ANYTHING IS EVERYTHING
What is meant by “anything is everything”? It may have different meanings and different interpretations to different individuals.
First of all, human perceptions are subjective and individualized: they are affected not only by the five senses, but also by the unique experiences of an individual, as well as by the indelible memories of those experiences retained in the mind of that individual. Therefore, what is important to you may not be as important to others, and vice-versa. For this reason, anything could be everything to you, but not to others.
An illustration
Near the end of 2016, a road rage occurred in Arkansas that ended in the tragic death of a 3-year-old child.
A woman, with her 3-year-old grandson sitting at the back of her car, stopped at a stop sign. A man in the car right behind honked her for not starting her car immediately, but the woman honked back; thus the road rage began with the man firing a gun shot at the back of the woman’s car.
Stopping too long at a stop sign, or wanting to get to a place on time might be everything to the man. Having the right to remain where she was might also be everything to the woman, so she naturally honked back.
Unfortunately, that anything-is-everything incident ended in tragedy-the death of the woman’s three-year-old grandson being shot dead while sitting at the back of her car.
In real life, anything could be everything to real people-it all depends on their respective perspectives of anything is everything.
Another illustration
In 2012, a Chinese couple from Hong Kong filed a lawsuit against an education consultant in the United States for $2 million dollars, who promised that he could-but ultimately did not-get their two sons into Harvard University.
The couple had used “improper” but maybe still perfectly “legal” means to get their two sons into Harvard University.
Getting into an elite college or university may be everything to many students, including their parents. Some might even resort to doing anything in order to achieve that goal, which is everything to them.
What is your take on “anything is everything”? Are they really that important to you? The miracle of living is to let go of anything, because everything does not last. The wisdom is that nothingness is in fact the way to everything, and that is enlightenment of the human mind to live as if everything is a miracle.
Stephen Lau
Copyright © Stephen Lau
What is meant by “anything is everything”? It may have different meanings and different interpretations to different individuals.
First of all, human perceptions are subjective and individualized: they are affected not only by the five senses, but also by the unique experiences of an individual, as well as by the indelible memories of those experiences retained in the mind of that individual. Therefore, what is important to you may not be as important to others, and vice-versa. For this reason, anything could be everything to you, but not to others.
An illustration
Near the end of 2016, a road rage occurred in Arkansas that ended in the tragic death of a 3-year-old child.
A woman, with her 3-year-old grandson sitting at the back of her car, stopped at a stop sign. A man in the car right behind honked her for not starting her car immediately, but the woman honked back; thus the road rage began with the man firing a gun shot at the back of the woman’s car.
Stopping too long at a stop sign, or wanting to get to a place on time might be everything to the man. Having the right to remain where she was might also be everything to the woman, so she naturally honked back.
Unfortunately, that anything-is-everything incident ended in tragedy-the death of the woman’s three-year-old grandson being shot dead while sitting at the back of her car.
In real life, anything could be everything to real people-it all depends on their respective perspectives of anything is everything.
Another illustration
In 2012, a Chinese couple from Hong Kong filed a lawsuit against an education consultant in the United States for $2 million dollars, who promised that he could-but ultimately did not-get their two sons into Harvard University.
The couple had used “improper” but maybe still perfectly “legal” means to get their two sons into Harvard University.
Getting into an elite college or university may be everything to many students, including their parents. Some might even resort to doing anything in order to achieve that goal, which is everything to them.
What is your take on “anything is everything”? Are they really that important to you? The miracle of living is to let go of anything, because everything does not last. The wisdom is that nothingness is in fact the way to everything, and that is enlightenment of the human mind to live as if everything is a miracle.
Stephen Lau
Copyright © Stephen Lau
THE TAO OF LIVING IN THE NOW
Life is a natural cycle -- life is followed by death, just as day followed by night. Nothing lasts. Learn to let go.
Lao Tzu: “Live in the NOW.” The past was gone, the future is yet to come; only the present is real. It’s a gift; that’s why it is “present.”
