacrum.

As this practice and connection with the earth becomes more stable and coherent, invite emptiness to touch you through the portal of the earth’s magnetic field. What do you notice about the quality of emptiness as it gets filtered through the earth’s magnetic field?

Empty Vessel — Page 18

Balancing the chest: The Inner Smile Opening the Heart of Compassion Here is a simple, profound practice to balance the chest center. I first learned this practice with Mantak Chia (Chia, 1985). It is very similar to lovingkindness or “metta” practice in the Buddhist tradition and I have integrated some aspects of metta practice into the following description. This practice can be done seated or standing.

Begin by resourcing some experience that opens you to a felt sense of compassion and loving-kindness.

This could be a connection with a person you love, a spiritual teacher that embodies these qualities, a piece of music, or a scene from nature. The important thing is to awaken a genuine sense of loving-kindness that is heartfelt and that you can sense directly in your heart area. Allow this feeling to be expressed in an inner smile like the Buddha’s smile.

Sense a warm glow in your chest that is imbued with the qualities of love and compassion. Sometimes, I sense an actual sweet taste like nectar at this point in the meditation. See what arises for you. For some people it is useful to imagine a light like a small sun in the center of the chest. Allow the warmth of this sweet, loving-kindness to spread through your chest and direct it to all parts of your body/mind. It is useful to be very specific and light

up each internal organ, each muscle and bone, and every part of your nervous system with this warm, accepting, compassionate glow. Feel a deep sense of gratitude for the miracle of your human body. Then, invite every area of your emotional life, particularly those areas where you have conflict or judgment, into the compassionate warmth that is emanating from your heart center. Spend more time with any part of you, either physically or emotionally, that you have shame or judgment towards.

After you have worked with yourself, begin to include people in your life. Start with people that you love unambivalently and progress to those that you have more conflict about. It might take many sessions before you feel ready to authentically work with the difficult people in your life. Notice the quality of the energies that arise in your body/mind as you do this. If at any point you lose contact with this very even, loving and, compassionate energy in the center of your chest, slow down and go back a step. Ultimately you can include your city, state, the country and the whole planet.

As the energies in your chest become more stable and coherent, invite the stillness of emptiness into the center of your chest. Notice what happens when you attune to emptiness through the portal of your heart center. How is this similar and/or different to the way that you feel emptiness in your belly center?

Fall 2021 — Page 19

After practicing this meditation for a couple of weeks, notice if your relationship with yourself and the people around you, changes in any significant way. Experiment with recalling this very even, compassionate and kind energy when you are in a challenging situation. I find it particularly useful when I am about to be emotionally reactive or hurtful. Notice if it is possible for you to contain and redirect your attention and behavior so you do not act out in a reactive way.

above your ahead. At some point as you travel into this black spaciousness above your head, allow a swirling galaxy of stars like a vast, spiral, funnel to emerge. Out of this funnel, notice one particularly bright star about 6 feet above you crown. Feel this star shining with a powerful, luminous, brightness. Allow it to be filled with the deepest essence of your soul, like your essential identity, beyond your personality or conditioned mind.

Notice the effect that the light has on the black space.

Feel a stream of luminous energy traveling down from this star into the top of your head and flowing down through your nervous system. As this energy flows down from above your head, you may feel a powerful sense of coherence, clarity, and organization streaming through every aspect of your body and mind. In A word of caution with the following meditation. Make particular, feel this energy moving down through your sure that you are energetically grounded before you do central channel, which runs through the middle of it or you might feel spacey afterwards. I find it useful your body from your crown all the way down to your to “bracket” any work with the higher, more subtle perineum. Feel this flow of energy organizing and balenergies, with standing and/or sitting practices that ancing your whole nervous system. Allow this current focus on the downward flow of chi into the earth. to continue as long as is necessary to do the work of repairing, balancing and healing your nervous system.

