"Simplicity is clarity.
It is a blessing to learn from those
with humble simplicity.
Those with an empty mind
will learn to find the Way.
The Way reveals the secrets of the universe:
the mysteries of the realm of creation;
the manifestations of all things created.
The essence of the Way is to show us
how to live in fullness and return to our origin."
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 65)
Simplicity is the first step towards detachment, which is the key to unlocking the door to happiness. Live a simple lifestyle, deleting all the trimmings of life and living.
Attachment to all the trimmings of life and living boosts the ego, leading to pride, which is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Humility, the opposite of pride, holds the key to having a good relationship with the Creator, without which, there is no enlightenment, and hence no wisdom to the secrets of the universe and the mysteries of the realm of creation-the manifestations of all things created.
*********************************************************************
"watchful, like a man crossing a winter stream;
alert, like a man aware of danger;
courteous, like a visiting guest;
yielding, like ice about to melt;
simple, like a piece of uncarved wood;
hollow, like a cave;
opaque, like muddy water."
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 15)
Mindfulness is mental sharpness to know what is happening in the mind that brings about clarity of thinking, which is essential to human wisdom.
There is a close connection between the body and the mind. This body-mind connection in humans affects both the physical and the mental health of an individual, especially how that individual thinks and reacts. It is important to put the mind where the body is. For example, your body is now here-reading this book. But your mind may be somewhere else: your mind may be preoccupied with thoughts of the past, the present, or even the future. In other words, your mind may be rambling and disconnected, although you may not be aware of it. A chaotic mind produces adverse and detrimental biological and chemical changes, such as the production of stress hormones, and the reduction of human growth hormone (HGH), among others, that may accelerate the aging process in both the body and the mind.
Mindfulness begins with the body. Becoming mindful of your body in the present moment is putting your mind where your body is. This produces deep relaxation of both the body and mind-an essential element for clarity of thinking that may be the pathway to attaining true human wisdom.
The bottom line: Be watchful as if you were crossing a winter stream, fully aware of what is happening in the present moment.
*********************************************************************
"Living in the present moment,
we find natural contentment.
We do not seek a faster lifestyle,
or a better place to be.
We need the essentials of life,
not its extra trimmings." Lao Tzu
Living in the present is an awakening to the realities of all things. That all things follow a natural cycle or order, which is beyond human control. Living in the present affords us an opportunity to look more objectively at any given situation, allowing our minds to think more clearly, to separate the truths from the half-truths that might have led us astray all along.
According to Lao Tzu, only the present is real: the past was gone, and the future is uncertain and unpredictable. When the mind stays in the present, it does not see the ego-self because it does not exist in the present, and only in the deceptive mind.
*********************************************************************
“The Way is easy to find and follow:
empty the mind of conditioned thinking
of seeing things and doing things." Lao Tzu
The Way is the way to profound human wisdom. It is simple and easy to find. But why is it that so few people find it?
It is already innate in each one of us, but we need to look inside ourselves with an empty mind. But, instead, many of us just look outside, and we think with a close mind.
*********************************************************************
"The Way to the Creator has no blueprint.
With faith and humility, we seek neither pride nor blame.
Our actions then become righteous and impeccable.
Our lives are illumined with the Creator’s light." Lao Tzu
To become enlightened, we must trust and obey, which is the only way to the Creator. If you want everything your way, there is no way! In other words, let go of your pride, and live with humility.
********************************************************************
"The softest thing in the world
overcomes what seems to be the hardest.
That which has no form
penetrates what seems to be impenetrable." Lao Tzu
An empty mindset is the opposite of a pre-conditioned mindset. Many of us may presume that what is hard is always strong and tough, but water, which is soft and formless, can be very strong and overwhelming.
********************************************************************
“Letting go control,
we no longer strive and struggle.
Without strife and struggle,
there is no resistance.
Without resistance,
there is no suffering." Lao Tzu
Letting go is one of the essentials of Tao wisdom. Learn to let go of your material attachments in the physical world, your emotional attachments in the form of anger, remorse, and revenge, and your future attachments in dreams and expectations.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
*********************************************************************
It is a blessing to learn from those
with humble simplicity.
Those with an empty mind
will learn to find the Way.
The Way reveals the secrets of the universe:
the mysteries of the realm of creation;
the manifestations of all things created.
The essence of the Way is to show us
how to live in fullness and return to our origin."