If happiness is to be found in things that are outside, instead of inside, yourself, you may have easily become unhappy and depressed.
Albert Einstein: “Thinking is difficult; that is why so few people do it.” To become wiser, you must do your thinking, and do it often.
Tao Wisdom:
”That which shrinks
Must first expand.
That which fails,
Must first be strong."
Everything follows a natural cycle, so accept and embrace.
Spontaneity is the essence of the natural life cycle. What goes up must eventually come down; life begets death.
Intuition of spontaneity is knowing the impermanence of all things: nothing lasts no matter how we strive to keep the impermanent permanent.
Embracing everything is wisdom because it holds the key to enlightenment, which is TAO wisdom.
If Tao wisdom could be summarized in one word, it is the word "humility."
Humility is the enemy of the ego, pride is its friend. Ego is the source of human miseries.
Don't avoid depression, which we all have. The happiness wisdom is to experience it by going through it to become enlightened.
Your ego wants you to become better than others. In the process, it stresses you, making you unhappy.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Life is a natural cycle -- life is followed by death, just as day followed by night. Nothing lasts. Learn to let go.
Lao Tzu: “Live in the NOW.” The past was gone, the future is yet to come; only the present is real. It’s a gift; that’s why it is “present.”
If happiness is to be found in things that are outside, instead of inside, yourself, you may have easily become unhappy and depressed.
Albert Einstein: “Thinking is difficult; that is why so few people do it.” To become wiser, you must do your thinking, and do it often.
Tao Wisdom:
”That which shrinks
Must first expand.
That which fails,
Must first be strong."
Everything follows a natural cycle, so accept and embrace.
Spontaneity is the essence of the natural life cycle. What goes up must eventually come down; life begets death.
Intuition of spontaneity is knowing the impermanence of all things: nothing lasts no matter how we strive to keep the impermanent permanent.
Embracing everything is wisdom because it holds the key to enlightenment, which is TAO wisdom.
If Tao wisdom could be summarized in one word, it is the word "humility."
Humility is the enemy of the ego, pride is its friend. Ego is the source of human miseries.
Don't avoid depression, which we all have. The happiness wisdom is to experience it by going through it to become enlightened.
Your ego wants you to become better than others. In the process, it stresses you, making you unhappy.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
ANYTHING-EVERYTHING-NOTHING
THE TAO OF PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE
When confronted with life crises and challenges, we often tend to focus on ourselves instead of giving the best of ourselves to others. Again, when we are afflicted with a disease or disorder, we focus so much on our recovery that we have lost sight of our patience, which is a human virtue that can help us through the prognosis of the disease or disorder with persistence.
Patience is a proactive virtue that requires much inner strength to face difficulties encountered in life. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, patience may enable you to bear suffering and sorrow in such a way that you do not become broken by negative thoughts such that you forsake the way of virtue. Patience lets you stay on course with your life, even when you are afflicted with a disease. If you close in on yourself when you experience tragedies, you will not be attentive to the needs of others or other things that may help your recovery. The more you are obsessed with your own problems, the more you are unpleasant to be around, and the more depressed and isolated you may become.
Patience is a virtue that may help you bear sadness in such a way that you do not deviate from the humanitarian course you are on. With patience, you learn also how to persevere.
According to John Quincy Adams, patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties may disappear and obstacles vanish.
Many years ago when I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, one of the many autoimmune diseases, I not only was patient with my slow recovery (without taking toxic steroid drugs), but also persevered in my self-healing process until all my symptoms had disappeared without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. It was a miracle for me, because according to Western medicine, there is no cure for autoimmune diseases.
The TAO of patience and perseverance shows you how to focus on others instead of allowing your own negative emotions to gnaw at you. The TAO of being wise in life challenges transforms you into a better and happier individual.
Be A Better and Happier You With Tao Wisdom.
