道經 Tao Jing #11

Pattern: 8 Days Zen Guqin.

Larry Neal Gowdy

Individuals who firsthand understand three words, 道德經, will then understand all words of all books, of all languages, and of all ideologies.

Individuals who can 'divide oneself', who are able to describe with great details of how, and of why, 'virtue' exists within oneself... the individuals are also able to understand what 經 (jīng) implies...

經 (jīng), is, within the context of Dao De Jing, the inward weaving of the things that were self-divided...

If an individual can consciously self-observe, if an individual can consciously find the weave of one's thoughts, and then consciously self-divide the thoughts, then, the individual is able to consciously choose which weave to permit... also, able to consciously choose — purposefully — creative weaves... chidao...

經 (jīng), third word in the title of Daodejing, and, similar to the first two words, different reference materials claim different meanings for 經. Briefly mentioned in a previous article, 經 (jīng) is composed of several symbolic ideas, each combining to create a concept... the concept cannot be understood, nor communicated, without the firsthand experience of consciously dividing oneself.

經 (jīng) English synonyms... 'go through, lengthwise thread in a woven fabric, to experience, warp, weaving', and numerous others. Also pronounced as (jìng), has similar English synonyms.

糹 (纟 silk sī), is said to have been used historically as 糸, and is often translated to imply 'silk threads twisted together'.

一 (one yī) has numerous possible English synonyms, including 'all, alone, each, one, throughout', and several others, as well as sometimes being said to imply 'straight', or indicating 'above' the symbol below.

巛, (chuān), also 巜, is the historical design of 川, implying 'river, stream'...

工 (gōng), implies 'labor, work' and a few similar synonyms, plus also possibly implying 'person, person on ground', and also said to possibly imply 'scholar'.

Perhaps the word 經 might merely be popularly used today as an assembly of phonetics, but, the concept of the symbols also holds several possibles, including... 'threads twisted together, river below surface, person'.

All words are always interpreted relative to each individual's own life... individuals who only memorize words, the symbolism has no relevance... individuals whose lives are focused upon worded knowledge, they may see the symbolism to imply something like 'woven words run as a stream, person'... but to some individuals, the symbolism may point to 'self-observation', or, 'how inner qualities are created'...

Individuals who memorize words, the individuals may not recognize any connection between the three words 道德經... but, some individuals do see a connection and relevance.

Divide oneself, small steps mindfulness, twisted strings flow...

If an individual only wishes to read words, then it makes little difference of how the individual chooses to interpret the three words...

However, if an individual wishes to understand what the words mean, then it makes a lot of difference that the individual understands firsthand what the words imply...

And there, if an individual firsthand understands, through conscious firsthand experience, what the three words mean in real life... also mean to real things in this Reality... then the individual will already know more than what is written in any book... also, then, able to consciously analyze, and to consciously discern if a book's words are valid, or mere embellishings of imaginations...

The self-aware individual can then understand, and be able to describe with great depth, the meanings of words like 'virtue', 'ethics', 'morals', 'principle', 'beauty', and 'harmony'. No reliance needed for books... no reliance needed for other people's beliefs... the individual, can then, stand on their own feet, and know what is right, and know what is wrong.

Understand three words... only three words... and will not need to know more words... will already be beyond what a junzi is said to be... already be beyond what enlightenment is said to be... already be beyond what IQ is said to measure... already be beyond what society's topmost thinkers were ever able... already be where chidao begins.

Nature is a created thing... people, are also created things... all things in Nature are composed of three or more ingredients 'woven together'... virtue, also, is composed of ingredients... to become a good person, to achieve what is logical, the only method, is within agreement with Nature's way...

That which has been created, has boundaries... measured, of surfaces... but creativity, chidao, has no boundaries... there is no boundary of what can be achieved, created, within Nature's way... Nature's way of creativity, is through harmony, not by force...

Selfishness is not harmonious with anything... selfishness is destructive... always has been, always will be. Many people claim to believe in science, the same science that claims to possess the true truth of Nature's laws... but, still, the same people deny their own beliefs, and choose selfishness. Nature's way of creativity, is harmony... Nature rules man, man cannot be creative while selfish.

Man is able, to create a paradise planet... able, to create, a wonderful new future human... able, to step from the crowd... and able, to discover that Nature has many wonderful things that cannot at present be imagined by most people. The choice, is present... the choice, is to self-think, or to selfishly choose to not think. It is already known, that it is not plausible that humans would choose to self-think... it is not plausible that humans would choose harmony with Nature... but, still, here, the choice has been placed into words...

Self-thinking... spoken of in 中庸 Zhong Yong, an example given in 大學 Da Xue , relied upon in 道德經 Daodejing, and fully present in chidao.