teachings

j~,t® 0I
LI’,jr’-Si111 1’rn4I `ru
i asa I, s , Gol
Translated by le obert Stevenson
THE SPIRIT OF LAO TSU
MASAHISA GOI
This book introduces eighteen of the original
forty-eight chapters of Roshi Kogi (+) by
Masahisa Goi. Each offers a commentary on one
chapter of Lao Tsu’s Dotokukyo (ii), also
known as Tao-te Ching.
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
Original Japanese Edition:
E (lEo`cllx)
1963 11 A 5 El (November 5, 1963)
English Edition:
The Spirit of Lao Tsu ( pql T. 1.4A)
(nyww)
JJItk 20019112019 (September 20, 2001)
©Masahisa Goi 2001
English edition first published in Japan by
Byakko Press
812-1 Hitoana, Fujinomiya-shi
Shizuoka-ken, Japan, 418-0102
All rights reserved.
Translated from Japanese by Robert Stevenson.
Cover design by Michiko Watanabe
Production team: Paul H. Sherbow, Cathleen Turick, Kinuko Hamaya,
Volker Lenzner, Kai Neptune, David Lee Fish.
Printed in Japan by Eighty Eight Printing Co., Ltd.
ISBN 4-89214-143-7
Masahisa Goi
(1916-1980)
ILACh
It 41,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Tokyo, Japan on November 22, 1916, Masahisa Goi was
a poet, philosopher, writer and singer. Though he aimed at a
career in music, he found himself spontaneously drawn to the
realms of philosophy and spiritual guidance. In his autobiography,
One Who Connects Heaven and Earth (publication pending),
he explains that at the age of thirty he attained a state of oneness
with his divine Self.
Mr. Goi authored more than fifty books and volumes of
poetry, including God and Man (his first and most fundamental
work), How to Develop Your Spirituality, Catch the Light, The Way
to the White Light, Lectures on the Bible, and Buddha and his
Disciple. The Spirit of Lao Tsu is the third of his books to be published
in English, after God and Mall and The Future of Mankind.
Several others are now in the translation process.
Before departing from this world in 1980, Mr. Goi named
Mrs. Masami Saionji, his adopted daughter, as his spiritual successor
and leader of the world peace prayer movement that he
initiated.
lirTf%
V Contents
Prologue 13
1 The Nameless is the Beginning of Heaven and Earth
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 1)
17
2 The Sage is in the Realm of No-action
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 2)
26
3 It is not Known Whose Child I am
But I am the Image of what Came before the Ruler
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 4)
37
4 Heaven and Earth are not Benevolent
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 5)
46
5 Heaven is Eternal, Earth is Long
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 7)
56
6 The Highest Good is Like Water
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 8)
65
7 Practice the Void in the Extreme
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 10
77
8 That Which is Broken is Made Anew
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 22)
87
9 Become the Same in Loss as the Person of Loss
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 23)
97
THE SPIRIT OF LAO TSU
10 Independent of it there is no Change,
Wherever it is Practiced there is no Danger
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 25)
11 Nothing is Abandoned, Nothing is Discarded
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 27)
12 Return to the Unlimited
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 28)
13 One who Knows Oneself is Enlightened
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 33)
14 The Way is Vast Yet can Move from Left to Right
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 34)
15 If you Take the Great Elephant Out into
the World with You
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 35)
16 The Highest Virtue is not Virtuous
Hold This and You have Virtue
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 38)
17 The One of Old
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 39)
18 It is as if the Great Creation were Lacking
(Dotokukyo, Chapter 45)
Notes
Organizations Honoring Masahisa Goi
106
116
126
136
147
158
168
178
188
198
202
grA.
Illustrations
1. Masahisa Goi writing the name of
Lao Tsu (Roshi -i’-) in Japanese
2. No-action (Mui
Calligraphy by Masahisa Goi
3. Lao Tsu (Roshi j -)
Calligraphy by Masahisa Goi
4. Kuu O
Calligraphy by Masahisa Goi
5. The Way is Vast (Daido
Calligraphy by Masahisa Goi
11
12
36
76
146
Masahisa Goi writing the name of Lao Tsu (Roshi-i’–) in Japanese
No-actionNos
Gai.ligrapby byNi
abisa Goi
Prologue
from within the midst of emptiness
he appears
leading the eternal life itself
the true person of freedom
Lao Tsu
describing the Way
he supercedes it
enveloped in light
he does not cling to it
empty-empty, still-still
empty-still-still
He is
total freedom in Mu-i1
unfathomable and vast
his spirit
beyond time and space
his strength
moving the very soul
he links human beings to the universal origin
13
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
Lao Tsu now within me
his infinite echo draws near
Lao Tsu is, as described in the poem above, a person of true
freedom—a truly divine being. Indeed, the difference
between this spirit of Lao Tsu, on the one hand, and the
‘isms’ or popular movements of today
, on the other, is as
great as that between the mud underfoot and the clouds
overhead.
Achievement of true freedom requires total mastery of
the way of Mu-i (No-action) taught by Lao Tsu. Only by such
total mastery of this Way of Mu-i is it possible to lead the life
which joins Heaven and Earth in a single, truly free spirit.
While I am by no means opposed to the intellectual
activity of our modern era, I do remain unconvinced by the
current lifestyle and academic knowledge of humanity, that
continue to cause people to cling to peripheral forms while
ignoring altogether the original essence of the universe and
the source of the Life Force.
Lao Tsu’s way of life is vital to the intellectual people of
today. Convinced that they must live each day by thinking
through each action with the cerebral brain alone, and
clinging fiercely to the peripheral, modern human beings
have forgotten what is, in fact, most important.
Lao Tsu wields words of illumination to teach human
14
MASAH ISA GOI
beings about this most important ‘something.’ I, in turn,
have attempted to interpret these words in my own fashion
to make them more readily understood by the modern reader.
I sincerely hope that these Lectures on Lao Tsu will assist
the reader in bringing out his or her inner, divine Self, and
in directly sensing the resonance of the universal source.
Masahisa Goi
Ichikawa, Japan
October 1963
15
Chapter 1
THE NAMELESS IS THE BEGINNING
OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
The way of ways is not the true Way.
The name of names is not the true Name.
The Nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
That with name is the mother of all creation.
Thus, with true Nothingness one may view the mystery,
And with true Being one may perceive the barrier.
These two are of the same origin, yet their names differ.
These two are called Profound.
Beyond the Profound lies the gateway to the Universal Mystery.
Dotokukyo 2, Chapter 1
17
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
The way of ways is not the true Way.
The name of names is not the true Name.
These lines are famous throughout the East, and I suppose
there are many who, upon reading them, will recall having
heard them previously. Few, however, probably know their
author.
The totally free and unobstructed way of life that is,
indeed, the very essence of Lao Tsu is expressed in these
opening words. Their meaning might be summarized as follows:
originally that which is called Life was entirely free
and capable of any number of things. But if a particular way
or name becomes attached to this, the Life Force becomes
restricted, and it is impossible to conduct activities outside
of that single form. Life’s initially free nature is, thus, no
longer given expression. Similarly, the Life Force can
become fettered when placed within the confines of the
fixed name of a person or organization.
At the center of a human being lies the same Life Force
that is the focus of Lao Tsu’s opening two lines, and we, too,
were thus all originally made capable of accomplishing anything
in perfect freedom. But if a person clings to a set way,
that way will itself grasp hold of one’s spirit and, regardless
of how great a way it may appear to be, the original freedom
of the Life Force will be restricted. The same holds true for
18
MASAHISA GOI
names: once a name is affixed to something, the Life Force
ceases to function outside the limits of that particular appellation.
Human beings were not initially placed within these
kinds of confines, and originally had no need to cling to
things in order to exist. Even if one clings with only the
slightest strength, the true way will remain hidden, as will
the brilliant original nature of the true name cease to shine
forth. Lao Tsu was a person who disliked clinging more than
anything else, and one finds lessons on the primordially free
nature of life throughout his many and varied works.
