One
I reach the Integral Way of uniting with the great and mysterious Tao.
My teachings are simple; if you try to make a religion or science of them,
they will elude you. Profound yet plain, they contain the entire truth
of the universe. Those who wish to know the whole truth take joy in doing
the work and service that comes to them. Having completed it, they take
joy in cleansing and feeding themselves. Having cared for others and for
themselves, they then turn to the master for instruction. This simple path
leads to peace, virtue, and abundance.
Two
Men and women who wish to be aware of the whole truth should adopt the
practices of the Integral Way. These time-honored disciplines calm the
mind and bring one into harmony with all things. The first practice is
the practice of undiscriminating virtue: take care of those who are deserving;
also, and equally, take care of those who are not. When you extend your
virtue in all directions without discriminating, your feet are firmly planted
on the path that returns to the Tao.
Three
Those who wish to embody the Tao should embrace all things. To embrace
all things means first that one holds no anger or resistance toward any
idea or thing, living or dead, formed or formless. Acceptance is the very
essence of the Tao. To embrace all things means also that one rids oneself
of any concept of separation; male and female, self and other, life and
death. Division is contrary to the nature of the Tao. Foregoing antagonism
and separation, one enters in the harmonious oneness of all things.
Four
Every departure from the Tao contaminates one's spirit. Anger is a departure,
resistance a departure, self- absorption a departure. Over many lifetimes
the burden of contaminations can become great. There is only one way to
cleanse oneself of these contaminations, and that is to practice virtue.
What is meant by this? To practice virtue is to selflessly offer assistance
to others, giving without limitation one's time, abilities, and possessions
in service, whenever and wherever needed, without prejudice concerning
the identity of those in need. If your willingness to give blessings is
limited, so also is your ability to receive them. This is the subtle operation
of the Tao.
Five
Do you imagine the universe is agitated? Go into the desert at night and
took out at the stars. This practice should answer the question. The superior
person settles her mind as the universe settles the stars in the sky. By
connecting her mind with the subtle origin, she calms it. Once calmed,
it naturally expands, and ultimately her mind becomes as vast and immeasurable
as the night sky.
Six
The Tao gives rise to all forms, yet it has no form of its own. If you
attempt to fix a picture of it in your mind, you will lose it. This is
like pinning a butterfly: the husk is captured, but the flying is lost.
Why not be content with simply experiencing it?
Seven
The teaching of the Integral Way will go on as long as there is a Tao and
someone who wishes to embody it; What is painted in these scrolls today
will appear in different forms in many generations to come. These things,
however, will never change: Those who wish to attain oneness must practice
undiscriminating virtue. They must dissolve all ideas of duality: good
and bad, beautiful and ugly, high and low. They will be obliged to abandon
any mental bias born of cultural or religious belief. Indeed, they should
hold their minds free of any thought which interferes with their understanding
of the universe as a harmonious oneness. The beginning of these practices
is the beginning of liberation.
Eight
I confess that there is nothing to teach: no religion, no science, no body
of information which will lead your mind back to the Tao. Today I speak
in this fashion, tomorrow in another, but always the Integral Way is beyond
words and beyond mind. Simply be aware of the oneness of things.
Nine
He who desires the admiration of the world will do well to amass a great
fortune and then give it away. The world will respond with admiration in
proportion to the size of his treasure. Of course, this is meaningless.
Stop striving after admiration. Place your esteem on the Tao. Live in accord
with it, share with others the teachings that lead to it, and you will
be immersed in the blessings that flow from it.
Ten
The ego is a monkey catapulting through the jungle: Totally fascinated
by the realm of the senses, it swings from one desire to the next, one
conflict to the next, one self-centered idea to the next. If you threaten
it, it actually fears for its life. Let this monkey go. Let the senses
go. Let desires go. Let conflicts go. Let ideas go. Let the fiction of
life and death go. Just remain in the center, watching. And then forget
that you are there.
Eleven
Does one scent appeal more than another? Do you prefer this flavor, or
that feeling? Is your practice sacred and your work profane? Then your
mind is separated: from itself, from oneness, from the Tao. Keep your mind
free of divisions and distinctions. When your mind is detached, simple,
quiet, then all things can exist in harmony, and you can begin to perceive
the subtle truth.
Twelve
Do you wish to inhabit sacred space? To have the respect and companionship
of the highest spiritual beings? To be protected by the guardians of the
eight powerful energy rays? Then cherish the Integral Way: Regard these
teachings with reverence, practice their truths, illuminate them to others.
You will receive as many blessings from the universe as there are grains
of sand in the River of Timelessness.
Thirteen
The tiny particles which form the vast universe are not tiny at all. Neither
is the vast universe vast. These are notions of the mind, which is like
a knife, always chipping away at the Tao, trying to render it graspable
and manageable. But that which is beyond form is ungraspable, and that
which is beyond knowing is unmanageable. There is, however, this consolation:
She who lets go of the knife will find the Tao at her fingertips.
Fourteen
Can you dissolve your ego? Can you abandon the idea of self and other?
Can you relinquish the notions of male and female, short and long, life
and death? Can you let go of all these dualities and embrace the Tao without
skepticism or panic? If so, you can reach the heart of the Integral Oneness.
Along the way, avoid thinking of the Oneness as unusual, exalted, sublime,
transcendental. Because it is the Oneness, it is beyond all that. It is
simply the direct, essential, and complete truth.
Fifteen
To the ordinary being, others often require tolerance. To the highly evolved
being, there is no such thing as tolerance, because there is no such thing
as other. She has given up all ideas of individuality and extended her
goodwill without prejudice in every direction. Never hating, never resisting,
never contesting, she is simply always learning and being. Loving, hating,
having expectations: all these are attachments. Attachment prevents the
growth of one's true being. Therefore the integral being is attached to
nothing and can relate to everyone with an unstructured attitude. Because
of this, her very existence benefits all things. You see, that which has
form is equal to that which is without form, and that which is alive is
equal to that which rests. This is the subtle truth, not a religious invention,
but only those who are already highly evolved will understand this.
