The Rise of Relative Opposites

When the people of the Earth all know beauty as beauty,
   There arises (the recognition of) ugliness.
When the people of the Earth all know the good as good,
   There arises (the recognition of) evil.

Therefore:
   Being and non-being interdepend in growth;
   Difficult and easy interdepend in completion;
   Long and short interdepend in contrast;
   High and low interdepend in position;
   Tones and voice interdepend in harmony;
   Front and behind interdepend in company.

Therefore the Sage:
   Manages affairs without action;
   Preaches the doctrine without words;
All things take their rise, but he does not turn away from them;
He gives them life, but does not take possession of them;
He acts, but does not appropriate;
Accomplishes, but claims no credit.
It is because he lays claim to no credit
That the credit cannot be taken away from him. (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

In my last post, I discussed the idea of being desireless. Like Wu Wei, it is enigmatic, vague, and confusing. But I showed that our true selves have, if not desires, a volition to do things in the manifestation.

Many have talked about the process of enlightenment. I discuss it in my book, Break Through to Your True Self. For many on the path, enlightenment is seen as a distant goal. It is considered almost unreachable. Many people believe that even discussing it is an act of ego.

But enlightenment is reachable. It is simply an awakening of your true self. It can happen at any time. Buddha became enlightened while meditating under a tree.

In previous blogs and posts, I explained that one of the goals of coming to the manifestation is to become enlightened. To fully awaken our true selves. That is a first step to moving into higher planes of consciousness.

Remember that the higher planes of consciousness exist beyond our physical reality but are not “heaven.”

Moreover, after enlightenment, we do not become powerful superbeings. Instead, enlightened people are humble and peaceful.

But what about after enlightenment? What do enlightened beings do in the manifestation, and why is it important?

As I said before, the manifestation is the physical embodiment of the Tao. As such, it is real and should not be ignored. Many Eastern thinkers believe that the world is corrupt and that we should shun it, remaining pure.

Some believe the manifestation is corrupting because it leads us astray from our true selves. It is too easy for the mind, body, and ego to be distracted by the pleasures of the manifestation. So, contact with such pleasures must be avoided.

Well, that isn’t exactly true. The manifestation is the Tao, so it cannot be corrupt. Yes, there are “bad” things here in the manifestation. But you cannot have good without bad. The manifestation is as perfect as the Tao is perfect.

Also, being one with everything doesn’t mean you are everything. Instead, it means that we recognize we are an integral part of everything and that we interact with everything and everyone around us. 

Now, there is nothing wrong with forsaking all pleasures. Become a monk if you wish. But we cannot all be monks. Lao Tzu once said that if every bee were a sentient bee, there would be no bees.

Additionally, during your training, focus on meditation and cultivating your true self while minimizing distractions as much as possible. Remember, your mind will also set traps for you as you progress. It will utilize the teachings you are learning to ensnare you, leading you towards specific, yet not practical, knowledge.

Some of these traps include past-life regressions, auras, fortune-telling, fantasies about being enlightened or a sage, and several other practices.

Once your true self is fully awake and activated, it takes control of your mind and ego. However, I can say from personal experience that the mind and ego don’t stop trying to control you. When that happens, let those thoughts come in, and let them go.

Living in the manifestation takes many forms when your true self is fully active. You can enjoy life. However, as I said before, you will be changed so that you will live a simple life—no wild swinging trips to Las Vegas surrounded by women (or men) playing for high stakes, for example.

Instead, you will enjoy simple pleasures with your friends and family. Perhaps a dinner in a nice restaurant. You will have no need or desire to show off. Again, you will be quieter and peaceful.

You can travel, read, play musical instruments, do art projects from painting to sculpture, or anything else. There is no limit to the kinds of activities you can do. Your true self is here to experience, and it will guide you as to what it wants to experience.

I know this sounds confusing. You may ask, “How do I know it’s my true self and not my mind/ego telling me these things?” The answer is that once your true self is fully awake, you will know. If you are not sure who is controlling, it is not your true self.

Your true self is waiting for you to gain enough energy to activate it fully.

The more you meditate and connect with your true self, the more in command it becomes.  

Eventually, your true self fully awakens, often with a little outside help. And you will go on according to the plan your true self devised before you were born.

At the beginning of this post, I asked why it is important for people who are enlightened to continue living in the manifestation. It is important because, as enlightened beings, they are teachers. They provide lessons in many ways, and not all of them are planned or deliberate.

It is essential because enlightened beings also contribute to creating the world and the universe we live in.

In my next blog, I will discuss the Tao as a source of energy. If so, who or what is the creator? And who are the consciousnesses who are responsible for the creation?

Namaste,

Michael Tavella, author of

“Break Through To Your True Self”

Yourtrueself.blog