Be violent and balance is lost.
Be angry and intelligence is forgotten.
Be forceful and oneness is broken.
(Lao
Tzu)
Yes or no?
Lao Tzu wrote that if we consider a decision long enough we may come to
agree with it.
If we think a little further, we might then uncover disagreeable aspects.
Yet, further thinking may ultimately leave us uncertain.
We can no longer choose yes or no. We realise that we do not know the best
course of action.
The variables, permutations, outcomes, consequences, ramifications and
repercussions overwhelm us.
Not knowing
Admitting that you
do not have the answer can be quite liberating.
Instead of being, fixed, certain and secure, you are free, spontaneous and
inquiring.
With nothing to hold onto, you are more inclined to consider new possibilities,
different options and considerations.
Bias
Questions and answers are quite limiting. Both reflect a shaping of
reality.
But words are not the thing.
People imagine themselves to be objective but there is no such thing as
objectivity.
Our education, upbringing, memories, experiences and opinions provide
perspective - we see things in a particular way - rather than as they are.
We are inherently biased.
Our
questions indicate what answers we are seeking. Our answers suggest
what information we imagine is being sought.
Can you see the dilemma?
I Ching
The
I Ching encourages us to consider new choices.
It suggests that any given situation may offer 8 choices.
This number is not fixed or literal. It is simply a device to encourage further
contemplation.
Our capacity to see alternatives determines how easily we are able to adapt,
change and improvise.
Clarity
Seeing
clearly is essential.
Unless we can interact with reality without the burden of our thoughts and
opinions, we will not respond appropriately.
Choosing without seeming to choose, selecting the most harmonious option
automatically - this is called 'choiceless awareness'.
We are one with the moment. We see the permutations without thinking, without
anxiety.
We move without fear, spontaneously and easily.
Taoism encourages this 'attuning
to the way of things'.
Page created 1 June 2000