This practice connects the head center to the boundless light above your head, which according to many When this is finished, return to a deep, neutral sense of mystical teachings is also the first step down of energy emptiness. Notice how emptiness touches your body/ out of emptiness. I have learned versions of this practice mind through the portal of your head center. Notice from many sources, including from Mantak Chia, Pir how your experience of emptiness at this level is similar Vilayat, Thomas Hubl, and in the Ridwhan school of and different to your experience of emptiness in your A.H. Almaas. The following is my own integration. chest and belly. See if you can begin to develop finer and This practice can be done sitting or standing. finer discriminations between the direct experience of emptiness and the qualities that emerge through each of Begin by bringing your attention to the center of your the centers of the belly, the chest and the head. head. Mindfully begin to dissolve any areas of tension

or contraction that you feel around your skull and scalp.

Sources Pay particular attention to your eyes and dissolving the deep tensions in your optical nerve and behind your • Chia, Mantak, (1993, 2008) Healing Light of The Tao, eyes. Through your eyes, begin to access and unwind Foundational Practices to Awaken Chi Energy, Destiny deeper layers of your brain and nervous system.

Books, Rochester, Vermont.

Balancing the head: Opening the Head Center and Connecting to the Subtle Realms of Boundless Light above the Head

As the tension in your head dissolves, invite a quality of deep, luminous, black, spaciousness to emerge in your head. Feel the intense quiet and stillness that is in the center of this luminous, black space. Then pay particular attention to dissolving any tension that you feel at the topmost point of your crown. This point is called the Ba Hui point in Taoist teachings and is the gateway to the energies above our heads. As this point dissolves, allow your experience of inner spaciousness to extend far Empty Vessel — Page 20

• Cohen, Ken, (1997), Qi Gong, The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing, Ballantine Books, NY. • Frantzis, Bruce, (1993), Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.

• Siegel, Dan (2012), Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, W.W. Norton and Company, NY and London.

Poetry Corner Riding the Clouds

By Jia Senghe from his book: Sounds of Water, Poems from the Bamboo Grove, Mantra Press, 2018 a simple bamboo flute my companion for life of how many other things can this be said five holes and a hollow bamboo stalk a well-fashioned mouthpiece and I’m ready to ride the clouds all my life I sip tea and cook rice now world turned upside down I sip tea and cook rice

A Short Beautiful Life

By James Gredell A single precious raindrop falling slowly from a rain cloud in the beautiful vast sky Hence the single beautiful precious rain drop falling coming into life so precious a life Water is Life Now the beautiful rain drop falls lands on a very spiritual person walking down a Daoist Road of Life.

Send poetry submissions to daodogpress@gmail.com.

Fall 2021 — Page 21

A Few Words on Death and Grief

By Stuart Alve Olson The older I get the more I find myself confronted with incidences of death — family, friends, and acquaintances passing from this world appears unrelenting. With Covid, collectively we’ve had a heightened awareness of death over the last year and some months, and many of us have lost loved ones to Covid-19.

I’ve found myself over the last few years talking with friends and students about death, primarily because they’d lost someone close and were unsure how to deal with it. Finding themselves either attempting to be non-attached or compounding their grief by dwelling on regrets and self-blame that they hadn’t done enough to prevent their loved one’s death or that they weren’t there for them in a meaningful way.

It’s hard to discover one’s middle way when it comes to grieving — to feel the pure emotion fully without either resisting the feelings or getting stuck in mental patterns that cause more suffering.

In contrast, when I was younger the incidences of birth dominated, all my friends and even myself experiencing the birth of children. Birth and death, a never-ending cycle, like a crowded airport, many arriving and many departing. The very notion of an airport relies on this cycle of comings and goings of people.

In the world we live in, there must be the fluctuation of existence and non-existence, being and non-being, form and formless, the Real and the Void. In this light, I understand the cycle of birth and death. I understand that everything in this world has a “creation date” and an “expiration date,” as both are a necessary process for the interchange of life and death itself. No life, no death; no death, no life.

