Empty Vessel Journal of Taoist Philosophy & Practice
Fall 2020 $6.95 U.S. $7.95 Canada
COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER ONE OF THE DAO DE JING
Features Primordial Chaos Standing Meditation Strength Training for Mind, Body & Spirit, page 8 On Waking Up, page 12 Training the Horse-Mind, page 16 Commentary on Chapter One of the Dao De Jing, page 28 Feng Shui to reduce anxiety, page 34 The Empty Vessel — Page 2
Contents Fall 2020
Volume 27 Number 3
Departments Directory / Classifieds, page 37 Poetry Corner, pages 24-27 Book Reviews, page 15 Like us on Facebook: @EmptyVesselMagazine, Instagram: @EmptyVesselMag and visit
www.EmptyVessel.net Fall 2020 — Page 3
What is Taoism? What is Taoism? Tao is referred to as The Way, as in direction, in manner, source, destination, purpose and process. In discovering and exploring Tao, the process and destination are one and the same. Lao Tzu describes a Taoist as the one who sees simplicity in the complicated, and achieves greatness in the little things. It is a simple and natural way of being in our bodies and our psyches, and sharing the Way of being with all life we come into contact with.
Taoism Origins Taoism was long established before Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching 2,500 years ago. It originated in the ancient shamanic roots of Chinese
civilization. For many centuries Taoism was an informal way of life, a way followed by peasant, farmer, gentleman philosopher and artist. Followers of the Way studied the stars in the heavens and the energy that lies deep within the Earth. They meditated upon the energy flow within their bodies and mapped out the roads and paths it traveled upon.
The Way The Way is a deep reflection, learning from Nature which is considered the highest teacher. It is a belief in life, a belief in the glorious procession of each unfolding moment. The Way is a deeply spiritual life, involving retrospect, balance, emotional and spiritual independence and responsibility with awareness and
a deep connection to the Earth and all other life forms.
Taoism Today Taoism in China and the West today is often divided in two forms, Tao Jiao and Tao Jia, or religious Taoism and philosophical Taoism. Many scholars argue that there are not two distinct forms of Taoism, and in many ways they are right. There is a great intermingling of the religious form of Taoism and it various sects and the philosophical Taoism of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi). Many people who follow the Tao do not consider themselves religious people, do not go to temples and are not ordained priests. Rather these forms exist side-by-side and within each other.
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From Solala Towler The Spirit of Zen: Teaching Stories on the Way to Enlightenment The Spirit of Zen is filled with stories, history and practical guidance from the masters of Zen. It is a journey through a world of paradox and insight, offering guidance on the path to enlightenment as well as the down-to-earth, living-in-the-moment path of Zen. These stories, many of which are about satori or enlightenment, are funny, outrageous and full of paradoxes and puns; they are also earthy, sometimes even scatological. Nevertheless, they contain deep teachings on the Buddhist path. These stories — profoundly illuminating as well as highly entertaining — contain the true flavour of Zen. Hardcover, 175 pages. Profusely illustrated with beautiful nature photos printed in black and silver on glossy paper. Published by Watkins, the oldest esoteric publishing house in England, founded in 1893. $12.95 plus $5 shipping. Visit www.abodetao.com (in store) or call 541.345.8854.
Tales From the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters A new version of this popular book, first published in 2005. This new hardcover version is a companion volume to the Spirit of Zen. This accessible and enlightening collection offers stories and quotations from the most celebrated Taoist masters, including Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu and Lao Tzu, as well as new writing inspired by the traditional tales. Set against a stunning photographic backdrop of the mountains, waterfalls and gorges of China, these stories introduce important Taoist ideas about our most basic human experiences, including birth, death, loss, gain, simple dignity in the face of challenge, how to judge character, when to move forward, when to retreat and how to surrender to the most fundamental experience of Tao itself. Hardcover, 191 pages. Illustrated with the stunning photographs of John Cleare. Published by Watkins. $12.95 plus $5 shipping. Visit www.abodetao.com (in store) or call 541.345.8854.
541-345-8854 or www.abodetao.com Fall 2020 — Page 5
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Contributors Chris has been studying Daoism and Qigong for 25 years and martial arts for 38. He is also a Certified Level 2 Personal Trainer. He specializes in integrating modern & ancient modalities to enhance health, strength and longevity.
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Louis Komjathy, Ph.D., CSO is a Daoist contemplative, scholar-practitioner, and ordained priest. He serves as founding Co-director and senior teacher of the Daoist Foundation. He has published on Daoism, including Taming the Wild Horse: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Daoist Horse Taming Pictures. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.
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Solala Towler founded the Abode of the Eternal Tao in Eugene, Oregon, in 1993. He also created The Empty Vessel magazine, which he published quarterly for 25 years until 2018. Solala has had 12 books published on the Taoist arts, and offer tours to China, I Ching readings and courses in Taoism. He can be reached at solala@abodetao.com/www. abodetao.com.
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The Tao of wellness Primordial Chaos Standing Meditation Strength Training for Mind, Body & Spirit By Christopher Collins
Zhan Zhuang (pronounced Jan Jong) literally “standing like a post” is considered to be the most important foundational training for qigong and martial arts especially. It strengthens the will and develops structure, alignment and strength of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. It builds the nerve capacity to enable more qi to flow through the body. It also builds aerobic capacity. Zan Zhuang is one-stop shopping for developing overall strength and resilience. A friend practiced Zhan Zhuang for 40 minutes per day for a year. He then had a bone density test and was told bone density was incalculable because the testing numbers do not go high enough. Strength is often eschewed in Daoist martial arts in the West. There seems to be a lot of misinformation about strength and muscle since Daoist training focuses on finesse instead of brute force. I think it has more to do with ideas being lost in translation. No movement of any kind can occur without engaging muscles. Have you ever seen the martial artists from Wudang or Emei? They are built like athletes. Martial art training, weapons training, and standing training build muscles, tendons, ligaments and bone. The Empty Vessel — Page 8
Stand with feet hip or shoulder width apart, with toes pointing forward. Touch tongue lightly to the upper palate. Relax the eyes and slightly close them but, allow yourself to see in all directions without focusing on anything. Ignore the sights and sounds around you. Imagine that your head is pulled upward from above like a marionette.
Most Importantly Start small. Start with less than 2 minutes. Do this for a week or 2 just to establish the habit. Then gently and slowly add more time or deeper postures The 1st time I experimented with standing meditation, I stood for far too long in too deep a posture. I was so sore after that it took me a couple years to get up the courage to try again. If you do not like Zhan Zhuang, practice for a month. If you do not like it after a month, practice for a year. You will obtain immeasurable benefits.
Chin tucked in. Arms out like you are hugging someone. Palms facing the lower abdomen.
Turn your mind inward and be aware of the present moment.
Be relaxed like you have just awakened from a long nap.
Be mindful of qi at all times.
Feel as though all your energy rests in your lower belly. Feel and pay attention to your breathing. Breathe to the belly You may feel warmth, tingling, a sense of fullness.
When you are finished do a qigong or tai chi form, shake or go for a walk to get the blood flowing. Chris has been studying Daoism and Qigong for 25 years and martial arts for 38. He is also a Certified Level 2 Personal Trainer. He specializes in integrating modern & ancient modalities to enhance health, strength and longevity.
Fall 2020 — Page 9
Fall is a Yin season associated with
Taoism in t
the metal element
The scent of Fall is rotten, with a Pungent taste Eat more fruits and vegetables in the Fall such as
squash, pumpkin, apples, pears and blackberries this time of year. For inspiration, check out some recipes on page 28. Thee Empty Th Em E mp ptty Vessel Veesssseell — P V Page aagge 1100
Try eating foods with a pungent taste such as
chili, garlic, mustard and hot peppers to be aligned with this Metal element
the Seasons Take care of your lungs this fall with
daily breathing exercises.
Breathing in what we need and letting go what we don’t is in align with the season
It is important to take care of your lungs and health this season so you can prevent yourself from falling ill.