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 65)
Simplicity is the first step towards detachment, which is the key to unlocking the door to happiness. Live a simple lifestyle, deleting all the trimmings of life and living.
Attachment to all the trimmings of life and living boosts the ego, leading to pride, which is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Humility, the opposite of pride, holds the key to having a good relationship with the Creator, without which, there is no enlightenment, and hence no wisdom to the secrets of the universe and the mysteries of the realm of creation-the manifestations of all things created.
*********************************************************************
"watchful, like a man crossing a winter stream;
alert, like a man aware of danger;
courteous, like a visiting guest;
yielding, like ice about to melt;
simple, like a piece of uncarved wood;
hollow, like a cave;
opaque, like muddy water."
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 15)
Mindfulness is mental sharpness to know what is happening in the mind that brings about clarity of thinking, which is essential to human wisdom.
There is a close connection between the body and the mind. This body-mind connection in humans affects both the physical and the mental health of an individual, especially how that individual thinks and reacts. It is important to put the mind where the body is. For example, your body is now here-reading this book. But your mind may be somewhere else: your mind may be preoccupied with thoughts of the past, the present, or even the future. In other words, your mind may be rambling and disconnected, although you may not be aware of it. A chaotic mind produces adverse and detrimental biological and chemical changes, such as the production of stress hormones, and the reduction of human growth hormone (HGH), among others, that may accelerate the aging process in both the body and the mind.
Mindfulness begins with the body. Becoming mindful of your body in the present moment is putting your mind where your body is. This produces deep relaxation of both the body and mind-an essential element for clarity of thinking that may be the pathway to attaining true human wisdom.
The bottom line: Be watchful as if you were crossing a winter stream, fully aware of what is happening in the present moment.
*********************************************************************
"Living in the present moment,
we find natural contentment.
We do not seek a faster lifestyle,
or a better place to be.
We need the essentials of life,
not its extra trimmings." Lao Tzu
Living in the present is an awakening to the realities of all things. That all things follow a natural cycle or order, which is beyond human control. Living in the present affords us an opportunity to look more objectively at any given situation, allowing our minds to think more clearly, to separate the truths from the half-truths that might have led us astray all along.
According to Lao Tzu, only the present is real: the past was gone, and the future is uncertain and unpredictable. When the mind stays in the present, it does not see the ego-self because it does not exist in the present, and only in the deceptive mind.
*********************************************************************
“The Way is easy to find and follow:
empty the mind of conditioned thinking
of seeing things and doing things." Lao Tzu
The Way is the way to profound human wisdom. It is simple and easy to find. But why is it that so few people find it?
It is already innate in each one of us, but we need to look inside ourselves with an empty mind. But, instead, many of us just look outside, and we think with a close mind.
*********************************************************************
"The Way to the Creator has no blueprint.
With faith and humility, we seek neither pride nor blame.
Our actions then become righteous and impeccable.
Our lives are illumined with the Creator’s light." Lao Tzu
To become enlightened, we must trust and obey, which is the only way to the Creator. If you want everything your way, there is no way! In other words, let go of your pride, and live with humility.
********************************************************************
"The softest thing in the world
overcomes what seems to be the hardest.
That which has no form
penetrates what seems to be impenetrable." Lao Tzu
An empty mindset is the opposite of a pre-conditioned mindset. Many of us may presume that what is hard is always strong and tough, but water, which is soft and formless, can be very strong and overwhelming.
********************************************************************
“Letting go control,
we no longer strive and struggle.
Without strife and struggle,
there is no resistance.
Without resistance,
there is no suffering." Lao Tzu
Letting go is one of the essentials of Tao wisdom. Learn to let go of your material attachments in the physical world, your emotional attachments in the form of anger, remorse, and revenge, and your future attachments in dreams and expectations.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
*********************************************************************
“With the fall of man, good cannot exist without evil.
Man is born with virtues, but grows up with vices.
Likewise, life and death complement each other.
Heaven is eternal life; hell is everlasting death.
Human existence is therefore dualistic:
it can make heaven out of hell, or hell out of heaven.
Faith and lack of faith go along with each other.
The first will be the last, and the last will be the first.” Lao Tzu
We all have dualistic existence: our true self, and our ego-self. The true self is often pure and simple, but the ego-self is always tainted and complicated, leading to sin and evil. There is a constant conflict between the two-one forever trying to dominate and overcome the other.
