Quantum Tzu

The Tao that can be told of
Is not the Absolute Tao;
The Names that can be given
Are not Absolute Names.

The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the Mother of All Things.

Therefore:
Oftentimes, one strips oneself of passion
In order to see the Secret of Life;
Oftentimes, one regards life with passion.
In order to see its manifest forms.

They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery;
Reaching from Mystery to Deeper Mystery
Is the Gate to the Secret of All Life.



Perhaps the best commentary on Lao Tzu's words were given by his student Chuang Tzu who tended to use humor in many of his teachings. As Lao Tzu was a master of poetry, Chuang Tzu was proficient with prose.

Notice what he says about the above passage and how well it fits into quantum physics today:

The Conditioned and the Unconditioned

"The knowledge of the men of old reached the ultimate height. What as the ultimate height of knowledge? They recognized that nothing but nothing existed. That indeed was the limit further than which one could go.

"Then there were those who believed matter existed, but only matter unconditioned (undefined). Next came those who believed in conditioned (defined) matter, but did not recognize the distinction of true and false.

"When the distinctions of true and false appeared, then Tao lost its wholeness. And when Tao lost its wholeness, individual bias began."

We learn in Quantum physics that the Universe is a single wave that, when its observed, takes on form. However, those forms are mere perceptions that we, as observers see.

Going beyond this, we make these forms tangible in our minds and thus lose the wholeness of the One Universe. This "isolation" from the Whole is the root of our prejudices, judgments, and biases.

So then our frustrations come from trying to solidify that which is actually intangible and then try to hold on to it.

Fear and disgrace cause one dismay;
What we value and what we fear are within our Self.

What does this mean:
"Favor and disgrace cause one dismay?"
Those who receive a favor from above
Are dismayed when they receive it,
And dismayed when they lose it.

What does this mean:
"What we value and what we fear are within our Self?"
We have fears because we have self.
When we do not regard that self as self,
What have we to fear?

Man's loss of his original nature comes from the distractions of the material world acting through his five senses.

His emancipation of the spirit comes from the doctrine of selflessness which is achieved throught the realization that the individual self is nothing and the great unity of the Universe is everything.

From this selfless point of view it is therefore natural to regard all the accidents of fortune and misfortune, of honor and disgrace, as things that are entirely superficial and unimportant.

Chuang Tzu wrote:

"Those dull of understanding do not perceive that however you conceal small thing in larger ones, there will always be a chance of losing them. But if you entrust taht which belongs to the universe, from it there will be no escape. For this is the great law of things."

When we focus our attention on the tangible world around us and our possessions, we lose the understanding that the Universe is One thing.

We may feel the need to protect that which we perceive to be ours, but in reality, all things are universal and can never be lost.

Even our own self will become something else when its usefulness is finished. It too is universal and will never be lost.

Only the perception of who we are by our self and those who know us will pass. But the energy wave that we ride on and are part of continues.

So what's there to worry about or cling to?

There is nothing weaker than water
But none is superior to it in overcoming the hard,
For which there is no substitute.

That weakness overcomes strength
And gentleness overcomes rigidity,
No one does not know;
No one can put into practice.

Therefore the Sage says:
"Who receives unto himself the calumny of the world
Is the preserver of the state.
Who bears himself the sins of the world
Is the king of the world."
Straight words seem crooked.

Universal consciousness doesn't force itself to move forward. Much like water, it flows without effort and easily can get past and through anything.

Thus water becomes a great teacher in that it shows us how to imitate the Universe.

When we understand the unity of Oneness that is the Universe, then we see that obstacles are merely manifestations of our own uncertainity or fears.

So if we know the course we need to be on personally, and head for it, even the hardest situations can be overcome.

If we attract the hardness of life however, then we're bound to become stagnant and polluted.

Yet as water can create a beautiful effect on rocks in its path, so too we, through our forward positive movement toward our personal realization can leave behind a trail of marvelous achievements.

Reversion is the action of the Tao.
Gentleness is the function of the Tao.
The things of this world come from Being,
And Being comes from Non-being.

When we try to force solutions, we're acting contrary to the nature of the Universe. By being passive, the Universe allows things to happen without prejudice and lets everything take its course as it unfolds.

Even chaos has a beauty to it when left to its own natural inclinations. Then how would our life's occurances be anything different?

Rather than trying to change the course things seem to want to take, perhaps its best to leave the course alone and work at learning how to run it better.

Here's something Chaung Tzu says about this:

And all things being equal, how can one say which is long and which is short? Tao is without beginning, without end. The material things are born and die, and no credit is taken for their development. Emptiness and fullness alternate, and their relations are not fixed. The succession of growth and decay, of increase and diminution goes in a cycle, each end becoming a new beginning. In this sense only may we discuss the ways of truth and the priciples of the Universe. The life of things passes by like a rushing, galloping horse, changing at every turn, at every hour.

What should one do, or what should one not do? Let the (cycle of) changes go on by themselves!