Sadness is the emotion that rules autumn, with the sound of the season being weeping. It can be restorative for your body’s Qi to let out sorrow held in all year. SOURCES: EARTHSKY.ORG • TAOUNIVERSE.COM • WUWEIWISDOM.COM • ENERGYARTS.COM • WIKIPEDIA.ORG •
Falll 2020 Fall Fa 202 020 20 — Page Paggee 11 Pa 11
On Waking Up By Solala Towler
Part of us is awake and another part, fast asleep. What we do with cultivation practices is awaken that part of ourselves that is asleep. How can we awaken the sleeping part of ourselves? How can we truly experience that part of ourselves that lies dormant, like a caterpillar in our cocoon (a self created one at that)? How can we really truly experience ourselves as Immortals or Transcendents? How can we slough off our cocoon and emerge as the dazzling butterflies we truly are? Zhuangzi tells us that we are all dreaming and in that dream we even try to interpret our dreams! That is what we do when we try to figure out with our mind what it is that is happening within and The Empty Vessel — Page 12
without us. What is the reason? What is the destiny (ming) or karma that is leading us on through the hurry-scurry of our day-to-day lives? And how can we connect and call forth the immortal nature of our true and real selves? Zhuangzi says, Those who dream of a great feast may wake up and weep the next morning. Those who dream of weeping may actually enjoy a great hunt the next day. While they are dreaming they do not know they are dreaming. In the middle of a dream they may even try to interpret the dream! It is only after they awaken that they know they have been dreaming. At the time of the Great Awakening we will all wake up and see that it has all been just a dream. — Chapter 2 Often when we dream we think that is happening or what we are seeing is real. Then we “wake up” and realize it was actually “just a dream” and that what is happing “now” is real.
Daoists also say everything exists and is given meaning only in relation to everything else. In chapter two of the DaoDe Jing we see: There is a famous story in Zhuangzi about how he once dreamt he was a butterfly, flying about on his own happy butterfly way. Then, upon awakening into his human body he could not help but wonder if was truly a man who had dreamt he was a butterfly or whether he was a butterfly who was now dreaming he was a man! So, how do we wake up to what is really real? First we must understand that so-called reality has many layers or dimensions. It is not a matter of some things are real and others not. As in quantum physics, two things can exist or be real at once. This includes seemingly opposite realities. Buddhists say that everything in the universe is inherently empty, that nothing is “real” in itself but depends on every other thing; nothing exists of itself but in relationship with everything else.
Under Heaven everyone knows that the existence of beauty depends on the existence of ugliness. Everyone knows the capacity of kindness depends on the existence of the unkind. Existence and nothingness are mutually born, difficult and easy complete each other, long and short shape each other, tall and short rest upon each other, sound and silence harmonize each other, before and after follow one another. When I take a group of people to China we are all having a special yuen fen or destiny connection with each other. We are all having our own personal unique experience together as well as having a group experience. This is pretty much how the world works. We are each having our own unique and special experience of the world as well as having a group Fall 2020 — Page 13
experience as fellow human beings.
that did not exist in their times.
So that question is: do we want to remain asleep and oblivious to the world as it really is? Or do we want to wake up and experience it the way it really is on a deep and personal level? Zhuangzi says:
Yet the techniques that the ancient Daoists developed still work as well as they did in Laozi’s time and before. As a matter of fact, they are a powerful antidote to the modern world’s ills. Chinese medicine systems, as well as Ayurvedic, Tibetan and other ancient cultures, still work. They can all work on bringing us into balance — physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. And the more in balance we are the easier it will be to wake up.
It is when we give up our personal views that we see things as they truly are. In seeing things as they truly are we arrive at complete understanding. To reach complete understanding is to reach true happiness. To reach true happiness is to reach completion. To reach completion is to enter Dao. Daoist cultivation techniques are all designed to help us wake up. They give us the experience of enlarging or deepening our experience of ourselves as well as the world around and within us. Qigong and taiji help us to experience ourselves as truly multi-dimensional beings. At the very least they help us to be more sensitive to the rhythms and currents of the energy flow within our own bodies. Deep meditation practices allow us to drop down into layers of experience that we are often not privy to in our so-called awake lives. Our bodies, our own energy pathways, remain the same as they did in ancient times, when Laozi wrote his treatise on self-cultivation. Of course we have many different health concerns that people did in ancient China. Our environment is much more polluted and psychically overwhelming. Our diet is, for many, very different even than our own grandparent’s times. We are dealing with stresses
Probably the most important thing is that we wish to wake up. Not everyone does. For many people it is not even an issue. They would rather stay asleep and feeling a false sense of safety in that. But for those of us who wish to experience life in all its multi-dimensional aspects, waking up is the right thing to do. And in that awakening, we are filled with light, en-light-ened, and ready to take on both the joys and challenges life has to offer. Then we can, as the ancient Daoists said, “be at rest even when we are not at rest.” Then we can go forth into each day of our lives with an open mind and open heart. Then we can truly call ourselves zhen ren or authentic beings, alive to all the miracles and magic in the world and within ourselves. Solala Towler founded the Abode of the Eternal Tao in Eugene, Oregon, in 1993. He also created The Empty Vessel magazine, which he published quarterly for 25 years until 2018. Solala has had 12 books published on the Taoist arts, and offer tours to China, I Ching readings and courses in Taoism. He can be reached at solala@abodetao.com/www.abodetao.com.
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Book Reviews The Way of Awareness in Daoist Philosophy AUTHOR: James Giles
This book explores ancient Daoist philosophy and argues against interpretations that paint the early Daoist philosophers as mystics or cosmologists. It claims that Dao is best understood as awareness and that Daoist concerns are primarily with the nature of human experience, meditation, and our relation to the world. The Dao of Awareness starts by placing Daoist philosophy within the context of ancient Chinese thought. It then proceeds by critically engaging each of the major Daoist thinkers, works, or schools: Laozi, Yang Zhu, Zhuangzi, the Inward Training, Liezi, and NeoDaoism. It concludes by pointing to ways in which Daoist thought can offer insights into contemporary Western philosophy.
work on ethics, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mind.
Throughout the book, comparisons are drawn with Western thinkers, psychological research, and Buddhist thought. The book is both a scholarly examination of Chinese and crosscultural philosophy as well as an original
The Way of Awareness in Daoist Philosophy • 200 Pages • Hardback: $34.95 plus shipping and handling • PDF: $15M • ISBN: 978-1931483-45-2 www.threepinespress.com/ books
James Giles was born in Vancouver and studied at the University of British Columbia and the University of Edinburgh, where he gained a PhD in philosophy. He is an external associate professor of psychology at Roskilde University, Denmark, and tutor in philosophy at the University of Cambridge, Institute for Continuing Education. He has also taught at universities in Australia, Canada, Hawaii, and Guam, and has traveled widely through East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. His published works include Sexual Essays: Gender, Desire, and Nakedness; The Nature of Sexual Desire; The Search for Personal Identity; and A Study in Phenomenalis.
Full Potential: Daoist Wisdom Meets Western Psychology AUTHOR: Livia Kohn Blending modern psychology and Daoist wisdom into a recipe for the fully actualized person, this book shows how human beings form an integral part of the greater universe. Activated differently in the brain, subject to both genes and training, inherent aptitudes become apparent in different stages of childhood development and are enhanced by optimal learning conditions, manifold forms of play, and
conscientious parenting — leading to the realization of full potential and attainment of Daoist harmony. This book offers a unique presentation: none other pulls the same level of information together, let alone present it in such a vibrant and engaging way.
