Unexpectedly, the phrase ‘I am magnetic’ caused me to stop in my tracks. I kept thinking, ‘My goodness, if I am magnetic, what on earth am I attracting now?’ So often, I was in a state of fry or fizz or trying to push through my fatigue. If ‘like attracts like’, that is no good state to be in.
It is time to address the stress. As I continue to listen to Anthony William books daily – I’m on Liver Rescue at the moment – I realise that, while this change of diet (starting 27 July 19) is indeed highly beneficial in the long process of healing my body and expelling viruses/toxic load etc, as long as I am pumping (poisoning) adrenaline back into my poor liver, the cure cannot take place.
And in fact, if I am in an ongoing adrenal state, then I am probably attracting (magnetising) further stressors. It could almost be said, in terms of yesterday’s reading (see the line ‘The world is a sacred vessel and nothing should be done to it….Whoever tries to grab it will lose it.’), I am constantly grabbing and constantly losing. I need to, and shall, break the stress cycle.
Is the answer to ‘give up grabbing’? Or something different? What is it?
Let’s read.
-30- If you would assist leaders of people by way of the Tao, you will oppose the use of armed force to overpower the world. Those who use weapons will be harmed by them. Where troops have camped only thorn bushes grow. Bad harvests follow in the wake of a great army. The skilful person strikes the blow and stops, without taking advantage of victory. Bring it to a conclusion but do not be vain. Bring it to a conclusion but do not be boastful. Bring it to a conclusion but do not be arrogant. Bring it to a conclusion but only when there is no choice. Bring it to a conclusion but without violence. When force is used, youthful strength decays. This is not the way of Tao. And that which goes against the Tao will quickly pass away. (Tao Te Ching chap 30)
[NB: I’ve uploaded the original document here in case the source website ever changed: The Tao Te Ching tr-McCarroll ed-Knierim]
Well this chapter seems to be all about mediation and conflict resolution! Nicely translated by Stenudd here:
Solutions without arrogance,
Solutions without scorn,
Solutions without pride,
Solutions without benefit,
Solutions without domination.
I note this line: ‘When force is used, youthful strength decays.’ It seems to sum up my dwindling energy levels as I hammer away at life.
How can I better go along with the way of Tao? Have I been playing with ‘arrogance, scorn, pride, benefit and domination’??
Yes! You have! But only out of low confidence! You have been Flag-Waving, to get attention to get the work to pay the bills to feel you can breathe…
I exhaust myself telling everyone about my accomplishments.
It’s natural when you don’t feel worthy of your accomplishments. Enough of that now. You. Have. Learnt. Some. Very. Complicated. Lessons. It is your time and duty to share what you have learnt.
‘Teach the faith’.
In a sense, yes.
Last time I got involved in that kind of thing, I stumbled.
You stumbled in order that you could learn the curriculum better.
Stumbling is humbling.
And humility is the first requisite for a teacher.
Reach Peace; Teach Peace. I need to reach it first, don’t I?
You will reach peace when you truly teach it. Teach what you know. This alone is the antidote to what you call ‘grabbing’. When your priority is to share what you have learnt, humbly, then you will no longer need to be a flag-waver.
The student finds the teacher when the student is ready, not the teacher. The teacher remains a student, but in teaching what she knows, she facilitates the evolution of knowledge and understanding.
It’s a magnetic process, not a mechanical one.
Oooh, I see. Beautiful.
Rest in this for a while.
**** 15 min Med ****
My 15 min meditation was 14.5 minutes of wrestling with lines like, ‘I am a teacher of what I know’ and ‘I am a teacher of peace’…. and then with 30 secs left, this popped in: I am a seeker of peace. Yes, that’s it. Why this phrase? Because it gives space to my sense of both reaching and teaching. It’s open, expectant, and acknowledges that we live in a world and in times where peace is elusive. It’s a way to say ‘I’m not there yet, but my goodness I’m looking’. Is that about it?
Yes. Let this phrase wash through you for a few days. There is so much to learn in the curriculum of peace. Your colleague for the next few days (EM) will teach you much, as will your trainees in that city which has seen so much disunity and bloodshed. It is good to acknowledge that we are all seekers of peace – even those who attempt to achieve it with violence and force (as per above). We are all seekers of peace.
We are all seekers of peace. Yes. This is it. We are all in this together. Let’s learn together. Amen.
I am a seeker of peace