Verse 15 - Living an Unhurried Life

[Eva Libre]

15th Verse

 

The ancient masters were profound and subtle.

Their wisdom was unfathomable.

 There is no way to describe it.

One can only describe them vaguely by their appearance.

 

Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream.

 Alert, like men aware of danger.

Simple as uncarved wood.

Hollow like caves.

Yielding, like ice about to melt.

Amorphous, like muddy water.

 

But the muddiest water clears

as it is stilled.

And out of that stillness

life arises.

 

He who keeps the Tao does not want to be full.

But precisely because he is never full,

he can remain like a hidden sprout

and does not rush to early ripening.

 

 

Contemplation/Meditation Verse

The place of my origination is stillness

          from which all creation originates.

Do The Tao Now

 

Set this book down right now.  Take ten minutes to sit quietly while contemplating all that you have and all that is flowing into your life on a Divinely orchestrated timetable.  Be at peace and give thanks for what is allowing your life to unfold so perfectly.  Let go of all other hurried thoughts.

 

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

by Dr Wayne W Dyer

[Eva Libre]

Advice from Dr Dyer -

 

Stop chasing your dreams.

 

Allow them to come to you in perfect order with unquestioned timing.  Slow down your frantic pace and practice being hollow like the cave and open to all possibilities like the uncarved wood.  Make stillness a regular part of your daily practice.  Imagine all that you'd like to experience in life and then let go.  Trust the Tao to work in Divine perfection, as it does with everything on the planet.  You don't really need to rush or force anything.  Be an observer and receiver rather than the pushy director of your life.  It is through this unhurried unfolding that you master your existence in the way of the Tao.

[Eva Libre]

Advice from Dr Dyer -

 

Get in the flow of life and allow yourself to

proceed gently down its stream.

 

Give up struggling and start trusting in the wisdom of the Tao.  What is yours will come to you when you aren't trying to push the river.  You've probably been encouraged to actively direct and go after your desires all of your life . . . now it's time to trust in the eternal wisdom that flows through you.

 

"The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu", translated by Witter Bynner in 1944, potetically sums up the 15th verse of the Tao in this way:

 

How can a man's life keep its course

If he will not let it flow ?

Those who flow as life flows know

They need no other force:

They feel no wear, they feel no tear,

They need no mending, no repair.

 

Great advice for living an unhurried life.

[Eva Libre]

[Eva Libre]

From Tao Te Ching - The Definitive Edition by Jonathan Star

 

The masters of this ancient path

          are mysterious and profound

Their inner state baffles all inquiry

Their depths go beyond all knowing

Thus, despite every effort,

          we can only tell of their outer signs --

Deliberate, as if treading over the stones of a winter brook

Watchful, as if meeting danger on all sides

Reverent, as if receiving an honored guest

Selfless, like a melting block of ice

Pure, like an uncarved block of wood

Accepting, like an open valley

Through the course of Nature

          muddy water becomes clear

Through the unfolding of life

          man reaches perfection

Through sustained activity

          that supreme rest is naturally found

Those who have Tao want nothing else

Though seemingly empty

          they are ever full

Though seemingly old

          they are beyond the reach of birth and death

[Eva Libre]

From Richard Grossman - The Tao of Emerson

From James Legge - The Texts of Taoism, 1891

 

The skillful masters in old times,

     with a subtle and exquisite penetration,

Comprehended its mysteries and were deep

     so as to elude men's knowledge.

As they were thus beyond men's knowledge,

I will make an effort to describe what sort

     they appeared to be.

 

Shrinking looked they, like those

     who wade through a stream in winter;

Irresolute like those who are afraid of all around them;

Grave like a guest in awe of his host;

Evanescent like ice that is melting away;

Unpretentious, like wood

     that has not been fashioned into anything

Vacant like a valley and dull like muddy water.

 

Who can make the muddy water clear ?

Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear.

Who can secure the condition of rest ?

Let movement go on,

     and the condition of rest will gradually arise.

