Talks on extracts from “The Lieh Tzu”
Talks given from 11/02/77 am to 24/02/77 am English Discourse series
1 Voluntary death2 Sublime laziness3 Joy has no cause4 No bargain with reality5 There can be no regret6 I am a cross to you7 Choose the new8 Putting shoes on a snake9 Only forgotten10 You are blessed11 Reality... That which works12 This is not Kaaba13 Inner integrity14 Just give way
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 1 Voluntary death 11 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall WHEN LIEH TZU WAS EATING AT THE ROADSIDE ON A JOURNEY TO WEI, HE SAW A HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD SKULL. PICKING A STALK HE POINTED TO THE SKULL AND, TURNING TO HIS DISCIPLE PAI FENG, SAID ‘ONLY HE AND I KNOW THAT YOU WERE NEVER BORN AND WILL NEVER DIE. IS IT HE WHO IS TRULY MISERABLE, IS IT WE WHO ARE TRULY HAPPY?...
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 10 You are blessed 20 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall Question 1 DO YOU HAVE FAVOURITES? AM I ONE OF THEM? I am reminded of an Arabian proverb. It is said that whenever God creates a person he whispers into his ear ‘You are my favourite. I have never made such a beautiful person before, and I am not going to make such a beautiful person again....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 11 Reality... That which works 21 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall CHAO HSIANG TZU WENT HUNTING IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WITH A PARTY OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND. HE SET FIRE TO THE FORESTS BY LIGHTING THE TALL GRASS, AND FANNED THE FLAMES FOR A HUNDRED MILES. A MAN CAME OUT FROM WITHIN A STONE CLIFF, RISING AND FALLING WITH THE SMOKE AND ASHES....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 12 This is not Kaaba 22 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall Question 1 THE PUNDIT IN TODAY’S STORY – WAS HE NOT ALSO A BEAUTIFUL TAOIST? PERHAPS NOT REACHED THE OCEAN, BUT ON THE WAY? He can be called a Taoist, but not a man of Tao. Taoist in the sense that he believes that Tao is true, but not a man of Tao because his belief is unbased....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 13 Inner integrity 23 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall LIEH TZU WAS GOING TO CH’I BUT TURNED BACK HALF WAY!. ON THE ROAD HE MET PO-HUN WU-JEN WHO ASKED HIM WHY HE HAD TURNED BACK. LIEH TZU SAID ‘I WAS ALARMED BY SOMETHING.’ ‘WHAT WAS IT?’ ASKED THE OLD MAN. ‘I ATE AT TEN INNS AND AT FIVE THEY SERVED ME FIRST....
< Previous | Contents CHAPTER 14 Just give way 24 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall Question 1 THE WORD ‘ESOTERIC’ HAS BEEN USED IN A VERY SACRED SENSE. WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO USE IT IN A RIDICULOUS AND HUMOROUS SENSE? The question is from Yoga Chinmaya. The word ‘esoteric’ means the hidden – it is ridiculous because nothing is hidden. All is obvious, God is obvious; if you cannot see, it is not because God is hidden, but because you are keeping your eyes closed....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 2 Sublime laziness 12 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall Question 1 WHERE DOES EDUCATING THE SUBCONSCIOUSNESS CONFLICT OR HARMONISE WITH TAO, AS IT IMPLIES DISCIPLINE WITH SELF-EFFORT FROM AN EXTERNAL EXPRESSION? Tao knows nothing of discipline. Tao is anarchic, spontaneous, effortless. All disciplines are unnatural – they have to be. Nature needs no discipline, it is sufficient unto itself. Trees and rivers and animals and stars – they don’t know anything of discipline....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 3 Joy has no cause 13 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall WHEN CONFUCIUS WAS ROAMING ON MOUNT T’AI, HE SAW JUNG CH’I CH’I WALKING ON THE MOORS OF CH’ANG IN A ROUGH FUR COAT WITH A ROPE ROUND HIS WAIST, SINGING AS HE STRUMMED A LUTE. ‘MASTER, WHAT IS THE REASON FOR YOUR JOY?’ ASKED CONFUCIUS. ‘I HAVE MANY JOYS. OF THE MYRIAD THINGS WHICH HEAVEN BEGOT, MANKIND IS THE MOST NOBLE – AND I HAVE THE LUCK TO BE HUMAN....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 4 No bargain with reality 14 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall Question 1 WHAT IS NOT ILLUSION? All is illusion except the witness. All is dream except the witness. Only the knower is true, is real. Whatsoever you see is illusory; the seer is not illusory. In the night you see one type of dream, in the day you see another type of dream....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 5 There can be no regret 15 February 1977 am in Buddha Hall WHEN LIN LEI WAS NEARLY A HUNDRED, HE PUT ON HIS FUR COAT IN THE MIDDLE OF SPRING, AND WENT TO PICK UP THE GRAINS DROPPED BY THE REAPERS, SINGING AS HE MADE HIS WAY THROUGH THE FIELDS. CONFUCIUS, WHO WAS ON A JOURNEY TO WEI, SAW HIM IN THE DISTANCE....