Today's Tao
The sage's Tao acts and doesn't compete. (Ch.81)
Who is the sage?
Of course, you are the one.
Then, who are you?
"Eh, excuse me, sir, which are you talking about, 'true You' or 'your own self'? Self doesn't exist, right?"
That's right.
Self, life, world. They are names given to some groups of information.
They are not independent entities.
"I see. Eh, excuse me, sir. What is 'true I'?"
True You are Tao.
Tao is always "acting without competing", that is to say, projecting a hologram without directly interfering with it.
Tao, Love, Buddha, and Zen among others are names given to the fundamental energy.
"Eh, sir, it is also called nothingness 無 [mu], right?"
Exactly.
Please picture the circulation of an energy with neither time nor space.
What else can you call it but nothingness.
Time and space are parameters used to reconstruct information in "the mind".
In other words, they are names.
"If you can talk about Tao, that Tao is not Tao itself."
This very first line of Tao Te Ching is not saying that it is impossible to understand Taoism logically. No!
It is possible to comprehend Taoism logically.
It is saying that the comprehension itself is part of your hologram.
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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 81
Lao Tzu answers your question!
☞«Recommended Books 18» The most important function of a Japanese is making love. It doesn't matter if he is the poorest dropout living in the forests or the most revered priest of Shintoism living in the castle. He or she has got to make love. This could be a hidden heritage from our Polynesian ancestors or a genetic mission imprinted in the deepest recess of our chromosomes. Whatever it is the reason, the Japanese love to make love not only for the reproduction of the people but for pleasure. In spite of all the moral prohibitions by Confucianism and by jealous parents, Japanese girls have been successfully finding a way to enjoy making love. We used to have an institution called Geisha girls. Though it changes names and appearances, the institution never die out. A nice gift of a Gucci bag is an excuse good enough to make love with an aged stranger. Why? Because making love is sacred. Carnal desire is a manifestation of divinity. We, all the human beings, are divine. That's why we make love for pleasure. The gadgets for pleasure are offerings to the deity of joy. Please read «Kojiki
», one of the oldest written records in Japanese, and «Love Songs from the Man'yoshu
: Selections from a Japanese Classic», one of the oldest anthologies of Waka poems, which is a precursor of Haiku. You will see why love and desire are officially important.
». Ikkyu, who would be a cynic poet dressed in a John Galliano dress if he lived now, wrote the play in order to tell how Zen functions. (☞Read its modern adaptation «
. / "and both are called mysterious, and the mystery itself is the gateway to perception. 同謂之玄玄之又玄衆妙之門" On the right, «Tao Te Ching: A New Translation» translated by 
.
. / "This being so is profound, mysterious, and dark: The threshold to all secrets. (This translation seems to correspond to the Kanji / Chinese characters 同謂之玄玄之又玄衆妙之門.)" On the right, «Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching» translated by 
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. / "dark-enigma deep within dark-enigma, gateway of all mystery." On the right, «Tao Te Ching» translated by 
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. / "Profound and remote and again more so: This is the gate to all mysteries." On the right, «Tao Te Ching: An All-New Translation» translated by 
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: A Path to Understanding (With No Math)» written by Dr Dana K. Keller. / "Doesn't it take just one side to start a conflict?" On the right, «
: How You Can Prevent, Resolve, and Transcend Conflict in Work and Everyday Life» written by Joel Edelman and Mary Beth Crane. / The ways of statistics and negotiation are intertwined like Kudzu and wisteria vines.
: Honen's Path to Bliss». Honen is the teacher of Shinran. Amida Buddha is the pillar of Jodo Shin Shu / Pure Land Shin School of Buddhism. / On the right, «
: Essays on Shin Buddhism» is edited by Alfred Bloom and has some articles by him and Daisetz Suzuki among others. Later in his life, Suzuki, the author of «
: For Health, Well-Being, and Inner Growth» written by Dennis Lewis. / "The self is deathless. Why? Because life transforms into life and love never dies." On the right, «
: Meditations for Body and Spirit» written by Haven Trevino and Gerald G. Jamplsky. / Life and self are metaphors to teach us how Tao functions.
. This Other-power lights up all. A life is a process to learn Jiriki / Self-power is the same as Tariki. It is not surprising at all that Zen specialist 
was not only a Zen specialist. He was interested in Tariki of 
.
» on the left. / Ditto. On the right, «
» by Stephen Mitchell. They are the same translation, but one has the original text and the other has Chinese paintings.
was one of the great masters of Aikido.
» directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1954. On the right, «
/ Tasogare Seibei たそがれ清兵衛» shot in 2002. It is directed by Yoji Yamada of the well-known «
» series.
» is not adapted to the consumers abroad. It tastes like typical and "authentic" instant Ramen noodles in their place of birth.
/ Jizo in my home village». "I wanna go home. I miss my Jizo."