Verse 16 - Living with Constancy

[Eva Libre]

16th Verse

 

Become totally empty.

Let your heart be at peace.

 Admidst the rush of worldly comings and goings,

observe how endings become beginnings.

 

Things flourish, each by each,

 only to return to the Source . . .

to what is and what is to be.

 

To return to the root is to find peace.

To find peace is to fulfill one's destiny.

 To fulfill one's destiny is to be constant.

To know the constant is called insight.

Not knowing this cycle

leads to eternal disaster.

 

Knowing the constant gives perspective.

This perspective is impartial.

Impartiality is the highest nobility;

the highest nobility is Divine.

 

Being Divine, you will be at one with the Tao.

Being at one with the Tao is eternal.

This way is everlasting,

not endangered by physical death.

 

 

Contemplation/Meditation Verse

Admidst the rush of worldly comings and goings,

          I observe how all endings, become beginnings.

Do The Tao Now

 

Dedicate a day to consciously seeking situations to practice impartially observing endings as beginnings, challenging yourself to find a specific number by noon.  Begin in the morning by being aware that the end of asleep is the beginning of awake.  Break your waking time into sections, noticing without judging the endings that make space for beginnings.  Start to consciously live with constancy by opening your mind to the fact that change is the only certain thing.  Remember to include all of your feelings in its cycle --impartially observing sad, for instance, permits its natural ending to transform to a beginning.  You're doing the Tao !

 

Source - Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life (Living the Wisdom of the Tao)

by Dr Wayne W Dyer

[Eva Libre]

Advice from Dr Dyer -

 

Take time to be an impartial observer of life

particularly when an ending is causing despair.

 

Remind yourself that your source is at work within this event, and then make a decision to connect to that Source with your thoughts.  All endings are part of the cyclical process; you're merely returning to a life of constancy, which Lao-tzu taught in this passage.  You don't have to learn anything new, change any behavior, or adopt any new strategies -- just think about the word return, and take comfort in the ever-constant Tao, which brings peace to despair.  The Tao never leaves or disappoints, and it is always impartial.  Wherever you are in the emotional cycle, you're not being judged.  Rather, you're learning to be in all phases, free of judgment and living with constancy.

[Eva Libre]

Advice from Dr Dyer -

 

Write these words and post them in a conspicuous place

in your living environment: This too shall pass.

 

This phrase will remind you that change is the only constant in life.  Everything you notice is in a cycle of coming and going.  Everything !  There are no exceptions.  Know this and let your thoughts flow in the constancy of change.  This is the root, the Source of all cyclical happenings.  It is perfect.  It is Divine.  It is something you can totally rely upon.  It brings spring flowers, it brings the aging process, it brings rebirth, it brings new relationships -- it is the Tao and it is constant.  Return to it and experience your eternal essence here and now, in the temporary container you call your body and all of its dramas.  This too shall pass . . . you can count on it !

[Eva Libre]

From Richard Grossman - The Tao of Emerson

From James Legge - The Texts of Taoism, 1891

 

The state of vacancy should be brought to

     the utmost degree,

     and that of stillness guarded with an unwearying vigor.

All things alike go through their processes of activity,

And then we see them return to their original state.

When things in the vegetable world

     have displayed their luxuriant growth,

We see each of them return to its root.

This returning to their root is what we call

     the state of stillness;

And that stillness may be called a reporting

     that they have fulfilled their appointed end.

 

The report of that fulfillment is

       the regular, unchanging rule.

To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent;

Not to know it leads to wild movements and evil issues.

The knowledge of that unchanging rule produces

      a capacity and forbearance,

And that capacity and forbearance lead to a community

     of feeling with all things.

From this community of feeling comes

     a kingliness of character;

And he who is king-like goes on to be heaven-like.

In that likeness to heaven, he possesses the Tao.

Possessed of the Tao, he endures long; and to the end

     of his bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.

 

From the Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Journals 1838", "Spiritual Laws", "The Method of Nature (address)"

 

Then retire and hide,

     and from the valley

Behold the mountain.

Have solitary prayer and praise.

Real action is in silent moments,

     in a thought which revises

     our entire manner of life.

 

Be the lowly ministers of the pure omniscience.

The sanity of man needs the poise of

     this immanent force.

His nobility needs the assurance of

     this inexhaustible power.

If he listens with insatiable ears,

     richer and greater wisdom is taught him.

