Lao Tzu
And Makes Us Such Kin
As soon as there are names that might cause
a war with another name.
As soon as the One Heart is so divided, that
someone might feel better or less than another,
one should have the sense to stop talking. And
try and remember something about the Womb,
the Soul of Existence, from where we all came,
where everything did, and makes us kin. Such
kin, we should try to care for, we should try
and care for every ‘other.' And love them.
Love all. All.
Lao Tzu
A rendering of part of verse 17.
I wanted to share these two below links to Lao Tzu, and offer this blog entry, as I plan to include him in a series of books that will probably be one of my last principal literary efforts this life.
Lao Tzu can seem such a wonderful knockout to me, as the verse above, which is part verbatim according to one version of the Tao Te Ching I have; like that 5th line— that has a great little poke in the ribs in it, I think.
Can't believe I will be 80 years old in five years. And this packhorse is still so loaded. My saddlebags still seem so full of moonbeams, wine barrels and angel feathers that landed on earth from some— I think— wild parties in heaven.
Moonbeams and wine barrels (Rumi and Hafiz helped to carve) and angel feathers. Gosh, what a load to try and get into town from the mountain and the desert, at times. There is too much rough gold there to craft on my own while still on the planet: some over 10,000 unpublished poems; many book ideas; children stories; a great play; and seemingly endless new haiku— a lot shaped, these days, from The Dhammapada. Been working from (mining) twelve different versions of that classic Buddhist … bible as it were.
I got so busy around a campfire within, that the fire of a great living teacher ignited in me back in the early ‘90s, while living with him in India (at times) for two years over the last 12 years of his life. His name was Eruch Byramshaw Jessawala, and he passed away over 20 years ago— but can seem a lot more real, and more alive, than me. I can still feel a deep experience I had with him in the mid ‘80s, when I was in India for a whole year.
I was seated with him and a small group of people in Mandali Hall, where Meher Baba had greeted so many people over the course of his life. We were seated on the floor against a wall, in a place where Eruch often sat. That day, he was casually speaking about some events in Baba's life, when all of a sudden, my attention became deeply focused on him and I realized to the heart & soul of me— this man is more me than I am. He knows me far, far more than I know myself. And there is absolutely nothing for me to do in this world of any real value and effect— unless he would ask this dog (me) to fetch something that could be of help to others. And then he did, some ten years later.
Basically he asked (and so helped) me to fetch Hafiz from the ether— from the Sky— and it seemed, thousands of then other poems and writings tagged along after those. And why not? With Hafiz being one of the seven literary wonders of the world, and to my understanding: having become one with God, one with Everything! Thus: to be able to in any way grab ahold of his tail is to grab ahold of God’s.
Well, then! The real rock-n-roll can start with a pen or typing away. And oh boy, how this old cowboy can type away— Lassoing the Moon. One could say that is what the Tao Te Ching and The Dhammapada are all about.
Lassoing the Moon: that might be a good book title. And I think that is at the very heart and result of all great art. Maybe Michelangelo could have said that about David: it was a moon (a naked god) incarnate, he lassoed. And so now the world so rightfully gazes upon it.
But back to Lao Tzu, who I feel in some ways my teacher was very much a personification of:
I can still remember some 50 years ago, being in a Barnes & Noble bookstore and picking up a book of Lao Tzu and reading a couple passages and feeling: “There is so much here, really a lifetime of contemplation. And then trying to live for the betterment of one’s self and society.”
But then some 45 years went by before I got a lot more connected to Lao Tzu and wrote out some maybe 300 freestyle haiku based on his attributed sayings in the Tao Te Ching.
This first link references what I also feel are special words of Lao Tzu— offering here more of the famous lines (rendered and expanded by me).
Here I am titling from the first actual words:
Simplicity, Patience, Compassion
Simplicity, patience, compassion. These are your greatest
treasures. Being simple in actions and thoughts can bring
you to the threshold of all Being. Patience with all
creatures and forms, is an alchemy stone to
Wholeness and True Living. Compassion to yourself
and all that can happen in this world, becomes the
wings on a mountain you are— and restores your
Knowing to being every particle of the Luminous Sky—
every particle and reason of Existence.
And here is another, rendered from the essence of Lao Tzu, which Eruch helped me with one day on a walk with him:
If your left hand is often at war with your right, how could you not
harm yourself and others with thoughts and words, and deeds?
Say your left hand is the myriad things in this world. And your
right hand is your still-evolving self—unveiling soul— into being
the self of All.
True Knowledge revealed my head upon the holy shrine of every
foot and hoof and wing and fin. And the heart of every form and
creature ... holding hands with my heart. They being One, as we
are. We are!
—Lao Tzu
Rendering by Daniel Ladinsky
OMG. Seeing Hafiz's (and God's) tail sticking out of a hole in the Sky and grabbing hold… Watch out for that— you may turn into one who seems to never stop writing .... maybe even things of interest.
Look how the moon's light can lean
so close to your every sound, if you
can see her. As do I.
— Hafiz
And want to end this with these 11 words from the Tao Te Ching, that one can see here. It is a good, maybe ten minute read—if you are wanting or trying to learn and imbibe something of the historic and scholarly views of Lao Tzu; but very worth your time I would say.
Lao Tzu (and/or the Tao Te Ching) is really something of a cornerstone of Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism (and pre-dates both). And the sayings in the Tao Te Ching have surely influenced the Bible, and some of the greatest poets in the world, like Rumi and Hafiz.
These 11 words are said by some to be the heart— core message— of the historic and classic Tao Te Ching.
**** Yield and overcome.
*** Bend and become straight.
*** Empty and become full.
The woman and man of God is full without eating.
The woman and man of Knowing can be a queen
or king in rags. Drunk without wine, flying without
wings ... what are you waiting for my darlings?
Just become fully human. Just let the word love be
one of your primary words, right next to —God.
—Rumi