Chinese Daoism / Science / Psychology • 170 pages • Paperback ($27.95) • (PDFbook) / $15 Fall 2020 — Page 15
The Tao of animals By Louis Komjathy 康思奇, Ph.D., CSO Life between the heavens and earth is like the passing of a white colt glimpsed through a crack in the wall — whoosh! and that’s the end … Having been transformed, things find themselves alive; another transformation and they’re dead. Living beings grieve over it; humanity mourns. But it is like the untying of a heaven-lent bow-bag, the unloading of a heaven-lent satchel—a yielding, a mild mutation, and the ethereal and corporeal souls (hunpo 魂魄) are on their way, the body following after, on at last to the Great Return (dagui 大歸). –Zhuangzi 莊子 (Chuang-tzu; Book of Master Zhuang; ch. 22) Does life resemble a galloping horse? And is our understanding like watching that horse through a hole in the wall? Is each individual being a “bowbag” and a “satchel” carrying disparate things, only to be untied and dispersed in the end? Is this what we discover when “knowing wanders north” (the title of the above chapter)? Here “north” corresponds to the unknown and the mysterious, the Dao (Tao; Way) in Daoist terms. While the passage includes a Daoist description of physical death, it also may be understood as the dissolution of separate identity that occurs in deep contemplative practice. Perhaps when we complete the “Great Return,” we find something else. The contemplative path, a life rooted in interiority and silence, is about practice-realization (xiuzheng 修證). In the language of Daoism, it is about “cultivating the Real” (xiuzhen 修真), “guarding the One” (shouyi 守一), “returning to the Root” (guigen 歸根), and “realizing the Dao” (dedao 得道). This involves an oscillation, a play, between training, reflection, and insight. And there are many moments, many experiences along this path. Enthusiasm, aliveness, disappointment, isolation, joy, The Empty Vessel — Page 16
contentment, perhaps even despair, among others. But it is all practice. It is all grist for the mill. Materials for the pearl. Ingredients for the elixir. From a Daoist perspective, everything and anything may assist us in aligning and attuning ourselves with the Dao. This is life filled with energetic aliveness, sacred connection, and numinous pervasion. It is about an orientation (fangxiang 方向) towards something both deep within and far beyond ourselves. In a life of Daoist cultivation, we search for fuller understanding, for deeper connection, for more complete awakening. In the process, we may recognize that there are many contemplative analogies and metaphors. I have already spoken of a “path” and “cultivation.” We might also think of our training in terms of mountain travel, complete with “maps” to perhaps unfamiliar landscapes and remote summits. Some of these maps of Daoist practice-realization may be more well-known to you. Like “return” through non-action (wuwei 無為) and suchness (ziran 自然). Or “carefree wandering” (xiaoyao you 逍遙遊). Or a body composed of “elixir fields” (dantian 丹田). One less familiar map of stages on the Daoist contemplative path centers on “horse training.” Like Chan/Zen Buddhists, Daoists sometimes speak of the “monkey-mind” (xinyuan 心猿/ yuanxin 猿心) and “horse-thought” (yima 意 馬/mayi 馬意). The ordinary mind resembles a monkey jumping to and fro and a horse galloping out of control. This is a heart-mind characterized by chaos, confusion, and disorientation. So, for present purposes, on the most basic level “the horse” represents our own disordered and untrained mind. In a conditioned and habituated state, we may believe that the apparently unending herd of thought is our mind. However, “within the heart-mind, there is yet another heart-mind” (Neiye 內業 [Inward Training]; ch. 14).
In the late medieval period, specifically in the thirteenth century, a Daoist monk named Gao Daokuan高道寬 (Yuanming 圓明 [Complete Illumination]; 1195-1277) composed a series of illustrated poems and accompanying versecommentary that I have labelled the “Daoist Horse Taming Pictures” (HTP). These are twelve poems and thirteen wood-block illustrations that frame Daoist practice-realization in terms of “horse training.” The Daoist Horse Taming Pictures are adapted from, or at least inspired by, the nowfamous Chan/Zen Buddhist Ox Herding Pictures, specifically those of the monk Puming 普明 (Fumyō; 11th c.). In my recent book Taming the Wild Horse: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Daoist Horse Taming Pictures (Columbia University Press, 2017), I discuss the historical background, monastic context, associated training regimens, as well as horse symbolism. For the purposes of this essay, I want to focus on their relevance to contemporary Daoist self-cultivation. Specifically, I would like to introduce and comment on the ten primary pictures (see figure 1), which are equine-centered.
This includes the “horse metaphor” and “horse training analogy” as a framework for understanding our own meditation practice and associated experiences. Here I will provide a “contemplative commentary” on the pictures in dialogue with personal meditation practice. Observant readers may note some divergences from my book, as I am commenting on the pictures alone in terms of present-moment reflections and application. Perhaps in a future contribution we will explore the associated Daoist views of human/animal relationships, “wildness,” and shared animality. (As I write this, my dog-companion Takota and a local stag are teaching me about observation and presence.) To begin, I would like to suggest an “applied contemplative approach,” specifically one in which I/you/we actively cultivate and explore “contemplative reading.” This may be done in a Fall 2020 — Page 17
IMAGE PROVIDED BY LOUIS KOMJATHY
Figure 1, The Daoist Horse Taming Pictures
variety of ways, and it will unfold differently for different people and at different moments in one’s practice. At present, I would encourage you to take some time to look at each picture individually and sequentially. You might use a piece of blank paper to cover the other images. What do you see in each picture? If you have a committed meditation practice, what insights do you find in these images? If you are slightly more daring, you might meditate for a few minutes before looking at each image. This is practice informing study and study informing practice. We might also incorporate a number of specific reflection exercises. What is the distinction between the attendant/shepherd and the horse? What does the halter-lead represent? Are all ten of the Horse Taming Pictures about formal meditation, or does the latter only commence in #5 or #6? Is there a significant difference between the postures depicted in these two stages? If every illustration relates to formal meditation, why does the standard posture only appear in No. 6? To add some additional content, the Daoist Horse The Empty Vessel — Page 18
Taming Pictures were originally untitled. However, drawing on parallels with the Ox Herding Pictures of Puming and the content of the HTP poems, I have proposed the following titles: 1. Untrained 2. Training Begins 3. Restrained 4. Training Continues 5. Trained
6. Unhindered 7. At Leisure (I) 8. At Leisure (II) 9. Resting Together 10. United in Forgetfulness
So, on the most basic level and as a general map of Daoist contemplative practice, one often begins in a state of internal psychospiritual chaos. One’s horsemind is “untrained.” Recognizing this existential fact, one becomes committed to “training” the horse-mind. This involves a series of moments or “stages,” perhaps alternating, perhaps sequential, in which one moves through “higher levels” of practice-realization, until training is complete. “Complete” in the sense of accomplished, fulfilled, integrated, and whole. Not finished. One has fruition. The latter, perhaps unexpectedly, involves complete ease, forgetfulness, and unification/unity.
While a more conventional reading would see these ten stages as the culmination of a contemplative life, in lived and living practice it is equally plausible to apply them to any given situation or life-event. That is, something may occur that leads to complete psychological disruption, so we again find ourselves as “untrained.” Or perhaps it is only mildly challenging, so “training continues.” We may thus engage and utilize the Horse Taming Pictures as a framework for both various moments and our overall life on the contemplative path. The Horse Taming Pictures in turn utilize the metaphor of an untrained horse for the chaotic and ordinary human heart-mind, specifically for uncontrolled thought. This is consciousness characterized by defilements, excessive intellectualism, hyper-emotionality, vexations, and so forth. From a Daoist psychological perspective, there are various potentially harmful and negative psychospiritual states (e.g., anger, fear, worry) that I will not outline here, but we should note that these have distinct energetic signatures, spiritual imprints, and relational effects. Simply stated, you know your degree of disharmony/harmony, at least this is what we discover through dedicated and prolonged meditation practice. In Daoist cultivational contexts, this also relates to spirit (shen 神), as the heart is considered the psychosomatic center of human personhood and the storehouse of spirit/consciousness. So, in some sense, the untrained horse-mind is characterized by spiritual disorientation. However, as training progresses, the horse-mind begins to be reined in and to settle down. There is another possible meaning of “the horse” here. It may be understood as our innate nature (xing 性), our original connection with and endowment from the Dao. The character for innate nature consists of xin 心/忄(“heart-mind”) and sheng 生 (“to be born”): It is the heart-mind with which we were born. Clear, pure, connected. Daoists often refer to this as “original nature” (benxing 本性), “original spirit” (yuanshen 元神), or even “Dao-nature” (daoxing 道性). So, while one might be tempted to see the “horse-mind,” the “mind-as-horse,” as negative, it in fact represents power, possibility, energy, and so forth. If at least provisionally harnessed and directed through training, it manifests as true nature. We may thus make a distinction between ordinary mind/habituated nature and realized mind/ original nature. From a Daoist perspective, only the latter is fundamentally real, but many people live in various and alternating degrees of delusion/realization. The point of contemplative practice is to
return us to our original nature, to (re)awaken our sacred connection with the Dao. This is the numinous presence pervading each individual being and all of existence. It is accessible at any given moment. While practice may activate or strengthen it, it also may manifest spontaneously. Like an unexpected infusion. Something like grace. The Horse Taming Pictures are rooted in and express a Daoist contemplative perspective, specifically one in which Daoist apophatic or quietistic (emptiness-/ stillness-based) meditation is primary. This type of meditation is contentless, non-conceptual, and non-dualistic. Often referred to as “tranquil” or “quiet sitting” (jingzuo 靜坐), this method/non-method of meditation involves simply sitting in silence. One breathes naturally through the nose and allows any thoughts or emotions to dissipate naturally. While often involving “emptying” and “stilling” the heartmind, apparently “taming the horse-mind,” it may be better understood as “sitting-in-stillness.” We are not searching for stillness inside of ourselves: We are in/of stillness. The stillness of innate nature merges with the Stillness of the Dao. Quiet sitting practice, and “horse-mind training” by extension, may appear to be developmental, but it is actually a return to what we fundamentally are, the sacred ground of our being. In terms of both the original HTP context and their contemporary relevance, this may be understood as a movement from turbidity-and-agitation (zhuodong 濁動) to clarity-and-stillness (qingjing 清靜). One key issue here involves degrees of effort in practice, including the relationship between “effortful activity” (wei 為) and “non-action” (wuwei 無為). The former is artificial, calculated, or contrived behavior, while the latter is a key Daoist principle and approach related to “effortlessness,” in the sense of essential and appropriate movement and responsiveness. A spontaneous merging. Interconnected participation. Being taken along. Wuwei relates to what may be referred to as a Daoist “quietistic approach.” While this is a central element of the Horse Taming Pictures, they also utilize an “alchemical approach.” From the latter perspective, and within the contours of authentic training, some amount of effort is required. This is often referred to as “firing times” (huohou 火候). During certain phases of practice, one must “increase the fire,” engaging in more intensive practice and exerting strong determination. At other times, one must “decrease the fire,” even to the point of only practicing periodically and sometimes discontinuing formal practice altogether. There are many reasons for this, including allowing Fall 2020 — Page 19
deeper stabilization to occur and/or clarifying one’s true affinities and aspirations. Sometimes diligence and unrelenting work are required for progress; at other times, only slack will be beneficial. The opposite is also true. And “progress” itself may become a hindrance. Moving into deeper engagement with the Horse Taming Pictures, specifically as a map of stages on the Daoist contemplative path, we may reflect on and apply the visual and material dimensions of its “horse-mind training program.” In the first step on the contemplative path, or perhaps one does not even realize that the journey has commenced, one often lives in a state of almost complete agitation and turbidity. Personal habituation, familial obligation, and social conditioning are all that one knows. Perhaps all that one is (appears to be).
