Quotation From Zhuangzi

Singapore time 8.54 am 22nd March 2008

Chapter 33
He who does not separate from the Source is one with God. He who does not separate from the essence is a spiritual man. He who does not separate from the reality is a perfect man. He who makes God the source, and Te the root, and Tao the portal, passively falling in with the modifications of his environment,--he is the true Sage. [God is Our Spiritual Soul and Tao is the Mystic Cavity at our nose bridge.]

Not to be involved in the mundane, not to indulge in the specious, not to be overreaching with the individual, nor antagonistic to the public; but to desire the tranquility of the world in general with a view to the prolongation of life, to seek no more than sufficient for the requirements of oneself and others (not to be rich), and by such a course to purify the heart (by meditation),--herein lay the Tao of the ancients.

To be public-spirited and belong to no party, in one's dealing not to be all for self, to move without being bound to a given course, to make things as they come, to have no remorse for the past, no anxiety for the future, to have no partialities, but to be on good terms with all,--herein lay the Tao of the ancients.

To make the root the essential, to regard objective existences as accidental, to look upon accumulation as deficiency, and to meekly accept the dispositions of Providence,--herein lay the Tao of the ancients. (Look upon accumulation as deficiency is that wealth is an obstruction to Tao.)

Kuan Yin and Lao Tzu became enthusiastic followers of Tao. They based their systems upon nothingness, with ONE as their criterion. Their outward expression was gentleness and humility. Their inward belief was in unreality and avoidance of injury to all things. Kuan Yin said, "Adopt no absolute position. Let externals take care of themselves. In motion, be like water. At rest, like a mirror. Respond, like the echo. Be subtle, as though non-existent. Be still, as though pure. Regard uniformity as peace. Look on gain as loss. Do not precede others. Follow them." (In motion be like water is doing squinted eyes. Chinese word water is like squinted eyes.)

Lao Tzu said, "He who conscious of being strong, is content to be weak,--he shall be a cynosure of men.
"He who is conscious of purity, puts up with disgrace,--he shall be the cynosure of mankind.
"He who when others strive to be first, contents himself with the lowest place, is said to accept the contumely of the world.
"He who when others strive for the substantial, contents himself with the unsubstantial, stores up nothing and therefore has abundance. There he is in the midst of his abundance which comes to him without effort on his part. He does nothing, and laughs at the artifices of others.
"He who when others strive for happiness is content with security, is said to aim at avoiding evil.
"He who makes depth of fundamental importance and moderation his rule of life, is said to crush that which is hard within him and temper that which is sharp.
"To be in liberal sympathy with all creation, and not to be aggressive towards one's fellow men,--this may be called perfection."

Silence, formlessness, change, impermanence, now life, now death, heaven and earth blended in one, the soul departing, gone no one knows where, suddenly, no one knows whither, as all things go in turn, never to come back again;--herein lay the Tao of the ancients. (Spiritual Soul is a part of Tao. Tao of the ancients is the Way of the ancients.)