Sixteen
Most of the world's religions serve only to strengthen attachments to false
concepts such as self and other, life and death, heaven and earth, and
so on. Those who become entangled in these false ideas are prevented from
perceiving the Integral Oneness. The highest virtue one can exercise is
to accept the responsibility of discovering and transmitting the whole
truth. Some help others in order to receive blessings and admiration. This
is simply meaningless. Some cultivate themselves in part to serve others,
in part to serve their own pride. They will understand, at best, half of
the truth. But those who improve themselves for the sake of the world--to
these, the whole truth of the universe will be revealed. So seek this whole
truth, practice it in your daily life, and humbly share it with others.
You will enter the realm of the divine.
Seventeen
Do not go about worshipping deities and religious institutions as the source
of the subtle truth To do so is to place intermediaries between yourself
and the divine, and to make of yourself a beggar who looks outside for
a treasure that is hidden inside his own breast. If you want to worship
the Tao, first discover it in your own heart. Then your worship will be
meaningful.
Eighteen
There is no one method for attaining realization of the Tao. To regard
any method as the method is to create a duality, which can only delay your
understanding of the subtle truth. The mature person perceives the fruitlessness
of rigid, external methodologies; Remembering this, he keeps his attitude
unstructured at all times and thus is always free to pursue the Integral
Way. He studies the teachings of the masters. He dissolves all concepts
of duality. He pours himself out in service to others. He performs his
inner cleansing and does not disturb his teacher with unnecessary entanglements,
thus preserving the subtle spiritual connection with the teacher's divine
energy. Gently eliminating all obstacles to his own understanding, he constantly
maintains his unconditional sincerity. His humility, perseverance, and
adaptability evoke the response of the universe and fill him with divine
light.
Nineteen
To the ordinary person, the body of humanity seems vast. In truth, it is
neither bigger nor smaller than anything else. To the ordinary person,
there are others whose awareness needs raising. In truth, there is no self,
and no other. To the ordinary person, the temple is sacred and the field
is not. This, too, is a dualism which runs counter to the truth. Those
who are highly evolved maintain an undiscriminating perception. Seeing
everything, labeling nothing, they maintain their awareness of the Great
Oneness. Thus they are supported by it.
Twenty
The clairvoyant may see forms which are elsewhere, but he cannot see the
formless. The telepathic may communicate directly with the mind of another,
but he cannot communicate with one who has achieved no-mind. The telekinetic
may move an object without touching it, but he cannot move the intangible.
Such abilities have meaning only in the realm of duality. Therefore, they
are meaningless. Within the Great Oneness, though there is no such thing
as clairvoyance, telepathy, or telekinesis, all things are seen, all things
understood, all things forever in their proper places.
Twenty-One
Each moment is fragile and fleeting. The moment of the past cannot be kept,
however beautiful. The moment of the present cannot be held, however enjoyable.
The moment of the future cannot be caught, however desirable. But the mind
is desperate to fix the river in place: Possessed by ideas of the past,
preoccupied with images of the future, it overlooks the plain truth of
the moment. The one who can dissolve her mind will suddenly discover the
Tao at her feet, and clarity at hand.
Twenty-Two
How can the divine Oneness be seen? In beautiful forms, breathtaking wonders,
awe- inspiring miracles? The Tao is not obliged to present itself this
way. It is always present and always available. When speech is exhausted
and mind dissolved, it presents itself. When clarity and purity are cultivated,
it reveals itself. When sincerity is unconditional, it unveils itself.
If you are willing to be lived by it, you will see it everywhere, even
in the most ordinary things.
Twenty-Three
The highest truth cannot be put into words. Therefore the greatest teacher
has nothing to say. He simply gives himself in service, and never worries.
Twenty-Four
Subtle awareness of the truth of the universe should not be regarded as
an achievement. To think in terms of achieving it is to place it outside
your own nature. This is erroneous and misleading. Your nature and the
integral nature of the universe are one and the same: indescribable, but
eternally present. Simply open yourself to this.
Twenty-Five
Not all spiritual paths lead to the Harmonious Oneness. Indeed, most are
detours and distractions, nothing more. Why not trust the plainness and
simplicity of the Integral Way? Living with unconditional sincerity, eradicating
all duality, celebrating the equality of things, your every moment will
be in truth.
Twenty-Six
There are two kinds of blessings. The first are worldly blessings, which
are won by doing good deeds. These concern the mind, and thus are confined
in time and space. The second is the integral blessing, which falls on
those who achieve awareness of the Great Oneness. This awareness liberates
you from the bondage of mind, time, and space to fly freely through the
boundless harmony of the Tao. Similarly, there are two kinds of wisdom.
The first is worldly wisdom, which is a conceptual understanding of your
experiences. Because it follows after the events themselves, it necessarily
inhibits your direct understanding of truth. The second kind, integral
wisdom, involves a direct participation in every moment: the observer and
the observed are dissolved in the light of pure awareness, and no mental
concepts or attitudes are present to dim that light. The blessings and
wisdom that accrue to those who practice the Integral Way and lead others
to it are a billion times greater than all worldly blessings and wisdom
combined.
Twenty-Seven
Do not imagine that an integral being has the ambition of enlightening
the unaware or raising worldly people to the divine realm. To her, there
is no self and other, and hence no one to be raised; no heaven and hell,
and hence no destination. Therefore her only concern is her own sincerity.
Twenty-Eight
It is tempting to view the vast and luminous heavens as the body of the
Tao. That would be a mistake, however. If you identify the Tao with a particular
shape, you won't ever see it.
Twenty-Nine
Don't think you can attain total awareness and whole enlightenment without
proper discipline and practice. This is egomania. Appropriate rituals channel
your emotions and life energy toward the light. Without the discipline
to practice them, you will tumble constantly backward into darkness. Here
is the great secret: Just as high awareness of the subtle truth is gained
through virtuous conduct and sustaining disciplines, so also is it maintained
through these things. Highly evolved beings know and respect the truth
of this.
Thirty
Words can never convey the beauty of a tree; to understand it, you must
see it with your own eyes. Language cannot capture the melody of a song;
to understand it, you must hear it with your own ears. So it is with the
Tao: the only way to understand it is to directly experience it. The subtle
truth of the universe is unsayable and unthinkable. Therefore the highest
teachings are wordless. My own words are not the medicine, but a prescription;
not the destination, but a map to help you reach it. When you get there,
quiet your mind and close your mouth. Don't analyze the Tao. Strive instead
to live it: silently, undividedly, with your whole harmonious being.