repose from the chaos and instability. We are able to guide the horse-mind with less effort, but we must still hold onto the lead. Our expanding consciousness, our awareness, observes and perhaps regulates our psychological states. We begin to recognize that emotional and intellectual activity may be modified and transformed. Any and every condition is impermanent. But we still lack formal practice with clear guidance and experiential confirmation.
Training Continues
We are bewildered, erratic, and unstable. We may even believe that this is who we are, that it is unalterable. A sense of disharmony prevails. Our psychological condition is like a horse galloping out of control; we may try to hold on to the halterlead, but the horse-mind drags us in every and any possible direction. So, we may begin to sense that some degree of discipline is required.
Without this root in practice-realization, we lose the reins and our moods oscillate wildly. However, having discovered consciousness as distinct from cognition, recognizing that we are not our thoughts, we are less attached to mind-fluctuations. Although outsiders may think that the horse-mind is rising up in revolt, that our thoughts remain chaotic, we are in fact dancing and playing with our dispositions. They no longer control or distract or harm us. We interact with them in a state of carefree openness and relaxed acceptance, even curiosity. From this point forward, we no longer need to hold onto the lead or actively guide the horse-mind. We now realize that attempting to control thought or simply acknowledging the detrimental effects of psychological agitation will not suffice. We need a more committed approach and formal practice.
Training Begins
Trained
Not knowing which tactic will be effective, we experiment with different approaches, attitudes, and methods. Perhaps we attempt to control our thoughts through personal effort, even applying harsh physical discipline. We use a crop or switch to admonish, correct, or punish the horse-mind, but it rears up in revolt. The mind is fighting with/in itself. We begin to realize that ordinary mind cannot rectify ordinary mind. Contending, fighting, and struggling are futile. We must find another way.
We begin exploring and experimenting with seated meditation. Perhaps we begin with a gentler and more welcoming posture like sitting in a chair or on a meditation bench. The posture is less important than the silence discovered. Our mind settles down further: The apparently endless fluctuations of ordinary consciousness begin to subside. We have fully released the halter-lead, but there still is the possibility of reengagement. Timidity and doubt may characterize this moment on the contemplative path. Perhaps we do not fully trust our minds, contemplative approach, or the specific method, so we consider exerting further control. Instead, we refrain, beginning to move into deeper disengagement, effortlessness, non-interference, and open receptivity. We continue to simply let go. The horse-mind has become subservient, or, perhaps more accurately, sublimated. Thought is integrated into the larger field of the heart-mind. In this increasing emptiness and spaciousness, spirit becomes more present.
Untrained
Restrained We abandon harsh discipline and excessive control. Perhaps we begin to understand the Daoist emphasis on “non-contention” (wuzheng 無爭). And the application of “softness and weakness” (rouruo 柔弱), also referred to as “flexibility and yielding.” We gain a glimpse of calmness, and there is some The Empty Vessel — Page 20
Unhindered
Resting Together
We move into deeper contemplative practice and deeper contemplative states. Our body becomes more relaxed and open, and energetic integration pervades our being. We are now able to sit comfortably in a formal meditation posture, usually the modified “Burmese” posture, for longer periods of time. This includes various forms of “sealing,” such as using the ziwu handconfiguration (mudra). The horse-mind stands at attention, but mental activity has decreased substantially. The horse-mind is no longer moving, let alone galloping. Perhaps it stands guard over our meditation practice. Clarity and stillness deepen.
At this stage of the contemplative journey, a meditative disposition, characterized by deeper interiority, serenity and presence, extends beyond formal seated meditation. This may include reclining postures or even “sleep exercises.” This usually involves lying on the right side, with the right hand under the right ear and the left hand resting on the inner thigh. Such is the sleeping posture of Daoist immortals. The associated posture is highly restorative and results in greater energetic integration and vitality. Here the horse-mind has completely settled down. We enter a state of deep rest and harmony, to the point where psychological states and cognitive content are largely absent. The accompanying poem begins with an allusion to the opening of chapter two of the Book of Master Zhuang, which speaks of the body resembling “withered wood” (gaomu 槁木) and the heart-mind like “dead ashes” (sihui 死灰). This is a deeper state of emptiness and stillness in which physiological activity decreases to the point of being almost imperceptible. Ordinary mental and emotional tendencies are relatively inactive. As capacities and tendencies, they simply abide with us. This is a deconditioned state/nonstate. Still, the horse-mind remains alert, at least in potentiality.
At Leisure (I) We continue to practice formal meditation, but a contemplative approach begins to extend to other activities. Perhaps we include some form of music practice. In the case of traditional Chinese instruments, Daoists often play the flute or zither, which are viewed as having the potential to express one’s state of mind. On a deeper symbolic level, perhaps we encounter the “piping” and “music” mentioned in chapter two of the Book of Master Zhuang. Or Bo Ya’s Zither: “High Mountains” and “Flowing Waters.” Or perhaps we learn to play the “stringless lute” and “flute without holes,” both references to deeper states of energetic integration and meditative absorption. The horse-mind, our habituated thought pattern, is gradually beginning to lie down, to settle more fully. In leisure and seclusion, we listen to something else, to something more. We are becoming more attuned to the sonorous patterns of the Dao.
At Leisure (II) Thoughts and emotions dissipate further. Relaxation deepens. Here meditation becomes more natural, more effortless. We are at ease and comfortable sitting. It is just part of our being and life. The horse-mind becomes even calmer. Intellectual activity is now becoming so settled that it almost disappears. Thoughts are less frequent and perhaps subtler. We continue the process of disengaging the mundane, of returning to our innate nature through/as/in stillness.