In the course of all of our lives there are, however, many
things, such as the laws of society and the doctrines of religions,
that can slow the otherwise free-flowing movements
of the world about us. Thus, through narrow-mindedness
and rigidity, human beings forfeit their freedom and cause
the once animated beauty of life to stagnate.
God’s divine spirit can be revealed in the way of religion,
but once a religion is identified as ‘The Way,’ the original
freedom of the divine spirit is lost. In other words, the
way people speak when they proclaim dogma such as ‘This
is the way’ is not really worthy of mention. The true Way is
free change itself, and becomes manifest in the natural and
sincere actions of each and every person.
It is, for this reason, a mistake to force a religious way on
others, or to describe religion with words alone. Indeed, to
19
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
force religion upon others only smothers the profound flavor
of the divine spirit in a distasteful, often unpalatable,
crust of empty rhetoric. The true Way will only reveal itself
when each individual leads a life of sincere practice, thereby
joining in a natural manner with the spirit of divinity itself.
The same applies to names as well. We all hold a variety
of names and titles as a consequence of having been born
into a world composed of innumerable groups, organizations,
corporations, and so forth. Numerous as the titles are,
they represent little more than the superficial appellations
affixed by the various people and organizations themselves.
They have nothing to do with the true name that remains
far below the surface, concealed.
A person’s true name refers to what is more commonly
called his or her heavenly mission or divine purpose in life.
A person’s mission may be expressed in this world through a
name or title but, Lao Tsu cautions, this does not mean that
we should attach ourselves to such names. Once attached to
a single title, it becomes impossible to express the true
name, and the mission that lies beneath can easily be left
unfulfilled.
The Nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
That with name is the mother of all creation.
The Nameless—that without name—is the source of the
20
MASAHISA GOI
energy used to create the universe. The Nameless is the origin
of the positive force that works behind everything that
existed prior to the appearance of all relativistic phenomena.
This creative force and ultimate power that pervades the
universe has been termed many things over the ages. It has
been referred to as ‘God’ or the ‘Omnipotent’ by some, and
the ‘Great Life Force,’ ‘Creator,’ or ‘Way’ by others. The fact
that this Great Life Force has gone by such a variety of
names underscores an important, if often forgotten, point:
for human beings to grasp the astronomical concept of the
original energy source that lies behind everything, it is
imperative that at least a temporary title be affixed. Without
the use of names, people simply cannot comprehend.
This is why Lao Tsu adopts the term ‘The Nameless.’
And yet, even though called The Nameless, The Nameless is
itself a title. It is to avoid the confusion caused by this paradox
that I personally prefer to use the more direct term,
‘God
,’ instead.
‘God is the beginning of Heaven and Earth .’ Put in this
more readily understandable form, the meaning of Lao Tsu’s
original lines are made clear. Heaven and Earth exist within
God, and each represents a single manifestation of God’s
total being. It is important to realize, however, that the
Heaven and Earth referred to here are not simply the blue
sky and dark soil that we see when we gaze out upon the
horizon. Lao Tsu speaks here about the deeper, spiritual
21
THE SPIRIT OF LAO TsU
Heaven and Earth that express themselves via the sky and
ground for us to appreciate. Encompassing the blue sky and
earth outside, this spiritual Heaven and Earth extend within
a human being as well, continually operating there as what
is commonly referred to as ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang.’3
People have a tendency to want to attach forms to the
things about them, and it is for this reason that we often
find people craving a visual image of God almost as soon as
that name is attached. Fully aware of this predilection for
forms, Lao Tsu avoids using the terms ‘God’ or ‘Omnipotent’
and opts, instead, for the neutral expression, ‘The Nameless.’
And yet, once given a name, even The Nameless ceases
to be nameless—ceases to be God itself—and exists as nothing
more than a single manifestation of God instead. When
a title is affixed, the fine spiritual wavelengths of The
Nameless are gradually transformed into the coarser wavelengths
of material phenomena. Put in Lao Tsu’s words, that
which possesses a name then gives birth to the ‘Ten
Thousand Things’ and becomes the mother of all creation.
Take, for example, the distinction between a dishtowel
and a rag used for dusting. The same piece of cloth can be
applied to either chore, yet becomes locked into its role as
one or the other as soon as it is decided that one is to be a
dishtowel and the other a dust-rag. The respective roles of
dishtowel and dust-rag are thus determined the instant a relativistic
name is attached. Obviously not limited to dishtow-
22
MASAHISA GOI
els and dust-rags, other objects are similarly restricted by
their titles as well.
Let us turn now to the final, and related, section.
Thus, with true Nothingness one may view the mystery,
And with true Being one may perceive the barrier.
These two are of the same origin, yet their names differ. fer.
These two are called Profound.
Beyond the Profound lies the gateway to the Universal Mystery.
The expression ‘true Nothingness’ is used by Lao Tsu to
point to the same thing that he does with the expression
The Nameless: both refer to the divine reality, or ‘God.’
Within God is hidden the strange and wondrous. God is, for
this reason, also called Omnipotent, Omniscient, and All-
Able.
Just as it is possible for us to behold aspects of this
divine Reality itself, we can also discern ‘barriers’ or distinctions
in the ways in which this Reality manifests itself. Lao
Tsu goes on to say that because both are manifestations of
the same, ultimate Reality, they differ in name only.
Both, on the other hand, can be called Profound. The
Profound is the phenomenal representation of the
Omnipotent, Omniscient, and mysterious spiritual existence
of God Itself. Timeless and possessing infinite depth and
width, this mysterious spiritual entity called ‘the Profound’
23
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
by Lao Tsu is, likewise, said to have given birth to all creation.
Indeed, nothing is more difficult than trying to describe
God. When writing a manuscript such as this, one is faced
with the all-but-impossible task of wielding the written word
to depict something invisible and untouchable, and capable
of instantly taking on an infinitely grand or minuscule form.
In short, one cannot escape from having to rely upon phenomenal
forms when describing God to others. As a consequence,
people are often left puzzled after listening to the
incredible rhetoric philosophers and others frequently resort
to when attempting to depict the Divine, and all that they
retain from it is a vague sense of satisfaction over having
added to the store of their knowledge.
A simple review of some of the terms used by Lao Tsu to
describe The Divine (God) should be more than adequate to
convince the reader of the enormity of this problem. Take,
for example, the character gen (t) in Japanese. By itself, gen
means profound, mysterious, or sublime. It may also be
combined with the character for ‘person’ (hito A), to form
the compound ‘expert’ (kuroto tA). The expert is the master
of a given way and therefore holds the highest and most
magnificent powers in that way. Remove the ‘person’ from
this compound, and we are left with gen alone—the highest
being in every and all ways. We are, in short, left with God.
Yet human beings cannot fully comprehend the reality
24
MASAHISA GOI
of God via the small, individual self. Only when one discards
the restricted self and becomes Emptiness (Kuu~)
itself is it possible to enter deep within the divine spirit of
God. Lao Tsu concludes by stating that this Emptiness can
be either shallow or deep. Whether shallow or deep, it is,
nevertheless, Profound.
25
Chapter 2
THE SAGE IS IN THE REALM
OF NO-ACTION
If everyone under Heaven knows what makes beauty beautiful,
This can only be bad.
If everyone knows what makes the good good,
This can only be evil.
Being and nothingness live side by side,
Troubles and ease are together made.
Short is used to measure long,
High and low each other face,
Noise and voice in mutual harmony sound,
Before and after together yield.
The Sage that takes hold of this lives in the realm of
No-action, and teaches the lesson of no words.
It made the Ten Thousand Things
But does not speak.
It gives birth
But does not own.
It performs
26
MASAHISA GOI
But does not rely upon.
It achieves
But is not present.
Only this has no presence.