Empty Vessel — Page 22

Philosophically, I can grasp the purpose of birth and death, but emotionally it is quite a different matter. The passing on of someone close is very difficult to process, and even though we might try to philosophically understand it, the pain of the grief shuns away philosophical ideas and reasonings.

In Taoism, there are several anecdotal tales about dealing with the death of a loved one, such as in the Zhuang Zi, wherein Zhuang Zhou’s wife dies. His disciple went to his house to console him, but only to find Zhuang singing and playing the drum. In essence, Zhuang was celebrating her life, as well as recognizing that she came into the world from nothingness (the Tao) and had now returned to emptiness (the Tao) and that in observing this transformation process one should rejoice. So he found no reason to express sadness over her death.

However, in most cases when a loved one passes from this physical form into the next phase of their spiritual journey, we must feel all the grief and sorrow that is natural to feel.

Of course, the truth is that certain people that we were close to actually never leave, they are in our hearts and with us in spirit forever.

When we allow ourselves to fully grieve and understand how natural it is, even though it can feel horrible, we find that we have tolerated what we may have perceived to be intolerable, and the experience might leave us with more wisdom and strength, and a deepened commitment to our spiritual path, as well as a greater celebration and appreciation of life —

our own, that of our loved one who passed on, and others who remain in our lives in physical form.

I think this is really the meaning of Zhuang Zi’s experience. I suspect he did initially grieve the loss of his wife, but it turned into more of a recognition of her wonderful influence upon him and her place in the Tao. Master Liang and I had discussed this issue and he held the view that in such situations of death of a loved one that emotion first rules the response, and as he put it, it is only human to experience this, and how can one call themselves a “True Person” if they did not feel grief.

Later, he said we can be philosophical about death to help us understand and deal with the process of death, especially our own, and this is where the philosophy of death is most crucial, not so much for others, but for our own death.

It is because of this focus on finding a good way to deal with the idea of one’s own death that Taoism accentuates the idea of both physical and spiritual immortality.

a butterfly, a metaphor for how a mortal through internal and spiritual cultivation can transform into an immortal.

So in the end, Taoism does understand and accept the need for a period of grief when a loved one passes on and sees that as only natural and an expression of our love and care and connection with that person.

But it also teaches that we should cultivate ourselves so that we do not fear our own death, that we can actually cultivate our spirit (神, shen) so that we experience death as nothing more than a transformation, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. This is in keeping with the Tao. Stuart Alve Olson is the founder, director, and head teacher at the Sanctuary of Tao. He is an author and translator of over thirty works on Taoist Philosophy, the I Ching, Taijiquan, Qigong, and Internal Alchemy practices, many of which now appear in several foreign language editions. To view Stuart’s books and media products, visit www.valleyspiritarts.com. For information on Taoism and Stuart’s teaching programs, www. sanctuaryoftao.org.

On one hand, Taoism is full of methods for prolonging life and maintaining health.

On the other hand, the idea of immortality is central to most traditions of Taoism, but for the most part, the immortality referred to is “spiritual immortality.”

Meaning, having absolute clarity of spirit so that at the time of death one may choose where they wish to go.

Death, in this case, is not death, it is simply a transformation of life, much like Zhuang Zi’s other story about how a caterpillar metamorphosizes into

Fall 2021 — Page 23

Holy Cow! The Mother of the Dao

By Master Zhongxian Wu Chinese Wisdom Traditions In one of my articles, “Stability and Instability: Foundational Daoist Cultivation Practices,” (see his blog at Chinese Wisdom Traditions) I shared some symbolic meanings of trigrams Gen/Moutain ☶ and Zhen/ Thunder ☳ along with their associated internal alchemy practices. These cultivation practices are deeply connected with the DaoDeJing’s 道德經 Holy Cow. We all know that LaoZi’s DaoDeJing is one of the most well known Daoist classics, but most do not know that the birth of this book is related to a green cow — the legendary Holy Cow, the steady mount of LaoZi 老子 as he made his journey to LouGuan 樓關.