United in Forgetfulness We now enter a state of complete dissolution and meditative absorption. The illustration appears to depict the attendant and horse sleeping next to each other. However, the accompanying poem mentions “death.” Although it appears that egoic identity and habituated thought patterns continue to exist, that they are dormant, they have in fact become “united in forgetfulness.” Yi 一 (“one/oneness/unite/unity/ unification”) and wang 忘 (“forget/forgetting/forgetfulness”) may refer to both Daoist contemplative practice and contemplative experience. In addition, like “Mystery” (xuan 玄), “One” is another name for the Dao. By “guarding oneness,” we merge with “the One.” In this (non/trans)unitive state, personal and separate identity disappear. This is meditation as death, and death as meditation. Dying to the familiar and to the unknown. Death of the ego. The horse-mind has become horse-nature. Innate nature and original spirit manifest in/as/through the Dao. This is numinous pervasion (lingtong 靈通) as the culmination of the Daoist contemplative path. The path that takes us home. Fall 2020 — Page 21
BIO Louis Komjathy 康思奇, Ph.D., CSO is a Daoist contemplative, scholar-practitioner, and ordained priest. He serves as founding Co-director and senior teacher of the Daoist Foundation, a non-profit religious and educational organization dedicated to fostering authentic Daoist study and practice. He has published widely on Daoism, including the recent Taming the Wild Horse: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Daoist Horse Taming Pictures (Columbia University Press, 2017). He lives in Chicago, Illinois.
FURTHER READING • Kohn, Livia. 2010. Sitting in Oblivion: The Heart of Daoist Meditation. Dunedin, FL: Three Pines Press. • Komjathy, Louis. 2002/2003. “Developing Clarity and Stillness: The Scripture for Daily Internal Practice.” The Dragon’s Mouth Winter 2002/2003: 9-13. • 2004. “Reading Daoist Texts as Practice Manuals.” The Empty Vessel: Journal of Contemporary Taoism 11.3 (Spring 2004): 30-37. • 2008. Handbooks for Daoist Practice. 10 vols. Hong Kong: Yuen Yuen Institute. •. 2013. The Daoist Tradition: An Introduction. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic. • 2014. Daoism: A Guide for the Perplexed. London and New York: Bloomsbury Academic. • 2017. Taming the Wild Horse: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Daoist Horse Taming Pictures. New York: Columbia University Press. •“A Daoist Way of Being: Clarity and Stillness (Qingjing 清 靜) as Embodied Practice.” Asian Philosophy 29.1 (February 2019): 50-64. • Komjathy, Louis, and Kate Townsend. 2008. “Foundations
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of Daoist Practice.” The Dragon’s Mouth 2008.1: 12-21. • Lama Choedak Rinpoche. 2013 (1996). Taming the Elephant Mind: A Handbook on the Theory and Practice of Calm Abiding Meditation. 2nd ed. Canberra, Australia: Gorum Publications. • Loori, John Daido, ed. 2004. The Art of Just Sitting: Essential Writings on the Zen Practice of Shikantaza. Sommerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. • Red Pine (Bill Porter). 1987 (1983). P’u Ming’s Oxherding Pictures and Verses. 2nd rev. ed. Port Townsend, WA: Empty Bowl. • Saso, Michael. 2016 (1978). The Teachings of Daoist Master Zhuang. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Oracle Bones Press. • Shijing. 1999. Eight Brocades Tao Yin and Meditation. Epping, Essex: British Taoist Association. Silvers, Brock. 2005. The Taoist Manual: An Illustrated Guide Applying Taoism to Daily Life. Eldorado Springs, CO: Sacred Mountain Press. • Suzuki, Daisetsu Teitaro (D.T.). 1991 (1934). Manual of Zen Buddhism. New York: Grove Press. • Wong, Eva. 1992. Cultivating Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind. Boston: Shambhala Publications. • Yin Shih Tzu. 1995. Tranquil Sitting: A Taoist Journal on the Theory, Practice, and Benefits of Meditation. Translated by Shi Fu Hwang and Cheney Crow. Saint Paul, MN: Dragon Door Publications.
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Poetry Corner Send in your poetry submissions and art to daodogpress@gmail.com.
Born Again By Larry Kelly Many times I was born Many times there was a child Now my son marries A child is born This child marries And so it goes They will have a child There, I will be There, I will write this poem. Once more.
Rabbit Hole No. 12 By Jim Birt Rise above thought. Realize infinite boundless you. Defy defining demons.
The Empty Vessel — Page 24
Nothing shines brighter By Jim Birt Nothing shines brighter than the one true cosmic mind. Present in wind-blown dust and green fields of ripening corn
Fall 2020 — Page 25
The Space Between the Crickets Chirping
Dedication
By Chris Petitt
To all the human beings Who came before Who are here/now Who come after
It exists, it’s there, the emptiness, the nothingness. The ringing in your ears. This space is withing you. This vastness is within you, and outside of you. This music is a part of you, it guides you, it is an ocean of one thing, and many things all at once. Turn the space inside out and take a peek at the mirror reflecting you and all that is. Go out at night, sit down, close your eyes, breathe in … the universe. You don’t go to it, it is you, you are already there, you have never left … the space between the chirping of crickets.
By Raymond Bart Vespe
May the Life of Tao Ground solidly Flow gracefully As your Body May the Love of Tao Center deeply Open fully As your Heart May the Light of Tao Shine softly Warm gently As your Being May the Spirit of Tao Dwell fully Dance freely As your Soul
The Empty Vessel — Page 26
The Eternal Now By Chris Petitt I am sound, I am, I am here, I have always been here. I am awake, I am aware, I am not fear, I am love. I am light, I am fragmented, I am intentional amnesia. I am independent thought, I am eternal existence, I am intermingling. I am c0-creating, I am joy, I am back then and now. There is nowhere where I am not, I am all in all, I am everything and nothing. I am you, I and thee continue endlessly, we are not separated. I am within you and all around you, I am the great Isness, the source. The father, I and thee are one, thee are a branch on my tree. Thee are and individualization of me, thee were not created, thee are a part of me that has always existed. Thee are a thought in progress, a thought that never ends, an eternal, omnipotent thinking process. Thee are me … that causes you to be.
Fall 2020 — Page 27
Commentary on Chapter One of the Dao De Jing By Candice L. Babook
In this commentary we will examine the first chapter that is typically the beginning chapter in contemporary versions of the Dao De Jing. In the oldest extant versions of the Dao De Jing this chapter was chapter 45 because in the most ancient versions of the test the section entitled “De” came before the section entitled “Dao.” That it was fated for the sections to become reversed probably has some significance, but that is not our concern in this commentary. Since chapter one begins the Dao De Jing it sets a foundation for the entire text. The first chapter reads: The Dao that can be described Is not the eternal Dao. The word that can be defined is not the eternal word. “Non-being” some call the source of Heaven and Earth. “Being” some describe as the Mother of all. The direction toward non-being Leads to the observation of the miraculous essence, And the direction toward being Leads to the observation of spatial limitations, things in the universe. Both being and non-being stem from the same origin, Dao, And are different only in name and way of being perceived. Their unity is called the hidden mystery, Mystery thresholding other mysteries. Such is the miraculous essence. The Empty Vessel — Page 28
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Waterfall in Golden whip stream at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Hunan, China
We begin our reflection by contemplating the first sentence. It is crucial to understand the meaning of Dao as expressed in chapter one because without understanding this most significant term we cannot understand the relevance of the text in general. Translating terms from one language into another is always fraught with difficulties due to cultural associations beyond the definition of the words. The difficulty in understanding the terms found in ancient texts is compounded by the fact that words over centuries often change meaning and can even, over time, become
the opposite of their initial meaning.
in the title The Tao of Physics. Dao also means “to go” or “to follow.” As such Dao is employed as a verb. For example, in the Chinese language one may say, “Wo dao tushuguan” meaning, “I go to the library.” Thus there is inherent in the term both a path to be trodden (noun), and movement (verb), the act of going some place.