Thirty-One
The Tao doesn't come and go. It is always present everywhere, just like
the sky. If your mind is clouded, you won't see it, but that doesn't mean
it isn't there. All misery is created by the activity of the mind. Can
you let go of words and ideas, attitudes and expectations? If so, then
the Tao will loom into view. Can you be still and look inside? If so, then
you will see that the truth is always available, always responsive.
Thirty-Two
The ego says that the world is vast, and that the particles which form
it are tiny. When tiny particles join, it says, the vast world appears.
When the vast world disperses, it says, tiny particles appear. The ego
is entranced by all these names and ideas, but the subtle truth is that
world and particle are the same; neither one vast, neither one tiny. Every
thing
is equal to every other thing. Names and concepts only block your perception
of this Great Oneness. Therefore it is wise to ignore them. Those who live
inside their egos are continually bewildered: they struggle frantically
to know whether things are large or small, whether or not there is a purpose
to joining or dispersing, whether the universe is blind and mechanical
or the divine creation of a conscious being. In reality there are no grounds
for having beliefs or making comments about such things. Look behind them
instead, and you will discern the deep, silent, complete truth of the Tao.
Embrace it, and your bewilderment vanishes.
Thirty-Three
Just as the world can reveal itself as particles, the Tao can reveal itself
as human beings. Though world and particles aren't the same, neither are
they different. Though the cosmic body and your body aren't the same, neither
are they different. Worlds and particles, bodies and beings, time and space:
All are transient expressions of the Tao. Unseeable, ungraspable, the Tao
is beyond any attempt to analyze or categorize it. At the same time, its
truth is everywhere you turn. If you can let go of it with your mind and
surround it with your heart, it will live inside you forever.
Thirty-Four
All things in the universe move from the subtle to the manifest and back
again. Whether the form is that of a star or a person, the process is the
same. First, the subtle energy exists. Next, it becomes manifest and takes
on life. After a time, the life passes away, but the subtle energy goes
on, either returning to the subtle realm, where it remains, or once again
attaching to manifest things. The character of your existence is determined
by the energies to which you connect yourself. If you attach yourself to
gross energies--loving this person, hating that clan, rejecting one experience
or habitually indulging in another--then you will lead a series of heavy,
attached lives. This can go on for a very long and tedious time. The way
of the integral being is to join with higher things. By holding to that
which is refined and subtle, she traverses refined and subtle realms. If
she enters the world, she does so lightly, without attachment. In this
way she can go anywhere without ever leaving the center of the universe.
Thirty-Five
Intellectual knowledge exists in and of the brain. Because the brain is
part of the body, which must one day expire, this collection of facts,
however large and impressive, will expire as well. Insight, however, is
a function of the spirit. Because your spirit follows you through cycle
after cycle of life, death, and rebirth, you have the opportunity of cultivating
insight in an ongoing fashion. Refined over time, insight becomes pure,
constant, and unwavering. This is the beginning of immortality.
Thirty-Six
It is entirely possible for you to achieve immortality, and to experience
absolute joy and freedom forever. The practice of undiscriminating virtue
is the means to this end. Practicing kindness and selflessness, you naturally
align your life with the Integral Way. Aligning your life with the Integral
Way, you begin to eliminate the illusory boundaries between people and
societies, between darkness and light, between life and death. Eliminating
these illusions, you gain the company of the highest spiritual beings.
In their company, you are protected from negative influences and your life
energy cannot be dissolved. Thus do you achieve immortality. Remember:
it is not that those who cultivate wholeness and virtue in themselves do
not encounter difficulties in life. It is that they understand that difficulties
are the very road to immortality: by meeting them calmly and openly, however
they unfold, and joyfully developing themselves in response to them, they
become as natural, as complete, and as eternal as the Tao itself.
Thirty-Seven
A superior person cares for the well-being of all things. She does this
by accepting responsibility for the energy she manifests, both actively
and in the subtle realm. Looking at a tree, she sees not an isolated event
but root, leaves, trunk, water, soil and sun: each event related to the
others, and "tree" arising out of their relatedness. Looking at herself
or another, she sees the same thing. Trees and animals, humans and insects,
flowers and birds: These are active images of the subtle energies that
flow from the stars throughout the universe. Meeting and combining with
each other and the elements of the earth, they give rise to all living
things. The superior person understands this, and understands that her
own energies play a part in it. Understanding these things, she respects
the earth as her mother, the heavens as her father, and all living things
as her brothers and sisters. Caring for them, she knows that she cares
for herself. Giving to them, she knows that she gives to herself. At peace
with them, she is always at peace with herself.
Thirty-Eight
Why scurry about looking for the truth? It vibrates in every thing and
every not-thing, right off the tip of your nose. Can you be still and see
it in the mountain? the pine tree? yourself? Don't imagine that you'll
discover it by accumulating more knowledge. Knowledge creates doubt, and
doubt makes you ravenous for more knowledge. You can't get full eating
this way. The wise person dines on something more subtle: He eats the understanding
that the named was born from the unnamed, that all being flows from non-
being, that the describable world emanates from an indescribable source.
He finds this subtle truth inside his own self, and becomes completely
content. So who can be still and watch the chess game of the world? The
foolish are always making impulsive moves, but the wise know that victory
and defeat are decided by something more subtle. They see that something
perfect exists before any move is made. This subtle perfection deteriorates
when artificial actions are taken, so be content not to disturb the peace.
Remain quiet. Discover the harmony in your own being. Embrace it. If you
can do this, you will gain everything, and the world will become healthy
again. If you can't, you will be lost in the shadows forever.
Thirty-Nine
If you go searching for the Great Creator, you will come back empty-handed.
The source of the universe is ultimately unknowable, a great invisible
river flowing forever through a vast and fertile valley. Silent and uncreated,
it creates all things. All things are brought forth from the subtle realm
into the manifest world by the mystical intercourse of yin and yang. The
dynamic river yang pushes forward, the still valley yin is receptive, and
through their integration things come into existence. This is known as
the Great Tai Chi. Tai chi is the integral truth of the universe. Everything
is a tai chi: your body, the cosmic body, form, appearance, wisdom, energy,
the unions of people, the dispersal of time and places. Each brings itself
into existence through the integration of yin and yang, maintains itself,
and disperses itself without the direction of any creator. Your creation,
your self-transformation, the accumulation of energy and wisdom, the decline
and cessation of your body: all these take place by themselves within the
subtle operation of the universe. Therefore agitated effort is not necessary.
