The Tao and Occult

[Ben Dhyan]

Friends,
Though have read Tao Te Ching never looked at who the translator was as the idea is to understand in the manner that personally can .
A writer is just a medium and any medium perceives or understand things as per his own make up and so it is said: *Truth once spoken is falsified*, a bias creeps in, bound to be.
that can be understood from the first stanza of Tao Te Ching:
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Please note the last two lines:
Naming is the origin of all particular things.

It means that once someone uses words he does so by using his mind by thinking and as soon as thoughts creep in we are creating a bias as duality creeps in that very moment.

The idea is that we need to grow in understanding, in awareness in consciousness.
Love & rgds

Hi zenzero, inspiring post, and well recommended for all to reflect upon, with a caution that the one who reflects upon it is not really separate from the source of the reflection, and if this is realized, it may cause a revolution in the way one's mind understands reality,..or reality understands mind, i.e. the transcendent non-dual Tao.

 

[zenzero]

Friend ben,

It has to be either REVOLUTIONARY or EVOLUTIONARY.
Those who understand / realise / aware / conscious are on the path of revolution rest are led by evolution. None can escape as it [enlightenment] is built IN.

Love & rgds

 

[zenzero]

Friends,
Here is the 4th stanza from Tao Te Ching.
Very interesting.

The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
filled with infinite possibilities.

It is hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God.

Can anyone explain the last line: *It is older than God*

Love & rgds

 

[Herr Heinrich]

Friends,
Here is the 4th stanza from Tao Te Ching.
Very interesting.

The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
filled with infinite possibilities.

It is hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God.

Can anyone explain the last line: *It is older than God*

Love & rgds

In Stephen Mitchell's interpretation of the Tao Te Ching he says in his commentary "There is no God, when there is nothing but God." Also keep in mind that the Daoists believe that the Dao is the only eternal thing. Therefore nothing can give birth to it. It gives birth to all things. Meaning it also gives birth to God, if one exists. Also I have seen "nature" used instead of "God". The main point is that it gives birth to all things. Lastly "God" is a term that seems easiest to relate to in the West.

 

[Willamena]

Friends,
Here is the 4th stanza from Tao Te Ching.
Very interesting.

The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
filled with infinite possibilities.

It is hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God.

Can anyone explain the last line: *It is older than God*

Love & rgds

"God" is the idea that "The Tao is like a well..."

 

[zenzero]

Friend Xiao Shu & Willamena,

Once again, the line is
*It is older than GOD.*
There are two key words OLDER & GOD.
Each word is there with a purpose.

Now, would wait for the other friends to join the discussion before we conclude the understanding of the lines.

Love & rgds

 

[Ben Dhyan]

This is from the 42nd stanza of Tao Te Ching. (trl. by Stan Rosenthal)

The Tao existed before its name,
and from its name, the opposites evolved
giving rise to three divisions,
and then to names abundant.

The unnamable gives rise to mind which subsequently names the unnamable,.. 'God'.
The unnamable therefore can be considered 'older' than the created name.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

friend ben has stated IT.

Love & rgds

 

[Herr Heinrich]

...darn it. Oh well, good job ben.:clap

 

[EtuMalku]

Excellent, there is so much depth to that verse