Take hold of this, and you will not part.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 2
The meaning of this chapter may be summarized in a single
phrase: the Sage’ is one who has gone beyond the relativistic
world and resides in the realm of No-action without attaching
himself’ to any things, circumstances or events. He is
not proud of having performed this feat on his own, nor
does he focus his attention there; regardless of the energies
expended, he does not cling to his achievements. To exist in
this realm of the Sage means to spare others trouble and to
reside within their hearts forever. Lao Tsu is here describing
this free and unrestricted realm of spiritual liberation within
which the Sage dwells.
To have a sense of beauty, it is also necessary to have a
sense for the form of its relative opposite, ugliness. To know
good is also to know that bad stands in contrast to it.
Everything prior to The Sage that takes hold of this in this
chapter describes this relativistic world, and this is why we
find ‘being’ placed with `nothingness,’ ‘troubles’ with ‘ease,’
27
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
‘short’ with `long ,”high’ with ‘low,’ and ‘before’ with ‘after.’
Mu-i ( No-action) is the most important single word
used in this chapter. Just what is the meaning of Mu-i (Noaction)
as used here?
Mu-i is used in everyday Japanese speech in the expression
‘to remain idle and do nothing but eat.’ This is, however,
very different from Lao Tsu’s Mu-i.
There are those Lao Tsu specialists who depict him as a
pessimist and view his philosophy as negativistic because of
this concept of Mu-i. Such interpretations do not do Lao Tsu
service. Lao Tsu was a divine being who far surpassed the relative
terms of optimism or pessimism and who acted in this
world from the deepest-of-deep, emptiest-of-empty realms at
the root of the Great Life Force itself.
When describing this to others, Lao Tsu spoke in a completely
natural manner without imposing ideas of ‘should’
or ‘must.’ In this way, Lao Tsu’s every word and action was
converted into light which was, in turn, cast upon others
and on the rest of the world about him.
The Great Life Force moves on its own in an animated
fashion—this is the essence of Lao Tsu. Knowing this, I feel I
understand Lao Tsu and, while it is impossible to express
with words or pen, I sense the intense waves of life-energy
that flow from Lao Tsu now sinking deep into my own
body.
`Do this ,’ ‘do that,’ ‘you must do it this way’—this is
28
MASAHISA GOI
how things operate with most people in the world today.
The true Sage, on the other hand, always acts as a medium
for the laws of divine and spiritual worlds, transmitting
them via his or her material body to the physical world.
Never does the Sage act upon the orders of the physical
brain. This is how one acts in No-action, how one resides in
Mu-i.
Even in the case of the physical body, the heart, lungs,
stomach, and other organs do not operate upon the conscious
command of our brains, but function naturally on
their own, for as long as we remain healthy. Our thoughts
should operate in the same natural manner. Somewhere
along the line, though, thoughts have become separated
from the various physical organs of the body.
The problem of thoughts becoming separate from the
body may be readily understood from the following example:
if one were to focus one’s thoughts only upon one’s
heart, it is most probable that one would suffer some disorder.
The same holds true for all of the other organs—lungs,
intestines, liver, and so on. The most healthy times are those
in which no thoughts are being focused on the various
organs whatsoever.
Even if people do not generally think it true, it is precisely
the same with the spirit. People generally fall into a deep
melancholy whenever they attempt to consciously move
their spirit to achieve a goal they feel they must accomplish.
29
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
As a result, they handle everything with the accumulated
experience stored in their memories; what is more, most
think this to be the natural human condition.
The fact is, however, that virtually all the sages and
saints of old—not just Lao Tsu—rejected the practice of relying
upon cerebral knowledge and turning things over and
over in one’s head prior to taking action. Why? Because, just
as Lao Tsu says, it is impossible for humanity to fully separate
itself from the pain of this relativistic world using the
limited knowledge of the physical brain alone.
For the average person, though, this might sound preposterous.
Most people feel that we are unable to act until
we have engendered the action within our physical brain.
But Lao Tsu is not speaking as an ordinary, unawakened person.
Lao Tsu is speaking here as a Sage, and it is here that
the fundamental difference between Sage and unawakened
person is made strikingly clear. What appears impossible to
the unawakened person is a matter of no concern to the
Saint or Sage. Regardless of how good a job an unawakened
person may do in deceiving others into believing that they
reside in this realm of Mu-i, the flaws in their half-baked
enlightenment will surface in time, and their students will
begin to question if their teacher’s are truly the actions of
No-action. Thus, in the end, one will fall far below the average
people whom one has placed oneself so high above.
To live in the realm of No-action is by no means easy to
30
MASAHISA GOI
realize in practice, and here arises the quite natural doubt of
how such a life is possible.
Most think that it is because of our ability to plan, conduct
jobs, and manage affairs with others using the intellect
that the individual is then able to lead a normal life. There
are even those angered by talk of No-action, who say that all
position and wealth are products of constant planning; a life
without thinking things over or planning is, for these people,
unthinkable. I suppose there are even those who wish to
be spared such teachings, stating outright their opinion that
there is no need for saints or sages, and that there is no possibility
that they themselves could ever become one.
While certainly true of times past, the present is a particularly
difficult age to be leading a Lao Tsu-ian life of Noaction.
One would think that, among the many Lao Tsu
scholars who take pleasure in reading his words and appreciating
these with their intellect, there would be some who
realize that the true Lao Tsu exists prior to the words he left
behind, and that it is the motions of his life force—the
stream of light flowing from him—that is of primary importance.
Few, however, show any real signs of understanding
this truth. I am fortunate in being able to clearly see Lao Tsu
as a river of life and an emitter of light; and yet, I am still
frequently halted while writing these essays on Lao Tsu by
the frustrating question of how to bring others to understand
what Lao Tsu is really like. I think this true Lao Tsu is
31
THE SPIRIT OF LAO TsU
expressed most successfully by the poem ‘Lao Tsu’ which
appears as the Prologue to this volume and in my anthology
of poems entitled Prayer, but by no means do I believe that
using prose to describe Lao Tsu is an easy task. One is
plagued by the fact that the more one writes about Lao Tsu,
the more one is confused by him. On the other hand, one is
obliged to explain each of his words fully. When I try to
tackle the single term Mu-i (No-action), for example, I find it
all but impossible to express with pen alone the limitless
depth and breadth of Mu-i, or the myriad worlds that continue
endlessly to spring from it.
Setting this problem aside for the moment, however, let
us move on to describe what practical steps the average person
can take to enter this realm of No-action.
The first step towards this state of Mu-i is made when a
person comes to believe in the existence and great love of
God. Starting from this spirit of belief, the person walks, in
complete entrustment, one step at a time down the path
towards Mu-i.
I suggest that those not familiar with the term Mu-i (Noaction)
think of the famous passage ‘Emptiness is all Things’
that appears in the famous Hannya Sutra:
‘Things’ are all empty .
Emptiness is all Things.
32
MASAHISA GOI
As pointed out in my book Love, Peace, and Prayer, it
would not be wrong to think of the second phrase,
‘Emptiness is all Things ,’ as representing the same realm that
is described by the term Mu-i.
What is responsible for disturbing people’s fortunes is
none other than the thoughts that fill the minds of all of us.
It is thought waves, stirred by feelings of jealousy, hate,
anger, sadness, and misfortune, that set the winds into
motion; there is no misfortune or sadness intrinsic to
human beings themselves. Does a person sense misfortune
or sadness when sound asleep? Of course not. A person’s
thoughts leave the physical body when asleep and, while the
body itself may continue to exist as before, no emotions
arise while one is resting soundly.
The meaning of the above is that, if a person’s thoughts
are not placed within sadness and misfortune, the person
will not experience sadness and misfortune at all. Buddhism
thus focuses on exercises to eliminate these thoughts entirely
and to enter the state called Kuu6 (Emptiness).
