Tao Te Ching Chapter 73-3 Merit

Today's Tao

Of the two, one is merit and the other is demerit. (Ch.73)


A: "Master Bonbon, what is the merit of practicing your religion, Bonbonism you call?"

B: "If you don't believe Bonbonism, all the bad things are going to happen to you. If you don't want to live in misery, buy the latest Bonbonism meditation package. Now on sale."


Don't let the words "merit" and "demerit" mislead you.

They are both sides of a coin.

If you don't judge, they are the same part of one hologram.

We have got the one and only merit, which is to receive and emit Love (=Tao).


Lao Tzu says in Chapter 19:

"Destroy discernment. Throw away intellect. And people's benefit will be 100 times as much."

(☞See No discernment 19-1)


We don't need any dichotomy in Taoism.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 73


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☞«Tao of ****» The first line comparison (7) / "How does one bridge the gap between play and work, between the joy of spontaneous expression and the careful necessary decision-making that all too soon becomes drudgery and hard labor?" On the left, «The Tao of Watercolor: A Revolutionary Approach to the Practice of Painting (Zen of Creativity)» written by Jeane Carbonetti. / "An artist is defined by the life they live, not by society's definitions of what an artist is." On the right, «The Artist's Tao: 44 principles for an Artist's Life» written by Sean Starr. / Like in the olden days, Tao Te Ching helps artists still nowadays.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 69-7 Love wins

Today's Tao

Therefore, if two facing armies look like each other, the one sending Love wins. (Ch.69)


What are "two facing armies"?

In Tao, everything is supposed to be one.

This is the source of all the problems: the two imaginary entities in the sole existence.

In your hologram, you have created the division between you and non-you, or Jiko 自己 yourself under your control and Tako 他己 yourself beyond your control.

You and non-you are the same hologram.

That's why Lao Tzu says:

"Two facing armies look like each other".

You and the rest of the world are not separated.

You just think they are.

What is the solution to this imaginary isolation?

Lao Tzu answers you:

"Send Love, and you will win against the isolation".


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 69


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☞«Tao Te Ching» the first line comparison (3) / "A way that can be walked is not The Way" On the left, «Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition (Tarcher Cornerstone Editions)» translated by Jonathan Star. / "The Tâo that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tâo." On the right, «Tao Te Ching (Penguin Great Ideas)» translated with critical analysis by James Legge.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 65-3 Harmful intelligence

Today's Tao

Therefore, governing a country by intelligence does it harm. (Ch.65)


Is intelligence harmful?

Yes.

That's what Lao Tzu is saying here.

"Governing a country" means "controlling your hologram".

It is about your attitude towards your own self and the rest of the world.

You should not control them by intelligence.

Why is intelligence harmful?

Because intelligence induces the dichotomy between your own self and the objective world.

The one and only objective world is a myth.

The seemingly outside world is part of the hologram along with your own self.

If you think intelligence is a useful tool to analyze and control the hologram, you are refusing to accept it as a catalyst.

Be stupid!

Forget being smart, and you will have no resistance against the world in front of you.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 65


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☞剣禅一如 [ken zen ichi nyo]. This is the teachings of Miyamoto, Musashi. It means: "The sword and Zen are the same". He wrote «The Book of Five Rings / Gorin no Sho». Musashi's sword is certainly Zen Master Dogen's Genzo 眼蔵, or the hologram. ☞If the sword is Zen, is Aikido science? It is a difficult question. But, at least, we have a Japanese gentleman who practices both at the highest levels. He is Tatsuo Kimura. He is one of the highest disciples of late Yukiyoshi Sagawa and a professor of mathematics at University of Tsukuba in Japan. He wrote «Transparent Power». It is about the principles of Aikido.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 58-10 Don't tear it!

Today's Tao

Therefore, the sage is just, but doesn't tear any. (Ch.58)


Please remember you are always "just".

Don't "tear" any. You are just if you don't judge.

But, at the same time, you are just even if you judge.

In other words, no matter what you judge, you are not judging anything in fact.

You are doing nothing no matter what you are doing in fact.

Don't "tear" any.

Don't split time and create past, present, and future.

Time will confuse you.

Don't split space and create you and non-you.

The presence of Self will confuse you.

Don't divide something in harmony.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 58


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☞Who is a samurai? The answer depends on what period of the Japanese history you are talking about. Read «Taiheiki» if you are interested in the old schoolers of samurai. Kusunoki, Masashige was a loyal tactician and strategist for Emperor Go-Daigo. ☞Ironical as it sounds, the title «Taiheiki» signifies a chronicle of the great peaceful period. The real peace might rather be represented by this popular song. One of the greatest singers in post-war Japan, Hibari Misora, sings «Furisode Taiheiki», which can be translated as "Taiheiki of a young girl in kimono". The title in the photo reads «Kamome shiranami», or the white waves of seagulls, though.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 55-3 No attack

Today's Tao

Violent animals don't attack him. (Ch.55)


In your hologram, there is no danger.

Then, why are we fearful of the attack by our enemy or an animal?

Daisetz Suzuki tells us the story of a Japanese samurai swordsman and cats. (The swordsman and the cat, Appendices IV, «Zen and Japanese Culture»)

Let's ask the wisest cat.

"Why do we have the enemy?"

"Because of the self there is the foe; when there is no self there is no foe."

The cat continues:

"You make no choice between right and wrong, like and dislike."

Both your own self and the enemy are part of the same hologram.


