The Way

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The Way Author Unknown Discovered in 1739

(excerpt)

Do people who study the Way actually gain these benefits and

pleasures? If they do, then why do people of the world all get

irritated when they see people who study the Way, considering them

eccentrics or phonies? The Tao Te Ching says, "When superior people

hear of the Way, they travel it diligently. When mediocre people hear

of the way, they seem aware, yet are as if oblivious. When lesser

people hear of the Way, they laugh at it out loud. What they don't

laugh at couldn't be the Way." Principle The Way is one and only one.

On the celestial level it is called destiny; on the human level it is

called essential nature. On the phenomenal level it is called

principle. This principle circulates throughout the world, appearing

in daily activities. Every event and every thing has a natural

principle, which cannot be dispensed with. Thus there is a principle

whereby things are as they are; it cannot be altered, only followed.

Superior people observe things in terms of principle- right or wrong,

good or bad, they deal with them accordingly. This is called

selflessness. Selflessness results in objectivity; objectivity

results in clarity. Clarity results in dealing with events accurately

and comprehending the nature of things. If you view things through

your ego, then love and hatred arise uncontrollably, and you cannot

avoid indulging feelings. When you indulge feelings, then you are

being subjective. When you are subjective, you are ignorant. When you

are ignorant, you are mixed up and confused; you are only aware of

yourself, not of principle.

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Product of the Ming Dynasty, author unknown, 1739

— Excerpted from "Taoist Meditation - Methods for Cultivating a

Healthy Mind and Body" Trans by Thomas Cleary

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