Stephen Lau
Copyright © Stephen Lau
When confronted with life crises and challenges, we often tend to focus on ourselves instead of giving the best of ourselves to others. Again, when we are afflicted with a disease or disorder, we focus so much on our recovery that we have lost sight of our patience, which is a human virtue that can help us through the prognosis of the disease or disorder with persistence.
Patience is a proactive virtue that requires much inner strength to face difficulties encountered in life. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, patience may enable you to bear suffering and sorrow in such a way that you do not become broken by negative thoughts such that you forsake the way of virtue. Patience lets you stay on course with your life, even when you are afflicted with a disease. If you close in on yourself when you experience tragedies, you will not be attentive to the needs of others or other things that may help your recovery. The more you are obsessed with your own problems, the more you are unpleasant to be around, and the more depressed and isolated you may become.
Patience is a virtue that may help you bear sadness in such a way that you do not deviate from the humanitarian course you are on. With patience, you learn also how to persevere.
According to John Quincy Adams, patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties may disappear and obstacles vanish.
Many years ago when I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, one of the many autoimmune diseases, I not only was patient with my slow recovery (without taking toxic steroid drugs), but also persevered in my self-healing process until all my symptoms had disappeared without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. It was a miracle for me, because according to Western medicine, there is no cure for autoimmune diseases.
The TAO of patience and perseverance shows you how to focus on others instead of allowing your own negative emotions to gnaw at you. The TAO of being wise in life challenges transforms you into a better and happier individual.
Be A Better and Happier You With Tao Wisdom.
Stephen Lau
Copyright © Stephen Lau
NOTHING IS EVERYTHING
”I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” Plato
“The paradox of reality is that no image is as compelling as the one which exists only in the mind's eye.” Shana Alexande
“Nothing is everything” is a paradox. In life, there are many paradoxes. The way of paradoxes is the way of attaining the ultimate truths of anything and everything. Knowing and understanding a paradox requires wisdom to see different human perspectives in anything and everything.
Paradoxes may be the way to wisdom, to the miracle of life, and ultimately to self-enlightenment.
Life is a miracle. Miracles happen everyday, but you just have to open your heart, mind and soul to see these miraculous encounters, that is. looking the right way.
Looking the right way, you will see: you have a unique destiny with a divine purpose designed only for you, and you alone. You may have many imperfections, just like everyone else, but they are your connectedness to all through love and compassion, as well as forgiveness; you are going to face many changes and challenges ahead of you that are meant only to transform you into a better being. That is your self-enlightenment-understanding the paradox that nothing is everything in life.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Click here to get your book.
”I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” Plato
“The paradox of reality is that no image is as compelling as the one which exists only in the mind's eye.” Shana Alexande
“Nothing is everything” is a paradox. In life, there are many paradoxes. The way of paradoxes is the way of attaining the ultimate truths of anything and everything. Knowing and understanding a paradox requires wisdom to see different human perspectives in anything and everything.
Paradoxes may be the way to wisdom, to the miracle of life, and ultimately to self-enlightenment.
Life is a miracle. Miracles happen everyday, but you just have to open your heart, mind and soul to see these miraculous encounters, that is. looking the right way.
Looking the right way, you will see: you have a unique destiny with a divine purpose designed only for you, and you alone. You may have many imperfections, just like everyone else, but they are your connectedness to all through love and compassion, as well as forgiveness; you are going to face many changes and challenges ahead of you that are meant only to transform you into a better being. That is your self-enlightenment-understanding the paradox that nothing is everything in life.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Click here to get your book.
EVERYTHING IS NOTHING
Impermanence and change are the undeniable and permanent truths of all human existence. What is real is the existing moment, the present moment that is a product of the past, or a result of the previous causes and actions. Due to ignorance, an ordinary mind may conceive them all to be part of one continuous reality. But the fact that they are not is the permanent truth.
The various stages in the life of a man, the childhood, the adulthood, the old age are not the same at any given time. The child is not the same when he grows up and becomes a young man, nor when the young man turns into an old man. The seed is not the tree, though it produces the tree, and the fruit is also not the tree, though it is a product of the tree. This is the permanent truth of all life.
