Best of Taoism – Right words sounding wrong

Nothing in this world is as soft and weak as water. Yet nothing is so effective as water at wearing away stones, which are hard and strong. And as it wears away stones, it remains unaltered. Thus softness overcomes hardness; weakness overcomes strength. Everyone knows this; but few people use this knowledge.

Wise people say: ‘By regarding yourself as a sinner, you become virtuous. By regarding yourself as lowly, you become mighty.’ Yes, life is full of paradoxes, in which right words sound wrong.

After a conflict is over, some enmity remains. How can peace be made? Wise people keep to the agreement that was made, but do not make demands on their former enemies.

Those whose power is genuine, concentrate on fulfilling their own obligations. Those whose power is hollow, insist on others fulfilling their obligations.

The way has no favourites; it is on the side of goodness.

Best of Taoism – Small and Easy

Do without doing. Act without action. Taste without tasting any flavour. Treat the small as large, and the few as many.

When you are injured, respond with a kind deed. When you are insulted, respond with a kind word.

When life is easy, prepare for hard times. Solve problems that are small, before they grow large. Remember that even the greatest problems in the world were originally tiny problems.

Thus wise people, by never doing great things, get great things done.

It may be said that, if you only do small tasks, your work will be worthless. It may be said that, if you only do easy tasks, you show yourself to be feeble. But wise people know that by undertaking only small tasks, they achieve much; and that by only doing easy tasks, they show their strength.

Best of Taoism – Raw silk and uncut wood

Do not strive to be holy. Forget trying to be wise. If you cast aside all aspirations towards holiness and wisdom, your relatives and friends will be greatly relieved.

Do not strive to be virtuous. Forget trying to be good. If you cast aside all aspirations towards virtue and goodness, you will remember what true human compassion is.

Do not strive to plan for the future. Forget trying to build up assets. If you cast aside all ambitions towards wealth and riches, thieves and cheats will leave you alone.

But even these three rules can be ignored. All that matters is that you appreciate raw silk and uncut wood. Need little and want less. Then you can forget the rules. Your life will be free of trouble.

Best of Taoism – Questions to ask yourself?

Can you keep the soul in your body? Can your body function in harmony with the soul? Can you learn to be whole?

Can you draw your energy back into yourself? Can you become supple? Can you learn to be a baby?

Can you keep deep water still and clear, so that it reflects without distortion? Can you love people as they are?

Can you manage things without exerting authority? Can you organize things be doing nothing?

Can you open and close the gates of heaven with ease? Can you enter and leave heaven, as a bird enters and leaves its nest?

Can you pierce the mystery of the universe? Can you know without knowing?

Can you bear a child, give birth to it and nourish it, without possessing it?

Can you act without taking credit for your actions?

Can you lead, and not rule?

He has all!

Krishna is covering all the aspects and all the forms of life. He has disguised himself in all the human forms possible. He has all in him and although he is so empty. Emptiness does not hinder his completeness. His life has all the examples that prove his different roles, different faces. He has shown up everything possible in his life. If you start reviewing Krishna’s life, starting from his childhood, you will find everything possible. He has enjoyed all the facets, lived in all the emotions, involved in all kinds of acts, disguised in all the roles. He is a God, a human, a teacher, a dancer, a musician, a thief, a crook, a player, a student, a warrior, a charioteer, a flee, a mischief, a great son, a great lover, a villager, a prince, an idol god for numerous saints (bhaktas) and all and all.

He is stealing butter from mud pots of gokul huts amusing all the villagers. His mother Yashoda is trying to catch and punish him every time he does that. The biggest and the most powerful God; the father of the universe is crying and running away when his mother is running to catch him; what an irony!! He is killing all the devils and demons, relieving all the humans from their ill acts. He is spell bounding the cows, Gopis (cow-herd girls) and all the humans and getting a name of “Gopi Krishna”. He is playing ‘Maharaas’, the famous night of love and dance, and makes his love immortal in the world; Gita Govinda is also a process towards immortalizing krishna’s love activities. He is fighting with weighty body-builders Chanura, Mushtika in the kingdom of cruel king Kansa at the age of 17. He portrays an ideal son’s duties freeing his parents from Kansa’s prison. He is the charioteer of Prince Arjuna’s chariot and leading the Mahabharat, the biggest battle in the history of Bharata (India). He is also narrating the most intellectual portfolio; the father of all the religious epics, the Geeta purana. The Geeta itself is a big epic to be explained in several upcoming articles. He is explaining the doctrines for life to Vidura. He is the king of Dwarka and hence called “Dwarkadheesha”, adding to the list of his more than a thousand names. He lifts the huge Govardhana parvat (mountain) and saves the residents of gokul village from the rage of the lord Indra.

He defines and acts on all the perspectives of life. He is a master. He has all in him. One more point to be understood in this context is that he is worshipped in pieces. Does it seem surprising? It might be to many of them. Let me elaborate more. Since he has everything, his talks are unequivocal, indefinite. He supports some argument some time, may defend some other point under some other circumstances. Like Buddha or Mahaveera or even Lord Rama, his words are not direct and directional. Mahaveera is favoring tyaga (relinquishment and abandonment), Buddha is favoring dhyana (Meditation), Lord Rama is favoring principles. Krishna doesn’t favour anything. He is neither an atheist nor a theist. He is beyond the two; hence he is a trickster and creates any appearance required. All this creates confusion for Krishna lovers. Hence they see their own likes in him. He is loved and worshipped in different ways. Some have chosen Mahabharata, some have chosen Bhagvata, and some prefer Geeta. Surdas loves his childhood, his flute, his childhood musings, on the other hand Jaidev loves his enchanting love and sensual expressions and composes an great immortal epic on that; Geeta Govinda. Somebody offers him flowers, some body offers him makkhan-mishri (mixture of butter and sugar), some offer him blood; following his warrior principles. People all over the world have seen and absorbed him in their own ways. This is although an injustice to Krishna. Krishna should be absorbed fully and in the way he is; humans are still unworthy to accept him as he is. That’s why he is for the future. You need his soul to understand him!!