Gazing up toward heaven

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

His being taken away is a going “to heaven”; his coming back is a going “to earth”. The implication is that he will return from the earth not from heaven. He will arise out of the earth, that is from below; not descend from above. There is the upward movement by which he was taken away; for this movement to be the same, an upward movement, it must come from the ground. So do not look into heaven – there is only an eternal upward movement, like a let-go helium balloon – look to the earth and a rising from the earth.

In Christianity it is about resurrection, it is always a rising from the earth.

In Chinese, Earth is largely yin, receptivity, its trigram three broken lines; Heaven is largely yang, penetration, three unbroken lines. In reading the I Ching, the movement is always upwards, from the lower trigram to the upper trigram; and one looks for the “changing line” on this journey from bottom to top. If the “changing line” is the top line of the heavenly trigram, the third unbroken line – Jesus’ ascension to the Father, yang yang, yang – it changes to a broken line, yin. Jesus’ ascension entails not Terminal Station Heaven, but a new rising from the Earth.

Lao Tzu ch.2 (2nd)

What is merely ugly, and bad? Something(s) – not beautiful things. What is something? Not nothing. And so on. What is easy is not difficult; Lao Tzu cuts long matters short. The high fear the low, and look upon them with fear, while the low look up with ambition; nice tones are found when making music by avoiding the bum notes. That’s what we observe; at least, these are the categories of the cognition with which we understand.

The deed that takes no action: wisdom is thinking about all this… beauty, difficulty, brevity and passing, looking up and down, hearing harmony and disharmony.

These are the manifestations of constant-movement. What else could one desire? What could be higher or lower?

Lao Tzu ch.1 (2nd)

There is a contrast between the constant way and the way – which is not constant. The latter is subject to change, it is changing manifestations, “myriad creatures” (Lau’s translation) “creatature” (my silly word). The former is change, or better: movement; constant-movement.

Movement (Way, “Waying” – moving in a path and or pattern, proceeding) is the beginning of heaven and earth. Proceeding – that’s what time and space is; change is the world, movement in time and space, manifestations-movements, “creatature”, “myriad creatures”.

Absolutely, there is no stillness, only movement; constant-movement. But: (try to) be still; you can learn the secret of both trying (desiring, willing), and of constant-movement; and you can observe the manifestations-movements within the “creatature”.

Being “manifestations”, the myriad creatures – creatature – are not separate from the “constant-movement” – nor are they its totality. The constant-movement is never without its movement-manifestations/myriad creatures/creatature. (There is no creation ex-nihilo. It is thought something like this: before movement there is no time; there was no time before time. The beginning is time/movement/constant-movement. And there was no space before space, in which space was placed, as it were. Both are the beginning.) In this way, movement-manifestations and constant-movement are “the same” (indivisible).

Thinking about beginning – this is the gateway of the “manifold secrets”, by which is meant something like reality, truth, metaphysics. These are mysteries from beginning to end; but one’s thoughts can enter the mystery – or not, as one desires.

(Try to) rid yourself of desires; the better to observe them!

On mental health, cont.

There is always the way.

If the language at hand is that of mental health, then the way is to convey how bad managers have induced anxiety. Put the ball in their court, invoke their “duty of care”.

It is hard to defend yourself at first: so withdraw (retreat, backwards step) and get yourself strong again before you step forwards*. Then, work where your allies** are (fellow workers, employment law) and decide upon the right strategy. Try not to contend – throw punches, land blows, argue, prove yourself to be right. Simply detail – precisely, resolutely eschewing hyperbole and emotive language – what the problems are, and suggest what managers might be able to do about them.

It is because he does not contend that no one in the empire is in a position to contend with him.

What can they do to you?

*Postscripts: you cannot proceed to making allies until you are strong again; and then** you cannot proceed without one ally at least.

On Desires, 2

These are the verbs: desire, will; want, wish; hope, seek, pursue.

Desire is the most general.

Will means affirmation as such; yes, assent, engage, do it (through acting/non-acting).

Want, which is like desire, but is best seen in contrast to wish. Want refers to concrete possibilities with the realm of my action/non-action (eg a coffee).

Wish, which is a desire but not for a concrete possibility within the realm of my action/non-action (eg others’ good grace).

Hope, when wish and want are connected. Hope plus will entails seek.

Seek, which does not act/non-act at a concrete possibility but acts/non-act hoping for another possibility (eg social justice).

Pursue, which is similar to seek, but closer to want, in that it acts/non-acts towards a concrete possibility (eg a Cadillac).

On Desires, 1

Always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets

But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations. (Lao Tzu, 1)

Our desires are manifestations of Tao. Thus, it’s not purgation of desires, but looking at desires which is meant by ridding ourselves of them, because when we look at them we are making them external to ourself – momentarily, always.

VII – “without thought of self”

I think, I did that, I am such a twat. I think, I did that, that was pretty cool, wasn’t it? I think, I’ll look stupid if I do that. I think, I’ll look cool if I do that, won’t I? All that in my head. Of no use, validity, or relevance to anything or anybody, only a fruitless silly discourse about “myself” with “myself”.

Slowly I will begin, again and again, to refuse such thoughts my attention.

LXXXI – “Truthful words are not beautiful”

Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good. He who knows has no wide learning: he who has wide learning does not know.

The sage does not hoard.

Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more;

Having given all he has to others, he is richer still.

The way of heaven benefits and does not harm; the way of the sage is bountiful and does not contend.

 

This is the end of the 81 chapters.

 

 

LXXX – “Reduce the size and population of the state”

Reduce the size and population of the state. Ensure that even though the people have tools of war for a troop or a battalion they will not use them; and also that they will be reluctant to move to distant places because they look on death as no light matter.

Even when they have ships and carts, they will have no use for them; and even when they have armour and weapons, they will have no occasion to make a show of them.

Bring it about that the people will return to the use of the knotted rope,

Will find relish in their food

And beauty in their clothes

Will be content in their abode

And happy in the way they live.

Though adjoining states are within sight of one another, and the sound of dogs barking and cocks crowing in one state can be heard in another, yet the people of one state will grow old and die without having had any dealings with those of another.

 

I will reduce the size of my state to my family alone, to her concerns, and not trouble myself with neighbours’ barking or crowing, in any way.

 

 

LXXIX – “When peace is made between two enemies”

When peace is made between two enemies

Some enmity is bound to remain undispelled.

How can this be considered perfect?

Therefore the sage takes the left-hand tally, but exacts no payment from the people.

The man of virtue takes charge of the tally;

The man of no virtue takes charge of exaction.

It is the way of heaven to show no favouritism.

It is forever on the side of the good man.

 

The meaning of enmity remaining undispelled, and of a relationship in business or politics not being “perfect”, is that a debt remains – reparations are to be made or worse vengeance is to be excated; high rates of interest and a visit from the bailiff.

But it is good to be magnanimous in victory and in credit.

It is good to have been victorious and not defeated; it is good to be in credit and not in debt. Remain victorious; remain in credit: do not act in a punitive spirit. Do this not as a sign of favouritism – favouritism meaning an arbitrary blocking of a just balance or a just restoration – but simply to remain in credit and to remain victorious, because this is good, and this good lasts so long exaction is not made.