Just be aware of the Great Tai Chi.
Forty
The natural laws of the universe are inviolable: Energy condenses into
substance. Food is eaten through the mouth and not the nose. A person who
neglects to breathe will turn blue and die. Some things simply can't be
dismissed. It is also a part of the cosmic law that what you say and do
determines what happens in your life. The ordinary person thinks that this
law is external to himself and he feels confined and controlled by it.
So his desires trouble his mind, his mind troubles his spirit, and he lives
in constant turmoil with himself and the world. His whole life is spent
in struggling. The superior person recognizes that he and the subtle law
are one. Therefore he cultivates himself to accord with it, bringing moderation
to his actions and clarity to his mind. Doing this, he finds himself at
one with all that is divine and enlightened. His days are passed drinking
in serenity and breathing out contentment. This is the profound, simple
truth: You are the master of your life and death. What you do is what you
are.
Forty-One
Good and bad, self and others, life and death: Why affirm these concepts?
Why deny them? To do either is to exercise the mind, and the integral being
knows that the manipulations of the mind are dreams, delusions, and shadows.
Hold one idea, and another competes with it. Soon the two will be in conflict
with a third, and in time your life is all chatter and contradiction. Seek
instead to keep your mind undivided. Dissolve all ideas into the Tao.
Forty-Two
Nothing in the realm of thoughts or ideologies is absolute. Lean on one
for long, and it collapses. Because of this, there is nothing more futile
and frustrating than relying on the mind. To arrive at the unshakable,
you must befriend the Tao. To do this, quiet your thinking. Stop analyzing,
dividing, making distinctions between one thing and another. Simply see
that you are at the center of the universe, and accept all things and beings
as parts of your infinite body. When you perceive that an act done to another
is done to yourself, you have understood the great truth.
Forty-Three
In ancient times, people lived holistic lives. They didn't overemphasize
the intellect, but integrated mind, body, and spirit in all things. This
allowed them to become masters of knowledge rather than victims of concepts.
If a new invention appeared, they looked for the troubles it might cause
as well as the shortcuts it offered. They valued old ways that had been
proven effective, and they valued new ways if they could be proven effective.
If you want to stop being confused, then emulate these ancient folk: join
your body, mind, and spirit in all you do. Choose food, clothing, and shelter
that accords with nature. Rely on your own body for transportation. Allow
your work and your recreation to be one and the same. Do exercise that
develops your whole being and nor just your body. Listen to music that
bridges the three spheres of your being. Choose leaders for their virtue
rather than their wealth or power. Serve others and cultivate yourself
simultaneously. Understand that true growth comes from meeting and solving
the problems of life in a way that is harmonizing to yourself and to others.
If you can follow these simple old ways, you will be continually renewed.
Forty-Four
This is the nature of the unenlightened mind: The sense organs, which are
limited in scope and ability, randomly gather information. This partial
information is arranged into judgements, which are based on previous judgements,
which are usually based on someone else's foolish ideas. These false concepts
and ideas are then stored in a highly selective memory system. Distortion
upon distortion: the mental energy flows constantly through contorted and
inappropriate channels, and the more one uses the mind, the more confused
one becomes. To eliminate the vexation of the mind, it doesn't help to
do something; this only reinforces the mind's mechanics. Dissolving the
mind is instead a matter of not-doing: Simply avoid becoming attached to
what you see and think. Relinquish the notion that you are separated from
the all-knowing mind of the universe. Then you can recover your original
pure insight and see through all illusions. Knowing nothing, you will be
aware of everything. Remember: because clarity and enlightenment are within
your own nature, they are regained without moving an inch.
Forty-Five
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place. This
is true because the mind is the governing aspect of a human life. If the
river flows clearly and cleanly through the proper channel, all will be
well along its banks. The Integral Way depends on decreasing, not increasing;
To correct your mind, rely on not-doing. Stop thinking and clinging to
complications; keep your mind detached and whole. Eliminate mental muddiness
and obscurity; keep your mind crystal clear. Avoid daydreaming and allow
your pure original insight to emerge. Quiet your emotions and abide in
serenity. Don't go crazy with the worship of idols, images, and ideas;
this is like putting a new head on top of the head you already have. Remember:
if you can cease all restless activity, your integral nature will appear.
Forty-Six
The Tao gives birth to One. One gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang
give birth to all things. Now forget this. The complete whole is the complete
whole. So also is any part the complete whole. Forget this, too. Pain and
happiness are simply conditions of the ego. Forget the ego. Time and space
are changing and dissolving, not fixed and real. They can be thought of
as accessories, but don't think of them. Supernatural beings without form
extend their life force throughout the universe to support beings both
formed and unformed. But never mind this; the supernatural is just a part
of nature, like the natural. The subtle truth emphasizes neither and includes
both. All truth is in tai chi: to cultivate the mind, body, or spirit,
simply balance the polarities. If people understood this, world peace and
universal harmony would naturally arise. But forget about understanding
and harmonizing and making all things one. The universe is already a harmonious
oneness; just realize it. If you scramble about in search of inner peace,
you will lose your inner peace.
Forty-Seven
Dualistic thinking is a sickness. Religion is a distortion. Materialism
is cruel. Blind spirituality is unreal. Chanting is no more holy than listening
to the murmur of a stream, counting prayer beads no more sacred than simply
breathing, religious robes no more spiritual than work clothes. If you
wish to attain oneness with the Tao, don't get caught up in spiritual superficialities.
Instead, live a quiet and simple life, free of ideas and concepts. Find
contentment in the practice of undiscriminating virtue, the only true power.
Giving to others selflessly and anonymously, radiating light throughout
the world and illuminating your own darknesses, your virtue becomes a sanctuary
for yourself and all beings. This is what is meant by embodying the Tao.
Forty-Eight
Do you wish to free yourself of mental and emotional knots and become one
with the Tao? If so, there are two paths available to you. The first is
the path of acceptance. Affirm everyone and everything. Freely extend your
goodwill and virtue in every direction, regardless of circumstances. Embrace
all things as part of the Harmonious Oneness, and then you will begin to
perceive it. The second path is that of denial. Recognize that everything
you see and think is a falsehood, an illusion, a veil over the truth. Peel
all the veils away, and you will arrive at the Oneness. Though these paths
are entirely different, they will deliver you to the same place: spontaneous
awareness of the Great Oneness. Once you arrive there, remember: it isn't
necessary to struggle to maintain unity with it. All you have to do is
participate in it.