He is borne away as with a flood.

His health and greatness consist

     in his being the channel

     through which heaven flows to earth.

 

He who knows this most, he who knows

     what sweets and virtues are in the ground,

The waters, the plants, the heavens,

And who knows how to come at these enchantments

     is the rich and royal man.

 

[Eva Libre]

From Vimala McClure - The Tao of Motherhood

16

AWARENESS

 

Everything arises from

Consciousness and returns.

The universe is the play of the

rising and returning of millions

of beings, all become One.

You and your child are both on

this path too.

It is impossible to keep this

awareness of your destiny

awakened all the time.  But daily

meditation can bring awareness

to your thoughts and actions.

Awareness brings constancy to

your relationships.  Constancy

allows your child to release fear

and follow his destiny.

Meditate on Oneness.  Release the

small self to the infinite, and the

Infinite will take care of Itself.

[Eva Libre]

From Tao Te Ching - The Definitive Edition by Jonathan Star

 

Become totally empty

Quiet the restlessness of the mind

Only then will you witness everything

          unfolding from emptiness

See all things flourish and dance

          in endless variation

And once again merge back into perfect emptiness --

          Their true repose

          Their true nature

Emerging, flourishing, dissolving back again

          This is the eternal process of return

To know this process brings enlightenment

To miss this process brings disaster

Be still

Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity

Eternity embraces the all-possible

The all-possible leads to a vision of oneness

A vision of oneness brings about universal love

Universal love supports the great truth of Nature

The great truth of Nature is Tao

Whoever knows this truth lives forever

The body may perish, deeds may be forgotten

But he who has Tao has all eternity

[Eva Libre]

Tao Te Ching - The Classic Book of Integrity and The Way by Lao-Tzu

A New Translation by Victor H Mair
based on the recently discovered Ma-Wang-Tui Manuscripts

16
(60)

 

Attain utmost emptiness,

Maintain utter stillness.

The myriad creatures arise side by side,

          thus I observe their renewal.

Heaven's creatures abound,

          but each returns to its roots,

               which is called "stillness".

This is termed "renewal of fate".

Renewal of fate is perpetual --

To know the perpetual is to be enlightened;

Not to know the perpetual is to be reckless --

          recklessness breeds evil.

To know the perpetual is to be tolerant --

          tolerance leads to ducal impartiality,

          ducal impartiality to kingliness,

          kingliness to heaven,

          heaven to the Way,

          the Way to permanence.

To the end of his days,

          he will not be imperiled.

[Eva Libre]

Lynn's - Daode jing of Laozi

 

Their attainment of emptiness absolute and their maintenance of quietude guileless,

 

In other words, "attainment of emptiness" refers to the state of absolute guilelessness[jidu], and "maintenance of quietude" refers to the state of perfect genuineness[zhenzheng]. (1)

 

The myriad things interact.

 

This refers to their behavior and growth.

 

I, as such, observe their return.

With emptiness [xu] and quietude [jing], one observes their eternal return.  Everything that exists arises from emptiness, and action arises from quietude. (2)  Thus, although the myriad things interact together, they all ultimately return to emptiness and quietude, which is the state of absolute guilelessness [jidu].

All things flourish, but each reverts to its roots.

Each returns to where it began.

  

To return to the root is called "quietude", which means to revert to one's destiny, and reversion to one's destiny is called "constancy".

When one returns to the root, he becomes quiet, which is why this state is called "quietude"[jing].  When one is quiet, he reverts to his destiny [ming].  This is why this state is referred to as "reversion to destiny".  when one reverts to his destiny, he fulfills the constant dimensions of his nature [xing] and destiny [ming], which is why this state is called "constancy" [chang].

 

To understand constancy is called "perspicacity".  Not to understand constancy results in errant behavior and, with it, misfortune.

Constancy as such has neither predilections [pian] nor outer signs [zhang], exists neither in light nor dark states, (3) and results in neither warm nor cold images.  Thus the text says:"To understand constancy is called 'perspicacity' [ming]". (4)  It is only by this reversion [to destiny] that one can perfectly embrace the myriad folk, leaving out absolutely no one, but, if one lacks this and as such sets forth to do something, he will find that deviancy [xie] has entered his destiny [fen] and that people depart from their destinies.(5)  Thus the text says: "Not to understand constancy results in errant behavior and, with it, misfortune".