The story begins with ZhiQiDongLai 紫氣東來, a ubiquitous phrase, often used as a prayer or charm in China. It is very, very common for people to post this phrase (or have it carved) above the entryway of their homes or of certain temples as a blessing and for protection. It literally translates as “purple colored Qi comes from the east.”

One evening, while he was reading the sky, he noted a mass of purple colored Qi accumulating in the east.

He was astonished by this natural phenomenon and immediately recognized it as an omen indicating that a great sage or truly enlightened master was traveling from the eastern direction. He predicted that this master would travel through HanGuGuan 函谷關 and arrive in LouGuan 樓關. He had a strong inner knowing that he was supposed to meet this master, so he traveled to LouGuan and built himself a simple hut and waited for the master’s arrival. After a short while, an old man with long gray eyebrows and a long gray beard rode towards him. He was riding on a green-colored cow. YinXi immediately recognized that his master. He invited the old man into his hut as his honored guest. The old master, LaoZi, saw that YinXi was seriously committed to his own inner cultivation and agreed to spend some time teaching him.

LaoZi and YinXi

Purple Qi coming from the east? A holy green cow?

Allow me to share the birth story of the DaoDeJing, and explain the metaphysical meanings of these concepts according to Daoist internal alchemy and traditional Qigong practices.

After three months, LaoZi decided he was ready to be traveling on. YinXi humbly requested that LaoZi write down some teachings so that he would be able to continue his studies in LaoZi’s absence. YinXi knew they would most likely not have a chance to see each other again. LaoZi consented, extending his stay to write what we now know as the DaoDeJing for his apprentice. YinXi continued to live a hermit’s life in LouGuan, continuing his cultivation practice with the guidance of the DaoDeJing. Years later, after YinXi achieved enlightenment, he wrote the renowned Daoist classic WenShiJing 文始經.

In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (circa 770-256 BCE), there was a famous astronomer named YinXi 尹喜.

From this story, we see that the original purpose of the DaoDeJing was to provide guidance for internal

ZhiQiDongLai 紫氣東來

Empty Vessel — Page 24

transformation and spiritual cultivation. Through our traditional Qigong practice, we can continuously refine our study and discover advanced cultivation methods hidden within the DaoDeJing.

What about the green cow? There are some cultivation secrets hidden within the story of the green cow that carried LaoZi to LouGuan.

The original Chinese words for the green cow in the story is QingNiu 青牛, a term which does not indicate whether this cow was male or female. Qin means green and Niu means cow, ox, bull, or buffalo. In this story, I prefer to use “cow” as the meaning of Niu, as opposed to ox or bull, for three reasons: • Niu carried LaoZi; then LaoZi wrote the DaoDeJing.

The symbolism here is of Niu as the mother of the DaoDeJing.

• The essence of the DaoDeJing is teach us how to cultivate the quality of Yin 陰, the feminine, the key to return back to the prenatal state and live directly with

the Dao. In general, the cow represents this Yin quality – gentleness, giving, open, nurturing others and unconditional love.

• In Yijing (I Ching) symbolism, Cow is the animal symbol for the trigram Kun / Earth, which is the mother of all things. We can the take the symbolism a step further and interpret QingNiu as the mother of the Dao. QingNiu, the green-colored cow, plays an important role in Daoist metaphysics. It represents the Cow/Ox in the twelve Chinese zodiac and is inherently related with the Qigong principles and internal cultivation methods of the trigrams Gen/Mountain ☶ and Zhen/Thunder ☳.

The green-colored cow is the symbol for the primordial universe, the Dao, and is also the bridge between the prenatal state and postnatal life. The purpose of the Daoist cultivation is to transform the postnatal body and consciousness back to their prenatal states. The DaoDeJing, brought to fruition by the efforts of QingNiu, is not simply a philosophy book. Rather, it is a principal cultivation tool designed to help you return back to the prenatal state.

