31. Sensing 32. Perseverance Lake above; Thunder above; Mountain below; Wind below; Sensing is swift, perseverance is long. Sensing is the sensing of the original mind. When one is inwardly still, outwardly joyous, joyfulness is based on stillness, stillness is used to seek joy. Being still, one is capable of nurturance; being joyful, one is capable of action: Joyfulness and stillness need each other. Tranquil and unstirring, yet sensitive and effective, communing spiritually rather than physicallythe barrier between the earthly and the celestial is subtly penetrated. This bespeaks the swiftness of sensing. Perseverance is constancy of mind. Inwardly docile, outwardly active, acting with gentleness, one is gentle without being weak, active without being aggressive. When docility and action are united, the mind is stable and the will is far-reaching; neither rushing nor lagging, one enters from striving into nonstriving, the effect goes from gradual to immediate. This bespeaks the length of perseverance. What is referred to as mindlessness is absence of the human mentality; what is referred to as mindfulness is mindfulness of the Tao. When one is free of the human mentality, the mutual sensing of the earthly and celestial is swift; when one is mindful of the Tao, effective practice endures. Swiftness of sensing comes about spontaneously, without cultivation, without striving; long perseverance comes about through effort, and involves action and striving. Striving and nonstriving each has its secret; the distinction is all a matter of the absence of the human mentality and the presence of mindfulness of the Tao. After one has reached complete realization of the universal Tao, neither existence nor nonexistence remain; others and self are ultimately empty, and one enters the state of ultimate truthfulness, like a spirit. Here, it is not only the human mentality that cannot be applied; even the ntindfulness of Tao is not applicable. ~ Thomas Cleary (trans.) The Taoist I Ching, Book 2 alibris/The-Taoist-I-Ching/book/6548783 [Feel free to comment or ask questions, and share or like.]
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 02:04:02 +0000
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