Human beings, as I frequently point out, are not simply
physical entities. On the contrary, the physical body is nothing
more than a single manifestation of the resonance of the
human spirit. Anyone who has conducted psycho-spiritual
research will readily understand that a human being holds
many other embodiments in addition to his physical one,
and I think that those who understand and concentrate on
33
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
the following can bring out their divinity rapidly:
1) More important than the peripheral (the physical) is
that human beings live within the Great Life Force (God) as
embodiments of bright light itself.
2) Human beings are existences who can freely manifest
the world they wish for in their present surroundings as long
as they refrain from latching onto their thoughts.
In Buddhism, people practice Zazen’ to reach Kuu
(Emptiness). It is true that this world can become divine by
having everyone enter the state of Kuu, where we all thrive
as manifestations of the bright spirit that flows therefrom.
This is not, however, easy to achieve in practice.
This is where the action of prayer becomes necessary. By
holding to the spirit of prayer and leading our daily lives
with all of our thoughts thrown into the great love of the
Divine Spirit of God, we may enter a spiritual state, unsoiled,
and without pain, close to the realm of Kuu. Once having
achieved that state, we will naturally come to dwell within
the world of Kuu itself, and the wondrous life of acting in
No-action will be cast open.
That is why, rather than fixing your thoughts on the
state of Mu-i, towering high above from the very beginning,
I.think it is more natural to focus on a readily-achievable
goal, such as the Prayer for World Peace. This is a way to
awaken oneself and the rest of humanity at the same time.
Transported by saving rays from the Divine World, everyone
34
MASAHISA GOI
will, in time, naturally be moved into the realm of acting in
No-action.
By living every day within the prayer for world peace, I
believe that all people can be elevated into Lao Tsu’s realm
of Mu-i.
35
4″. `
~
Lao 7’s
i Calli
graphy byY) M
asahisa
Goi
.CS.Sr+. ~~~~
Chapter 3
IT IS NOT KNOWN WHOSE CHILD I AM
BUT I AM THE IMAGE
OF WHAT CAME BEFORE THE RULER.
The Way is like an empty vessel
Yet with use, it may not be filled.
Like the deep,
It is the forefather of the Ten Thousand Things.
It blunts the sharp and untangles disputes.
It tempers light, yet is the same as dust.
It exists like that which overflows.
It is not known whose child I am,
But I am the image of w hat came beforet he Ruler.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 4
37
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
In classical Chinese, the verses in this chapter are written
like this. Difficult as it may seem, I think that Chinese writing
has a special quality about it that is lost if presented in
another fashion. Chinese writing seems to be particularly
well-suited for lectures on religion or the Way. If one
endeavors to read the words of Lao Tsu or of others in their
original form, their true spirit becomes perfectly clear without
any need for rearrangement or translation whatsoever.
Present-day human beings have become extremely
numb to the effect of written images, however, because of
their desire for a cerebral understanding of everything they
come into contact with. Rather than decide issues instinctively
with our hearts, we tend to judge things rationally
with the knowledge stored in our brain. One might even
conclude that this favoring of the cerebral over the instinctual
is, in fact, a distinguishing characteristic of society in
general today.
Moving on to our discussion of the chapter itself, this
fourth chapter in Lao Tsu’s book Dotokukyo describes the
person who has made the Way a part of oneself, and it likewise
depicts the true being of Lao Tsu.
Let us turn now to a step-by-step analysis of each portion
of this chapter.
The Way is like an empty vessel,
Yet with use, it may not be filled.
38
Many interpret the words ‘empty vessel’ as ‘it will not fill’ or
simply ‘empty;’ Lao Tsu, however, uses this term to express
something far more profound than merely ‘not full.’ Just as
Kuu (”.), commonly considered to mean ‘emptiness’, does
not simply mean ‘empty’ or ‘nothing’ in Buddhism, so, too,
does chu (4) (empty plate, pitcher or vessel) here represent
what in the world of words is undefinable, what in the
world of shapes is immeasurable, and what, when reached
for or grabbed at, proves intangible.
Lao Tsu goes on to say that when one then tries to make
use of this Way—when one attempts, in other words, to
make manifest the workings of the Life Force of God—its
uses will be unlimited. There will never be too much for it
and it may, thus, never be filled completely.
Like the deep,
It is the forefather of the Ten Thousand Things.
These two lines evoke the immeasurable depth and tranquility
of the Way, the source of all things in existence. They let
us sense the great power that resides at the inner depths of
the deep and silent.
Between the lines, these words tell of the way of life
which must inevitably be taken by those who have attained
the Way. I will attempt to clarify this step by step while
making reference to the well-know phrase Wakodojin8 (*U5
39
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
HIS—’soften the light so that it may mingle with the dust’).
It blunts the sharp and untangles disputes.
It tempers light, yet is the same as dust.
To `blunt the sharp’ and to ‘temper light’ here mean for the
person who has mastered the Way to soften his or her
knowledge and talents and thus not expose the keen edge of
the Self. One must, in this way, settle disputes and handle
all matters as smoothly as a needle being passed through a
piece of cloth.
Or, using the light metaphor, Lao Tsu cautions us
against harshly focusing light upon people when shining
forth the light of God, and warns that it is important to
adjust this light to appropriately match each and every individual.
One should always radiate a soft and peaceful light
that shines as evenly upon the unfortunate—those
immersed in `dust’—as it does upon the gifted or fortunate.
This passage thus teaches that the light of harmony shines
equally upon the pure and impure—the famous lesson of
Wakodojin.
It is important that we, too, avoid the tendency of, on
the one hand, preaching or talking down to others on the
pretense that we understand while, on the other hand, conversing
freely only with those who hold the same beliefs as
our own. We must always think of the other’s position, and
40
MASAHISA GOI
join with them in heart, striving in the spirit of consideration
to communicate with new people of a wide variety of
social strata.
Indeed, there are many cases of people pursuing the
Way even though they do not begin with that as their objective,
and there are even examples of people beginning on
the Way while they appear on the surface to be seeking
nothing more than simple utilitarian ends. It must be
remembered that, regardless of what ends the individual
may be seeking, deep within him or her there is a person in
pursuit of the Way. It is thus our duty to listen to even the
most superficial talk of utilitarian phenomena, in addition
to what one might consider to be more interesting or meaningful
discussions.
It may also be said that the same Way that leads one
person to enlightenment ceases to be the true Way once it is
forced upon others as the only way. Why? Because such a
way only becomes a restrictive nuisance when viewed from
the position of the other, causing him or her to gradually
turn against it.
The Way is the working of the Life Force of God Itself
and, with everything inside its limitless spirit, it is a path
that anyone may easily enter upon. It is not, therefore, the
kind of thing that need be forced on people. Simply informing
people that they are already treading upon it should be
adequate explanation in and of itself. As divisions, or por-
41
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
tions, of the Life Force of God, all are God’s children. As
children of God, we are all equal. There are no differences in
Life itself.
When it comes to life in the human world, however, distinctions
arise between upper and lower, superior and inferior,
and so forth. If one then asks what it was that imposed
these distinctions of high and low, superior and inferior,
upon human life in the first place, one is forced to conclude
that this must have been something other than the Life
Force Itself.
Put simply, all of these distinctions result from the lingering
echoes of human thoughts. Thoughts that impede
one’s own life likewise interfere with the lives of others. This
is why I am always urging people to return all thoughts, via
prayer, to the divine spirit of God, to revert to our original
form as part of the Divine Life Force, and to complete our
worldly missions. Lao Tsu is one who mastered this truth.
We are brought now to the next and final line—a line
that contains all of the magnitude and incredible vivacity of
which Lao Tsu is capable.
It is not known whose child I am,
but I am the image of what came before the Ruler.
