Tom

16 Empty the mind of everything, let it reside in peace. Being at peace you can watch the Ten Thousand Things rise and fall. They follow their natural path and eventually return to the source of all things. This is the way of Nature. Returning to the source is stillness, for Nature is unchanging. Knowing this constancy is having insight into all things. Not knowing this leads to disaster. Knowing the source, the mind is open. When the mind is open the heart will be open too. Being open hearted, you can act naturally. Acting naturally, you will be at one with the Dao. Being at one with the Dao, you will be at one with Heaven and Earth. Being at one with Heaven and Earth, you can become eternal. Although the body dies, the Dao will always be eternal. Any thoughts?

Here is Jeff's take. The old masters knew what they were deeply connected to the Dao. The depth of there knowledge and connection was beyond what is noticeable by others. Because of this, all we can do is watch and pay attention to their actions. Watch with total focus and be completely alert. Watch without getting caught up with your own attachments and prejudices. Simply be open (sort of like full body listening). Letting the activity (mud) of the mind settle quietly. Realizing the Tao is not a goal to reach, not a desire to fulfill, it is simply completely residing. *The Dao is all. The universe could be described as the one that emerged from the Dao. A human or human behavior is part of 10,000 things which are also born of the Dao. *To make it even more confusing, I would describe the 0ne as actually the motion of the Dao. Or you could say that the One should be a verb...

I would agree. To me this is a key point.

15 The Ancient Master’s were subtle, mysterious, profound and alert. The depth of their knowledge was unfathomable. Likened to the Dao, they were at one. Being at one, all we can do is observe their appearance. Watchful, like men fishing in a stream. Alert, like men aware of the tiger. Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding, like a blade of grass. Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood. Empty, like vessels. Opaque, like muddy pools. Lying still and waiting quietly, who can wait for the mud to settle? Who can wait for the mystery to be revealed? Do not seek fulfilment, but feel the Dao in your heart. By not seeking fulfilment, nothing is changed. The Ten Thousand Things rise and fall without interference Any thoughts?

Here is Jeff's take. 14 Look, it can never be seen, for it has no form. Listen, it can never be heard, it is beyond sound. Grasp, it can never be held, it is intangible. Although it can never be seen, heard or held, its spirit is always there. For it is formed from nothing and so returns to nothing. It is beyond description, But it is the Mother of the Ten Thousand Things. It has no beginning and no end, but it is great. Stay with this (in your heart) the ancient Dao, but move with the present. Knowing the Dao is the ancient beginning of all things.

Emptiness is the infinite potential from which all things arise. It is found within. The move with the present.. seems to say don't just stay there or cease into emptiness but also be that arising that is all things.

14 Look, it can never be seen, for it has no form. Listen, it can never be heard, it is beyond sound. Grasp, it can never be held, it is intangible. Although it can never be seen, heard or held, its spirit is always there. For it is formed from nothing and so returns to nothing. It is beyond description, But it is the Mother of the Ten Thousand Things. It has no beginning and no end, but it is great. Stay with this (in your heart) the ancient Dao, but move with the present. Knowing the Dao is the ancient beginning of all things. Any thoughts?

Here is Jeff's view. Accept disgrace willingly. Accept misfortune as the human condition. What do I mean by "accept disgrace willingly?" Accept being unimportant. Do not be concerned with wealth, titles, loss or gain. If you are not concerned with these, you can always "accept disgrace willingly". What do I mean by "accept misfortune as the human condition?" Without a body, how could there be misfortune! For misfortune arises from having a body Surrender yourself humbly, then you can be trusted to care for all things. Love the world as your own self, then you can truly be trusted to care for all things.

All the things mentioned are of the ego mind. Again he is describing different aspects of obstructions, of wants and desires. Things of the mind that people can get caught up in. Accept it when things happen and let it go, go with the flow.. While one is still in the dualistic mind there are issues and fears, wants and desires. Surrender or let go of such desires is the way to move beyond the ego. Realize you are more than the body or that you, the body and the world is your true self. With such a realization there is no misfortune!

13 Accept disgrace willingly. Accept misfortune as the human condition. What do I mean by "accept disgrace willingly?" Accept being unimportant. Do not be concerned with wealth, titles, loss or gain. If you are not concerned with these, you can always "accept disgrace willingly". What do I mean by "accept misfortune as the human condition?" Without a body, how could there be misfortune! For misfortune arises from having a body Surrender yourself humbly, then you can be trusted to care for all things. Love the world as your own self, then you can truly be trusted to care for all things. Any thoughts?

Very interesting concept of leaking energy. Wouldn't that be dualistic and where would the energy go?

Here is Jeff's take: .

Here is my take. It is all about desires. " For having in excess, dulls the senses. When the senses are dulled, men look for more stimulation. Racing and hunting fever the mind Precious things cause greed to arise in Men’s hearts." Chasing, wanting more, needing more of sense objects is not the way. "Therefore the Sage is guided by what he feels, and not by what he sees." What does a Sage feel? A Sage is one with the flow of the universe, unattached to sense objects.

The five colours blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavours dull the taste. For having in excess, dulls the senses. When the senses are dulled, men look for more stimulation. Racing and hunting fever the mind. Precious things cause greed to arise in Men’s hearts. Therefore the Sage is guided by what he feels, and not by what he sees. He lets go of that and chooses this. Any thoughts?

Here is Jeff's take: The fifteen layers of consciousness (each with 2 polarities - 30 spokes) make up the multiverse; But it is the underlying Dao that allows their existence. Just like one shapes clay into a bowl, it is the "space within" the form that give it use. In the same way, without doors and windows, a room has no use. Similarly, it is critical to notice what is underneath or what form is made up of, as it points the way to the Dao (and that is very useful