关于世界起源
每个民族都有自己关于世界起源的传说,一般来讲,在潜意识里,这种传说一直作为一个民族的背景文化支撑,引导着一个民族或者部落的生命。随着理性和科学的进步,人类慢慢放弃了这种传说,甚至开始嘲笑这种传说的幼稚。我想也许我们误解了这种传说的实际含义,这种传说的本质并非幼稚。现代的人类喜欢用度量和可见去判断一切存在的意义,而忽略了传说的心理起源,目的,和context。传说和神话,当然不是在说外在世界的物理起源,它是在表达生命的起源,即人类内心和直觉里对待生命的态度,生之源,死之所,及其相关的体验方式,一种内在的,最为深刻的直觉感受。
相比于其他文化,中国的文字神话记载并不丰富,但是道德经中的道生一等文字描述,却是世界罕见的。其特殊性在于它的抽象性和哲学性,似乎古人从当时的神话,文化,和生活当中,提炼出了一种极其抽象的,对待生命和世界的认识,然后用最短的文字将其表达出来。这种抽象的表达留给了我们及其广阔的想象空间,但同时,如果我们不能够丰富自己,就很难理解这样的数字式抽象到底有什么意义。
为了丰富我们的理解,我简单的将其他宗教的概念对应到道德经上来,看看这里的一,二,三到底能有着怎样的特征。首先这三个数字不是在表达人间世界的概念,它是在表达生命的世界。从圣经上来看,新约更多的表达着“三”的特征,而旧约文字所表达的上帝,则明显带着二(阳)的特征。所以当时的以色列人,当他们期待上帝使者再次到来的时候,他们的意识里带着一种深深的“二”(阳)的印象。他们不相信耶稣是他们所期待的,因为耶稣带来的不是刀枪和征服,而是爱与和平。但是旧约给人们的印象,更多的是 The power of force, the God who has created the heaven and earth,所以犹太人在期待着这样的一个领袖的到来。可能耶稣看到了当时的问题,他认为犹太人需要一种新的生命,那就是“三”,将爱与和谐引入到这个世界。当然这不是说旧约里的上帝就是刀枪和征服,而是人们的意识里带着一种固有的成见,一种只为自己的民族和部落带来福祉的偏见。所以一个只读旧约的人,很难接受新约的耶稣,maybe they are expecting a warrior and protector but not a spirit with peace and love,所以这是一个意识的跳跃,这是一次精神的地震。
如果说新约更多的是谈三,旧约更多是谈二(阳),那么佛教则更多的是在说二(阴)。在大的宗教流派中,很少看到谈“一“的。虽然每个宗教都说一,但是他们只接受自己的”一“,而不是 the Oneness Of Totality。我只是在一些散落的自由精神探索者中间,偶尔的见到一些谈一的。但是这些人还没有形成一个团体和流派。至于道,可能在2000年前就停止了。虽然现在很多人在说道,但是这种产生一,二,三的道,实在是难以理解,实在是玄,就更不用说继承和发展了。当代人所说的道,可能更多的是万物层面的道,这种道与产生一,二,三的道大有不同。
当然这不是说这些大的宗教层次低,其实每个宗教都可以包含一,二,三,至少它们都包含了某些成分,只是其强调的重点不同。但是在具体宗教团体的实践中,在个人的具体感悟上,显然他们带着自己独特的视角。他们都有着自己独特的open和close的地方。所以所谓的层次并不是上帝的问题,也不是佛的问题,而是我们每个人人心和认识的问题,是我们如何看待和体验生命的问题。对于我个人来说,我感谢每一个宗教,每一派思想传承,每一门艺术视角,每一个科学发现。虽然是中国人,但我的精神启蒙却来自于圣经,我从佛教,基督教,丰富的印度精神世界,和古老的犹太文化世界,学到了很多。我的个人体验是,new consciousness and insight usually come from life, from the transcendental culture, from the void between, and from love。
我们不要小看宗教里有关创世的言说,创世是关于我们生命的来去,是我们每个人最终要面对的问题,它决定着整个生命的结构和走向, it is our deepest spiritual psyche。这就像平面几何里,有无数个几何测试,问题,定律和解答,但所有那些问题都是来自于5个公理,那5个公理创造了整个几何世界。对于第五个公理,如果你认为平行线永远不相交,那么这就是我们中学学过的欧几里德平面几何。如果你认为两个平行线可以相交,那么这就是非欧几里德几何,虽然学过这种几何的人不多,但它也是数学的一个重要分支。所以一个简单公理的默认,造成了整个数学世界的变化。从这里我们会明白,一个非常简单的认知,会产生一个庞大的世界。对于这个简单认知的细微变化,则会产生一个不同的宇宙。至于到底哪个是真实的,这就取决于你的大小,你到底是开放的,还是封闭的。你开放什么,又封闭什么。这些决定着你的生命在哪里,然后又走向何方。
体验一,二,三的过程
正如Kammie所说,这里的一,二,三绝不是简单的数字。如何从万物的世界走入创世之前的世界,这是每个人需要面对的问题,因为这是个生命的世界,而不是机械重复的生活世界。亚当和夏娃走出了伊甸园,现在我们需要走回伊甸园,需要重返一,二,三的世界。我们知道了这样的文字,问题是,我们如何找到一点点新的体验,如何去实践一种新的生命。
此章谈到负阴而抱阳,中(冲)气以为和。所以至少我们可以从三个方向来入手,the light of yin, the light of yang, and the Qi which can bind and harmonize the both。不要把这里的中理解为中间的位置,“中”usually means a new transcendental space that will embrace both sides, harmonize both sides, and communicate with both sides。如果使用“冲”字,那么除了有一种动态的感觉外,它还有一种“虚空”的概念。Then here it may focus more on dimensional, incorporeal and dynamic attributes。这是此章所描述的某种具体解释,阴,阳和气。既然是回到万物之前的世界,我的体验是,首先transform our 5 external senses to point to new consciousness space, shift their direction inward, and then form a new inner sense union in the “spiritual” body (in a sense, this is the true body will also include the physical depth), These new senses will direct our intention to the wonder of life where multiple new experiences will emerge. Gradually a new world will be felt, seen and revealed. Within this new space, you will experience the light of power, wisdom and love. From this point, you can start the journey of Three, Two, and One. As for the landscape of this new world, we can discuss further in the future sessions. However, we cannot stop our journey at ONE, we have to open again, open to the mystery, open to Dao. Maybe this is the first time we really start facing the mysterious Dao, facing our forefathers, facing the new frontier of life. Then will this be the end of our journey? Definitely not, this is just the beginning of life.