Humility, without the ego, is the only Way to go. But the Way is never easy, because we are all imperfect.
Imperfection, however, is a gift: we know that nobody is perfect; that is why we should always accept others as they are, because we, too, like them, are imperfect.
Likewise, the life journey is a bed of roses but with some thorns. So, just embrace all your daily life problems and challenges, and learn some life lessons from them.
The TAO of daily living: everything is impermanent; at the end, all pains and pleasures ultimately become nothing.
**************************************************************************
“If His ways could be explained or understood,
the Creator would no longer be infinite.
If He had a name or an identity,
the Creator would no longer be eternal.
Being infinite and eternal,
the Creator is the origin of all things.
Once given a name and an identity,
mankind is only the source of all things.
Ever humble, we see the mysteries of all things created.
Ever proud, we see only the manifestations of all things created.
Only the mysteries, and not the manifestations,
show us the Way to true wisdom.” Lao Tzu
In daily living, try not to explain why certain things happen, or do not happen-especially according to your own wish. Instead, obey and trust your Creator. Without that trust and obedience, there is no good communication, and hence no enlightenment.
After all, you are not in control of your own fate and destiny.
If the Creator has no identity, why should you strive to create one for yourself?
An identity is no more than an ego-self that separates and distinguishes you from others-which is pride.
With pride, you see more of yourself and less of others.
With humility, instead of pride, you may see things quite differently: more of the Creator, and less of yourself.
Live your everyday life not just for yourself, but also for others as well. Live a life of love and compassion to become a happier individual, being more connected with others. In any life situation, if you have to choose between “being nice” or “being right”, always choose “being nice.”
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Man is born with virtues, but grows up with vices.
Likewise, life and death complement each other.
Heaven is eternal life; hell is everlasting death.
Human existence is therefore dualistic:
it can make heaven out of hell, or hell out of heaven.
Faith and lack of faith go along with each other.
The first will be the last, and the last will be the first.” Lao Tzu
We all have dualistic existence: our true self, and our ego-self. The true self is often pure and simple, but the ego-self is always tainted and complicated, leading to sin and evil. There is a constant conflict between the two-one forever trying to dominate and overcome the other.
Humility, without the ego, is the only Way to go. But the Way is never easy, because we are all imperfect.
Imperfection, however, is a gift: we know that nobody is perfect; that is why we should always accept others as they are, because we, too, like them, are imperfect.
Likewise, the life journey is a bed of roses but with some thorns. So, just embrace all your daily life problems and challenges, and learn some life lessons from them.
The TAO of daily living: everything is impermanent; at the end, all pains and pleasures ultimately become nothing.
**************************************************************************
“If His ways could be explained or understood,
the Creator would no longer be infinite.
If He had a name or an identity,
the Creator would no longer be eternal.
Being infinite and eternal,
the Creator is the origin of all things.
Once given a name and an identity,
mankind is only the source of all things.
Ever humble, we see the mysteries of all things created.
Ever proud, we see only the manifestations of all things created.
Only the mysteries, and not the manifestations,
show us the Way to true wisdom.” Lao Tzu
In daily living, try not to explain why certain things happen, or do not happen-especially according to your own wish. Instead, obey and trust your Creator. Without that trust and obedience, there is no good communication, and hence no enlightenment.
After all, you are not in control of your own fate and destiny.
If the Creator has no identity, why should you strive to create one for yourself?
An identity is no more than an ego-self that separates and distinguishes you from others-which is pride.
With pride, you see more of yourself and less of others.
With humility, instead of pride, you may see things quite differently: more of the Creator, and less of yourself.
Live your everyday life not just for yourself, but also for others as well. Live a life of love and compassion to become a happier individual, being more connected with others. In any life situation, if you have to choose between “being nice” or “being right”, always choose “being nice.”
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
“Focusing on status gives us pride, and not humility.
Hoarding worldly riches deprives us of heavenly assets.
An empty mind with no craving and no expectation helps us let go of everything.
Being in the world and not of the world, we attain heavenly grace.
With heavenly grace, we become pure and selfless.
And everything settles into its own perfect place.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 3)
You are in the world, but not of the world.
So, do not identify yourself with anything and everything in the world-the car you are driving, the neighborhood you are living in, the name-brand dress you are wearing, and among many others.
What is wrong with them? You become attached to them; they only enhance and inflate your ego, making you shackled to the material world.