Daisetz Suzuki@wiki


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 55


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☞«Zen and Japanese Culture» was published in 1959 precisely a quarter of a dicace after the publication of «Manual of Zen» (in 1934 in Kyoto, Japan; in 1950 in London). The former includes the chapters on the story above and «Yama Uba». The latter has «Ten Ox-herding Pictures», which will tell you the ten steps of reaching Satori. Please remember that time is just a parameter. All the ten steps take place simultaneously.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 28-15 The greatest control

Today's Tao

Therefore, the greatest control doesn't split any. (Ch.28)


Tao is "the greatest control".

It cannot be divided, so don't split any.

Since everything is one, the idea of dividing something does not suit Tao.

So, don't judge. Don't tell good from evil.

Do nothing and accept all.

This is the greatest control of all.

Why don't we give Tao a bit more credit.

Tao knows. Tao flows.

The rest is a nice steak sauce to stimulate your appetite.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 28


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-Let's go to Matsuyama, Japan. They have fantastic Dogo Onsen the hot spa. Botchan, probably one of the best known characters in Japanese literature, adores to take a bath there. The word "Botchan" could be translated as a naive rich kid in English. Because of his naivety the Japanese adore him. A onsen and a young man gives another aspect of the hot spring tradition than a geisha and a bath. Somehow it touches the heartstrings of the nation of onsen lovers, too.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 28-8 Protect Darkness

Today's Tao

Protect its darkness. (Ch.28)


Stay with Dark Depth 玄 [gen], which is Tao.

How can we do that?

1. Learn the limit of male attitude. No direct action.

2. Keep female attitude. Do nothing, and your hologram will transform itself.

3. Be the valley. Be void. Being void means accepting all.

4. Then, you will remember that you are Tao. This is constancy.

5. Be like a baby.

6. There is neither black nor white. No dichotomy 二見なし [niken nashi].

(The male and female attitudes above have nothing to do with men and women. They are simply expressions used by Lao Tzu to express certain types of behavior.)


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 28


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-Darkness simply fascinates some. Surely it does the Japanese. In darkness, probably, we find some little fairies profoundly rooted in Shintoism. At the same time, we fear darkness. We transformed Shinjuku from the darkness of water purification plants to the pleasure world of flood of lights. Have the Japanese erased the darkness completely there. Not at all. On the contrary, plenty of people are attracted by the darkness of human existence in illuminated Shinjuku.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 27-11 Lost completely

Today's Tao

If you don't value your teacher, if you don't love your resources, no matter how wise you are, you will be lost completely. (Ch.27)


As we have discussed them in the previous entries, "teacher" and "resources" mean a good man and a non-good man.

They suggest a cycle.

It is the cycle where the fundamental energy is emitted and received.

It is the cycle between Tao and your hologram.

But, don't separate the two.

Don't try to understand the cycle intellectually.

Just love the world, which is your hologram in front of you.

Don't despise the world, saying that it is just an illusion.

Otherwise, you will be profoundly lost in the abyss of intellectualization.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 27


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-"Sensei!" If you are learning Japanese, you know it. There are too many homophones in this language. If someone says that "sensei" means a teacher, he is right. If another says that "sensei" means a surprise attack, well, he is almost right. "Sensei" can be a leadoff attack. If you want to declare under oath something like peace, it is "sensei" as well.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 20-2 Good = Evil

Today's Tao

Between good and evil how great is the distance? (Ch.20)


If we don't judge, good is evil and evil is good.

Between good and evil, there is no distance. There is no difference.

When we want to judge someone, let's laugh a Kyogen actor's big laugh.

Ha, ha, ha, ha.

It is ridiculous to be serious.


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-Incompetence 20-19
-I'm different 20-20
-Eat mother 20-21
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 20


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 6-5 No drain

Today's Tao

However much you use it, you will never drain it. (Ch.6)


No matter how much Tao you use, you will never drain it. There is no limit in Tao.

Then, why do we create "limit" like Yin and Yang, female and male?

Because it is the prayer teaching us the meaninglessness of dichotomy.

The prayer is not just something written.

The world, your hologram, is a prayer, a living prayer wheel.

We turn the prayer wheel of male and female. It never stops turning.

That's all. That's enough.


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 4-5 Creator of Creator

Today's Tao

But it seems that it had created the one who created everything. (Ch.4)


Let's stop bla bla bla and go straight to the point.

Who in the world is the creator of the creator.

The answer is both you and Tao.

You create Tao, and Tao creates you.

This constant exchange of the energy is the essence of all.

Then, you realise that you are Tao. You can see the cycle is the famous Yin Yang circle.

Zen masters go a step further and abandon dichotomy completely.

They just draw a circle.

The world and your own "self"?

They are part of the hologram.

It is a catalyst to stimulate this cycle.


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-In Chapter 4 / Tao's function, between "Profound, it looks like the origin of everything." (Origin 4-2) and "Filled, it looks as if it existed." (Filled emptiness 4-3), you can find "Dull the sharpness. Untangle the entanglements. Soften the light. Be like dust". The sentences seem to have been inserted by accident, so they are discussed in Chapter 56 / How to be one with Tao, which is more appropriate.


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-4 Good man

Today's Tao

Being a good man is just a result. (Ch.30)


No dichotomy, please.

There is neither good nor bad in Tao.

Don't judge.

Don't care about result, either.

You are the one who is creating the result.

So, it has to be perfect all the time unless you impose silly dichotomy on it.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30
-Tao by Matsumoto / Do not judge.


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 19-1 No discernment

Today's Tao

Destroy discernment. Throw away intellect. And people's benefit will be 100 times as much. (Ch.19)


Lao Tzu is strongly against judgement and intellect.

If you don't discern good from evil, there will be no problem.

The world is already perfect.

Why do we have to change it for the sake of changing it?


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 19
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-Tao by Matsumoto / Do not judge


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