Lao Tsu refers to the Way as ‘I’ in this passage. If one is not
careful, it is easy to make the mistake of interpreting this ‘I’
42
MASAHISA GOI
to mean only ‘Way.’ If this were the case, Lao Tsu would
have said something like ‘whose child is the Way’ or ‘it is
not known whose child the Way is,’ for example. Lao Tsu
does not use ‘Way’ here, but intentionally uses the word ‘I’
instead. We may gain a glimpse of the truly phenomenal
scale of Lao Tsu if we go on to consider his use of the word
‘I’ here in a bit more detail .
Lao Tsu, as I have written elsewhere, is a person who
expresses the eternal Life Force. It may actually be best to
consider him as someone who appeared in this world in
order to represent this eternal Life Force. For this reason, Lao
Tsu describes himself as none other than the Way by using
‘Way’ interchangeably with ‘I’ in this chapter . Put in another
way, Lao Tsu here is saying that he is one with God. His
was a supreme faith—no, the term ‘supreme faith’ is not
necessary in Lao Tsu’s case, for Lao Tsu’s was a far more
basic and fundamental spirit that made faith a matter of
course, something totally natural. According to Lao Tsu, the
Way is the Self itself. Lao Tsu exists as a person at one with
the great Life Force of God. The Way is, thus, not something
separate from Lao Tsu and, just as Lao Tsu is the Way, the
Way is Lao Tsu.
It is this natural spirit that calls the Way ‘I’, that says ‘It
is not known whose child I am,’ and that states that this is a
manifestation of the absolute being, God. Given this, the
phrase that follows, ‘but I am the image of what came before
43
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
the Ruler,’ becomes a truism as well.
The word ‘ruler’ as used in China meant ‘person at the
center of the empire.’ We are here given yet another glimpse
of Lao Tsu’s true magnanimity as he challenges the common
conception of ruler by stating that there exists something
prior to the ‘person at the center of the empire.’ Lao Tsu
states clearly that this something is the Way, in other words,
Lao Tsu himself.
The Way is, for Lao Tsu, the origin of everything. To say
that the Way stands prior to all images and objects means
that all the universe moves atop of it, i.e., atop the divine
spirit and works of the Absolute Being (Universal God).
While the universe moves ultimately according to the infinite
wisdom of the Universal God, the Universal God does
not directly involve itself in this, but, rather, manages everything
via the various divinities and spirits. All of the divinities
that appear in Japan’s Kojiki9, for instance, were in this
way named for their particular function. Some even have
distinct personalities as well.
In this sense, it is interesting to note that no historical
traces remain for those who wish to explain Lao Tsu as
someone who was born into this world as a normal child,
underwent various acetic practices and, as a result, entered
the path of enlightenment. Unlike the Buddha, Christ,
Confucius, and many other famous saints and sages who left
various oral and written records behind, Lao Tsu was virtual-
44
MASAHISA GOI
ly ignored by all historical chronicles.
Why? Because, as Lao Tsu is saying to me as I sit here in
my room at this moment, he was not a physical human
being born, as others are, of physical parents, but was a person
of spiritual body, a divine being able to appear at any
time, any place. This is also why Lao Tsu can identify himself
with the Way, just as it is perfectly natural for the historical
figure Buddha—born as a physical person into this
world—to say ‘I am the Buddha of the greatest victory, the
Buddha of the greatest wisdom.’
45
Chapter 4
HEAVEN
ARE NOT
AND EARTH
BENEVOLENT
Heaven and Earth are not benevolent;
They treat the Ten Thousand Things as straw dolls.
The sage is not benevolent;
He treats the commoners’° as straw dolls.
The space between Heaven and Earth is
like that inside of the bellows:
Empty, it may not be exhausted;
The more it moves the more it ushers forth.
Many words, though, cause it to jam.
Best, then, to protect the middle.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 5
46
MASAHISA GOI
Heaven and Earth are not benevolent;
They treat the Ten Thousand Things as straw dolls.
The sage is not benevolent;
He treats the commoners as straw dolls.
Heaven and Earth did not spawn the myriad of things by
first drafting a plan or devising a theory. Heaven and Earth
are, instead, continuously giving birth to and extinguishing
things, in a perfectly natural way. This is not to say that they
act out of malevolence, but simply means that they treat the
Ten Thousand Things (i.e., all of creation) as ‘straw dolls.”‘
The Sage—whose outstretched hand does not attempt to
save the commoner (i.e., unawakened person), but naturally
leaves him in his discarded condition—likewise seems to act
out of a similar attitude of disinterest.
The above describes the superficial meaning of the opening
lines of this chapter. The teaching of Lao Tsu contained
within these words, however, is that Heaven and Earth do
not create and destroy things in accordance with the individual
wishes of human beings. Rather, the power of Heaven
and Earth simply follows the laws of nature, executing these
laws as they are.
If, on the other hand, the movements of the universe
were carried out by a Heaven and Earth that had some sort
of plan or that possessed consciousness of self, these laws
47
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
would be thrown into disorder every time something
occurred apart from the main line of the all-encompassing
activities of the Universal God. Disruption of the laws of the
universe would mean that the unity of things would be
destroyed, that this world would be cast into disarray, and
that the very existence of the Ten Thousand Things themselves
would be imperiled. This is why Lao Tsu says it is best
that Heaven and Earth do not practice selfish affection separate
from the spirit of the Universal God.
Just think of what it would be like if Heaven and Earth
had an ego and controlled everything according to their
own likes and preferences. The rain falls and the wind blows
in accordance with the laws of nature, but this does not
mean that they represent the willful spirit of Heaven and
Earth.
The laws of nature apply equally to humankind.
Thought waves emitted from one’s own self, for example,
join with other waves and return in similar form some time
later in one’s life, as suggested by such sayings as ‘Hate and
Be Hated,”Hit and Be Hit,’ and similar adages.
Thus, a person’s fate is totally of his or her own making,
and it is quite absurd to think that one’s misfortunes were
created by someone else.
On the other hand, it sometimes happens that even
though one may try hard to do good things for someone
else, one’s actions are not appreciated by the other person
48
MASAH ISA GOI
no matter how assiduously one may work on their behalf.
This is either because the motive behind one’s actions is still
impure and lacks genuine concern for the other, or because
one has a heavy karmic debt to that person from a previous
lifetime. If the latter is the case, it is important to devote
oneself more and more to working for the other person’s
happiness, or else to pray for the person’s missions to be
accomplished.
Just as individuals create their own futures with their
own thoughts, so, too, does humanity construct its own circumstances.
Even large-scale occurrences like natural disasters
are brought about by the thoughts and actions of
human beings.
The universal laws and the laws governing thought
waves are thus immovable. Therefore, if one wants to alter
one’s fate, one must put one’s thoughts and actions on the
track of the Universal Law. In other words, one needs to
attune one’s thoughts and actions to the vibrations of the
Universal God.
Next, we should address the question of what kind of
lifestyle the Sage leads. Simply stated, the Sage exists just as
Heaven and Earth do, never imposing thoughts of self upon
others while functioning in a totally natural manner. This is
why the Sage remains undisturbed, even by the sight of
farmers laboring at their jobs. He is only moved by the spirit
of nature. To the average person, however, he appears to be
49
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
lacking compassion.
The Sage can discern the way of life that is best suited to
each individual; his mission is to awaken people to the true
spirit of God while they are in the process of extinguishing
their karma from past lifetimes.
If one attempts to uplift people who have wandered
from the Universal Law only by relieving their current suffering—
while doing nothing to reorient them towards their
true path—the results will not be true or lasting. The value
of the Sage thus lies in his teaching people how to bring out
the essential divine Self, while living and working within the
particular situation in which each of them has been placed,
so that they naturally extract themselves from their karmic
ways of life.
The Sage is empty of all thoughts of self and, living
within the lifestyle of Mu-i he or she interacts with others in
a perfectly natural manner. To live in a perfectly natural way
means that the light of the Universal God shines forth to the
rest of us as well; the simple fact of the Sage’s presence is a
definite plus for others.
A great benevolence shines from deep within what at
first glance appears to be an uncaring way of life.
