Wherein lies the One? Wherein lies the experience of One?
If God, the Sum and Source of ALL, the Dreamer of ALL, dreams a most universal Dream, and as I, the dreamer, am neither God in amount nor extent nor degree, then I, the dreamer, can only dream a most local dream.
“But it’s all real!”, someone exclaims, “totally, completely, and utterly real! Especially the Dream. Even the dreams!”
And so it is and so they are.
Granted, we can only ever infer that the Dream is alive and well with myriad experiences from an ephemeral sense that many dreams from many dreamers compose and express the Dream.
If a dream, waking or sleeping, by way of the Dream, affects me in any way, shape, or form, then it’s real – in its own way, on its own time, with its own causes and for its own reasons.
If it (whatever “it” is) happens, and I perceive that it happens, then it happens, but if it happens, and I have to think about what happens, then I resist what happens. Why not just let it happen?
What am so afraid of that I cannot just let “it” happen as “it” happens?
On a cosmic level, I need not judge what happens. I need not agree with it, approve of it, or interpret it, but I can accept it (acknowledge and experience it with feeling) rather than reject that it happens (by attempting to control what happens), without resisting or reacting to what happens.
As a witness to the Dream through the dream, I have access to the Dream, and because I have access to the Dream, I have access to an opportunity to experience the Dream as One.
Tao Te Ching, Verse 39
Humility is a prime virtue with respect to the Way, which, by contrast, can only ever be known through experiences with shameless conceit, arrogance, and pride.
This verse is about humility (mostly), but it’s also about unity, where unity and humility can be seen walking hand in hand through the corridors of ancient wisdom.
Humility and unity, anyone?
These things
from ancient times
arise from One:the sky, whole and clear;
the earth, whole and firm;
the spirit, whole and full;
the 10,000 things are whole,
and the country is upright –
all these by virtue of wholeness.When we interfere with the Tao,
the sky loses its clarity,
the earth becomes depleted,
the equilibrium crumbles;
creatures fall into extinction.Therefore,
nobility is rooted in humility,
loftiness based on lowliness.
This is why noble people
refer to themselves
as alone, lacking, unworthy.The pieces
of a chariot are useless
unless they work
in accordance with
the whole.People’s lives
come to naught
unless they live
in accordance with
the whole universe.Playing one’s part
in accordance with
the universe
is true humility.Truly,
too much honor
means no honor at all.
It is never wise
to shine like jade
and resound
like stone chimes.Edited slightly to enhance flow and to reflect more inclusive language
Ref: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao
This is the key: playing one’s part in accordance with the universe is true humility.
Or: playing one’s part as a dreamer in accordance with the Dream is true humility.
My Impressions of the Verse
Verse 39 argues in favor of humility in relation to unity (or wholeness).
This verse would have us adopt and practice, in word and deed, the virtue of humility for the sake of unity. The verse does not counsel us to suffer lowliness; it merely exhorts us to be wary of loftiness.
These things
from ancient times
arise from One:the sky, whole and clear;
the earth, whole and firm;
the spirit, whole and full;
the 10,000 things are whole,
and the country is upright –
all these by virtue of wholeness.
There’s that reference again to ancient times – coming some 5,000 years ago. Here, it references a Golden Age as a standard by which to measure and determine global fitness.
When we interfere with the Tao,
the sky loses its clarity,
the earth becomes depleted,
the equilibrium crumbles;
creatures fall into extinction.
This particular interpretation of the Tao Te Ching seems quite modern, but it does drive its point home.
Therefore,
nobility is rooted in humility,
loftiness based on lowliness.
This is why noble people
refer to themselves
as alone, lacking, unworthy.
As a species, if we ignore or interfere with the natural order, certain consequences can be expected.
Therefore, for alignment with unity or wholeness to be regained and retained, it is necessary to find some measure of humility in nobility and some measure of lowliness in loftiness.
Likewise, as a group, the noble among us are wise to humbly acknowledge belonging, abundance, and worthiness as a whole.
The pieces
of a chariot are useless
unless they work
in accordance
with the whole.People’s lives
come to naught
unless they live
in accordance with
the whole universe.Playing one’s part
in accordance with
the universe
is true humility.
Here, we have practical reasons for abiding humbly and wholly in unity, for knowing and keeping our place in the overall scheme of things.
This is not an invitation for us to stay or play small but to recover or discover the central themes of our lives.
Truly,
too much honor
means no honor at all.
It is never wise
to shine like jade
and resound
like stone chimes.
Giving or receiving great respect is fine – as far it goes – but, as many of us already know, a modicum of humility can do much to keep us from becoming too full of ourselves.
Implications for Personal Fulfillment
I’ve already explored and expressed myself with respect to the value of living with unity in A Separate Peace.
Here, I’d like to share my current understanding of what it means to Be fulfilled with respect to Being in place. I say ‘Be’ and ‘Being’ rather than ‘be’ and ‘being’ for reasons that will soon become clear.
In my introduction to my most recent post, Un.Self.Consciously, I touched on the nature of receiving the witness to knowing and loving by tapping into boundless Being.
What do I mean by this? And what does this have to do with Being and Becoming fulfilled in a way that transcends my person?
If you’ve studied the afterlife literature as deeply and fully as I have, then you’ll know that some sojourners to the Other Side have discovered that being and Being are two distinguishable yet comparable modes of existence and experience.
You’ll know that when you pass to and through the Other Side, your being will experience a transition from occupying a human animal body to occupying an energetic body of Love and Light – a transition from being human to Being Love and Light.
In spite of what you may have heard, this Being of Love and Light is not God or Source, but a qualitatively identical droplet of God or Source energy. This Being is ‘Big You’ awaiting reconciliation with ‘little you’ to review, experience, and incorporate the course of your human life.
As long as I remain alive in my host human body, with all of its survival instincts and animal fears, I can be present to my human experience: I can be a witness to knowing and loving and choosing this experience by tapping into my Being of Light and Love, respectively.
Allowing myself to Be in silence, through stillness, by way of meditation or prayer, is important for two reasons: it allows me access to the Light of universal knowledge and wisdom and it allows me to tap the energy of Love for teaching, healing, and manifesting purposes.
Being a witness to my knowing and my loving by tapping into my Being brings meaning to the experience of being and becoming fulfilled, not merely as a person in my host human animal body but as a Being expressing itself through being soulfully and spiritually human.
As a being of human impression and expression tapping into Being, I play my part as a human dreamer in accordance with the Dream.
As and when I trust, respect, and follow my being, I trust, respect, and follow my Being; as and when I trust, respect, and follow my Being, I trust, respect, and follow the Supreme Being, the Sum and Source of ALL, the Way, the Tao, the Being that includes all smaller Beings.
In light of these observations, and with respect to verse 39, if unity is Being, then humility is Becoming.
Next up: Returning, Yielding (Living by Returning and Yielding)
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This post is one of many in an ongoing series that began here.