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Fall 2021 — Page 25

The Awe of Autumn and the Lungs

By Dusty Bodeen, LAc MAcOM The Lungs in Chinese Medicine are the official of awe, of spirit, of Heavenly Qi, known as “the minister” connected to the energy of the fall season. As the yin organ of the Mineral Element, the Lungs remind us of the healing powers of the mountains and dark rocky caves. The Mineral Element is often referred to as the Metal Element in Chinese Medicine.

“Mineral Element” is a term I learned from master 5-Element Acupuncturist David Ford, DOM. I chose this term because it better reflects nature itself.

For millennia Daoist monks, mystics, travelers, man, woman and human have hiked or climbed the ridges of mountains to experience the potent inspiration of panoramic views. Along the way they discovered shelter in the caves and felt the power of stillness in the sunless nights.

Empty Vessel — Page 26

Sitting in meditation or contemplation sometimes all we can hear is the breath — this is the sound of our Lungs, our Brilliant Canopy, spreading the Qi of awe and protection through our entire system. Deep down, we all have the ability to be like the Mineral Element during times of hardship — keeping form and grateful for the privilege of being a human in the vastness of nature.

How can you connect with the healing powers of awe this fall? How can you feel more protected by spirit?

Acupuncture points Lung 1, Middle Palace, and Lung 2, Cloud Gate, can help guide us to this feeling of protection and awe. Following is a guided meditation meant to be read around or in your mind as you lay the palm of your hand over the points shown in the photo on this page.

An Acupuncture Point Meditation Take one deep long breath in between each line. Read slowly.

Palms on my Lungs • Listening to my spirit • I observe my inner essence I experience the inner gold of my being and how it protects me Slowing down, I breathe in my special qualities and gifts At home in Middle Palace • I feel centered Inspiration and awe moving through my channels Feeling the purity of connection I picture myself atop a mountain And then I see the Cloud Gate The clouds and mist of Heavenly Qi A landscape of awe, oriented in nature.

I can breathe fully again Ready to receive the awe of Autumn

Devoted to my relationships Aware of the beauty that is around me and gathering inner light.

Fall 2021 — Page 27

Commentary on Chapter 81: Spiritual Directors, Sages, and Other Powerful Charismatic Types

By C.L. Babcook The final chapter of the Dao De JIng, Chapter 81, is one of the most important chapters for those who seek spiritual truths and direction. Chapter 81 reads:

True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true.

Competence does not persuade, persuasion is not competence.

The sage is not learned, the learned man is not wise.

The Man of Calling does not heap up possessions.

The more he does for others, the more he possesses.

The more he gives to others, the more he has, The Dao of Heaven is “furthering without causing harm”.

The Dao of the Man of Calling is to be effective without quarreling.

Empty Vessel — Page 28

From this chapter we see that, according to Lao Zi, the authentic sage or spiritual director has six qualities.

These are: • The sage does not flatter people.

• The sage does not use his power to persuade anyone about anything.

• The sage does not show off his knowledge or act well learned.

• The sage is not into acquiring lots of possessions.

• The sage is of service to others.

• The sage does not argue or quarrel with others.

The above characteristics are important to keep in mind when one seeks or comes upon a possible spiritual teacher or director. Too often we can be charmed by a charismatic, powerful person who wears the guise of one who can help us grow spiritually. But all too often charismatic and powerful people are not spiritual in their focus; they simply are powerful and charismatic. Some examples of this unique class of people are David Coresh, Charles Manson and perhaps Hitler.

Charismatic people are often simply born that way and their charm is often known by them at an early age. Quickly some of the charismatic types learn to manipulate the world as they see fit by means of their

charm. Their energy is enticing, quite pleasurable to be around, and if, in later life, they read and act in a “spiritual fashion” they can deeply impress the unsuspecting spiritual seeker. Sweet energy may be a trap not unlike the trap of taking drugs to feel better.