The space between Heaven and Earth is
like that inside of the bellows:
Empty, it may not be exhausted;
50
MASAHISA GOI
The more it moves the more it ushers forth.
The ‘bellows’ referred to here is the same as that used by the
blacksmith. The space between Heaven and Earth is just like
the empty box that lies within the bellows: the harder the
bellows is pumped, the stronger the breeze that comes from
inside. An inexhaustible breeze comes from within something
totally empty.
The Way between Heaven and Earth is similar to this. It,
too, appears to be a vacuum, empty. Its strength is, however,
inexhaustible and immeasurable. In a word, the power of
Heaven and Earth is truly infinite.
Many words, though, cause it to jam.
Best, then, to protect the middle.
Heaven and Earth possess an infinite power that, when
exerted, has no end. This power is not the sort of strength
that can be recklessly discharged at will, however, and it is
always employed according to the laws of the universe.
Upon gaining even the slightest power, human beings,
on the other hand, immediately want to see it applied. With
knowledge of only a fraction of the whole, a human being
wants to run out and announce the newly gained ‘wisdom’
to all. The chatterbox does not hold any influence over people,
though, and the more the person talks the deeper
51
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
becomes his or her plight.
While possessing the same immeasurable power as
Heaven and Earth, it is important that we exert this power
in a way that matches each particular time and place. We
must, in short, live by ‘protecting the middle.’
It is not easy to defend the middle in practice, however,
and there are few actually capable of doing so. Lao Tsu
addresses his teachings to other awakened people and, as a
result, those teachings seem impossible to achieve when
directly conveyed to the average person. This is why I continue
to give lessons in Lao Tsu, and labor to lay a gentle
path to the Way of the Sages.
The Mean or Middle is a term that frequently appears in
Confucius as well. Human beings have a difficult time protecting
the middle, and constantly veer left or right.
The primary meaning of this chapter is that, just as
Heaven and Earth move in accordance with the laws of
nature so, too, does the Sage submerge his ego and live perfectly
naturally within the spirit of the Universal God.
Special emphasis is thus placed on the fact that a perfectly
natural way of life does not favor left or right, is
beyond the grasp of all karmic thoughts, and protects the
middle.
Observing the Japanese political arena, for example, we
find that almost everyone seems to be either a conservative,
a communist, or a socialist. Indeed, it appears that not a sin-
52
MASAHISA GOI
gle politician who ‘protects the middle’ stands atop the
podium today.
Perhaps this is why I am frequently left feeling that the
people of this world put faith only in self-important types
who capriciously tell others to go this way or that while at
the same time turning a deaf ear to the voice of a person of
truth, calling from a realm far beyond the waves of karmic
thoughts to awaken them. Just as Lao Tsu teaches that the
Sage’s handling of the ordinary person as a ‘straw doll’ is
only at first glance malevolent, so does the person who
speaks of the way to develop one’s original, divine spirit
refrain from pointing a finger at others and telling them to
act in any particular manner. Nor does he or she manage
things for their benefit. We ought to live by avoiding, as
much as possible, handling others as straw dolls, opting
instead to promote a method that helps people bring out
their intrinsic divinity while opening the way for the mission
of humanity. This method is prayer for world peace.
A person with this singular focus on prayer will not veer
to the left or right but is, instead, someone who protects the
middle. This is because prayer is the act of casting all
thoughts into the spirit of God—that is to say, of immersing
all thoughts deep within one’s inner, divine spirit. The self
that has, in this way, been thrown inside the spirit of God is
no longer tossed about by waves of karmic thoughts.
Perfectly naturally, it becomes, instead, a self enlivened
53
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
by new life from the spirit of God. One who lives within the
spirit of prayer at all times—even if unable to attain the perfection
of a sage such as Lao Tsu, who is beyond the act of
prayer altogether—can, at any moment, perform actions
close to those of the Sage with surprising ease.
It is difficult, however, to practice ‘protection of the
middle’ in today’s complex political and social conditions.
Rather than starting with phrases like ‘defend the middle,’ it
is important to take the first steps down the path that is naturally
created whenever a person adopts an attitude of ‘protecting
the middle.’ This way is the way of the Prayer for
World Peace.
‘World Peace
,’ of course, means Great Harmony. The
way to World Peace resonates in perfect unison with the
spirit of the Universal God, favoring neither left nor right,
and protecting the middle. It is a path that all of humanity
aspires to.
The movement for world peace through prayer is the
true Way of the Middle. Rather than concentrate on difficult
theoretical terms used to describe the teachings of the Sages
of old, all of the lessons of the Sages will come alive for you
if you simply entrust your life to the singular thought of
prayer.
Direct translations of Lao Tsu’s text tend to be of little
benefit to most. Even if people read him or listen to lectures
such as these, most are left feeling ‘Oh, so that is what Lao
54
MASAHISA GOI
Tsu’s about. But that’s of no use to me.’ Direct translations
seem to offer little direction to the lives of most people.
That is why I have taken Lao Tsu’s elevated and profound
teachings, brought them down to a more readily
understandable level, and, naturally blending with them,
have laid their meaning bare for all.
Humanity lives at the crossroads of the ideals of Heaven
(the vertical plane) and the realities of Earth (the horizontal
plane). The Way of life is to Protect the Middle; the method
is to pray the prayer for world peace.
55
Chapter 5
HEAVEN IS ETERNAL, EARTH IS LONG
Heaven is eternal, Earth is long.
The reason for their longevity—
they do not think to create themselves.
The Sage who holds to this puts himself behind and is, thus, first.
Puts his body outside and, thus, exists within.
Is it not he without self who is well made?
Dotokukyo, Chapter 7
56
MASAHISA GOI
Heaven is eternal, Earth is long.
The reason for their longevity—
they do not think to create themselves.
Heaven and Earth are said to be timeless because they have
no self, No-action (Mu-i „ L ,) and no-intentions (Mu-shin
Heaven does not hold any thoughts of itself as Heaven,
nor does Earth wish to exist as Earth. Heaven and Earth are
totally devoid of any ego that wishes to show itself or
emphasize its own existence, and only serve in their roles as
Heaven and Earth because that is what the spirit of the
Universal God indicated they should do.
Not having a self apart from the heart of the Universal
God, Heaven and Earth exist as the very spirit of the
Universal God. This is why there is no ephemeral beginning
or end when speaking of Heaven or Earth; this is why they
are called timeless.
If the people of this world raise their eyes up to the vast
reaches of the heavens in times of worry, brooding, or concern,
the finite being called the self will be immediately
absorbed within the unlimited depths of the spirit of Heaven
and its timeless work, becoming a vast and deep spirit just
like that of Heaven, leaving worldly cares behind. This is the
spirit about which the Emperor Meiji12 wrote in the following
poem:
57
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
The spring sky overhead—
May my spirit be as vast as its reaches.
Turning next to consider the blessings bestowed by the
great Mother Earth, one is struck by its unbounded, completely
selfless love. Without receiving any reward from us,
Mother Earth continually gives birth and sustains the many
things essential to our existence. Untarnished, un-proud,
and unselfish, the deep spirit of Heaven and Earth continually
embraces mankind within its merciful heart.
Viewed against the great love of the Universal God
responsible for having created this Heaven and Earth, one
cannot help but laugh over human beings’ trivial feuds and
constant arguments over the most minor of issues.
The present divided condition of the nations of this
world—countries working only to extend their own borders
while threatening one another with all manner of military
technology—is contrary to the spirit of God. This is, moreover,
in direct opposition to the spirit of No-action/no-desire
of Heaven and Earth.
The Sage who holds to this puts himself behind and is, thus, first.
Puts. his body outside and thus exists within.
Is it not he without self who is well made?
Ultimately, all human beings are meant to live the lifestyle
58
MASAH I SA GOI
of the Sage. Yet I imagine most may have difficulty in understanding
Lao Tsu’s original words. Permit me, then, to
explain this passage in some greater detail.