Emptiness
Death empties anything and everything-that is, the ego and all its attachments to the material world. Emptiness is nothingness in which everything becomes nothing.
For all human efforts, death will come in the end for all and sundry. This is an indisputable fact. No matter how long a life you may want to live, you will, like everyone else, face dying one day. This is the way of all flesh because you have a built-in mechanism in your genes to ensure your mortality.
According to CNN news, Cathrin Ertmann, a celebrated photographer from Denmark, chronicles the enigmatical journey of the deceased from death until burial. While keeping all her subjects’ identities anonymous, she diligently records all the different stages of death, including autopsies and cremations, in quiet detail.
Before she started photographing death, Cathrin Ertmann had never seen a dead body. Viewed through her lens while standing in a quiet morgue, it was, surprisingly, much less frightening and more of a quiet mystery for her to explore death and its implications.
“I was amazed about how peaceful and undramatic everything looked,” she said. “I got the chance to look at death without it being my own relatives, without feelings involved, and it gave me a peace. The imagination of what death looks like is way worse than what I experienced. . . .
I also saw a peace and beauty. Sometimes the scare is in the brief look at something. Like when you watch a horror movie, you only see a glimpse of the ghost, murderer or monster, and your imagination works all the fright up for you. I think I felt I need to see everything to make it ‘normal’ and undramatic. And I think it works the same way with our relation to death in general.”
A new study of death gave Cathrin Ertmann a new perspective on life. “After working in the morgue, I was walking in the street and I got really over-whelmed by seeing all the people just walking, chatting and laughing,” she said. “I wanted to yell: YOU ARE ALIVE, USE IT!"
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Laut
Click here to get your book.
Impermanence and change are the undeniable and permanent truths of all human existence. What is real is the existing moment, the present moment that is a product of the past, or a result of the previous causes and actions. Due to ignorance, an ordinary mind may conceive them all to be part of one continuous reality. But the fact that they are not is the permanent truth.
The various stages in the life of a man, the childhood, the adulthood, the old age are not the same at any given time. The child is not the same when he grows up and becomes a young man, nor when the young man turns into an old man. The seed is not the tree, though it produces the tree, and the fruit is also not the tree, though it is a product of the tree. This is the permanent truth of all life.
Emptiness
Death empties anything and everything-that is, the ego and all its attachments to the material world. Emptiness is nothingness in which everything becomes nothing.
For all human efforts, death will come in the end for all and sundry. This is an indisputable fact. No matter how long a life you may want to live, you will, like everyone else, face dying one day. This is the way of all flesh because you have a built-in mechanism in your genes to ensure your mortality.
According to CNN news, Cathrin Ertmann, a celebrated photographer from Denmark, chronicles the enigmatical journey of the deceased from death until burial. While keeping all her subjects’ identities anonymous, she diligently records all the different stages of death, including autopsies and cremations, in quiet detail.
Before she started photographing death, Cathrin Ertmann had never seen a dead body. Viewed through her lens while standing in a quiet morgue, it was, surprisingly, much less frightening and more of a quiet mystery for her to explore death and its implications.
“I was amazed about how peaceful and undramatic everything looked,” she said. “I got the chance to look at death without it being my own relatives, without feelings involved, and it gave me a peace. The imagination of what death looks like is way worse than what I experienced. . . .
I also saw a peace and beauty. Sometimes the scare is in the brief look at something. Like when you watch a horror movie, you only see a glimpse of the ghost, murderer or monster, and your imagination works all the fright up for you. I think I felt I need to see everything to make it ‘normal’ and undramatic. And I think it works the same way with our relation to death in general.”
A new study of death gave Cathrin Ertmann a new perspective on life. “After working in the morgue, I was walking in the street and I got really over-whelmed by seeing all the people just walking, chatting and laughing,” she said. “I wanted to yell: YOU ARE ALIVE, USE IT!"
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Laut
Click here to get your book.