Soulful Coach

Tales of the Tao #2 - Dancing the Yin/Yang

"Once upon a time an old man and a young boy journeyed together up a mountain.  The boy was full of innocence and impatience and the old man was filled with experience and quietude.  The boy was at the beginning of a great adventure.  The old m an was near the end of a long and arduous journey, one that he had begun many years before and that had been filled to overflowing with experiences that he would never have been able to describe to another.  The boy was restless and wandering; every little butterfly sent him chasing perilously close to the cliff's edge.  The old man was solid and resigned, yet still amused and entertained by the boy's reckless abandon.

As they reached the top of the mountain, they met an old woman and a young girl climbing up from the other side.  They shared the common characteristics of the boy and the old man.  the girl was young and full of youthful vigor and vitality.  The old woman was wise and serene, yet still able to smile easily and laugh heartily.  They too had been on a long and at times perilous journey and they too were now at the end of their quest.

Upon reaching the summit of the mountain the old man, young boy, old woman, and young girl all sat down to rest together in the shade of an ancient and gnarled oak tree.  They sat together and looked out over the valley spread before them like a painting from the Tang dynasty.  The old woman looked over at the young girl and smiled and the old man looked over at the young man and grinned.  Then they nodded to each other.  Words were not needed an so none were offered.  Instead they all sat there, lost in time, floating in space, while the great birds wheeled overhead and the mountain breezes played with their long hair.

Then, after a longtime - hours, years, eons -they all turned to each other and, after standing, bowed deeply to each other.  Then, like a living yin/yang symbol, they began to dance in flowing circles around and within each other.  On and one they danced while the sun slid slowly down over the horizon, then on into the night, under4r the crystalline star blanket.  After a time they began to merge into each other until at last there remained only the faintest trace of their presence.  A great circle, with two entwined fish-like semicircles remained, each giving birth and finding completion in the other.  The spiritual remains of the old man and the old woman still flowed endlessly out of and into each other and the youthful energy of the young boy and the young girls remained there, spinning within the circle of the old man and old woman.

To this day, certain climbers and hikers - those with clear vision and deep insight - have reported a strange and wonderful sight on top of that mountain.  Some people say that they have had visions of four people dancing together in a circle, endlessly flowing and melting into each other.  Others swear they hear the sounds of laughter and music in the air.  coming from somewhere just above their heads.  Others feel they have sensed a presence of joy, wisdom, and deep compassion emanating from the very rocks and trees on that mountaintop.

Other people, of course, have seen, heard, and felt nothing - only the quiet sound of the wind blowing across the mountain.  These are people who dare not dream in the day and do not sleep deeply in the night.  They do not fly on the wings of imagination nor flow with the energy of the universe as it courses through their own bodies.  They are, of course, in the majority.

Yet, those who do see, hear, and feel the living yin/yang symbol there on the mountaintop are never quite the same."  Solala Towler

The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used but never exhausted.  It is the fathomless source of the ten thousand things!  Lao Tzu

Going With the Flow - Tales of the Tao #1

"In the world of knowledge, every day something new is added.  In pursuit of the Tao, every day something is let go.  Lao Tzu

Once Confucius was looking down into a gorge where a great waterfall crashed down to a huge rolling chasm so violent that no fish, tortoises or even alligators could survive there. Suddenly he noticed an old man appear to tumble over the falls into the maelstrom.  Horrified, Confucius, along with several of his disciples, ran downstream in hope of saving the poor unfortunate, only to find him strolling merrily along the bank, singing to himself.

Cautiously, Confucius approached the old man and said to him, 'I thought at first that you were some sort of spirit, but now I can see that you are a man of flesh and blood.  Tell me, how in the world did you manage to survive that plunge into the river?'

"Oh that,' answered the man.  'That is simple, I merely entered the water at the center of its whirl.  I let myself flow along with it, not trying to impose my will upon it, then I left when it whirled the opposite way.  It is all completely natural to me.'

'What do you mean by this?' asked Confucius.  'How can this be natural to you?'

'Well,' answered the man, already beginning to wander off again, 'I grew up on dry land so am at home upon it.  At the same time, I also grew up by the river and so am at home in the water.  I don't really know how I do these things, I just do them.  Therefore my success is assured.'  Chuan Tzu

"Who can be still while the muddy water settles?  Who can remain still until the time comes for action?"  Lao Tzu

Coaching Inquiry:  Do you find yourself being present with what is?  And...embracing it...as your life?  What is your practice that helps you to remain unattached?  For me it certainly takes practice and patience and coaching has been tremendously helpful.

Namaste,
Sheila

The Olympics...Taoism....Future Self

How amazing was the opening ceremony for the Olympics?  I got to see it on HD which was a real treat for me!

They mentioned the three main religions/spiritual practices of China are:  Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucius. This is great timing for me launching my "Tales of the Tao" series beginning tomorrow.  Please stop back.  I will enjoy your comments.

Also - reminder - those in the Cleveland, OH, area - Tuesday, Aug 12, is my "Future Self Visualization" Workshop at the Coventry Library in Cleveland Hts.  I hope to see many of you there!  It will be very interesting, I promise.

Namaste,
Sheila

Tales of the Tao

Begining Monday, August 11, 2008, I will begin a series entitled, "Tales of the Tao."  I will be sharing with you some ancient stories on a weekly basis throughout the balance of the year.

I discovered a wonderful book about these tales by Solala Towler.  I am pleased to share them with you.

 

I trust you will find them as wonderful as I have found them to be.  I will look forward to your comments.

Namaste,

Sheila