To be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease is a devastating
experience. You begin to ask many questions, such as "why me?" Worse,
your stress level elevates when the doctor tells you that there are no
known cures. Worst, during the prognosis of your disease, your feel frustrated
when the medications cannot eradicate some of the symptoms.
But for any disease to heal, a positive mindset is critical. Clarity of thinking helps you see all the treatment options available, and take the appropriate actions.
Tao wisdom is based on "Tao Te Ching," which is an ancient classic from China. The book was written thousands of years ago by Lao Tzu, a sage with all white hair (a sign of wisdom). According to the legend, the great philosopher was forced to put down his profound wisdom in writing before he was permitted to leave China for Tibet. Reluctantly, Lao Tzu concisely and succinctly expressed his unique wisdom in eighty-one short chapters with only five thousand words all told. As a testament to the significance and timelessness of his eternal wisdom, "Tao Te Ching" has been translated into many languages; as a matter of fact, this ancient classic has become one of the most translated works of world literature.
Here is a summary of Tao wisdom in living.
"Tao" means "the way" to wisdom-or "the
way" to achieving just about anything in life. As opposed to conventional
wisdom, the wisdom of Tao is exclusive and subjective. In other words,
"the way" is unique to each individual -- something like "one
man's meat is another man's poison." That is to say, each individual has
to discover or look within the self to find out what "the way" may
look like, unlike conventional wisdom that provides a blueprint for many, if
not for everybody. For this reason, wisdom cannot be acquired through
knowledge, which is merely an accumulation of know-how from experts, let alone
be taught or guided. Wisdom has to be self-intuited, assimilated, and
internalized by an individual based on that individual's unique life
experience.
The key to intuiting and attaining the wisdom presented by Lao Tzu
is abandoning or letting go the ego-self.
Unlike conventional wisdom, which puts much emphasis on
"self," such as "self-esteem" and
"self-confidence," Tao suggests quite the opposite: the
"non-attachment to self" because the "self" goes hand in
hand with the "ego" -- together, they create the "identity"
of an individual. Once the "identify" is created, there comes the
need to "preserve" or "protect" that "identity"
due to the presence of the "ego." Thus, a host of other problems will
subsequently follow.
Therefore, the first and the most important requirement is to have
"no ego-self" -- which is, however, most difficult to accomplish,
because we are taught to be proud of who and what we are.
With "no ego-self," you then have "no
expectation" in life. To illustrate, if you have created an ego-self, such
as "I am a doctor" or "I am a mother," then subconsciously
you have to, or you are "expected" to, live up to that image or the
ego-self that you have unconsciously created in your mind's eye.
With "no ego-self," you will not be too concerned with
material things that often qualify or attach to the "identify" you have
created for yourself. In other words, you will become "non
judgmental"-which is essentially not having to choose what you want and to
reject what you do not want, or rather desiring what you think will enhance the
ego-self, and avoiding what you think may damage your identity or image of the
ego-self.
If you have "no expectation," you need not exert extra
effort to meet your expectations. With less effort, you have more time to
yourself, and so you can live in the present moment, which is the essence of
Tao wisdom in living. In contemporary wisdom, we are expected to do more in
order to get more of what we want; in the wisdom of Lao Tzu, you do
"less" for more -- it is all about the spontaneity of things; you
make nature work things for you, which is "non-doing," instead of working against the forces
of nature,
To conclude, Tao wisdom in living is to have no ego-self so that
you can live in the present. With no ego-self, there is no expectation; with no
expectation, you become non-judgmental, which is accepting and embracing the
desirable as well as the undesirable in life; with non-judgmental, you
appreciate non-doing; with non-doing, you can live in the present and in
harmony with nature. So, Tao recommends no ego-self to live a no-stress life
with no worry, no expectation, no judgment, and non-doing. This is the summary
of Tao wisdom in living.
Stephen Lau
Copyright © by Stephen Lau
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