Often people fall under the spell of charismatic types and may be manipulated at various levels. Some unsuspecting people have been known to give much of their money and belongings to charismatics.

Charismatic people become more dangerous if they have acquired or were born with psychic gifts.

Because there are relatively few charismatics in our culture, when we do meet such people it can be like a magnet drawing us to them. Some people can exert an almost hypnotic spell on others who are unprepared for their powerful charm. Thus prospective spiritual directors, tai ji masters, shamans, qigong masters, sage, etc. should be observed to see if there are any hidden agendas lurking in their minds. It is important to know about the integrity of one’s potential spiritual director.

Lao Zi was very much aware of the unbalanced but charismatic psychic types and urged his readers to check out their potential mentors. Chapter 81 of the Dao De JIng is his reflection about these so-called sages who seek students. If one comes across a “sage” who actively attempts to persuade one to be his student, best to move on. Authentic sages do not “need” students. With this in mind, let us look at what Lao Zi has to say about the authentic sage or spiritual director.

In the first line of Chapter 81 we read:

True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true.

This line initially sounds harsh and only partly true; after all some beautiful words are true. We better understand what Lao Zi is saying when we remember that Lao Zi lived during a time when many people under the emperor or under a person of position would flatter, embellish and exaggerate to please the person who could raise their level of living and extend favors. We all live to believe that what we do or think is right on target, that we are not mistaken.

The more responsibility we have the more likely we want to be correct most of the time. For such people beautiful words are hoped to be true.

But for the honest seeker of truth, “True words are not [always] beautiful” and flattering, or self-serving “beautiful words are not true”. It is difficult to accept words that point to one’s weaknesses, errors, or places that need to be reworked. Many of us want only positive aspects of ourselves to be acknowledged but sadly that information may not be as valuable for our growth as words that point to places we need to work upon.

In the next line we read:

“Competence does not persuade, persuasion is not competent.”

Many of us are awed by seeing a person perform or act competently and we are often persuaded by the image of competence or power at work. False sages realize this and utilize this ability to persuade by means of their competence. What is it they persuade us to do? Almost anything, depending on how drawn in we are by their acts of persuasion.

Thus informs us:

“The sage is not learned, the learned is not wise”.

Fall 2021 — Page 29

How odd this seems at first reflection. It’s odd because we know real sages understand the nature of reality — they have learned a lot. There is, however, a peculiar aspect to how wisdom and knowledge are generated by the authentic sage. In Chapter 56 of the Dao De Jing it is written:

it may even appear as if the sage is downright foolish, but such folly is generated by an expanded wisdom.

Lao Zi next informs us:

“Those who know do not speak, those who speak do not know.”

Richard Wilhelm calls the sage the “Man of Calling” alluding to the notion that sages are not made, they are people born with a sagely destiny. The importance of the quoted line is that a sage, or as we may call such a person today, a spiritual director, will not be a person who is frequently buying things. A spiritual director, according to the Dao De Jing, “does not heap up possessions”. In Daoism, authentic spirituality is equated with simplicity in living and thus a lack of attachment for the outpourings of a consumer society. This does not mean that the sage’s home has only the barest essentials; rather Lao Zi suggests there is not an over-abundance of possessions. Daoist thought stresses simplicity, balance, and harmony. Heaped-up possessions are excessive and encourages desire upon the onlooer and as such, do not reflect the simplicity of the sage’s way of living.

The authentic sage, in Daoist terms, does not literally “speak” his knowledge; rather he is a person who shares his wisdom by other means of teaching. The true sage points to the way but he does not literally show off his knowledge in a professional fashion, giving lectures and only appealing to his student’s intellect.

The authentic sage is involved and concerned about the multidimensional levels of the student and much that is absorbed by the student is never “spoken of ”.

Various transmissions of knowledge and wisdom are part of the sage’s teaching and knowledge and are directed to various aspects of the student’s personality.

Thus it may appear that “the sage is not learned,” and

“The Man of Calling does not heap up possessions.”

