The Way of Tao, Volume 1

Talks given from 19/6/71 to 8/11/71 Original in Hindi

1 The eternal, unchanging tao 2 The mysterious original current -- Tao 3 Into the disinterested depths of Tao 4 The mysterious Tao -- beyond ignorance and knowledge 5 Free from the similar variances -- the beautiful and the good 6 The music of opposing notes 7 Actionless action and silent dialogue of the wise 8 Action free from ownership and recognition 9 The poison of ambition and the order of life 10 The secret of a full stomach and an empty mind -- Tao 11 Empty (theoretical) knowledge leads to desire 12 The supreme void, the supreme ancestor, the ideal support -- Tao 13 Death of the ego and the entrance into the mystery 14 Reflection of that -- which was before god 15 Understanding, emptiness, surrender and effort 16 Unbiased are the three -- heaven, earth and the saint 17 Oneness in the opposites and installation into the void 18 The supreme power -- corresponding to the valley female and mysterious 19 Other dimensions of a feminine consciousness: faith, acceptance and surrender 20 Blessed are those who are ready to be last 21 The nature of water is very much like Tao 22 Lao-tse is the most useful in the present state of the world

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1 The eternal, unchanging tao

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 1 The eternal, unchanging tao 19 June 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle THE ABSOLUTE TAO THE TAO THAT CAN BE TRODDEN IS NOT THE ENDURING AND UNCHANGING TAO. THE NAME THAT CAN BE NAMED IS NOT THE ENDURING AND UNCHANGING NAME. Those who have known, not by words, not by scriptures but by actually living life, from amongst those very few, Lao Tzu is one....

10 The secret of a full stomach and an empty mind \-- Tao

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 10 The secret of a full stomach and an empty mind – Tao 20 July 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 3: SUTRA 2 THEREFORE THE SAGE, IN EXERCISE OF HIS GOVERNMENT, EMPTIES THEIR MINDS, FILLS THEIR BELLIES, WEAKENS THEIR WILLS AND STRENGTHENS THEIR BONES. Lao-Tze’s talks seem upside down – or so it appears to us. The reason is not that they are upside down, the reason is that we are upside down....

11 Empty (theoretical) knowledge leads to desire

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 11 Empty (theoretical) knowledge leads to desire 21 July 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 3: SUTRA 3 HE CONSTANTLY TRIES TO KEEP THEM WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE AND WITHOUT DESIRE; AND WHERE THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP THEM FROM PRESUMING TO ACT (ON IT). WHEN THERE IS THIS ABSTINENCE FROM ACTION GOOD ORDER IS UNIVERSAL. Those who know, always endeavour to rid people of empty knowledge....

12 The supreme void, the supreme ancestor, the ideal support \-- Tao

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 12 The supreme void, the supreme ancestor, the ideal support – Tao 22 July 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 4: SUTRA 1 CHARACTER OF TAO THE TAO IS LIKE THE EMPTINESS OF A VESSEL; AND IN OUR EMPLOYMENT OF IT WE MUST BE ON OUR GUARD AGAINST ALL FULLNESS. HOW DEEP AND UNFATHOMABLE IT IS, AS IF IT WERE THE HONOURED ANCESTOR OF ALL THINGS; (OR LIKE THE FOUNTAINHEAD OF ALL THINGS)....

13 Death of the ego and the entrance into the mystery

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 13 Death of the ego and the entrance into the mystery 23 July 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 4: SUTRA 2 WE SHOULD BLUNT ITS SHARP POINTS, AND UNRAVEL ITS COMPLICATIONS. WE SHOULD ATTEMPER ITS BRIGHTNESS AND SUBMERGE ITS TURMOIL. YET DARK LIKE DEEP WATER IT SEEMS TO REMAIN. Religion is the state of an empty consciousness; like the state of an empty vessel....

14 Reflection of that \-- which was before god

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 14 Reflection of that – which was before god 24 July 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 4 : SUTRA 3 I DO NOT KNOW WHOSE SON IT IS, MAY BE AN IMAGE OF WHAT EXISTED BEFORE GOD. On attaining the void, becoming empty like an empty vessel, when all the sharp points of the mind fall away and the complexes are strengthened, when man unveils himself fully and knows, even then, that which is ultimate, which is the basis of creation, the most intrinsic, remains unknown....

15 Understanding, emptiness, surrender and effort

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 15 Understanding, emptiness, surrender and effort 25 July 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle Question 1 WHY IS IT THAT NO REVOLUTION TAKES PLACE EVEN AFTER UNDERSTANDING? IF WE PRACTISE NON-ACTION, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LABOUR? HOW IS PERFECTION IN EMPTINESS ATTAINED? IF THE VESSEL IS EMPTY, IT WILL ALSO DISINTEGRATE? WHAT IS THE WAY TO EMPTY THE MIND? QUESTION: LAO TZU SAYS THAT UNDERSTANDING IS ENOUGH AND THAT TRANSFORMATION TAKES PLACE TOGETHER WITH UNDERSTANDING....

16 Unbiased are the three \-- heaven, earth and the saint

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 16 Unbiased are the three – heaven, earth and the saint 2 November 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 5: SUTRA 1 NATURE HEAVEN AND EARTH DO NOT ACT FROM (THE IMPULSE OF) ANY WISH TO BE BENEVOLENT; THEY DEAL WITH ALL THINGS AS THE DOGS OF GRASS ARE DEALT WITH. THE SAGE DOES NOT ACT FROM (ANY WISH TO BE) BENEVOLENT; THEY DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE AS THE DOGS OF GRASS ARE DEALT WITH....

17 Oneness in the opposites and installation into the void

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 17 Oneness in the opposites and installation into the void 3 November 1971 pm in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 5: SUTRA 2 MAY NOT THE SPACE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH BE COMPARED TO A BELLOWS? IT IS EMPTIED, YET IT LOSES NOT ITS POWER; IT IS MOVED AGAIN, AND SENDS FORTH AIR THE MORE. MUCH SPEECH TO SWIFT EXHAUSTION LEAD WE SEE; YOUR INNER BEING GUARD, AND KEEP IT FREE....

18 The supreme power \-- corresponding to the valley female and mysterious

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 18 The supreme power – corresponding to the valley female and mysterious 4 November 1971 om in Immortal Study Circle CHAPTER 6: SUTRA I & 2 THE SPIRIT OF THE VALLEY 1. THE VALLEY SPIRIT DIES NOT, EVER THE SAME. THE FEMALE MYSTERY THUS DO WE NAME. IT’S GATE FROM WHICH AT FIRST THEY ISSUED FORTH. IS CALLED THE ROOT FROM WHICH GREW HEAVEN AND EARTH,...