Knowing the Eternal Law

Attain the utmost in Passivity,
Hold firm to the basis of Quietude.

The myriad things take shape and rise to activity,
   But I watch them fall back to their repose.
Like vegetation that luxuriantly grows
   But returns to the root (soil) from which it springs.

To return to the root is Repose;
   It is called going back to one’s Destiny.
Going back to one’s Destiny is to find the Eternal Law.
   To know the Eternal Law is Enlightenment.
And not to know the Eternal Law
   Is to court disaster.

He who knows the Eternal Law is tolerant;
Being tolerant, he is impartial;
Being impartial, he is kingly;
Being kingly, he is in accord with Nature;
Being in accord with Nature, he is in accord with Tao;
Being in accord with Tao, he is eternal,
And his whole life is preserved from harm.

(Tao Te Ching, Chapter 16, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

In this blog post, I would like to discuss lessons. Everyone  on the path to knowledge is familiar with the old saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Everyone also knows that lessons can come at any time and in any place.

However, teachers (and lessons) can take many forms. They are often not people but events or even a text or a post on social media.

Recognizing these as lessons takes a bit of skill. It means you must be open to seeing them.

For example, a Buddhist group on Facebook publishes a wide range of posts. Some are Christian posts dedicated to God or Jesus. Some are jokes or odd math puzzles. Those posts have nothing to do with Buddhism, or so it would seem.

Occasionally, I look at the comments for these posts and find several that ask why these posts are being published there. Some are indignant that they have nothing to do with Buddhism, and others are offended by having to read messages about God and Jesus.

I have replied that those types of posts are lessons. They help people understand their current spiritual state. Anyone offended or upset by those posts is still living in their minds and egos rather than their true selves, which is a higher consciousness. The true self is not offended by anything. It is always neutral and calm. Someone in a state of higher consciousness would pass over those posts without giving them any thought. That person might even read the posts and then move on.

Your mind and ego are always present, even for enlightened ones. However, for them, their minds and egos are not in control.

It’s like that Zen saying about thoughts that pop up in meditation: “Let them in the front door, out the back door, and don’t ask them to tea.”

Thoughts pop into your head all the time. Just let them in and let them go.

And just like letting thoughts go, let your emotions go. Stop holding on to minor gripes. Stop holding on to your anger. Stop being controlled by your fear.

Now, that said, it is not easy to do that. It takes patience, awareness, and meditation to let our true selves emerge and take control.

Most people posting such things don’t realize they are providing lessons in living in higher consciousness; they have their agendas. Their minds and egos trap them. They are not on a path to knowledge.

That’s OK. They are where they are. Eventually, they will gain enough energy to allow their true selves to grow and begin to take over. Then, they will be on the path to knowledge.

The point of all this is to demonstrate that we can learn from anything, at any time. You must be open to seeing the lessons for what they are. How we react to everyday events in life tells us a lot if we are ready and willing to listen.

Next time you are irked, offended, or upset by something, be aware that those feelings originate within you, not in whatever triggered the emotions.

Buddha taught that such emotions are the cause of our suffering. He said, “You will not be punished for your anger, but by your anger.”

Read the quote above again. Becoming one with your true self means that emotions will not drive you. Emotions control you before enlightenment, even before you begin the path to knowledge. They can get to be addictive. Wild swings of emotions, good and bad, are like riding a roller coaster.

However, these wild swings are not healthy physically or spiritually. You are on this path to escape all that.

Does all this mean that to be enlightened means you will become a kind of zombie? Moving through the world without emotions? Just existing? No, instead, you will reach a point of stillness. Of peace within.

Being at peace is not being a “zombie.” However, few people ever reach a state of peace in their lives, making it seem like a life of being a zombie.

The same goes for being bored. Some people are action addicts. They need to have things going on all the time. Some people turn on the TV just so there is background noise.  They dislike quiet.

Once you are on the path to knowledge, however, that changes. You will begin to stop being driven by your emotions, and you will eventually find peace.

And, as I said before, once you are on the path to knowledge, lessons will come to you from many places at any time. You must be ready to receive them and be open to learning from them.

Don’t worry about missing a lesson. The lessons will be repeated until you master them.

Remember, your mind and emotions may flare up from time to time. You will experience various emotions, including anger, sadness, happiness, and others. Like thoughts in meditation, let them come in and go. Don’t let them linger.

Over time, things will become more peaceful, and you will move on to new levels of awareness.

In my next blog post, I will discuss another aspect of living in the manifestation—that of finding work to make a living, not a job that drains all your energy.

Namaste,

Michael Tavella, author of

“Break Through To Your True Self”

Yourtrueself.blog