{"id":2126,"date":"2011-05-19T01:27:40","date_gmt":"2011-05-19T05:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=2126"},"modified":"2012-01-01T18:57:42","modified_gmt":"2012-01-01T23:57:42","slug":"echoes-of-emptiness-%e8%99%9a%e4%b9%8b%e9%9f%bf-gradual-and-sudden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=2126","title":{"rendered":"Echoes of Emptiness (\u865a\u4e4b\u97ff)-Gradual and Sudden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gradual and Sudden<\/strong><\/h2>\n

by \u00a9 Jacob Newell (Daoshi Gu Shen Yu)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to cultivating qi, there is no question that Laozi suggests we take a gradual approach.\u00a0 \u201cA tree too large to embrace starts as a tiny shoot; a 9-story terrace starts as a mound of earth; the journey of 1,000 li happens under the feet\u201d (Ch. 64).<\/p>\n

Not only does Laozi advise us not to dismiss the collective results of small, seemingly insignificant actions, but he repeatedly cautions against straining to achieve those results.\u00a0 \u201cTake long strides and you will not progress; assert yourself and you will not advance\u201d (Ch. 24).<\/p>\n

So when we undertake a qi-cultivation practice, be it Qigong, Taijiquan, calligraphy, etc., we are advised not to focus on reaching the end goal, but rather to take care of our current situation.\u00a0 Is my breath smooth, easy, and quiet?\u00a0 Is my spine relaxed and upright?\u00a0 Is the brush comfortable in my hand?\u00a0 In this way, we gradually establish the fundamentals of good practice.\u00a0 As our foundation becomes stable, our practice grows naturally.<\/p>\n

But in the midst of our gradual progress we should realize that our cultivation is taking place within a context of boundless open space.\u00a0 When we practice according to Laozi\u2019s principles, at some point we drop the aspiration for personal transformation and self-improvement.\u00a0 When this happens, there is a sudden shift in which we realize the goal of cultivation is not at the end at all.\u00a0 It is already present from the very beginning.<\/p>\n

This is the realization of Hui Neng, the 5th<\/sup> Patriarch of Zen, who said there is no need to polish yourself to perfection because there is no contamination in the first place.\u00a0 This is called the sudden path because it involves no refinement.<\/p>\n

In Buddhism they call this the doctrine of original enlightenment (\u672c\u89c9).\u00a0 Because from the very beginning, the goal is already reached, we can practice – without self-based aspirations, gradually, with no end in sight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Poems:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1.<\/p>\n

Before reaching the mountain summit<\/p>\n

I already perceive the cloudless sky<\/p>\n

Forgetting my accomplishments<\/p>\n

Nameless and complete<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Taiji emerging from wuji<\/p><\/div>\n

2.<\/p>\n

Casting off thoughts of gradual and sudden<\/p>\n

I empty myself completely<\/p>\n

Solid ground beneath my feet<\/p>\n

White clouds passing overhead<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3.<\/p>\n

Self-improvement is wonderful, wonderful<\/p>\n

But it is changing, changing<\/p>\n

Striving upward and upward<\/p>\n

Will we ever reach perfection?<\/p>\n

But setting aside \u201cI\u201d for even one moment<\/p>\n

The nameless appears nameless and complete<\/p>\n

Quanzhen is there from the very beginning<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4.<\/p>\n

Special training gives birth to special skills<\/p>\n

The highest fly away in a spirit body<\/p>\n

The sage remains unmoved<\/p>\n

Clouds coming and going in the sky of my true nature<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5.<\/p>\n

When the fruit is ripe<\/p>\n

Let others debate about whether it ripened gradually or suddenly<\/p>\n

As for me<\/p>\n

I only taste the sweetness<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Pacific tide bagua<\/p><\/div>\n

6.<\/p>\n

Water flowing downstream<\/p>\n

Just following the open channel<\/p>\n

Left, right, effortless response<\/p>\n

Rocks polish themselves<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The chapters cited herein are my own translations of the Dao De Jing (Wang Bi).<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/em>

Gu Shen Yu<\/p><\/div>\n

Jacob Newell (Daoshi Gu Shen Yu) <\/em>is an ordained Daoist priest and founder of Old Oak School of Dao.\u00a0 He practices and teaches Taijiquan <\/em>and Daoist cultivation in Sonoma County, California.\u00a0 His book of poetry, These Daoist Bones, is available from his website, www.oldoakdao.org<\/a>.<\/em> <\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

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