 

To understand constancy is to embrace all things.

There is nothing that he will not embrace perfectly.

 

To embrace things is to be impartial.

Because there is nothing one does not embrace perfectly, he attains the state of oceanic impartiality.

 

Such impartiality means true kingship.

With such oceanic impartiality, he attains the state wherein he has universal presence.

 

With true kingship, he is one with Heaven.

Because he has universal presence, he attains the state wherein he becomes one with Heaven.

 

To be one with Heaven means to be one with the Dao.

He makes his virtue conform to that of Heaven and embodies the Dao so that it permeates him completely [datong]. (6)  As such, he attains the state wherein he reaches the absolute limit of emptiness [xuwu].

 

To be one with the Dao is to be everlasting.

To reach the absolute limits of emptiness [xuwu] is to attain the constancy [chang] of the Dao.  As such, he attains the state wherein absolutely no limits exist.

 

As long as he lives, no danger shall befall him.  (7)

Nothingness is such that no water or fire can harm it and no metal or stone can destroy it.  If it is put to use by the heart'mind [xin], the wild water buffalo and the tiger will have no way to strike at him with claw or horn, and weapons of war will have no way to use point or edge against him.  So what danger could there ever be ?  (8)

 

Text, in Italics above, is Wang Bi's commentary.

The notes below, are from the translator, Richard John Lynn -

(deb's note - "section" is used for verse in these notes.)

 

(1)  Both Hatano Taro and Tao Hongqing give evidence that the text has been corrupted by interpolations (see Hatano, Roshi Dotokukyo kenkyu, 23).  Lou Yulie extrapolates from Hatano's comments to suggest that the text should read: "In other words, this refers to the ultimate degree [ji] to which emptiness [xu] is attained and the most authentic state [zhen] in which quietude [jing] is maintained" (Lou, Wang Bi ji jiaoshi, 37 n. 1).  Tao's suggests "The attainment of emptiness and the maintenance of quietude characterize the perfect genuineness [zhenzheng] of things" (Tao, Du zhuzi zhaji, 7).

(2)  Cf.  Wang's commentary to section 26, first passage.

(3)  Cf.  section 14, second passage, and the end of section 1 of Wang's Outline Introduction.

(4) Cf. section 55, sixth passage, and the end of section 1 of Wang's Outline Introduction.

(5)  Tao Hongqing, among others, thinks that this passage is corrupt and does not make sense as it stands, but such confusion arises from trying to read fen (destiny, one's fated lot, etc) as fen (to separate; separation, distinction), as it occurs in Wang's commentary to section 25 and in section of his Outline Introduction.  See Lou, Wang Biji jiaoshi, 39 n 9, and Tao, Du zhuzi zhaji, 7.  In my view, the passage makes perfect sense: without an enlightened identification with "the myriad folk", one cannot help perverting his own natural fated allotment, his "destiny", along with the natural destinies of everyone else.

(6) Cf.  Wang's commentary to section 5, second passage, and section 77, first passage.

(7) Cf.  section 52, second passage.

(8) Cf. section 50.

 

[Eva Libre]

From Stephen Mitchell - tao te ching - A New English Version

 

Empty your mind of all thoughts.

Let your heart be at peace.

Watch the turmoil of beings,

but contemplate their return.

 

Each separate being in the universe

returns to the common source.

Returning to the source is serenity.

 

If you don't realize the source,

you stumble in confusion and sorrow.

When you realize where you come from,

you naturally become tolerant,

disinterested, amused,

kindhearted as a grandmother,

dignified as a king.

Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,

you can deal with whatever life brings you,

and when death comes, you are ready.

 

 

From Byron Katie - A Thousand Names For Joy 

- Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

 

 

Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,

you can deal with whatever life brings you,

and when death comes, you are ready.

 

You can't empty your mind of thoughts.  You might as well try to empty the ocean of its water.  Thoughts just keep coming back, it seems.  That's the way of it.

 

But thoughts aren't a problem if they're met with understanding.  Why would you even want to empty your mind, unless you're at war with reality ?  I love my thoughts.  And if I were ever to have a stressful thought, I know how to question it and give myself peace.  Even the most stressful thought could come along, and I would just be amused.  You can have ten thousand thoughts a minute, and if you don't believe them, your heart remains at peace.

