In order to attain this state and achieve our full potential, over the centuries we have developed an array of practices and belief systems. Albert Einstein once described this perception as “an optical delusion of consciousness” and urged us to see ourselves as part of the larger whole.Īctually, humans have sought this realization of interconnectedness throughout history. Rather, we perceive ourselves to be separate entities, or “individuals”. However, we generally don’t experience ourselves that way. Tao is that energy and “all is Tao”.Īs humans we are, by our very existence, a part of that continuum of life. Imagine everything as part of a vast, never-ending, always-changing grid or sea of energy. Our current scientific view of reality, quantum physics, concurs, asserting that all phenomena, such as our bodies and the distant stars, are constructed of the same basic particles of energy and that this energy is always in motion. We are all Tao and part of this natural process of change. And it manifests itself as a flow of unceasing change continuously moving toward a state of balance and harmony. Tao is the universe, “the mother of all things”. It essentially refers to the interconnectedness of life and its constant transformation. The word Tao has several meanings and many applications. We are totally present and feel whole and complete. We encounter a larger reality where the boundaries between us and the outer world seem to vanish. Such occurrences are most often deeply meaningful. Watching a sunset or hiking in the woods, enjoying music or some other work of art, experiencing a special relationship with another person, whether through love, friendship, or compassion – any of these events can evoke a feeling of expansion and well-being. We have all had the experience of being “plugged in”, deeply connected with something greater than ourselves. This is the first of several articles to explore the nature of Tao as presented in the writings of legendary sages Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, and to investigate how we might understand and apply these ideas in our daily lives. Written by Ted Kardash, Ph.D., Taoist Priest
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