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Showing posts from November, 2005

Beyond Polarity

As well-known, the Yin-Yang relation is a symbol of polarity in the teaching of Taoism. This symbol, however, should not be confined to symbolizing a mere conventional mundane doctrine of Taoism, which is quite far from what Lao Tzu truly taught in his writing, Tao Te Ching . The so-called conventional Taoism practiced mainly in the level of the magic / mythic membership religiosity is the teaching upon the worldly benefits such as material prosperity (how to become rich) and physical health (long-lasting life), etc. Using the Spiral Dynamics terms, this is merely the Blue to Orange Meme value. Needless to say, we should not emphasize the Blue to Orange Meme value alone, even though we are in the practical business world; even though we have to address to the profitability of the business sectors; and even though we have to consider our own profitability in one way or another. But rather, what the Yin-Yang symbolism can imply, by intentionally objectifying such polarity per se, is the

Everything, Everyone As Is

Often we hear such spiritual advice that a key to our true maturity is how to see everything as it is; and understand everyone as he/she is. Of course when we look at a glass of water in front of us, it is easy to see it as it is. When you meet a friend of yours in a certain occasion, then it is also easy to understand this person as he/she is, otherwise; it may be difficult to recognize the person as your friend in the first place. Strictly speaking, however, in such a simple perceptual recognition we have had distorted such view that these items and/or persons are placed in front of us. But more often, the difficulty for us to see things and/or persons as they are, is to take place when we try to put "meanings" on these things and persons. Such "meanings" have been quite often consciously or unconsciously derived from our ego-oriented expectations and desires. Actually that is the cause of our arguments, or else the cause of sufferings. As the Buddha has pointed o