如果说三生万物,那么这个世界的所有存在,都是来自于一,二,三的恩赐。We all have the memory of the above and also have the potential to live in that bliss。这就像地上的万物都承受着引力,引力作用于一切物质,但是我们只看到落下的苹果,却看不到万有引力。But this power is within every apple and all the apples have the memory of it though it is hidden in the silent。回忆20岁的青春,很多人都有爱情的记忆。可能人们只知道爱情与荷尔蒙有关,但是却忽略了荷尔蒙后面的深层存在,a taste that leads us to the richness, depth and meaning of life. Love is not something that we are looking for but something we want to manifest. Love is not something that we want to own but something that can transforms us, nurtures us, and empowers us to grow. 一阴, 一阳, 一气(the energy, the love attraction that can bind both), gradually you forget the form of this world, temporarily a “blindness” that covers our eyes and stop our minds, this world disappearss so that a love world can emerge. Within this new world, you can fully experience the nature of soul, power, purity, 三, 二, 一, and love. Within this period of time, ego is totally surrendered to love, and it will make you feel that your life’s purpose is fulfilled. Even death cannot threaten you anymore. Sure this love will fail because it is a grace from above and nature but not from our own understanding and inner maturity. We are only given a seed but it is up to us to plant the seed and grow. When we become older, some people don’t believe the world of love, we even laugh at it. The taste is forgotten and the seed is thrown away. We only live around the center of conditioned self. The other (TWO) is mostly ignored and the powerful Oneness is never experienced again. Love (THREE) is only a word in fiction so we have to live in a cold, lonely and dead world.
But imagine this love world is always here and it never leaves us. We don’t need the blindness (as happened in the love when we are young) to enter the world of love, we can use the inner eyes, wisdom and soul to see this world, to touch this world, and to build this world. Furthermore, the power of Three, Two and One are not only manifested in human relationship, but it also shows its way in all beings, actions, thoughts, minds and emotions. Does this world exist? 我想这正是我们需要探索一,二,三的原因。
关于强梁者不得其死
不同的人对这段话有着不同的解释。似乎这么一句突如其来的话让人捉摸不透。无论是好人,还是恶人,每个人都有自己死的方式。但是Where we live will decide where we die. If we are a fish, then we will die as a fish. If we are monkey, then we will die as a monkey. If we are stuck in a tunnel vision, then we will die in that tunnel vision.
Where we want to die? Look at where we are now. If we can embrace the Yin and Yang, then we can return to the ONE, the eternal home of human soul.
关于至柔,无有,无为
此段落有很多指导实践的意义。如果你有这种体验 ,那么你可以借用此段来验证你的神秘体验。这个段落也间接的表达了这样的意思,无为可以至柔,因为至柔可以至坚,所以无为有益。我的体验也确实如此,unconditional love cannot come from the conditioned self. Unconditional love is indeed powerful. 什么是至柔?什么是至坚?怎么体验至柔驰骋于至坚?怎么做到无有?什么是无有?这句话可以引出无限的另一个话题。