 

The original stressful thought is the thought of an I.  Before that thought, there was peace.  A thought is born out of nothing and instantly goes back to where it came from.  If you look before, between, and after your thoughts, you'll see that there is only a vast openness.  That's the space of don't know.  It's who we really are.  It's the source of everything, it contains everything: life and death, beginning, middle, and end.

 

Until we know that death is as good as life, and that it always comes at just the right time, we're going to take on the role of God without the awareness of it, and it's always going to hurt.  Whenever you mentally oppose what is, you're going to experience sadness and apparent separation.  There's no sadness without a story.  What is is.  You are it.

 

I have a friend who, after doing inquiry sincerely for a number of years, came to understand that the world is a reflection of mind.  She was married to a man who was the love of her life, and one day, while they were sitting on their couch, he had a heart attack and died in her arms.  After the first shock and the tears, she began looking for grief, and there was none.  For weeks she kept looking for grief, because her friends told her that grief was a necessary part of the healing process.  And all she felt was a completeness: that there was nothing of him that she'd had while he was physically with her that she didn't have now.

 

She told me that every time a sad thought about him appeared, she would immediately ask, "Is it true ?" and see the turnaround, which washed away the sadness and replaced it with what was truer.  "He was my best friend; I have no one to talk to now" because "I am my best friend; I have me to talk to now".  "I'll miss his wisdom" became "I don't miss his wisdom"; there was no way she could miss it, because she was that wisdom.  Everything she thought she'd had in him she could find in herself; there was no difference.  And because he turned out to be her, he couldn't die.  Without the story of life and death, she said, there was just love.  He was always with her.

 

[Eva Libre]

Dr Dyer's Essay on Verse 16 -

 

The 16th verse of the Tao Te Ching describes the value of being supremely conscious of the constant cycle of all. Rather than viewing change as a disruptive, unwanted occurrence, you can choose to view the variances in your world as valuable influences in the cycle of a Tao-centered existence.

 

When you see change as the only constant there really is, you start to recognize it as an expression of ongoing life that's a welcome clue to your own purpose and meaning.  In this way, you're returned to the experience of your Source and the peace of an impartial perspective.  Begin this process by altering your ego-based thoughts and letting yourself feel the bliss of being at one with the Tao.  Then become an acute observer of how your world really works, and allow yourself to be in harmony with the cyclical nature of all living things.

 

There's an immutable cycle of "no life, life, no life" that we're part of.  All things come, and then they go.  Life materializes in a variety of forms -- it's here, and then at some point it ends in what we call death.  This coming and going might seem to be a temporary condition, but it's actually the ultimate constant because it never ceases.  Embrace this nature of cyclical change and you'll thrive.

 

An ending may feel like a reason to mourn, whether it be the closing of a phase in your life, the completion of a project, the termination of a relationship, or death itself.  But Lao-tzu invites you to realize that after things flourish, they "return to the Source . . . to what is an what is to be".  The constancy of the cycles of life is an opportunity to return to your root, where what is and what is to be are located.  The ultimate place of peace and enlightenment is in this continuous return to the nameless, placeless site of your origination.

 

Lao-tzu tells you that a sense of inner peace comes with returning to the Source, where all cycles begin and end.  This is the fulfillment of your own personal destiny; that is, you're here to know and be the Tao, the constant beyond the comings and goings of life.  You've been in many bodies already, and you're in a new one every day.  You've been in and out of many relationships, yet the eternal you survives despite transitions from beginnings back into endings.  You're now being urged to know yourself as a physical creation and as a piece of the everlasting Tao. 

 

The Tao that animates all existence, including your own, is totally impartial.  It plays no favorites: It brings winter regardless of whether you want it or not.  It sends those you love on to other people and then back, irrespective of your desires to have it otherwise.  All of life must return to it; there are no exceptions or apologies. 

 

When you're unaware of this steadying influence, you attach to one element of one cycle in life, leading to what Lao-tzu calls "eternal disaster".  When one person leaves you, it feels like the end of the world.  when a business venture fails, you flunk out of school, or you have a painful illness or injury, you feel depressed.  If you get trapped in these emotional endings, you're not permitting them to also be a natural part of life, leading you to feel disconnected from your Source.  You become stuck in the "rush of worldly comings and goings", unable to remember the constancy where "endings become beginnings".

 

The reality is that beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.  So when you know that there's a constant beyond the present moment's disappointment, you can sense that "this too shall pass" -- it always has and always will.  When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change !