Cultivating Stillness


Cultivating Stillness
[ Home ]	Taoist Classic from c 220-589CE Source

The ancient sage says, "The Tao has no form. It gives life to heaven and earth. The Tao is void of emotions. It moves the sun and moon. The Tao is nameless. It nourishes all things.
	I do not know its name. I am forced to call it Tao. The Tao has pure and impure aspects. Sometimes it is still. Sometimes it is moving. Heaven is pure and earth is impure. Heaven moves and earth is still.
Male is pure and female is impure. Male is movement and female is stillness. In birth, growth, completion, and death, all things run their course.
	The origin of purity lies in impurity. Movement is the foundation of stillness.
If people can constantly be pure and still, then heaven and earth will return to their places.
	The spirit tends towards purity, but the mind disturbs it.
The mind tends towards stillness but it is opposed by craving.
	If you are able to control desire, then the mind will be still. Clear the mind and the spirit will be pure. Accordingly, the six cravings will not emerge and the three poisons will disappear.
Those who are unable to attain the Tao are those whose minds are not clear and who are still slaves of their emotions.
	Look into your mind and there is no mind. Look at appearances and appearances have no forms. Gaze at distant objects and objects do not exist. Understand these three modes of cognition and you will see emptiness.
Regard the void and it is empty. In emptiness there is no emptiness. In emptiness there is nothing. In nothingness there is nothing. Since there is nothing in nothingness, there is always stillness. In absolute stillness how can desire arise? When craving does not arise this is true stillness.
	Original nature can intuit all happenings. In original nature is the essence of goodness. Be natural in your actions and you will always be pure and still.
Abide in stillness and you will gradually enter the true way. When you enter the true way, this is called receiving the Tao.
	Although we speak of attaining the Tao there is really nothing to attain.
Help all sentient beings. This is attaining the Tao. Those who understand may transmit the teachings of the true way.
	Lao-tzu says: "The honourable ones have nothing to argue. The dishonourable ones like to argue."
Those who possess high virtues do not need virtue. Those who possess mundane virtues have to force themselves to be virtuous. Those who argue about virtues do not know virtue.
	Sentient beings are unable to enter the true way because their minds are untamed.
When the mind is wild the spirit is distracted.
	When the spirit is distracted, it will attach itself to the ten thousand myriad things.
When the ten thousand things arise, raving and desire emerge.

Because of desire and craving, stress and anxiety arise. Because there are anxiety and stress, body and mind are afflicted by tensions.
	If you live in disappointment and anxiety you will sink into the ocean of suffering and forever stray from the True Way.
If you can see intuitively, you will live the true and natural way. If you understand the Tao intuitively, you will always be pure and still.

Wong, Eva (1992) Cultivating Stillness - a Taoist manual for transforming body and mind; Shambala; ISBN 0877736871

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