One ponders, however, that although words may transform in meaning over centuries this may not be so much a departure from the purity of the original text as it initially seems. Rather such changes may be an example of how the collective consciousness is in transformation and thus the way in which we use words changes to reflect our present cultural In addition to the two above definitions of Dao we may consciousness. With this in mind, we will attempt to include a third. Dao may signify something like the western sense of God. When missionaries translated understand chapter one of the Dao De Jing. the Bible into the Chinese language they typically emThe term “Dao” is interesting in that it can be used ployed the character Dao to mean God. This demonboth as a noun and a verb. According to most trans- strates the difficulty of translating terms. Dao is unlike lators Dao can be translated as “the way” or “a path.” the western concept of God because there is no sense As such, Dao is employed as a noun as, for example, of personality in Dao. God suggests to most westerners Fall 2020 — Page 29
a being with a personality. Dao to the Chinese has no a time when the “one hundred” schools of philosophy personality but it is more like an all-pervading non- were contending for noble patronage, we realize how important and how unusual it must have been to sugthing that includes, but is beyond, all that is. gest no one philosophy was the end-all or superior way Thus we see that Dao may refer to at least three to rule or to become immortal. But such a view was needed so that wars would not continue over notions meanings: of political and spiritual superiority. Sadly this wisdom 1. A way, a path (noun) was not always respected and wars did break out. 2. To go, to follow (verb) 3. A non-thing that includes but is more than all Thus it appears that Lao Zi wrote a text about proper that is rulership and becoming an immortal that rejects The questions naturally arises from reading the first the notion that there is any single method to those achievements. This need not be seen as discouraging line of chapter one, but rather it is uplifting — there are many helpful paths that lead to good rulership and immortality. The Dao that can be described One simply has to reflect upon the situation at hand Is not the eternal Dao. to realize the correct path. What does Dao mean here? One might suspect definition three would be the most appropriate meaning for There may also be a more metaphysical statement the first sentence. After all, the line is almost identical being expressed in the first line. This however would to definition three. I suggest, however, that employing not be the primary message of the first line. Again, we must realize that everything in form, and that includes, that definition provides little insight into anything. on a subtle level thoughts and imagination, is subject Fundamentally the Dao De Jing was a text written with to change. When we understand this, the idea of Dao the purpose of helping a ruler govern and/or helping as God or Source is also subject to change. Because all a person achieve the ultimate goal in life as perceived is subject to change what is appropriate in a particular in traditional China — to become an immortal. To time and place will certainly differ from another time assert the “non-thing that includes but is more than and place. Thus: all of this” is not the eternal non-thing neither helps a ruler nor an aspiring seeker of immortality. Surely the The word that can be defined first line of a text written to help one govern better or Is not the eternal word. become immortal would not be irrelevant. By means of words we name things. To name is how we When we substitute the “way to follow” for Dao we define things, how we label, how we bring things into get “the way to follow that can be expressed is not the conceptual being. A mountain in one culture may not eternal way to follow.” In this sentence we see the Dao hold the same meaning for people of another culture. as both a set of beliefs or regulations and a method A morality of one group may not be shared by another to follow. In other words, Lao Zi is informing us that group. Thus the use of words is culturally bound to a there is no one way to either rule or to become an particular time and place and cannot be eternal. immortal (typically seen as Buddhist, Confucianist, or Daoist) and this is due to the fact, I speculate, that Although this insight may seem to be unexcitedly the nature of everything in our world is grounded in obvious, most of us do not live in accordance with change. No one political system, no one religion, no Lao Zi’s words. Instead of understanding and trying one anything is forever the only way for a person to to appreciate difference, we often judge those who do not share out way as inferior, sinful, or just stupid. rule or to become immortal. We frequently put up what we believe and in doing so Perhaps because of this insight Lao Zi puts no histor- doing, splinter our reality. A splintered reality blocks ical examples or references of great rulers or immor- one’s path to unity with Dao. tals in the Dao De Jing. This is unusual in traditional China where philosophical writings typically included Lao Zi appears to be telling us in the first two sentences references to the ancestors as models to reflect upon. that there is no one method to govern or become an immortal and that, over time, how we perceive and When we consider that Lao Zi wrote the Dao De Jing at think about things changes. This is wonderful bethe end of the Zhou dynasty, a time that had witnessed cause if things did not change we could not become centuries of kingdoms warring against kingdoms and immortals. The Empty Vessel — Page 30
In the next lines Lao Zi informs us about the nature of The miraculous essence may be the vision of the non-differentiated energy that as yet has not moved creation, how things came into being. We read: into spatial limitation, i.e., existence. It is believed by “Non-being” some call the source of Heaven and Earth. many that by means of meditation one may experience “‘the direction of being.” “Being” some describe as the Mother of all. The direction toward non-being Leads to the observation of spatial limitations, things Lao Zi continues: in the universe. Both being and non-being stem from the same origin, What is “non-being?” Obviously it is a state where no Dao thing exists. Perhaps it is useful to view this state as a and are different only in name and way of being perkind of primordial soup of potential. An atmosphere ceived. that contains the potential for everything, but as yet has not generated anything. Non-being as such may By seeing the Dao as made up of the energies of be understood as a kind of chaotic energy field where non-being and being, we can then understand how all the energy of the universe is contained but as yet both are one in origin and “different only in name has not separated into any form. Non-being is thus and way of being perceived.” Non-being and being an energetic potential. The state of non-being may be are the same because they are both energies. Their called wuji, a state of emptiness. It is the place from difference is due to some energies having “no form” while others have flowed into forms as perceived by which Heaven and Earth have their beginning. means of human senses. Being comes into play when there is an imperceptible tendency toward energetic separation which at a The situation of energy being both a soup of potential certain point becomes visible to our senses; energies and sensory object may be behind some religious move into forms. A separation of energies from the traditions stating our world as an “illusion.” Without energetic primordial soup is the “beginning of Heaven sensory apparatus the energy would remain as potenand Earth.” Heaven may refer to the creative, strong, tial, not as forms. Thus, form or separateness becomes positive yang energy, and Earth may be a reference the essential illusion of existence. to the receptive, negative yin energy, According to Daoist thought all forms in the universe come from Because most people for centuries have not experiand are intertwined in these two energies. “Being, the enced or understood the nature of energy as being mother of all,” is due to the combing and separation of both a state of non-being and being and being they yin and yang energies. These two energies have been have not been able to appreciate or understand “the mystery,” the unity of all being, the One. traditionally referred to as taiji. From the above we see a kind of cosmogony devel- Having no knowledge or experience of the One, people have not been able to comprehend “mystery threshoping: olding other mysteries” which may be the knowledge • Dao— a non-thing that included but is more than of how the laws of energy work to perform a change from non-being into formal being; how something all there is. • Wuji — an undifferentiated primordial soup of comes out of nothing. When one comprehends the energy; emptiness, non-existence, or non-being. wisdom of the laws of existence one is at the gateway • Taiji — the emerging of yin and yang energies; through which all miracles emerge. At such a point, I speculate, one is immortal because all time, space, things in existence. and material is within one’s being. From Dao emerges wuji, from wuji emerges taiji and The first chapter of the Dao De Jing informs the reader from taiji we get the universe. that separateness is an illusion and that one can move in being from a realm of material being into a realm Next we read: of non-being and that basically these realms are one and the same. This wisdom leads to the realm of the The direction toward non-being immortals who have access to all miracles. This wisleads to the observation of the miraculous essence, dom is the goal of the Daoist, and this is why the Dao and the direction toward being leads to the observation of spatial limitations, things De Jing has been viewed as a profound work. in the universe. Fall 2020 — Page 31
Recipes for the season Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe by Heather Hernandez
INGREDIENTS 2 ¼ cups flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ all spice ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
DIRECTIONS 1. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in a bowl and set aside. 2. In a large bowl mix the butter, pumpkin, sugar and vanilla. Add in the egg once everything is mixed well. 3. Slowly mix in the bowl with the flour and spices into the pumpkin batter. Once it is stirred well add in the chocolate chips and nuts. 4. Put the batter in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325˚ or 350˚ for a crispier cookie once the 30 minutes are over. 5. Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in size and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with an oil to prevent sticking. 6. Bake at 325˚ for 15 minutes. If baking at 350˚ start at 12 minutes and check. Oven baking times will vary depending on the over. Cookies should look golden brown around the edges.
The Empty Em mpt ptyy Vessel Vesssel — P Ve Page agee 32
2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter 1 large egg 1 cup pumpkin ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup pecans, or nut of choice (optional)
PHOTOS BY HEATHER HERNANDEZ
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Apple Sour Cream Streusel Cake Recipe by Jean McCoy
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
3 cups of pancake mix 1 cup of granulated sugar ½ cup (1 stick) of softened butter 2 large eggs 1 ½ cup of sour cream 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract 2 cups of chopped apples
1. Preheat oven to 350˚. In a large bowl mix pancake mix, sugar, butter, eggs, sour cream and vanilla well. In a separate bowl mix the streusel filling ingredients. 2. Grease and flour baking dish. Spread half of batter into pan. Add chopped apples and pour streusel filling over apples. Pour the rest of the batter to fill the rest of the pan. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in a 13x9 pan, bake 45 to 50 minutes in a bundt pan. Oven times may vary.
