Interesting title huh?!? "A life-long subscription to the "LIFE" magazine." It gives you a lot to think about but, maybe you're stupid and you don't understand, allow me to clarify. I have previously said on my recent blog entries that I think The Tao is like a manual, a written game plan for life. I have always thought that the Tao is written so you will follow it step-by-step, just like a life-long subscription to a magazine in which your whole life is planned out, hence my title.
Lets begin talking about the Tao. These 18 chapters have really given me a lot to think about. There are so many teachings and so many quotes that are worthy of explanation we wouldn't have space to out them all in a same blog entry. One of my Favorite parts of these chapters (and maybe of the whole) is at the beginning where it says, "Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? I do not believe it can be done, The universe is sacred, you cannot improve it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it."(1:29) As much as I like this quote and find it very interesting, I don't actually agree with most of it. When the Tao says, "Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? I do not believe it can be done." I think it is part true and part false. Maybe the universe is perfect and it would be wrong to try to change it but, I feel that the universe won't be here for us forever so we need to contribute to it and not just lay around thinking we have nothing to do. A part I pretty much agree with is this one, "The universe is sacred, you cannot improve it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it." I believe that the universe is sacred and that changing it's natural balance could lead to gigantic catastrophes. I believe we have seen tis many times before, where something is perfectly fine and mankind comes in and ends it all. Take deforestation for example, plants, trees, and forests are perfect but, men still think it is better to come in and cut down all the trees to make a couple of beds and furniture. That would be changing the natural way of things and that is wrong, and in that part I do agree with the Tao.
I am not going to waste your precious time anymore but, allow me to analyze one more quote with you guys and I promise I'll go away. Yes?!? Thank you.
"He sees without looking; He works without doing" (5:47)
Interesting words, with a lot of power. Words that can be interpreted in so many different way it isn't even funny. Take a moment to think about your interpretation of these words which we will analyze in a second or two. Done? O.K. We have heard many times from our wise teachers that there is a there is a difference between seeing and looking, and that you can sometimes do one and not do the other. I believe that when you see something you are just barely taking notice it is there. On the other hand, when you look at something you are acknowledging it's existence and looking deeper into it by analyzing it and asking questions to yourself about it. The next part I don't really understand. Maybe what Lao is trying to tell us is that you can work on something but, you don't really do anything good or worthwhile, you just hit the nails with the hammer (metaphor) and don't get anything done. If you understand the second part of this quote please feel free to comment below and tell me about it. So long bloggers hope to see you soon!
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