With a deflated ego, on the other hand, you may become enlightened and see who you really are, and not what people think you are. Enlightenment opens the door to the TAO of living for life.
The reality is that many of us are not only in the world, but also of the world; so, we are living not for life, but for the world.
We are all somehow connected with one another, so focusing on yourself is not the Way of TAO.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Hoarding worldly riches deprives us of heavenly assets.
An empty mind with no craving and no expectation helps us let go of everything.
Being in the world and not of the world, we attain heavenly grace.
With heavenly grace, we become pure and selfless.
And everything settles into its own perfect place.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 3)
You are in the world, but not of the world.
So, do not identify yourself with anything and everything in the world-the car you are driving, the neighborhood you are living in, the name-brand dress you are wearing, and among many others.
What is wrong with them? You become attached to them; they only enhance and inflate your ego, making you shackled to the material world.
With a deflated ego, on the other hand, you may become enlightened and see who you really are, and not what people think you are. Enlightenment opens the door to the TAO of living for life.
The reality is that many of us are not only in the world, but also of the world; so, we are living not for life, but for the world.
We are all somehow connected with one another, so focusing on yourself is not the Way of TAO.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
“Heavenly grace is like a well of water,
free to all, just for the asking.
It is inexhaustible: the bounty of eternal life.
It quenches all human thirst:
the thirst for anger, desires, and vengeance.
Thirsty no more, we find peace and heavenly grace.
It is hidden, but forever present.
It is inconceivable and intangible.
It comes from the Creator, the origin of all things.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 4)
Human wisdom requires only an empty mind, not necessarily acquisition of knowledge. As a matter of fact, the more you know, the less wise you may become. The explanation is that knowledge previously acquired and accumulated often pre-conditions your thinking mind, and thus distorting your perceptions.
Human wisdom is already inside you. What you need to do is to search for it with self-intuitive questions.
Remember: less for more, and more for less; ask and you shall receive.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
free to all, just for the asking.
It is inexhaustible: the bounty of eternal life.
It quenches all human thirst:
the thirst for anger, desires, and vengeance.
Thirsty no more, we find peace and heavenly grace.
It is hidden, but forever present.
It is inconceivable and intangible.
It comes from the Creator, the origin of all things.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 4)
Human wisdom requires only an empty mind, not necessarily acquisition of knowledge. As a matter of fact, the more you know, the less wise you may become. The explanation is that knowledge previously acquired and accumulated often pre-conditions your thinking mind, and thus distorting your perceptions.
Human wisdom is already inside you. What you need to do is to search for it with self-intuitive questions.
Remember: less for more, and more for less; ask and you shall receive.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Power and Humility
“A great country is like a sea,
with all streams flowing into it.
The more powerful it is,
the greater its need for humility.
Humility means trusting the Creator
in deference to the Way.
A great nation is like a great man.
When he makes a mistake,
not only does he realize it,
but also admit it.
He learns from his mistakes:
everyone is his teacher,
and his enemy is his own shadow.
If a great nation is centered in the Creator,
it cherishes and nourishes all its citizens;
it is a shining light to all other nations in the world.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 61)
We all make mistakes and wrong choices in life.
It is no big deal! Just learn from them. But the flaw of the human mind is that it also remembers them: creating regret and remorse in the present, as well as false hope and unrealistic expectation in the future.
According to TAO, if you have fallen, just get up, and continue your way to find the Way, which is your destination, focusing only on the present, not the past nor the future.
A humble man is like a great nation, whose role is to serve the world, and not himself alone.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
“A great country is like a sea,
with all streams flowing into it.
The more powerful it is,
the greater its need for humility.
Humility means trusting the Creator
in deference to the Way.
A great nation is like a great man.
When he makes a mistake,
not only does he realize it,
but also admit it.
He learns from his mistakes:
everyone is his teacher,
and his enemy is his own shadow.
If a great nation is centered in the Creator,
it cherishes and nourishes all its citizens;
it is a shining light to all other nations in the world.”
(Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 61)
We all make mistakes and wrong choices in life.
It is no big deal! Just learn from them. But the flaw of the human mind is that it also remembers them: creating regret and remorse in the present, as well as false hope and unrealistic expectation in the future.
According to TAO, if you have fallen, just get up, and continue your way to find the Way, which is your destination, focusing only on the present, not the past nor the future.
A humble man is like a great nation, whose role is to serve the world, and not himself alone.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau