The Tao of Non-Doing: A Carefree Commentary on the Natural Effortless Way of the Master Lao Tzu - Softcover

Ramaji

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1491226447 ISBN 13: 9781491226445

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013

Synopsis

The Tao of Non-Doing: A Carefree Commentary on the Natural Effortless Way of the Master Lao Tzu For this book, I have taken some liberties. To start off with, the "Tao Te Ching" is a sacred text within the Taoist tradition of China, not the Advaita or non-dualistic tradition of India. But I was struck by how eloquently Lao Tzu describes the state of non-doership that is a prominent marker in Advaita of awakening. Classic Advaita, including the contemporary non-dual offerings, tends to be on the dry side. I very much enjoyed Lao Tzu's lively and poetic approach. Working from the brilliant and still authoritative translation of the "Tao Te Ching" by James Legge (1891), I extracted those sections which speak directly about the realized sage and how the sage lives a carefree spontaneous life day after day as he drinks from the joyful cup of non-dual awareness. You will find that some chapters of the "Tao Te Ching" are missing. This is on purpose. I have included only those portions of the "Tao Te Ching" that spoke directly on the topic of non-doership and living spontaneously as the non-dual Self. My reason for taking this approach is threefold. First, the Tao Te Ching talks about all kinds of stuff, some of it very political. I think this can get very confusing. Second, the biggest issue that people seem to deal with nowadays is doing vs. non-doing (or "cosmic doing"). The burden of "being the doer" creates stress, agitation, confusion, discouragement and depression. The true nature of so-called "non-doership" or non-doing ("cosmic doing") is not very clear for people. Teaching about "non-doing" is something the "Tao Te Ching" excels at - but this excellence gets lost amid the wealth of so many other great insights into so many other interesting topics. Third and finally, I am approaching it from the perspective of Advaita (non-duality). By doing this, I hope to illuminate Advaita by way of the Tao, and illuminate the Tao by way of Advaita. So, here it is... The TAO of your true Self and the art of effortless living via the sage's truth of non-doing. Here are some excerpts. Enjoy. In Search of Mr. Tao's Autograph... It's sound so exotic - the TAO! We can imagine Hollywood spotlights. Mr. Tao steps out of the gold-plated limousine. After all, is he not ruler of the world? Is he not the source supreme? But instead nothing appears. The spotlights go dim and blink off. The shoulders of the people slump. Another disappointment. That Mr. Tao... just who does he think he is? Meanwhile, across the street in a funky bar, Mr. Tao hangs with some friends. One of the fans, thirsty from a long night of waiting, crosses the street and goes into the bar for a drink. He spies Mr. Tao and rushes up to get his autograph. Surprising everyone, Mr. Tao agrees to sign the fan's T-shirt. Thanking Mr. Tao profusely, he forgets his thirst and walks out into the night. Suddenly, without warning, rain tumbles from the sky, drenching everything. When he gets home, his shirt is clean, but Mr. Tao's signature is gone. The rain gives life yet fails to take credit. If it took credit, it could not give life. To find out who you really are, write your name in water. The rain is coming, so wear your dirty clothes. Dance in the rain until you drop. When you stand up, look into the heart of the sun. If you are lucky, you will go blind and never see the world again. One thing you know for sure: Your clothes are clean. Breathe in. Breathe out. If there was more, nobody would get it. Chapter 1 - Tao Te Ching The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name. Commentary on Chapter 1 - Tao Te Ching We are walking the "pathless path." How exactly do you do that? When you were born, you were given a name. So you must ask yourself two questions: Is this body who I really am? Is my name really my name? Answer those questions and the rest will be a cinch.

About this title

About the Author

Ramaji had a Kundalini awakening at the age of 16. This experience of enlightenment and ego death in a lucid dream set his life on an irreversible course of profound investigation of spiritual truth. No longer could he be content to just live life as it appeared to be on the surface. He was forced by destiny to get to the root of his suffering. After chasing gurus and studying various forms of yoga and meditation, he settled down as a serious student of Buddhist Vipassana (Insight) meditation under the tutelage of Ven. Shinzen Young. He stayed with that discipline for 7 years, meditating without fail one to two hours a day. As part of this discipline of body-sweeping meditation, he also went on several 10 day meditation retreats. Eventually, even though the practice had been rewarding, he found himself needing something else. He didn't know what it was, but when he met the Advaita guru Ramesh Balsekar, he knew that he had found it. In the late 1980s, he asked Ramesh a question about meditation. Ramesh's answer was "There is nothing you can do." His seeking burned out to the point of being a burden, this was precisely what he needed to hear. Ramesh's words acted like a surgical strike, shattering the accumulation of decades of spiritual seeking into tiny fragmented bits. A few years later, while meditating on his living room couch, Ramaji experienced the sudden flash of awakening. He soon realized that he could not find himself, meaning the separate entity that had identified with the body. He also quickly discovered that he was no longer the "doer." He now lived spontaneously, at one with the joyful and playful Tao of Life. After many years of living in voluntary obscurity, Ramaji decided to come forward as a public teacher and give Satsang. He lives in San Diego and makes himself available in person and via phone and Skype to seekers and students around the world. Because of his special interest in and understanding of Divine Mother and Kundalini, many of his students have a background of devotion to Kali and Kundalini experiences. He gives an awakening transmission he calls RASA (Ramaji Advaita Satsang Attunement). This attunement opens the crown chakra to facilitate the enlightenment of the meditator. It is given over Skype or in person in San Diego, California. We live in times where enlightenment is easier to achieve than ever before. Please take advantage of this wonderful historical window for spiritual awakening!

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1491226447
• ISBN 13: 9781491226445
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 166