Forty-Nine
Thinking and talking about the Integral Way are not the same as practicing
it. Who ever became a good rider by talking about horses? If you wish to
embody the Tao, stop chattering and start practicing. Relax your body and
quiet your senses. Return your mind to its original clarity. Forget about
being separated from others and from the Divine Source. As you return to
the Oneness, do not think of it or be in awe of it. This is just another
way of separating from it. Simply merge into truth, and allow it to surround
you.
Fifty
What good is it to spend your life accumulating material things? It isn't
in keeping with the Tao. What benefit in conforming your behavior to someone's
conventions? It violates your nature and dissipates your energy. Why separate
your spiritual life and your practical life? To an integral being, there
is no such distinction. Live simply and virtuously, true to your nature,
drawing no line between what is spiritual and what is not. Ignore time.
Relinquish ideas and concepts. Embrace the Oneness. This is the Integral
Way.
Fifty-One
Those who want to know the truth of the universe should practice the four
cardinal virtues. The first is reverence for all life; this manifests as
unconditional love and respect for oneself and all other beings. The Second
is natural sincerity; this manifests as honesty, simplicity, and faithfulness.
The third is gentleness; this manifests as kindness, consideration for
others, and sensitivity to spiritual truth. The fourth is supportiveness;
this manifests as service to others without expectation of reward. The
four virtues are not an external dogma but a part of your original nature.
When practiced, they give birth to wisdom and evoke the five blessings:
health, wealth, happiness, longevity, and peace.
Fifty-Two
Do you think you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation?
This makes your mind narrow, not clear. Integral awareness is fluid and
adaptable, present in all places and at all times. That is true meditation.
Who can attain clarity and simplicity by avoiding the world? The Tao is
clear and simple, and it doesn't avoid the world. Why not simply honor
your parents, love your children, help your brothers and sisters, be faithful
to your friends, care for your mate with devotion, complete your work cooperatively
and joyfully, assume responsibility for problems, practice virtue without
first demanding it of others, understand the highest truths yet retain
an ordinary manner? That would be true clarity, true simplicity, true mastery.
Fifty-Three
True understanding in a person has two attributes: awareness and action.
Together they form a natural tai chi. Who can enjoy enlightenment and remain
indifferent to suffering in the world? This is not in keeping with the
Way. Only those who increase their service along with their understanding
can be called men and women of Tao.
Fifty-Four
In ancient times, various holistic sciences were developed by highly evolved
beings to enable their own evolution and that of others. These subtle arts
were created through the linking of individual minds with the universal
mind. They are still taught by traditional teachers to those who display
virtue and desire to assist others. The student who seeks our and studies
these teachings furthers the evolution of mankind as well as her own spiritual
unfolding. The student who ignores them hinders the development of all
beings.
Fifty-Five
The holistic practices of the ancient masters integrate science, art, and
personal spiritual development. Mind, body, and spirit participate in them
equally. They include:
-
Yi Yau, the healing science which incorporates diagnosis, acupuncture,
herbal medicine, therapeutic diet, and other methods;
-
Syang Ming, the science which predicts a person's destiny by observing
the outward physical manifestations of his face, skeleton, palms, and voice;
-
Feng Shui, the science of discerning the subtle energy rays present in
a geographic location to determine whether they will properly support the
activities of a building or town constructed there;
-
Fu Kua, the observation of the subtle alterations of yin and yang for the
purpose of making decisions which are harmonious with the apparent and
hidden aspects of a situation. The foundation of Fu Kua and of all Taoist
practice is the study of the I Ching, or Book of Changes.
-
Nei Dan, Wai Dan, and Fang Jung, the sciences of refining one's personal
energy through alchemy, chemistry, and the cultivation of balanced sexual
energy;
-
Tai Syi, the science of revitalization through breathing and visualization
techniques;
-
Chwun Shi, the transformation of one's spiritual essence through keeping
one's thoughts in accord with the Divine Source;
-
Shu-Ser, the attunement of one's daily life to the cycle of universal energy
rays;
-
Bi Gu, the practice of fasting on specific days in order to gather life
energy emanating from the harmonized positions of certain stars;
-
Sau Yi, the science of embracing integral transcendental oneness in order
to accomplish conception of the 'mystical pearl';
-
Tai Chi Ch'uan, the performance of physical exercises to induce and direct
energy flows within the body to gain mastery of body, breath, mind, the
internal organs, and life and death;
-
Fu Chi, the science of reforming and refining one's energy with pure food
and herbs;
-
Chuan Se, the inner visualization of the unity of one's inner and outer
being;
-
'Dzai Jing, the purification of one's energy through ascetic practices;
-
Fu Jou, the drawing of mystical pictures and the writing and recital of
mystical invocations for the purpose of evoking a response from the subtle
realm of the universe;
-
Tsan Syan, the process of dissolving the ego and connecting with the Great
Oneness through the study of classical scriptures and daily dialogue with
an enlightened master;
-
Lyou Yen and Chi Men, the mystical sciences of energy linkage for the purpose
of influencing external affairs. Of these, the most important for beginners
is the study of the I Ching, which enables one to perceive the hidden influences
in every situation and thus establish a balanced and spiritually evolved
means of responding to them. All are instruments for attaining the Tao.
To study them is to serve universal unity, harmony, and wisdom.
Fifty-Six
If you wish to become a person of Tao, then study that which serves the
nature of life, and offer it to the world. Allow your devotion to learning
the Taoist ways to be complete. Partial practice and partial discipline
won't do. You can't know the body by studying the finger, and you can't
understand the universe by learning one science. If you study the whole
of the Tao wholeheartedly, then everything in your life will reflect it.
Fifty-Seven
The universe is a vast net of energy rays. The primary ray is that which
emanates from the Subtle Origin, and it is entirely positive, creative,
and constructive. Each being, however, converts the energy of this primary
ray into its own ray, and these lower rays can be either positive or negative,
constructive or destructive. An individual who is not yet fully evolved
can be adversely affected by negative energy rays in the net around him.