In the following lines, Lao Zi informs us of the essential nature of the sage. We read:

“The more he does for others, the more power he possesses.

The more he gives to others, the more he has.”

Empty Vessel — Page 30

Doing acts of service is what the sage is about. In Chapter 38 of the Dao De Jing, Lao Zi states “whosoever cherishes love acts but has no design.” Thus the sage is a sage, in part, because of his selflessness and his performing acts of service. Unlike some powerful charismatic types, the sage has no agenda for his students — they can come and go and they please.

The authentic sage has “no design” for others.

Chapter 81 ends with the words:

“The Dao of Heaven is furthering without causing harm. The Dao of the Man of Calling is to be effective without quarreling.”

In the years before Lao Zi’s birth China was a country of continual wars among various kingdoms. Much sorrow, bloodshed and destruction was the result of the Warring States period. Lao Zi was deeply impressed by the ravages of war both in terms of kingdoms and individuals. Negative forces block an individual’s potential to develop spiritually, a potential inherent in all people. Thus for Lao Zi, the Heavenly Way is one that “furthers without causing harm” and the authentic sage “is effective without quarreling.”

The highest level sage, according to the Dao De Jing, does not insist upon anything and has no agenda for others. Because of this attitude no negative blockages creep into the sage’s relationships with his students.

“Take me or leave me” is the attitude of the sage who

has no desire to impose anything on anyone. This attitude sets up a relationship of freedom with the student. Unlike many of our “modern sages” who assume they know what is best for their students, Lao Zi’s sage is not caught in such idea or knowledge of how “it should be”.

In Chapter 1 of the Dao De Jing we read:

“The Dao that can be expressed is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.”

From these words we understand that all things are subject to change and as such the sage has “no knowledge, does not try to persuade, does not falter, and does not heap up possessions.” Instead, the sage actively, “gives to others” and is “effective without quarreling”.

With these qualities of the highest level sage in mind one may more accurately assess one’s potential spiritual director. Without these qualities in mind one may be charmed by powerful but inauthentic spiritual directors, sage, etc., and the negative consequences to one’s life may be devastating.

Sources • All quotes from the Dao De Jing are from the Richard Wilhelm editions.

Fall 2021 — Page 31

Stoicism and Daoism Epictetus

By Robert Sessions

One result of the Covid pandemic has been increased interest in philosophy and spirituality, including Daoism. Stoicism is also popular, for many of the same reasons people are turning to Daoism. Both philosophies offer clear and practical help in dealing with the vicissitudes of living. And unlike many other philosophical traditions that seek to define ultimate meaning or the nature of reality, both Daoism and Stoicism focus on how to live and the importance of practice.

The earliest Stoic treatise is from the fourth century BCE, when Zeno of Citium nearly drowned when his ship was wrecked in a storm and then sought help in preparing for future difficulties. He found it in the teachings of Socrates, who was most interested in developing the art of living well (which is what the Greeks meant by virtue). Zeno, and subsequent Greek and Roman thinkers who include Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, built upon the foundation laid

by Socrates to develop a model for virtuous living including a set of practices that anyone can follow.

Stoic philosophy has influenced many philosophers and religious figures in Western history, from Paul of Tarsus to Thoreau. In the past century, Stoicism has had an influence on individuals who include Theodore Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, J.K. Rowling, and many leading figures in sports and business.

Stoic writings tend to be more straightforward in their analyses and recommendations than those of Daoism.

The goal of Stoic philosophy is to live well and to Empty Vessel — Page 32

Lao Zi

become a virtuous person, not to be happy or achieve enlightenment. While it sounds like the Stoics agree with the Daoists when they say the way to becoming virtuous is to “follow nature,” they mean something different than Daoists do. By nature they mean human nature, which they contend has two fundamental aspects — we are highly social and we are rational. Our path to living the good life and to being virtuous is to live harmoniously with others, and the way to do this is to be rational.

Notice there is nothing in this orientation that requires simplicity, poverty or a strict regimen of meditation.

