Small Fur

There is a deep interrelationship between internal and external arts. In general, external arts are to condition the physiological body to prepare the internal system, while internal arts are a way to prepare the internal system for the external forms of condition; both are necessary. They set the foundations for good practice, become the primary touchstones for the refinement process, and are the points through which all transformations will resolve and finally dissolve. The crux of these depend on Consciousness first, not theory. Why do I say that? Because even with the best of theory, if you are unconscious, then there is no amount of knowledge that can save you from yourself, and what does, is reliant on the arbitrary nature of your psyche in time; in short, it is dependent on the incidental and circumstantial. But if you are Conscious, then great theory can be profoundly beneficial, yet it isn't necessarily imperative because it transcends time by relinquishing idea to be Present in what is True. So where is the seat of Consciousness- this shen 神 necessary for living life, learning and decisions? It resides in the heart (xīn 心). Therefore, true transmission of Consciousness comes from the heart, not the mind. A teacher whose Consciousness is pure and bright, is one whose heart is clarified and vibrant! So there is your teacher's Consciousness and then there is your own, which is the real determinate value of your capacity not only to practice and apply, but to connect, discover and Realize. Realizing isn't about other, this or that, but ultimately about Self. Self-realization then, isn't a theory: you are not a theory. Though thousands of years of human Realization of Self can be distilled into theory, the heart of that theory is True Nature—for through ordered chaos and chaotic order arises the emergent, something organic: an essence more subtle than the Known product that is acquired knowledge (xí shén 习神). In order to use the acquired mind and systems to break free of conditioning through great teaching, all learning must help you unlearn to self-Realize (yes! even daily practice. You know you are learning when practice sharpens itself into perfect technique; and you know you are unlearning when practice, carrying you past technique, reveals a horizon of understanding that transcends the technique itself that you just learned!) Therefore the Buddha said, a true teacher is one who helps you realize yourself. This has many layers of meaning, but ultimately it is the one who has the power to see within you and even through you- to recognize you and therefore encourage the self-reflective awareness that is Self-Realization. All subjects and objects are the same- anything in life can be your teacher- even a turtle can teach you of the Tao! You don't need a great mind, but you do need a bright heart. So when selecting a nature from which to learn, ask of your teacher that they have a Conscious heart that is the clarity of transmission as determined by loving-kindness (as you can see, Loving-kindness needs no theory and is the Enlightened state), and that is the qi breath of the True. And ask of yourself to be self-reflectively honest. It is this turning of the light inward, that is integral to the foundation of any art- inner or outter, and it is this circulation that transforms and refines your life. Ultimately, the answer isn't in the teacher, though it can certainly be found through a great teacher! The answer is in you, to commit to yourself. And in time through sincere commitment, you will discover what is True- in any system, in any teacher, in any experience, and most of all, within yourself. That is what the Taoist arts are for ultimately- the return to Tao, and you are that Return to Tao when you ask humbly for that honesty in all living and Being. So what teaching will offer to share with you in such profound honesty? That teacher who does, won't offer you the power of great fulfillments of form and practice, but they will offer you the humility of True self understanding that transforms and purifies your understanding of what True Power really is and means... they will lead you to Emptiness, the Source of all Being and becoming. For this Emptiness is what underlies all arts and practices, all teaching and even learning itself. You know where to find that Teacher. And if you haven't, it isn't because the Teacher doesn't exist, it is because you haven't yet come to Realize it yourself. So be honest, take responsibility for your life, act from the maturity of a kind and clear heart, and live in the faith of self-commitment to these ways, then the Tao can meet you as wei-wu-wei through co-creative Being; it is then that the teacher reveals itself as you remove your own veil in Realization and that is when you truly Become.

When the Buddha- or any being whose consciousness has dissolved into Emptiness- offers a blessing, it is not for the fulfillment of psychologically derived states and mundane desires; these are not wishful words welling up from want, but Realization as inspiration bestowed in blessing. And so, the joy spoken of here is deeper — a quiet bliss arising from the formless, known in the seat of shen (the heart) as the stillness of peace, even if called 'happiness'. Its essence does not depend on circumstance, nor is it touched by time. It is offered to all beings, without measure, without exception. This joy then, is also love — the wisdom within compassion, the radiance of the Tao — spoken in many tongues, revealed not only through words but through wind, stone, and the hush between all things as created by Tao. Thus, it is more a recognition than a feeling, more a remembrance than a state. Not a thing, but a Way. Not a possession, but a return. For this is the truth of unconditional love — the grace of noncondition — the beauty of Nothingness when it flowers through the silence of Enlightenment. From this view, you can see that the terms I use — love, peace, joy, emptiness — are fairly interchangeable. Not because they lack nuance or discernment, but because in the light of Unity, all things are distilled into essence and returned to Emptiness. This is why, when we overanalyze or dissect too many terms, we risk losing the heart — becoming entangled in logic, we fall away from essence. So this Unconditional love as blessing of happiness is just that: prior to, and untouched by, condition. It is what we are — all of us! And the wish for beings to return to this, to realize this, is the very same wish held by all Buddhas, Immortals, and sages throughout time: for all beings to be as we Truly Are. Sometimes this is spoken using small words, like “happiness.” Sometimes in great ones, like “peace.” But regardless of language or scale, what is offered is the same... In true realization, one sees how distinction gives rise to unity, and unity gives rise to distinction. This is the living truth of non-duality —not merely a term, but a direct, transcendent unfolding. The Buddha gave it shape in these words, so that its vibration might echo in the heart. But its truest form is found not in sound and thought, but in the stillness where all longing ends, where everything beloved is already whole; where happiness is the essence of all Being: a happiness in the True Being that you already are. <3