For example, the combined influence of several negative rays might cause
an undeveloped person to believe that his life is being controlled by an
invisible, oppressive ruler. Such a misconception can be a significant
barrier to enlightenment. To attain full evolution and the status of an
integral being, you must be aware of this intricate net and its influences
upon you. By integrating the positive, harmonious energy rays with the
positive elements of your own being, and eliminating the subtle negative
influences, you can enhance all aspects of your life. In order to eliminate
the negative influences, simply ignore them. To integrate the positive
influences, consciously reconnect yourself with the primary energy ray
of the Subtle Origin by adopting the practices of the Integral Way. Then
all the rays in the net around you will merge back into harmonious oneness.
Fifty-Eight
Unless the mind, body, and spirit are equally developed and fully integrated,
no spiritual peak or state of enlightenment can be sustained. This is why
extremist religions and ideologies do not bear fruit. When the mind and
spirit are forced into unnatural austerities or adherence to external dogmas,
the body grows sick and weak and becomes a traitor to the whole being.
When the body is emphasized to the exclusion of the mind and spirit, they
become like trapped snakes: frantic, explosive, and poisonous to one's
person. All such imbalances inevitably lead to exhaustion and expiration
of the life force. True self-cultivation involves the holistic integration
of mind, body, and spirit. Balancing yin and yang through the various practices
of the Integral Way, one achieves complete unity within and without. This
manifests in the world as perfect equilibrium, and perfect grace.
Fifty-Nine
Greed for enlightenment and immortality is no different than greed for
material wealth. It is self-centered and dualistic, and thus an obstacle
to true attainment. Therefore these states are never achieved by those
who covet them; rather, they are the reward of the virtuous. If you wish
to become a divine immortal angel, then restore the angelic qualities of
your being through virtue and service. This is the only way to gain the
attention of the immortals who teach the methods of energy enhancement
and integration that are necessary to reach the divine realm. These angelic
teachers cannot be sought out; it is they who seek out the student. When
you succeed in connecting your energy with the divine realm through high
awareness and the practice of undiscriminating virtue, the transmission
of the ultimate subtle truths will follow. This is the path that all angels
take to the divine realm.
Sixty
The mystical techniques for achieving immortality are revealed only to
those who have dissolved all ties to the gross worldly realm of duality,
conflict, and dogma. As long as your shallow worldly ambitions exist, the
door will not open. Devote yourself to living a virtuous, integrated, selfless
life. Refine your energy from gross and heavy to subtle and light. Use
the practices of the Integral Way to transform your superficial worldly
personality into a profound, divine presence. By going through each stage
of development along the Integral Way, you learn to value what is important
today in the subtle realm rather than what appears desirable tomorrow in
the worldly realm. Then the mystical door will open. and you can join the
unruling rulers and uncreating creators of the vast universe.
Sixty-One
To understand the universe, you must study and understand these things:
First, the Oneness, the Tao, the Great Tai Chi Second, the Great Two, the
forces of yin and yang; Third, the Three Main Categories, expressed either
as Heaven, Earth, and Man, or as body mind, and spirit; Fourth, the Four
Forces, strong, weak, light, and heavy; Fifth, the Five Elements, symbolized
by water, fire, wood, metal, and earth; Sixth, the Six Breaths--wind, cold,
heat, moisture, dryness, and inflammation--which transform the climate
and the internal organs; Seventh, the processes of change and recycling;
Eighth, the Eight Great Manifestations--Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Thunder,
Lake, Wind, and Mountain--the combinations of which reveal the subtle energetic
truth of all situations, as taught in the I Ching. Understanding these
things, you can employ them internally to leave behind what is old and
dead and to embrace what is new and alive. Once discovered, this process
of internal alchemy opens the mystical gate to spiritual immortality.
Sixty-Two
Do you wish to attain pure Tao? Then you must understand and integrate
within yourself the three main energies of the universe. The first is the
earth energy. Centered in the belly, it expresses itself as sexuality.
Those who cultivate and master the physical energy attain partial purity.
The second is the heaven energy. Centered in the mind, it expresses itself
as knowledge and wisdom. Those whose minds merge with the Universal Mind
also attain partial purity. The third is the harmonized energy. Centered
in the heart, it expresses itself as spiritual insight. Those who develop
spiritual insight also attain partial purity. Only when you achieve all
three-mastery of the physical energy, universal mindedness, and spiritual
insight-and express them in a virtuous integral life, can you attain pure
Tao.
Sixty-Three
There are three layers to the universe: In the lower, Tai Ching, and the
middle, Shan Ching, the hindrance of a physical bodily existence is required.
Those who fail to live consistently in accord with Tao reside here. In
the upper, Yu Ching, there is only Tao: the bondage of form is broken,
and the only thing existing is the exquisite energy dance of the immortal
divine beings. Those who wish to enter Yu Ching should follow the Integral
Way. Simplify the personality, refine the sexual energy upward, integrate
yin and yang in body, mind, and spirit, practice non-impulsiveness, make
your conscience one with pure law, and you will uncover truth after truth
and enter the exquisite upper realm. This path is clearly defined and quite
simple to follow, yet most lose themselves in ideological fogs of their
own making.
Sixty-Four
In earlier times, people lived simply and serenely. Sensitive to the fluctuations
that constantly occur, they were able to adjust comfortably to the energy
of the day. Today, people lead hysterical, impulsive lives. Ignoring the
subtle alterations of yin and yang which influence all things, they become
confused, exhausted, and frustrated. However, even today one can restore
wholeness and clarity to one's mind. The way to do this is through study
of the I Ching. Like the cycle of day and night, everything is a tai chi
incorporating movements between yin and yang. If you do not see the patterns
in these movements, you are lost. But if you consult the I Ching with an
open mind, you will begin to see the patterns underlying all things. Knowing
that daybreak will come, you can rest peacefully at night. When you accurately
perceive the fluidity of things, you also begin to perceive the constancy
behind them: the creative, transformative, boundless, immutable Tao. To
see this is the ultimate education, and the ultimate solace.