Streusel filling ½ cup of brown sugar 1tsp cinnamon ½ cup of pecans, or nut of choice
Fall 2020 — Page 33
The Tao of wellness Feng Shui to reduce anxiety By Nicole Noles DOM
out. Aquariums are excellent for reducing anxiety, and have been shown to help reduce blood pressure. Water fountains with water that flows to the house also This year, we are all spending considerably more time brings wealth and opportunities. Ditto for fish tanks, with our families and in our homes. Spending so much although both should be kept out of the bedroom. The time in confined spaces with the same people has been best types of fish are orange carp, koi or arrowana for a welcome change for some people, and difficult for wealth. Beta are fighting fish and not as appropriate. others. Creating harmony in the home is vital right now for everyone’s health and peace of mind, and the Taoist All rooms should be free of clutter, which represents an practice of feng shui can help nurture harmony within untidy mind, and can also be a symbol of unresolved the family and the home. By taking a careful look at the issues that have either been ignored or weigh heavily on the mind. Clutter prevents arrangement of objects or furthe flow of qi in a room, and niture in the home, blocks in creates stagnation. These days the home’s qi, or energy flow, it’s also a health concern, as can be assessed and fixed. With clutter also accumulates dust a few modifications, the qi of and sometimes mold, if you’re a home can become a more in a damp environment, as nurturing environment while well as being a possible landhelping to reducing stress and ing spot for virus particles. anxiety. The quick fix is to have several decorative baskets or boxes in Anything broken in or around each room to dump the clutter the house gets first priority for in temporarily. The long-term repair. Aside from the frustragoal should be to go through tion of dealing with nonfuncone pile of clutter each day. tional items, and the potential People who collect clutter safety hazards, it also symboltypically have a hard time izes a broken part of one’s life. deciding what to do with the items, and that translates into The front door of the house, or other areas of life as well. Cremouth of qi, should be able to ating processes and spaces for fully and easily open. Having to fight to get in the door puts you on the wrong foot storage and learning to deal with the clutter helps train before you even you sit down. Trim back bushes and people to tackle larger issues as well. Cleaning clutter plants that overhang the walkway and make sure is one of the most practical cultivation and meditation there’s nothing to slip on as people approach the practices you can do. Do not overlook the practical in front door. Reduce or eliminate any spiky or thorny pursuit of the esoteric. That is just as imbalanced as plants near the walkway and front door. Place things being focused too much in the world and not in spirit. that bring you the greatest joy near the front door, and refrain from hanging mirrors in the foyer, especially if Decorations in each room should be carefully considered. Pictures can play a big part in the subconscious it would face the front door. mind, and pictures of disturbing events can predispose Water features are soothing, and work well inside or you to look at events in a negative light. Display family
Creating harmony in the home is vital right now for everyone’s health and peace of mind … feng shui can help nurture harmony within the family and the home.
The Empty Vessel — Page 34
Fall 2020 — Page 35
to be hurt after bumping into a sharp edge of a table. Many people have a “problem piece” like a coffee table that seems to attract accidents. The problem piece can either be moved to an area of less traffic, replaced, covered with a soft fabric, or rehomed. Furniture that is substantially taller than the occupants can also be symbolically overpowering. There should be a balance between short and tall pieces. Tall furniture should be kept to a minimum, especially in small rooms. Of course, a piece of furniture that is dominating to someone of short stature could be small to someone Displays of swords, knives and guns should be kept to a who is 6 foot 5 inches tall. Also consider the amount of minimum. Keep them out of sight if possible. If knives furniture in a room. Is there enough space for people and swords are displayed, place them with the points to walk around safely without bumping into furniture? up, which is a protective or defensive position. Placing Is it time to rehome non-essential pieces? them with the points down symbolizes an attacking position. Self-critical people should avoid these types Clearing the air is just as essential as moving or elimof decorations altogether. Knives in the kitchen should inating physical items. Air filters are important on a physical level, but aromatics can also address the be hidden as well. physical air quality, as well as emotional or spiritual Mirrors should be used sparingly. Do not place mirrors needs. Studies on sage have found that smudging can behind chairs, because the mirror could expose the reduce the bacterial and viral load in the air by about back of a person’s head when seated, making them 85 percent. Essential oils can also work; for instance, symbolically vulnerable. Eliminate mirrors in the citrus is uplifting, lavender is calming, peppermint foyer, the bedroom, and mirrors that are “broken” in and rosemary can help focus and many oils have anpieces or reflect back to one another. A good place for tibacterial properties. a mirror is diagonally opposite to the front door. No matter what is going on, inside or outside you There’s a special type of feng shui mirror called a ba- house, the practice of feng shui can help you shift into gua, or pakua, mirror, that should only be used with a place of harmony, with yourself, with other people, the help of a knowledgeable expert. The bagua mirror and with the world. is quite aggressive, and should only be used outside of buildings and only if there is a serious affliction on Nicole Noles Collins is an acupuncture physician and licensed Realtor in Port Charlotte, Florida. She has the house. practiced Black Hat feng shui since 1995, and has also Furniture in the home should have round or soft edg- studied Flying Star and other classical forms of feng es. It’s easier (especially for small children or seniors) shui. pictures, photographs of happy people or calming scenery. Each piece of art should be carefully curated to either bring a sense of joy, a happy memory, or a personal quality you want to cultivate. Avoid pictures of lonely people, predatory animals or violent events, such as storms or battles. For instance, animal art can either be neutral, protective, or attacking. Look at the individual symbology of the piece to determine whether it’s right for you and something you want to cultivate.
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The Empty Vessel — Page 36
Directory & Classifieds Taoist Podcast: What’s This Tao All About? A lighthearted look at Taoism & life covering Daoist topics, listener questions and the Tao Te Ching. Guided meditations are available. With Dr. Carl Totton & journalist Tod Perry. Listen on iTunes or at www.whasthistao. com.
Taoist Institute offers classes in Qigong, Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin & Taoist kung fu. Servvicies offered in Healing with Qi, Reiki, couseling & psychotherapy. Taoist ceremonies (weddings, funerals) are also available. Dr. Carl Totton, Director, 10630 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. 818760-4219, website: www.taoistinstitute. com, psychological services: www. drcarltotton.com. Qigong & Daoist Training Center: American Dragon Gate Lineage. 200-Hour Qigong certification course for beginner to advanced. Local-Distance learning options. Daoist priest 3-year training and ordination for serious followers of the Dao. Annual Qigong and Daoist meditation retreats in northern California. Shifu Michael Rinaldini (Lichangdao), 22nd generation Longmen Priest. Qigongdragon.com
Qigong Meditations CD (with music). Three guided meditations – Three Level Relaxation, Organ Balancing Meditation, Expansion Breathing Meditation – by Solala Towler. $10 plus $3 shipping. Abode of the Eternal Tao, 1991 Garfield St. Eugene, OR 97404. www. abodetao.com.
Kirtan Qigong CD. Three slow, relaxing bhajans (Sanskrit chanting) with Solala Towler and friends. Perfect for slow movement. $10 plus $3 shipping. Abode of the Eternal Tao, 1991 Garfield St. Eugene, OR 97404. www.abodetao. com.
••• Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Three year academic and clinical program. We offer classes in Oriental medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese herbology. Master’s degree is accredited. Financial aid and China internships are available. Preparatory to national certification and state licensing examinations. 503-253-3443 for information, literature.
Genesee Valley Daoist Hermitage. Qigong, sustainable gardening, meditation for self cultivation. Chinese herbs, daoist healing to harmonize chronic disorders. PO Box 9224, Moscow, Idaho 83843-1724. 208-285-0123. Celebrating 23 years of service.
Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts in Asheville, North Carolina. Accredited Masters program in Oriental medicine; steeped in the spirit of Daoism and teachings by Jeffrey Yuen, a worldrenowned leader in Classical Chinese Medicine. Preparing students to enter the profession as skilled acupuncture clinicians. www.daoisttraditions.edu. admissions@daoisttraditions.edu. 828225-3993.
