Practical Taoism - Thomas Cleary

„If you let go of things, your body is not stressed; if you contrive no artificiality, your mind is naturally at peace. Serenity and lightness develop day by day, while involvement in objects grows thinner day by day. Your actions become further and further from mundanity, while your mind becomes closer and closer to the Way.“

„Some people display virtue and show ability in order to get others to support them. Some call on people for celebrations and funerals, in effect making business trips. Some affect seclusion as hermits but are actually seeking social advancement. Some offer people food and drink in hope of later favors. All of these are clever operations of the crafty mind for gaining temporal profit. These prevent right action and so should all be abandoned. “

„The second thing is to govern the mind. The mind is the ruler of the whole body, the commander of all the mental power. When it is quiet, it produces insight; when agitated, it is necessary to sit calmly, collect the mind, and detach from objects, so the mind does not cling to anything, spontaneously entering into absolute nonresistance. The mind then merges with the Way. “

„The third thing is true observation. This true observation is the way the wise attain prior awareness, the way the able practice skillful examination. Even a meal or a nap is a source of loss or gain; even a single act or a single word can be the root of disaster or fortune. Even clever maintenance of the branches is not as good as clumsy preservation of the root. Observing the root and knowing the branch is not a sense of haste either. So stop the mind, minimize concerns, and reduce contrivance. Body tranquil, mind free, you can then observe the subtle. “

„If you are annoyed or excited on account of things, sickness is already stirring in your mind – so what is “peace of mind”?

Pokud jste rozzlobení nebo rozrušení na základě věcí, nemoc se již rozdmýchává ve vaší mysli – kde je pak „klid mysli“?“

„When there is something to strive for, don’t give rise to ideas of gain and loss. Whether there is something to do or nothing to do, let the mind always be at rest. Seek as others do, but do not be covetous as others are, earn as others do, but do not hoard as others do. By not being covetous, you will be free of anxiety; by not hoarding, you will be immune to loss. Let your outward traces be like others, while your mind is always different from the vulgar. This is the model of real practice; it is essential to work on it diligently. “

„If you give rise to hatred on seeing someone do wrong, that is like seeing someone try to cut his head off and then taking his knife to cut your own neck. When others do wrong on their own account, that is not your responsibility; why take on their evil and make it your own afflictions? Thus when you see wrongdoers, do not hate them, and when you see people doing good, do not admire them. Why? Because both obstruct the Way. “

„As for “the physical form has no such form,” and “things have no such thingness,” physical form and things disintegrate before long, ultimately returning to nothing. This is observant insight, or understanding; once you can understand, you will naturally be detached from illusions, so delusions and random imaginations spontaneously disappear without having to be eliminated. Because thoughts in the mind are all empty, therefore it is said one “only sees emptiness.” This is a matter of transcendental knowledge, not run-of-the-mill quietism. “

„Zhang Ziyang’s Alchemical Directions says, “To use things to refine the mind, there is nothing else to do but not keep things on your mind; then complete serenity is possible.“ “

„The Discourse on Mind by the Celestial Teacher of Emptiness and Tranquillity says, “Do not fear the arising of thoughts; just beware of tardiness in noticing. The arising of thoughts is sickness, not continuing them is medicine.” “

„The Secret Discourse on the Mysterious Pass by the Master of the White Jade Moon says, ”Have no mind on things and no things in mind.” “

„It is essential to forget feelings and conscious perceptions to gradually return to the Way. Perceptions are seeds of birth and death; if you keep consciousness of perceptions in mind, then you will conceive feelings about objects. If there are no objects inside you, then how can outward objects occur? If outward objects do not occur, inner objects do not emerge; so inside and outside are peaceful and quiet.
When mind kills objects, you are a wizard. When objects kill mind, you are a mortal. “

„The Water and Cloud Collection by Master Tan of Eternal Reality says, “When people revolve ceaselessly in routine birth and death, it is just because they are mindful.” “

„The Mount Pan Record of Wang the Cloud Dweller says, “Beware of gossiping about people and personalities, trends and fashions.” “

„When some accomplishment gives you some sense of superiority, more accomplishment gives you more of a sense of superiority. Once you have a sense of superiority, then you have a self-image, which creates a massive obstacle. How can you attain the state of emptiness of mind? You have to increase your resolve and break yourself under all things, always taking a back seat to other people, thinking you are not as good as others in any way; then you can get rid of pride and a sense of superiority. “

„The Assembled Essentials says, ”Always examine yourself: have false ideas and thoughts stopped? Are involvements with external objects at a minimum? Am I unmoved in contact with things? Are black and white undifferentiated? Are mental images in dreams accurate and unconfused? Is my heart at peace? In this manner you can measure the depth of your entry into the Way.” “

„Zhang Ziyang said, “The way of restorative alchemy is most simple and easy; it is like a circle.” Yu Yuwu said, “What is the circle? It is the Absolute of the Book of Changes. When the Absolute goes into motion, it produces yin and yang. When motion culminates, it reverts to stillness and in stillness produces yin. When stillness culminates, it returns to movement. Movement and stillness in alternation constitute bases for each other. This is the wonder of Creation, the natural course of the Way.” “