They who preserve this method of the Tao

     do not wish to be full of themselves.

It is through their not being full of themselves

     that they can afford to seem worn and not appear

                    new and complete.

 

From the Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Plato", "The Uses of Great Men", "Considerations by the Way"

 

In all nations there are minds which incline

     to dwell in the conception of the fundamental Unity.

The world is upheld by the veracity of great men;

They make the earth wholesome.

Those who live with them find life glad and nutritious.

What they know, they know for us.

With each new mind, a new secret of nature transpires.

 

Great men are then a collyrium to clear our eyes

     from egotism,

And enable us to see other people and their works.

They teach us the qualities of primary nature --

     and admit us to the constitution of things.

The escape from all false ties.

Courage to be what we are

And love what is simple and beautiful.

               These are the essentials.

 

But true genius seeks to defend us from itself.

True genius will not impoverish,

     but will liberate and add new senses.

He is great who is what he is from nature

     and who never reminds us of others.

The hero is he who is immovably centered.

[Eva Libre]

From Vimala McClure - The Tao of Motherhood

15

OUR FOREMOTHERS

 

The ancient teachers demonstrated

their realization of the Way.

These ancient teachers were often

women.  They were mothers and

sisters, aunts, and grandmothers.

They meditated.  Through their

relationships, they taught the

art of being.

Because they meditated, their

depth made them seem inscrutable

and their wisdom profound.

The truth is, they simply knew

how to be human.

They observed behaviors and

acts with precision and care,

never acting recklessly.  They

behaved with dignity and grace

and won the respect of others

without trying.  They respected 

others and treated children as

human beings.

They were strong yet yielding,

like ice ready to melt.  They were

simple, like the uncarved block of

wood.  They were receptive like a 

valley between high mountains.

They were full of life and involved

in their families, yet they were

able to be still and become as deep

and clear as pure water.

 

These ancient grandmothers did

not need to go away into the caves

or forests to become enlightened.

They were enlightenment itself.

[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

15
(59)

 

          Those of old who were adept in the Way

              were subtly profound and mysteriously perceptive,

          So deep

              that they could not be recognized.

 

Now,

          Because they could not be recognized,

          One can describe their appearance only with effort:

               hesitant,

                    as though crossing a stream in winter;

               cautious,

                    as though fearful of their neighbors all around;

               solemn,

                    as though guests in someone else's house;

               shrinking,

                    as ice when it melts;

               plain,

                    as an unhewn log;

               muddled,

                    as turbid waters;

               expansive,

                    as a broad valley.

 

          If turbid waters are stilled,

               they will gradually become clear;

          If something inert is set in motion,

               it will gradually come to life.

 

          Those who preserved this Way did not wish to be full.

Now,

          Simply because they did not wish to be full,

               they could be threadbare and incomplete.

[Eva Libre]

Lynn's - Daode jing of Laozi

 

In antiquity, he who was good a being a leader was perfectly in step with mystery in all its subtlety and profundity; so recondite was he that it was impossible to understand him.  Now, because he defies understanding, all I can do is force a description of what he was like: he seemed hesitant, as one might be when fording a river in winter.

 

When one fords a river in winter, he is hesitant, as if unsure whether to ford it or not, and his appearance will be such that his real intention cannot be discerned.

 

He seemed tentative, as one who fears his neighbors on all four sides.

 

When neighbors on all four sides join together to attack the master in the center, he so equivocates that they do not know which way he will move.  A person of superior virtue gives away not the slightest hint, so his intentions can never be discerned -- indeed, just as described here. (1)

 

He seemed solemn, oh, as if he were the guest.  He seemed yielding, oh, just like ice when about to break up.  He seemed solid and sturdy, oh, just like an uncarved block of wood.  He seemed empty and receptive, oh, just like a valley.  He seemed amorphous, oh, just like murky water.

 

All these example of how he appeared tell us that his appearance permitted neither accurate description nor a precise name.