The Alaska College of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy. 2636 Spenard Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503. Offering course work in a full spectrum of Asian Studies including Taiji, Qigong, Meditation, Medical QiGong, Taoist Herbology, Massage Therapy, with advanced study in Thai Yoga Massage and Tui Na Acupressure Massage and a three year Masters program of study in Acupuncture. We offer year round full or part-time schedules of study. We feature biannual Spring and Fall Health and Wellness Festivals where participants can study cutting edge information with
our expert staff and visiting masters from around the globe. Traveling to Alaska? Check out our website and make sure our classes and workshops are in your plans. www.touchoftao.com. 907-2790135
White Cloud Institute. Classes open to everyone. Taoist Studies, Energy Medicine, Chi Nei Tsang, Pelvic Health. Qigong and Meditation. Retreats. NCBTMB approved. 505-6703538. www.whitecloudinstitute.com. Taoist Arts Center. Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Taoist Meditation. Traditional Taoist arts offered in a friendly and cooperative environment. Classes, Workshops, Private Instruction. Director: Susan Rabinowitz, 342 East 9th Street, NYC 10003. 212-477-7055. www. taoist-arts.com.
Chi Wellness, The Center of Qigong. 3-year Medical Qigong Practitioner and Qigong Instructor certification training curricula. Retreats and weekly transformational Qigong Lifestyle and Qigong Movement classes for all health objectives and self care. Medical qigong treatment, and Qigong Lifestyle and Chi Nutrition coaching appointments. Consulting and training for enhanced productivity and balance customized for organizations. Founder/Director: Debra Lin Allen. 4155 East Jewell Ave., Suite 105, Denver, CO 80222. 720-427-0406. DebraLin.ChiWellness@gmail.com / www.ChiWellness.net.
FENG SHUI Black Hat Feng Shui Consultations via Zoom with Nicole Collins. Address energy imbalances and improve the flow of energy in your house. Cost: $198. Email vitalichi@yahoo.com for details.
Directory listings: $25 for first 30 words, $1 per word thereafter, 15 word minimum. Fall 2020 — Page 37
Missing a past edition of your favorite Taoist magazine? $5.95 each (unless noted) or 4 copies for $22 For a complete list of back issues email DaoDogPress@gmail.com. Summer 2020: Feng Shui For Harmonious Living, The Tao of Music: Shakuhachi, The Eight Extraordinary Vessels Part 2, Past the Temple Walls, Taosim in the Seasons Spring 2020 Special Issue: The Tao of Health: Clear Marrow, Daoist Bigu and the Science of Fasting, The Eight Extraordinary Vessels Part 1, Daoist Magical Healing Tradition, Taoism in the Seasons, Poetry Winter 2019:, Chinese New Year of the Rat, Cha Dao: The Way of Tea, Grasping the Dao of Chinese Bodywork (Tuina), Reflections on Emptiness and Form, Taoism in the Seasons Fall 2019: Taoism in the seasons, Manuals for Lively Inspiration, Qigong: A journey Summer 2019: American Dragon Gate Lineage, The Qi of Paper and Ink, The Dao of Congee, Tao Of Walloo, Poetry Corner debut Winter / Spring 2019: I Ching and the 8 Immortals, A Curious Opportunity, An Introduction to NSEV lineage, Balance With a Brush, Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig, Microcosmic Core Circulation,Empty Vessel China Tour 2018 recap Fall 2018: History and Origins of American Dragon Gate Lineage, On the Shoulders of Giants, Harmony of Herbs: Bidens Alba, Working Consciously and Living Spiritually Summer 2018: Lessons of the Dao, The Spirit of Intention, Like Flower Unfolding
The Empty Vessel — Page 38
Back issue bundles also available on our website, ww w.EmptyVessel.net
Spring 2018: Thoughts For Spring, Spiritual Individualism in China, Qigong Mysteries, The Tao of Now Winter 2018: Winter Cultivation, Earth Dog Year, Jiaye the Taoist Caveman, Quantum Qi, A Journey to China and Tibet Fall 2017: Entering the Tao: Some Important Benefits from Consistent Practice of T’ai-Chi Chuan, Qigong, & Meditation; Sharing Taiji Qigong with Recovering Addicts; A Teacher of Natural Spiritual Truth: Empty Vessel Interview with HuaChing Ni; Internal Elixir Meditation: Basic Breathing Methods; The Value of Worthlessness and The Wisdom of Foolishness Summer 2017: SOLD OUT! Spring 2017: Immortal Sisters Conference, Healing Chronic Pain with Tai Chi, Attaining Spiritual Fortitude Winter 2017: 2017 Fire Phoenix Year, Illness as a Form of Communication, Origin of Daoist Religion, The Heshang Gong Commentary on Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, The Shaman and the Taoist Fall 2016: Supporting the Kidneys: Treasure House of Jing, Chi Nei Tsang: Cosmology and the Wheel of Life, Secrets of the Tao Te Ching, Reinventing the Wheel: A Top Down Perspective on the Five Elements Summer 2016: Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters The Way of Essential Virtue, Interview with Daoist Priest Wu Dang Chen, Dao Yin: The Mystery of Health
Spring 2016: SOLD OUT! Winter 2016: 2016 Fire Monkey Year, Shape Your Destiny, Interview with Lonny Jarrett, The Five Shen Fall 2015: Internal Elixir Cultivation, The Watercourse Way, The Mind Inside Tai Chi, Rediscovering the Roots of Chinese Thought Summer 2015: Five Fold Essence of Tea, The Story of the Tao Te Ching, Functions of Essence, Breath and Spirit, Interview with Master Yang Hai Spring 2015: Being Daoist, The Way of Wu Wei, Riding the Phoenix to Peng Lai, Daoism in the West, A Conversation Between a Taoist and A Buddhist Winter 2015: SOLD OUT!
Fall 2014: Broadening Our Views of Reality, Refining Breath to Transmute It Into Spirit, SPECIAL TEA ISSUE: Alchemy of Awareness in tea, The Last Cup: The Ten Lost Tea-Brewing Pictures, The Way of Tea. $8 Summer 2014: The Poetry of Passion, The Daoist Arts of Wudang Mountain, Zhuangzi’s Perfect Happiness in the Light of Contemporary Western Psychology
Summer 2012: The Three Treasures and the Golden Embryo; Shen, Hun and Po in Chinese Medicine, Dimensional learning Perspective
Spring 2014: Ren Tian Zhi Dao: The Way of Man and Nature, Interview with Dr. Bernard Shannon, True Spiritual Help
Winter 2012: Year of the Water Dragon, Immortality and the 14 words of Lao Zi, The Tao of Joy Every Day, The World of Chinese Medicine, Qi Medicine and the Purpose of Cultivation – an interview with Master Zhongxian Wu
Winter 2014: Year of the Wood Horse, Nei Dan Sitting Meditation, Dance of the Five Moving Forces
Spring 2012: Free and Easy Wandering: A Western Daoist Manifesto, The Tai Chi Sword and Spiritual Swordsmanship, Stress, Illness & the Daoist Antidote, Introduction To classical Feng Shui
Fall 2011: SOLD OUT! Fall 2013: The Watercourse Way, Tea Time With Old Po, Women’s Powers in Popular Daoism Summer 2013: SOLD OUT! Spring 2013: Food Cures and Diets, The Spiritual Warrior, Daoist Nature Meditation Winter 2013: Year of the Water Snake, Art and Practice of Tai Chi, Lao Zi – The Hidden Dragon, Taoist Sexual Meditation Fall 2012: Big Dipper Meditation, The Dragon Turtle, Eliminating Pitfalls in Qigong Practice, Feng Shui Guidelines to Energy Flow Analysis, Embracing the One: Daoist Meditation
Summer 2011: SOLD OUT! Spring 2011: Daoism in America: A Conversation with Xuan Yun (Mysterious Cloud), Return to Stillness is the Motion of Tao, Put the Heart Back Into Love, SPECIAL SECTION: BiGu – Avoiding Food and Eating Qi, Lao Tzu’s Journey Winter 2011: Chinese Astrology and Inner Cultivation; Wu Wei: The Daoist Art of Happiness; Taoists, Doctors and Shamans – Part 2; Yi: Practice and Incubation of the Sage; A Taoist Master’s Search for His Chinese Ancestry – Part 4 Fall 2010: Chuang Tzu: The Way of
Nourishing Life; Nudan Practice and the Modern Woman; Taoists, Doctors and Shamans – Part 1; Nourishing Woman; A Taoist Master’s Search For His Chinese Ancestry Part 3 Summer 2010: Bagua: Why Practice This Old and Obscure Art?, Mystical Wudang Mountains, Guidelines for Setting Up A Daoist Altar, A Taoist Master’s Search for His Chinese Ancestry Part 1 Spring 2010: SOLD OUT! Winter 2010: A Taoist Master’s Search For His Chinese Ancestry Part 2, Daosim in the Korean Mountains, The Daoist System of Laozi
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