Sixty-Five
The interplay of yin and yang within the womb of the Mysterious Mother
creates the expansion and contraction of nature. Although the entire universe
is created out of this reproductive dance, it is but a tiny portion of
her being. Her heart is the Universal Heart, and her mind the Universal
Mind. The reproductive function is also a part of human beings. Because
yin and yang are not complete within us as individuals, we pair up to integrate
them and bring forth new life. Although most people spend their entire
lives following this biological impulse, it is only a tiny portion of our
beings as well. If we remain obsessed with seeds and eggs, we are married
to the fertile reproductive valley of the Mysterious Mother but not to
her immeasurable heart and all-knowing mind. If you wish to unite with
her heart and mind, you must integrate yin and yang within and refine their
fire upward. Then you have the power to merge with the whole being of the
Mysterious Mother. This is what is known as true evolution.
Sixty-Six
The first integration of yin and yang is the union of seed and egg within
the womb. The second integration of yin and yang is the sexual union of
the mature male and female. Both of these are concerned with flesh and
blood, and all that is conceived in this realm must one day disintegrate
and pass away. It is only the third integration which gives birth to something
immortal, In this integration, a highly evolved individual joins the subtle
inner energies of yin and yang under the light of spiritual understanding.
Through the practices of the Integral Way he refines his gross, heavy energy
into something ethereal and light. This divine light has the capability
of penetrating into the mighty ocean of spiritual energy and complete wisdom
that is the Tao. The new life created by the final integration is self-
aware yet without ego, capable of inhabiting a body yet not attached to
it, and guided by wisdom rather than emotion. Whole and virtuous, it can
never die.
Sixty-Seven
To achieve the highest levels of life, one must continually combine new
levels of yin and yang. In nature, the male energy can be found in such
sources as the sun and the mountains, and the female in such sources as
the earth, the moon, and the lakes. Those who study these things, which
are only hinted at here, will benefit immeasurably. Because higher and
higher unions of yin and yang are necessary for the conception of higher
life, some students may be instructed in the art of dual cultivation, in
which yin and yang are directly integrated in the tai chi of sexual intercourse.
If the student is not genuinely virtuous and the instruction not that of
a true master, dual cultivation can have a destructive effect. If genuine
virtue and true mastery come together, however, the practice can bring
about a profound balancing of the student's gross and subtle energies.
The result of this is improved health, harmonized emotions, the cessation
of desires and impulses, and, at the highest level, the transcendent integration
of the entire energy body.
Sixty-Eight
In angelic dual cultivation, one learns to follow the Tao. To approach
the Tao, you will need all your sincerity, for it is elusive, first revealing
itself in form and image, then dissolving into subtle, indefinable essence.
Though it is uncreated itself, it creates all things. Because it has no
substance, it can enter into where there is no space. Exercising by returning
to itself, winning victories by remaining gentle and yielding, it is softer
than anything, and therefore it overcomes everything hard. What does this
tell you about the benefit of non-action and silence?
Sixty-Nine
A person's approach to sexuality is a sign of his level of evolution. Unevolved
persons practice ordinary sexual intercourse. Placing all emphasis upon
the sexual organs, they neglect the body's other organs and systems. Whatever
physical energy is accumulated is summarily discharged, and the subtle
energies are similarly dissipated and disordered. It is a great backward
leap. For those who aspire to the higher realms of living, there is angelic
dual cultivation. Because every portion of the body, mind, and spirit yearns
for the integration of yin and yang, angelic intercourse is led by the
spirit rather than the sexual organs. Where ordinary intercourse is effortful,
angelic cultivation is calm, relaxed, quiet, and natural. Where ordinary
intercourse unites sex organs with sex organs, angelic cultivation unites
spirit with spirit, mind with mind, and every cell of one body with every
cell of the other body. Culminating not in dissolution but in integration,
it is an opportunity for a man and woman to mutually transform and uplift
each other into the realm of bliss and wholeness. The sacred ways of angelic
intercourse are taught only by one who has himself achieved total energy
integration, and taught only to students who follow the Integral Way with
profound devotion, seeking to purify and pacify the entire world along
with their own being. However, if your virtue is especially radiant, it
can be possible to open a pathway to the subtle realm and receive these
celestial teachings directly from the immortals.
Seventy
The cords of passion and desire weave a binding net around you. Worldly
confrontation makes you stiff and inflexible. The trap of duality is tenacious.
Bound, rigid, and trapped, you cannot experience liberation. Through dual
cultivation it is possible to unravel the net, soften the rigidity, dismantle
the trap. Dissolving your yin energy into the source of universal life,
attracting the yang energy from that same source, you leave behind individuality
and your life becomes pure nature. Free of ego, living naturally, working
virtuously, you become filled with inexhaustible vitality and are liberated
forever from the cycle of death and rebirth. Understand this if nothing
else: spiritual freedom and oneness with the Tao are not randomly bestowed
gifts, but the rewards of conscious self-transformation and self-evolution.
Seventy-One
The transformation toward eternal life is gradual. The heavy, gross energy
of body, mind, and spirit must first be purified and uplifted. When the
energy ascends to the subtle level, then self-mastery can be sought. A
wise instructor teaches the powerful principles of self-integration only
to those who have already achieved a high level of self-purification and
self-mastery. In addition, all proper teaching follows the law of energy
response: the most effective method is always that to which the student's
natural energy most harmoniously responds. For one, celibacy and self-cultivation
will be appropriate; for another, properly guided dual cultivation will
derive the greatest benefit. A discerning teacher will determine the proper
balance of practices for each individual. In any case, know that all teachers
and techniques are only transitional: true realization comes from the direct
merger of one's being with the divine energy of the Tao.
Seventy-Two
If you wish to gain merit and become one with the divine, then develop
your virtue and extend it to the world. Abandon fancy theologies and imaginary
ideas and do some ordinary daily work, such as healing. Let go of all conflict
and strife. Practice unswerving kindness and unending patience. Avoid following
impulses and pursuing ambitions which destroy the wholeness of your mind
and separate you from the Integral Way. Neither become obsessed with circumstances
nor forego awareness of them. To manage your mind, know that there is nothing,
and then relinquish all attachment to the nothingness.
Seventy-Three
The teacher cannot aid the student as long as the student's spirit is contaminated.
The cleansing of the spiritual contamination is not the responsibility
of the teacher, but of the student. It is accomplished by offering one's
talent, resources, and life to the world. Also, to the teacher and to the
immortal angels that surround him, a healthy student can offer his pure
energy, and a depleted student can give at the very least food, or wine,
or service. When one gives whatever one can without restraint, the barriers
of individuality break down. It no longer becomes possible to tell whether
it is the student offering himself to the teacher, or the teacher offering
herself to the student. One sees only two immaculate beings, reflecting
one another like a pair of brilliant mirrors.
