LIU I-MING, AWAKENING TO THE TAO

Liu I-ming, Awakening to the Tao, translated from the Chinese by Thomas Cleary (Boston & Shaftesbury: Shambhala, 1988) ("The Natural Reality of the Infant: "When an infant is first born, it has o conscious knowledge, no attachment to pleasures and possession, no sentimental bonds. It knows nothing of wealth or poverty, has no idea of self, person, being, or life. For the infant, everything is open--nothing defiles it, for it is indifferent, equanimous, purely natural." "What I realize as I observe this is the Tao of restoration of innocence. If people are able to radically wake up and turn around, shedding attachments to things, to dwell in the realm of nothingness and formlessness, to uproot the sense and objects conditioned by history and sweep away the forces of habit acquired in the present life, letting go everywhere to be open and clear, pure and clean, then even if the body is old  the nature is restored; outwardly one may be weak, but inwardly one is robust." "This is the restoration of youth, the original state of the infant. Otherwise, once natural reality is lost, even if one is physically strong and fat as a pig or an ox, what is the benefit?" Id. at 25-26. "Moths and Worms: [] Worldly people follow what they desire--they compete for fame, grab for profit, indulge in drink and lust. They take artficialities for reality, take irritants for pleasure. Day and night they struggle uncertainly, anxious and worried all the time, wearing out their vitality and spirit. They are not willing to stop until the day they die." "Such people are like moths flying into a lamp and burning to death, like worms seeking heat losing their lives. This is what is called sending yourself to death without even being called by the Great Reaper." "If you know in yourself the value of life, see through emotional entanglements and sensual cages, leap out of the net of fame and profit, be like a complete simpleton, learn to be a flexible, yielding  ignoramus. Do not contend for what others contend for, do not love what other love. In all situations, lower yourself and honor others. In all affairs do not be impulsive or forward." "Be like a fish submerged in the depths, like a turtle in the mud. Then criticism and praise do not reach you, calamity and fortune do not affect you. You live spontaneously without seeking life, you avoid death by not bringing on death." "This is a good method of heading for good fortune and avoiding misfortune. Nevertheless, foolish people consider external things more important than essences and life, bringing death on themselves." Id. at 62-63. "When Oil and Coal Run Out: [] Only humans have the same energy of yin and yang and the five forces but cannot follow it naturally. They cultivate unnecessary habits, take pain for pleasure, take poison for medicine. Greedily and gladly following their desires, they chop away at the root of life. Eventually their vitality and spirit wear out, their real consciousness fades away, just as a lamp goes out when the oil is gone, and a fire goes out when the charcoal is used up. They will only come to the brink of extinction." "If people are really beyond the world, they consider essence and life important. They protect their vitality and spirit as one wold protect gold and jade. They take care of the true consciousness as one would take care of rare gems. They do not set foot in a pit of fire, they do not show up in the arena of right and wrong." At all times they set their minds on what is fundamental and focus their thoughts on the meaning of the Way. They are careful about what goes on inside them, and prudent about what they do in the outside world. They store their spirit and energy." "This is what is meant by the saying that enlightened people work on he fundamental; when the fundamental is established, the way comes into being. This is like adding oil to keep a lamp from going out, like adding charcoal to keep a fire burning. Those without life can have life, the unborn can live forever. Is the question of whether to live or die to be left up to heaven alone?" Id. at 67-68. "The Racehorse and the Nag: [] Nevertheless, there are many Taoists in the world who cannot with a true heart regard essence and life as most important. They talk about the virtues of the Tao, but in their hearts they are criminals and gangsters. They want their imaginings of the Tao, and they want their greedy ambitions too. They are easily angered and unreceptive." "The intellectuals among them, depend on their ability to memorize a few 'spiritual' sayings, and think they have the Way. Consequently they disregard others and will not seek enlightened teachers or visit capable friends, thus mistaking the road ahead." "The dull ones do not know to investigate principles, and do not distinguish the false from the true. Having studied some 'side-door' practices, playing around on twisted by-ways, they also think they have the Way, and will not go to high illuminates for verification, thus holding to their routines all their lives, trapped in unbreakable fixations." "People like these types to not really think about the matter of essence and life as the single most important thing in the world, and the cultivation and maintenance of essence and life to be the single most difficult thing in the world. How can this be easily known, or easily accomplished?" "This is why those who study Taoism may be as numerous as hairs on a cow, but those who accomplish the Way are as rare as unicorns horns." Id. at 77-79. In studying this text I could not help but think about my yoga practice as part of my path to the Way. Am I on the by-way, or on the high road of practice? Am I a criminal, gangster, intellectual, etc., playing at Yoga and the Way, or do I have a serious Yoga practice focused on fundamentals, essence and life? Are my Yoga teachers real, or just charlatans? Am I real, or am I a charlatan? Am I in the world or beyond it?).