Some Stoics, such as Epictetus, were poor throughout their lives (he was born a slave and later was exiled to a small island), while others, such as Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, were rich and engaged in high-level politics (Aurelius, in fact, was a Roman emperor). While the kind of meditation that is central to Daoist practice is not part of this tradition, Stoics do encourage daily reflective practices that help people understand their desires and sharpen their ability to resist problematic actions and emotions.

Like Daoism, Stoicism is compatible with many insights of contemporary psychology. The basic psychology of Stoicism is to avoid trying to change what we cannot affect and to focus our efforts on what we can control.

We should analyze our lives to determine what things we can control (including our opinions, desires, motivations, and aversions), which things over which we have partial control (our bodies, our accomplishments,

and our wealth), and which things over which we have no control (politics, natural disasters, when we die, pandemics and so on). A classic Stoic teaching says that we can’t entirely control where the arrow goes when we shoot it, but we can give it our best effort. The Stoics also counsel against the dangers of anger, which we wield in an effort to control the world but which instead results in frustration and harm to our relationships.

Stoic gods of how well I’ve learned their lessons. Instead of recoiling in fear or responding in anger, I try to achieve an objective perspective instead of rushing to judgment — in effect saying, “Isn’t it interesting what the universe has dished up today?”

Stoics, like Daoists, also urge us to get off the “hedonic treadmill” where we’re constantly pursuing our own pleasure. One part of this recommendation is to realize that pleasure fades. The joy in having that new car To put it another way, Stoics believe that we need to or pair of shoes soon dissipates and learn to endure what cannot be avoided, another purchase is necessary to keep to distance ourselves from unhealthy us happy. Another is to understand emotions such as fear, resentment, that our happiness comes from being envy and anger, and to cultivate “When you are grateful, not greedy, and in helping healthy emotions such as love, joy offended at any other people to be happy. and contentment. From this viewpoint man’s fault, turn they derived the cardinal virtues of Meditating on the shortness of life is to yourself and Stoicism: practical wisdom, courage, crucial for having a Stoic perspective. justice and temperance. study your own In the evening, the Stoics advise failings. Then people to pick one activity they did It’s important to note that these virtues you will forget during the day. Ask whether or not it all have to do with our place in the improved you; then ask if this is someyour anger.” cosmos or larger world. The Stoics, thing you would choose to do if it was following from Socrates, believe we your last day. (And remember, you Epictetus live in an interconnected world in never know if this is your last day.) which all humans are equal and that we should try to improve life for The Stoics also offer practical everyone by being virtuous. Practical exercises to connect with nature, work with difficult wisdom comes through a set of practices (their version people, increase empathy, and value silence. All of of meditation). They were especially concerned with these practices aim to help us respond to our worlds developing moral courage, seeking justice in all their in wise and socially virtuous ways. You can see why so relationships, and being temperate in their habits (not many people today, facing unprecedented difficulties, too little or too much). The virtuous person is one are turning to Stoicism. who studies and tries to practice these cardinal social virtues.

Suggested reading

Stoics believe that freedom is a matter of accepting whatever the universe throws our way and responding to it in a virtuous way. They were materialists who believed in cause and effect, determinism and the interconnectedness of everything, which shows why their views are so compatible with modern science and especially with psychology. This is another area in which Stoicism resonates with Daoism.

In my own life, I’ve found the practices advocated by the Stoics to be very helpful. One of my favorites is to give myself perspective when something unanticipated and undesirable happens by seeing it as a test by the

• Massimo Pigliucci, How to Be a Stoic • Pigliucci and Gregory Lopez, A Handbook for New Stoics • William Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life • William Irvine, The Stoic Challenge Robert Sessions is a retired professor of philosophy who often taught Daoist classics in his courses (a favorite is Wandering on the Way). He is the author of On Becoming Real: Authenticity in an Age of Distractions and Working in America: A Humanities Reader.

Fall 2021 — Page 33

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