Seventy-Four
There are those who derive energy from worshipping and meditating on divine
beings and deities. If you feel inclined to worship, then worship these:
Worship the fiery sun, repository of yang, and the watery moon, repository
of yin; Worship the spiritual centers of men and women, which are angelic
in every sense; Worship the Eight Great Manifestations: Heaven, Earth,
Water, Fire, Thunder, Lake, Wind, and Mountain; Worship the sixty-four
hexagrams of the I Ching, which illuminate the underlying harmony of the
universe; Finally, worship the Great Tai Chi, in which all things are contained,
balanced, and reposed.
Seventy-Five
Would you like to liberate yourself from the lower realms of life? Would
you like to save the world from the degradation and destruction it seems
destined for? Then step away from shallow mass movements and quietly go
to work on your own self-awareness. If you want to awaken all of humanity,
then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in
the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly,
the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.
So find a teacher who is an integral being, a beacon who extends his light
and virtue with equal ease to those who appreciate him and those who don't.
Shape yourself in his mold, bathe in his nourishing radiance, and reflect
it out to the rest of the world. You will come to understand an eternal
truth: there is always a peaceful home for a virtuous being.
Seventy-Six
Who can save the world? Perhaps one who devotedly follows these teachings,
who calms her mind, who ignores all divergence, who develops a high awareness
of the subtle truths, who merges her virtue with the universal virtue and
extends it to the world without expectation of reward. She will indeed
be the savior of the world.
Seventy-Seven
Humanity grows more and more intelligent, yet there is clearly more trouble
and less happiness daily. How can this be so? It is because intelligence
is not the same thing as wisdom. When a society misuses partial intelligence
and ignores holistic wisdom, its people forget the benefits of a plain
and natural life. Seduced by their desires, emotions, and egos, they become
slaves to bodily demands, to luxuries, to power and unbalanced religion
and psychological excuses. Then the reign of calamity and confusion begins.
Nonetheless, superior people can awaken during times of turmoil to lead
others out of the mire. But how can the one liberate the many? By first
liberating his own being. He does this nor by elevating himself, but by
lowering himself. He lowers himself to that which is simple, modest, true;
integrating it into himself, he becomes a master of simplicity, modesty,
truth. Completely emancipated from his former false life, he discovers
his original pure nature, which is the pure nature of the universe. Freely
and spontaneously releasing his divine energy, he constantly transcends
complicated situations and draws everything around him back into an integral
oneness. Because he is a living divinity, when he acts, the universe acts.
Seventy-Eight
There are many partial religions, and then there is the Integral Way. Partial
religions are desperate, clever, human inventions; the Integral Way is
a deep expression of the pure, whole, universal mind. Partial religions
rely on the hypnotic manipulation of undeveloped minds; the Integral Way
is founded on the free transmission of the plain, natural, immutable truth.
It is a total reality, not an occult practice. The Integral Way eschews
conceptual fanaticism, extravagant living, fancy food, violent music. They
spoil the serenity of one's mind and obstruct one's spiritual development.
Renouncing what is fashionable and embracing what is plain, honest, and
virtuous, the Integral Way returns you to the subtle essence of life. Adopt
its practices and you will become like they are: honest, simple, true,
virtuous, whole. You see, in partial pursuits, one's transformation is
always partial as well. But in integral self-cultivation, it is possible
to achieve a complete metamorphosis, to transcend your emotional and biological
limitations and evolve to a higher state of being. By staying out of the
shadows and following this simple path, you become extraordinary, unfathomable,
a being of profound cosmic subtlety. You outlive time and space by realizing
the subtle truth of the universe.
Seventy-Nine
Those in future generations who study and practice the truth of these teachings
will be blessed. They will acquire the subtle light of wisdom, the mighty
sword of clarity that cuts through all obstruction, and the mystical pearl
of understanding that envelops the entire universe. They will attain the
insight necessary to perceive the integral truth of the Tao. Following
this truth with unabashed sincerity, they will become it: whole, courageous,
indestructible, unnameable.
Eighty
The world is full of half-enlightened masters. Overly clever, too "sensitive"
to live in the real world, they surround themselves with selfish pleasures
and bestow their grandiose teachings upon the unwary. Prematurely publicizing
themselves, intent upon reaching some spiritual climax, they constantly
sacrifice the truth and deviate from the Tao. What they really offer the
world is their own confusion. The true master understands that enlightenment
is not the end, but the means. Realizing that virtue is her goal, she accepts
the long and often arduous cultivation that is necessary to attain it.
She doesn't scheme to become a leader, but quietly shoulders whatever responsibilities
fall to her. Unattached to her accomplishments, taking credit for nothing
at all, she guides the whole world by guiding the individuals who come
to her. She shares her divine energy with her students, encouraging them,
creating trials to strengthen them, scolding them to awaken them, directing
the streams of their lives toward the infinite ocean of the Tao. If you
aspire to this sort of mastery, then root yourself in the Tao. Relinquish
your negative habits and attitudes. Strengthen your sincerity. Live in
the real world, and extend your virtue to it without discrimination in
the daily round. Be the truest father or mother, the truest brother or
sister, the truest friend, and the truest disciple. Humbly respect and
serve your teacher, and dedicate your entire being unwaveringly to self-cultivation.
Then you will surely achieve self-mastery and he able to help others in
doing the same.
Eighty-One
With all this talking, what has been said? The subtle truth can he pointed
at with words, but it can't be contained by them. Take time to listen to
what is said without words, to obey the law too subtle to be written, to
worship the unnameable and to embrace the unformed. Love your life. Trust
the Tao. Make love with the invisible subtle origin of the universe, and
you will give yourself everything you need. You won't have to hide away
forever in spiritual retreats. You can be a gentle, contemplative hermit
right here in the middle of everything, utterly unaffected, thoroughly
sustained and rewarded by your integral practices. Encouraging others,
giving freely to all, awakening and purifying the world with each movement
and action, you'll ascend to the divine realm in broad daylight. The breath
of the Tao speaks, and those who are in harmony with it hear quite clearly. |