 

Who can take his turbidity and, by stilling it, gradually become clear ?  Who can take his quietude and, by stirring it long, gradually come alive ?

 

When obscure, it is through principles [li] that things achieve distinctness, when turbid, it is be stilling that things achieve clarity; and, when quiet, it is by stirring that things come alive.  this is the Dao of nature [ziran]. The "Who can" indicates how very difficult this is, and "gradually" suggests meticulousness and caution.

  

One who keeps this Dao does not wish to be filled.

If filled [ying], one would surely overflow.

 

For it is only by not getting filled that one can avoid having the cover remade.

Bi [cover] means fugai [cover]. (2)

 

 

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)  Cf. Wang's commentary to section 20, fourth and seventh passages, and section 38, paragraph 2.

 

(2)  Throughout the ages, most commentators have rejected Wang's interpretation and instead, following the much more common textual variant bi (worn/worn out) or, occasionally, bi (exhausted), denigrate his reading as "not making any sense" or "not fitting the text".  See Hatano, Roshi Dotokukyo kenkyu, 111-12.  Accordingly, translations such as the following are more the rule: "He is beyond for things wearing out and renewal" (Wing-tsit Chan, The Way of Lao Tzu, 126) and "He can wear out without the need to be renewed" Henricks, Lao-Tzu Te-Tao Ching, 216-17).  Professor Henricks's reading depends on taking bie (clothing; to wipe with clothing) (Mawangdui B) as a variant of bi(worn out).  The injunction "not to fill", however, is always associated with the empty vessel of the Dao metaphor in Wang's commentary, and Wang's interpretation here is consistent with that metaphor: the keeper of the Dao, as a receptacle of the Dao, does not wish to be filled because any attempt at filling would just overflow, and his receptacle cover -- ie his head -- would be ruined and have to be "remade", not an odd idea if we remember that Wang read the Laozi primarily as a treatise of political philosophy for "heads" of state. Cf. sections 4 and 9.

[Eva Libre]

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

 

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.

Their wisdom was unfathomable.

There is no way to describe it;

all we can describe is their appearance.

 

They were careful

as someone crossing an iced-over stream.

Alert as a warrior in enemy terriory.

Courteous as a guest.

Fluid as melting ice.

Shapable as a block of wood.

Receptive as a valley.

Clear as a glass of water.

 

Do you have patience to wait

till your mud settles and the water is clear ?

Can you remain unmoving

till the right action arises by itself ?

 

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.

Not seeking, not expecting,

she is present, and can welcome all things.

 

 

From Byron Katie - A Thousand Names For Joy 

- Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

 

 

Do you have patience to wait

till your mud settles and the water is clear ?

Can you remain unmoving

till the right action arises by itself ?

 

The Master can't seek fulfillment.  She's already filled to the brim; there isn't room for a drop more.  When you have what you want -- when you are what you want -- there's no impulse to seek anything outside yourself.  Seeking is the movement away from the awareness that your life is already complete, just as it is.  Even at moments of apparent pain, there's never anything wrong or lacking.  Reality is always kind; what happens is the best thing that could happen.  It can't be anything else, and you'll realize that very clearly if you inquire.

 

I have a friend whose wife fell in love with another man.  He had been doing the Work for a while, and instead of going into sadness and panic, he questioned his thinking.  " 'She should stay with me' -- is it true ?  I can't know that.  How do I react when I believe the thought ?  Extremely upset.  Who would I be without the thought ?  I would love her and just wish the best for her."  This man really wanted to know the truth.  When he questioned his thinking, he found something extremely precious.  "Eventually", he said, "I was able to see it as something that should be happening, because it was.  When my wife told me about it, she didn't have to censor anything to protect me.  It was amazing to hear what it was like for her, without taking any of it personally.  It was the most liberating experience I ever had."  His wife moved in with the other man, and he was fine with that, because he didn't want her to stay if she didn't want to.  A few months later she hit a crisis point with her lover and needed someone to talk to.  She went to her best friend -- her husband.  They calmly discussed her options.  She decided to get a place of her own where she could work things out, and eventually, after many ups and downs, she went back to her husband.  Through all this drama, whenever my friend found himself mentally at war with reality and experiencing pain or fear, he inquired into the thought he was believing at that moment, and returned to a calm and cheerful state of mind.  He came to know for himself that the only possible problem he could have was his unquestioned thinking.  His wife gave him everything he needed for his own freedom.