A person who is capable of leading the life of Heaven
and Earth described in the previous passage is called a Sage.
Put another way, the Sage is Heaven and Earth expressed via
the human form.
Lao Tsu states that the Sage ‘puts his body outside.’ This
phrase is usually interpreted as describing the life of placing
others first, while putting one’s own benefit second. Much is
lost in this kind of standardized interpretation, however.
The truly profound teaching contained in the words
‘puts his body outside’ is that by giving second place to the
interests of the physical self, a human being is then able to
lead a life in which the true body—the Spiritual Body, the
body that exists as a part of the Universal Life Force—is
placed first.
Just as Heaven and Earth are expressions of the everlasting
life force, so, too, is a human being a manifestation of
this everlasting and eternal life energy. A person’s true form
is eternal life itself. The Spiritual Body is this eternal life.
Divided among everyone, this eternal life force works
throughout the universe to help manifest the spirit of the
Universal God.
One of the functions of this Spiritual Body is to manifest
itself in the material world as the physical body. It is when
59
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
we forget that the physical body is only a manifestation of
the Spiritual Body and begin thinking that humans are no
more than their physical bodies that all trouble and strife
present in the world today first emerge.
The person called the Sage knows well the origin of this
trouble and lives with the physical self subordinate, the
Spiritual Body primary. The life of the physical body will, in
turn, be freely lived once the Spiritual Body takes first place.
As the reader has probably already discerned, the words
that follow:
…and, thus, exists within.
Is it not he without self who is well made?”
mean that it is important to place the physical body outside
of the soul and to work according to the spirit transmitted
via the Spiritual Body. The Spiritual Body works as the spirit
of God, and is actually just like Heaven and Earth: selfless.
Acting out of this Spiritual Body (or, putting the same
expression into my own terms—acting out of the divine Self)
the individual can lead a splendid, yet settled, life. Using
Buddhist terminology, this is called a perfectly free body and
soul.
To return to the essential, divine Self and overcome the
tendency of favoring the physical, it is necessary to restore
the physical body to its original position—to ‘put the body
60
MASAHISA GOI
on the outside.’ It is necessary to practice living as the
Spiritual Body itself without dwelling on the physical.
If one had come to this world directly in the Spiritual
Body (as did Lao Tsu), putting these teachings into practice
would pose no problem. But, for most, living with the physical
self ‘on the outside’ presents an extremely difficult task.
Regardless of how difficult, however, it is essential that we
lead the kind of life Lao Tsu describes if we are to develop as
well-rounded individuals and complete ourselves as people
of truth.
The universe is infinitely wide and infinitely deep. The
number of planets similar to earth is, likewise, unlimited.
Lately, an increasing amount of attention has been focused
(even on this planet) upon the universe. Leaving aside the
question of motives,. the U.S.-Soviet space race has, in this
sense, been a good thing. As a consequence, we now live in
an age in which it is absolute nonsense to pretend that there
is no relation between life on earth and life on other planets.
The earth is not alone, and all the stars and planets in
the universe exist together mutually affecting one another.
This is the same in principle as the way in which the nations
of this planet coexist, mutually influencing one another,
regardless of whether or not each is aware that this is in fact
the case.
Our field of vision is gradually expanding and, in contrast
with the parochial people of old who lived out their
61
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
lives without ever venturing beyond the borders of their
immediate neighborhoods, the attention of people today
has spread, not only beyond their homes, but to other
nations as well. This broadening awareness is just now
beginning to include all of the universe. While it is true that,
as one person pointed out to me the other day, some people
still find the idea of consulting the rest of the universe of little
benefit in settling our own earthly disorders, such people
can only be termed ignorant of the true interconnectedness
of the universe. Just as decisions in the U.S. can have an
immediate, and powerful, impact on Japan, so, too, can the
movements of the universe have an impact on the future of
this planet as well.
Lao Tsu, Shakyamuni13, and Jesus knew well this principle
of interconnectedness, and their teachings were, in fact,
all based on it. There are those who will denounce belief in
such things as extraterrestrial beings, but it is certain that
such life forms really do exist and are, moreover, constantly
interacting with us. This truth was clearly taught by
Shakyamuni and may be found in the many religious texts
recorded by his followers.
I think it is time people freed themselves from such foolish
ideas as that humans live only in this physical world, or
that life exists only on this planet. Otherwise they will be
limited to interpreting Lao Tsu and others’ teachings as
nothing more than idealistic descriptions of utopian condi-
62
MASAHISA GOI
tions. Such people will thus be forced into casually denying
the wisdom of Lao Tsu by saying that we cannot possibly
realize such teachings in practice.
The teachings of Lao Tsu, Shakyamuni, and Jesus can be
practiced. Until now, however, the motions of the universe
have been composed of waves that have made it extremely
difficult for humans to practice the truth. This is why I think
that those who previously performed saintly deeds must
have been truly outstanding figures.
Today, on the other hand, the natural movement of the
universe is pushing the Earth into a higher position, one
step closer to the heart of the Universal God; and accordingly,
the disharmonious manifestations that I call karmic
thought waves, which have been erupting all over the planet
with tremendous vigor, are being rapidly extinguished. As a
result, individuals or groups that attune their vibrations to
the harmonious spirit of the Universal God will naturally be
raised to a state where they can then operate more freely.
Universal beings—angels of the universe—are now working
to help speed this process.
It should be recalled that everything in this world exists
in the form of waves and that there is, at this very moment,
a movement underway to correct all waves that deviated
from the Universal Laws—waves that have left the path of
Universal Principles.
Lao Tsu’s teachings point toward this path, and in all of
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
his works we can hear Lao Tsu saying ‘Listen, everyone—it
may require some effort to place yourselves upon the path of
the universal law, but once you have overcome these hardships,
do not swerve from the path. What kind of path is it?
It’s this kind.’
If, on the other hand, one places the physical body first,
one will never ascend the path of the Universal Law. Rather
than place the physical first, Lao Tsu, speaking from within
me, is now saying to place that body behind, place it ‘on the
outside,’ while putting development of one’s spiritual being
first. Only then will it be possible to help oneself, as well as
to uplift the rest of this earthly world.
The most natural and easy means of putting the above
into practice is via the Prayer for World Peace. Remember
that the many forms of evil, misfortune, and misunderstanding
of this physical world are in a constant process of vanishing,
and that the path of the Universal Law passes directly
through the Prayer for World Peace.
64
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
The highest good is like water.
Water benefits the Ten Thousand Things, yet does not struggle.
It is in that which is despised by most—
therefore it is close to The Way.
‘The highest good
,’ as used in the original text, means the
greatest of goods. The highest form of this, Lao Tsu says, is
water. Water is the highest form of good because it benefits
everything, but does not in any way resist.
One should readily understand the meaning of ‘benefits
the Ten Thousand Things.’ There is no living thing in this
world that could continue living without water. Water is a
basis of life and is, beginning with humans, vital to all living
organisms. Not only does water get used for the benefit of all
things, but it also never resists, yielding perfectly to match
whatever square, round, or other shaped container it may be
poured into.
Water does not seek to remain always in high places,
and moves itself, instead, lower and lower, always toward
the lowest possible ground. It moves, in other words, in the
direction ‘despised by most,’ towards that which is disliked
by people, toward the lowest of positions. This form of water
is, on the other hand, actually very close to the Way, and to
the Spirit of the Universal God.
The passage which follows goes on to describe how peo-
66
MASAH ISA GOI
pie of this world possessing hearts similar to water would, in
turn, behave:
Land, when right, is a Residence
Deep, when right, is a Heart
Virtue, when right, is Giving
Belief when right, is the Word
Order, when right, is Rule
Talent, when right, is Affairs
Time, when right, is Movement
Only this does not struggle—
It is, thus, never at blame.
