Performing in accordance with the Tao

Performing in accordance with the Tao

Oct / 22 / 2022 – Oct / 23 / 2022

Hello everyone, welcome to our Dharma talk at Dharma Rain Meditation Center. For any beings who want to raise the level of life, performing according to the Tao is their most important and basic practice. Just as the essence of religions is to explore the relationship between mankind and the universe and discover the meaning of life, performing in accordance with the Tao is the way to these goals.

Around 500 BC was a glorious era of human civilization. Buddha Shakyamuni appeared in India, philosophers like Socrates and Heraclitus were born in the ancient Greek peninsula, and Lao Tzu appeared in China. In Bethlehem, a small city in the south of Jerusalem, a young maid gave birth to Jesus. The remarks of these thinkers encourage humankind to explore the inside and the universe, away from ignorance and superstition. What’s interesting is that the sages of this period all mentioned the “Tao“ by chance.

At the beginning of Lao Tzu, he said: Tao is just a symbol. It figures the noumenon and motivity that who structured universe and world. Tao is the basic principle of the universe, nature and human community. It‘s the sempiternal natural attribute of the hylic world. Ming is another symbol that always goes with; will not be the sempiternal basic principle if we can describe it in anthropic language and letter. will not be the name and appellation of the sempiternal basic principle if we can define it in our language.

‘Tao‘has two modalities, ‘origin‘and ‘effect‘ (means non-existence and existence in Chinese). The ‘origin‘modality is the originator of the universe and world. The ‘effect modality indicates the process that ‘Tao‘providing and nourishing the universe and world. We can observe the development principle of the universe from an original standpoint and observe the Tao‘s process for the world from an effect standpoint.

‘Origin‘ and ‘effect‘ are all from ‘Tao‘who have different name and identity. They represent abstruse hypostasis of Tao‘s from a distinct point of view in order to show us that Tao is the headspring of natural development.

The Buddha taught beings to cultivate and attain enlightenment together. In Buddhism, different states of life are divided into ten paths corresponding to spatial attributes, wisdom, different karma, etc. From the path of hell with the lowest level of life to the path of humanity, and then to the path of the Buddha, which achieves supreme enlightenment. The creatures of each path are undergoing different tests and
essences, and eventually, all creatures will become Buddhas.

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus proposed logos (λογοζ), which is different from the flow of the universe as commonly understood. Heraclitus emphasizes that it is actually a more subtle, the thing that restricts change internally, maintains a clever balance of change, and manifests itself as a true image of the world of life. It is the Logos, the source of the universe, the Tao. Heraclitus once gave it different names in different places, such as “the one“, “the god“, “wisdom“ and so on. Heraclitus once said: “Education does not teach people to have a heart and soul“,which means that the accumulation of knowledge (especially the accumulation ofknowledge on the human level) does not allow people to return to the state of theorigin of the universe.

Osifu also often teaches us that we must Be egoless and unconditioned to perform in accordance with the Tao. Therefore, bring bliss to all under Heaven and rescue all beings.What is Tao? Why is Tao so important? What is the meaning of performing in accordance with the Tao? What constitutes following the “Tao“? How can I performin accordance with the Tao?

Lao Tzu said: “All-pervading is the Great Tao! It may be found on the left hand and on the right. All things depend on Tao for their production, which it gives to them; no one is exceptive. Therefore, Tao never takes credit to itself as the greatest creator.“ Buddha Shakyamuni‘s interpretation of “Tao“ is more direct. Of course, Buddha Shakyamuni, as a human and haven master, is talking about the way to becoming a Buddha. He said to his students: “Before I became a Buddha, I was an ordinary human. I walked through the path of becoming a Buddha. You only need to follow my steps, and you will become a Buddha.“ This is what the Buddha pointed out for us.

So, he was conscientious in spreading Dharma for forty-nine years. Every deed of him enlightens us on how to get away from the entanglement of the five turbid worlds, purify our minds and bodies, and no longer trapped by dreams; every word of him teaches us to let go of the fake “myself“ and become a Buddha. But from another perspective, what the Buddha said in the language is not the real “Tao.“ Tao cannot beexpressed in words. Just as the Buddha said in the “Diamond Sutra“: “should know that the Dharma I expound is likened to a raft.‘ Even the Dharma should be cast aside; how much more so the Not-Dharma? “

Thank you for your listening.