 

I often say that if I had a prayer, it would be this: God, spare from the desire for love, approval, or appreciation. Amen.  I don't have a prayer, of course, because I don't want anything but what I have.  I know the benevolence of life.  Why would I pray for something different, which would always be less than what's coming ?  God is another name for reality.  It's complete, it's perfect, it fills me with the utmost joy.  The thought of asking for what isn't never even arises.

 

But if I still believed my thoughts, I would pray for one thing first: to be spared from the desire for love.  This desire causes nothing but confusion and misery.  It shuts down the awareness of what you already have in reality.  It's painful to seek what you can never have outside yourself.  I say "can never have" because obviously you don't understand you're seeking.  If you understood it, the seeking would be over.  Because you think you know what love looks like, what it should or shouldn't be, it becomes invisible to you.  It's the blind seeking what doesn't exist.  You beg, you plead, you bend over backward and do all sorts of other emotional acrobatics in this un-ending search for happy endings.  Only by seeking the truth within will you find the love you can never lose.  And when you find it, your natural response is appreciation.

 

This would be my one prayer, because the answer to it brings the end of time and space.  It brings the energy of pure unlimited mind, set free in all its power and goodness.  When you stop seeking love, it leaves you with nothing to do; it leaves you with the experience of being "done", in a doing that is beyond you.  It's absolutely effortless.  And a whole lot gets done in it, beyond what you think could ever have been accomplished.

 

When I don't look for approval outside me, I remain as approval.  And through inquiry I have come to see that I want you to approve of what you approve of, because I love you.  What you approve of is what I want.  That's love -- it wouldn't change anything.  It already has everything it wants.  It already is everything it wants, just the way it wants it.

 

[Eva Libre]

Dr Dyer's Essay on Verse 15 -

This 15th verse speaks of ancient masters who enjoyed an indescribably profound level of cooperation with their world. Lao-tzu uses similes to dramatize the flexible and peaceful lives of these sages: Imagine crossing an icy winter stream that might crack at any moment, remaining cautious and watchful while at the same time alert to imminent danger. These descriptors paint a picture of those who live unhurriedly but are also in a profoundly aware state.

Consider the two ways of being presented in this verse of the Tao Te Ching: first to meld into, and therefore become at one with, your immediate surroundings; and to then simultaneously stay so relaxed that your stillness allows all things around you to settle, resulting in a deep clarity. Keep alert and subtly aware, yet at the same time stay still within - not rushing or demanding, but totally in charge of your inner world. This passage of the Tao reminds me of these words of the Bible: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).

The place of your origination is stillness, from which all of creation comes. Stay in a creative, simple state, which Lao-tzu describes as "uncarved wood", symbolizing beginner's mind and unlimited potential. Have a mind that's willing to flow with life and be shared by the eternal forces of the Tao. See yourself as all of these things mentioned in this 15th verse of the Tao: watchful, yet relaxed and peaceful; alert, yet unhurried and confident; yielding, yet willing to be still and wait for the waters to become clear.

This verse reminds you that through nature, everything ultimately becomes clear. Your purpose is to stay in harmony with nature like the sprout hidden beneath the surface of the ground, waiting unhurriedly to emerge and fulfill its destiny. It cannot be rushed, nor can anything in nature. Creation takes place on its own timetable. The metaphor is clear here for you as well: You are unfolding in Divine order. All that you require will be provided in an unhurried fashion. Let go of your demands and trust in the perfect unfolding of the Tao. Be in a state of watchful gratitude and align with the Way.