To say ‘Land, when right, is a Residence’ means to aspire to
be the kind of person who improves everything around oneself.
Just like the water that moistens the ground around it,
this kind of person naturally makes others better, regardless
of place or position.
The word ‘deep’ in ‘Deep, when right’ is often used in
Chinese to express the timeless or eternal nature of things. It
is included here to depict the deep, lucid, and permanent
spirit Lao Tsu represents.
The single term ‘virtue’ found in the passage ‘Virtue,
when right’ is meant to include all that is good. Explaining
this with more Japanese adjectives, this virtue encompasses
selfless love, forgiveness, mercy, and acts of wisdom. This
67
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
word ‘virtue’ is used to describe a total—a complete—person.
This is why ‘Virtue, when right, is Giving’ is said of those
who possess a virtuous heart desiring to interact with others.
‘Belief , when right, is the Word’ means that words
should always be words of truth—words that can be trusted—
and should never be false. These are not words that tell
falsehoods but are instead the honest kind of words that
assure people with the feeling that ‘If that is what he says,
everything is all right.’ These are words that are in harmony
with the Way.
The word for ‘believe’ (‘(q) in Japanese is written by placing
the character for ‘person’ (A)14 next to the character for
‘word’ (q) . Belief, thus, literally means ‘the words of a person.’
The character for ‘person,’ in turn, means the place
where the spirit (I hi) comes to rest. This is a stopover for
the Sun H ()c light), and represents the divine spiritual
vibrations that have halted at, and are working within, a
particular being. It is common practice today to interchangeably
use the compound for ‘human’ (ANEJ ningen) and the
character that depicts the ‘true person’ (A hito), but the
‘beings’ referred to by these two terms are not , strictly speaking,
the same. The term hito is the word that has been
attached to the phenomenon of the divine spiritual vibrations
as they work within this world. The term ningen, on
the other hand, is the name that has been attached to the
68
MASAHISA GOI
composite being that not only contains divine spiritual
wavelengths (‘f light), but that possesses karmic thought
wavelengths (i%illusion) as well. This is why the more one is
purified, the truer a person (A) one becomes. It was to differentiate
between these various realms of people that
Shakyamuni adopted such names as ‘Celestial Being,’
‘Human
,’ ‘Ashura,’ and so on.
Belief, therefore, means the words of the true person.
These words (E– kotoba) do not simply refer to those words
that come out when the voice is emitted, but also include
the vibrations of the thought waves themselves. Thus, when
the ‘true person’s words’ reverberate out into the branches,
we have what are, in Japanese, termed Alt (kotoba ‘wordleaves’)
that is, words. This term kotoba is thus made into the
character { which, in turn, refers to the ‘words () of the
true person,’ which are the waves emanating from the
divine spirit itself. This is why the term ‘belief’ is so important,
and, as Lao Tsu says, it has to gradually be communicated
to people via good words.
‘Order
, when right, is Rule.’ It goes without saying that
order must be well established if there is to be government.
The job of establishing such order has, even in Lao Tsu’s
day, been an extremely difficult one. Just because someone
is later proclaimed to be a famous politician, for example,
one cannot presume that the person enjoyed the same
degree of fame during their time in office.
69
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
A politician should in no way be selfish, and must
always be at one with the voice of Heaven—at one with the
Spirit of God—if he or she is to establish order and effective
rule. A person who cannot act in accordance with the Way
cannot, as Lao Tsu says, conduct true politics.
If we were to apply this principle in examining the political
figures of the world today, I wonder how many would
actually meet Lao Tsu’s standards. If a country’s political
leaders were to completely rid themselves of selfish interests
and govern from the Spirit of God alone, their country
would indeed enjoy peace and prosperity. Given the complexity
of the world situation today, however, even the
extremely gifted are thwarted by all manner of thought
waves emanating from all over the world. To rule by order of
the Spirit of God is no easy task.
By comparison, it is relatively easy for an individual to
become selfless and, depending on the degree of one’s
efforts, it is possible for an individual to act out of the Spirit
of God. As it is probably more difficult to realize this Spirit
of God in politics than in any other field, I believe it is best
to leave the issue of good politics to a not-too-distant future
generation. It is still too early to put Lao Tsu’s words into
practice in the political realm.
‘Talent , when right, is Affairs’ means that when making
something, one has to fully utilize one’s abilities and avoid
wastefulness. If one conducts oneself so as to fully develop
70
MASAHISA GOI
one’s talent, everyone will treat one well. When one works
to the best of one’s ability, one will naturally be granted
important positions without any boasting or self-advertisement.
What Lao Tsu seeks to emphasize here is the importance
of always focusing on developing the Way, and upon
nurturing the strengths of the Way.
‘Time
, when right, is Movement.’ Regardless of how one
flutters about, all will be for naught unless one’s efforts are
timed properly. Even the most able of persons have to wait
for the right moment to express their talents, and those who
do not know the importance of timing only endanger themselves.
For example, had the prayer for world peace been
recited during Honen’s or Shinran’s16 time or during the
Sengoku (Warring States) Era, not only would the prayer
have been totally ineffective, but the person reciting it
would probably have been considered crazy, perhaps even
executed as a witch or sorcerer.
No task can be completed without properly balancing
people, time, and place. Thus, while there may have been
numerous saints and brilliant figures in the past, humanity
still remains essentially unawakened. One is forced to conclude
that it is because time and place were not matched
that a fundamental awakening of humankind has not yet
been realized.
The future of the people of this planet is now at stake,
and we are today in a true life-or-death situation. Be totally
71
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
obliterated or enter the way to a complete spiritual awakening—
we have been brought to these two extremes. This is
why the harmonious balancing of the three (people, place
and time) will certainly be achieved soon. God is Love, and
would not stand by idly watching as the people of this planet
slide into the abyss of destruction. We are now at the very
point where humanity on Earth can no longer survive without
experiencing a true awakening.
We come next to the concluding lines, `Only this does
not struggle—It is, thus, never at blame.’ Just as water does
not struggle and is without blame, so, too, does a person
who has become free from all competitive thoughts live
with a peaceful spirit which, in turn, gives birth to actions
free from blame or error.
A person who holds even the slightest competitive
intentions is not capable of leading the kind of life that Lao
Tsu speaks of in this chapter; such persons cannot be termed
true pacifists. The self marks the origin as well as the terminus
of the journey towards the making of a complete person.
The self must be rooted in a peaceful spirit. Rooted
firmly in this peaceful heart, spiritual riches accumulate naturally.
The person who is not rooted in this peaceful spirit
may, of course, accumulate spiritual riches, however, those
riches may easily crumble. This is why it is essential that
people nurture peaceful spirits and strive to shed any competitive
feelings.
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MASAHISA GOI
There are many instances where, because one believes
one’s own actions are correct while those of others are
wrong, one then concludes that it is only natural to become
angry at others. When viewed from the perspective of someone
like myself who understands the past karma of individuals,
there are, on the other hand, many instances where,
even though in a particular instance one person might be
correct and the other 100% wrong, if one factors in the various
activities of both individuals in past worlds, the person
who thinks himself right has actually committed many previous
wrongs. This means there is more than sufficient reason
for others to treat him ‘wrongly.’
Whether we take individuals interacting with one
another or disputes between entire peoples and nations, we
cannot simply look at the particular circumstances of that
time and place, but must consider instead the many historical
and karmic factors out of which today’s dispute is born.
We cannot say that what is right at present is right overall,
or that what is wrong today is wrong overall.
The same applies to various causes and ‘isms.’ The same
cause or ‘ism’ that on the surface seems only to be fouling a
country or disrupting its people may in fact be the dust
aroused by a thorough cleansing of the karmic thoughts
from the same.
For some reason, it seems to be necessary for humans to
be cleansed from time to time in order for them to show
73
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
their true form as God’s children. The result of this is the
many, admittedly, very odd-looking thought systems or
movements at present. These are, in fact, necessary to help
purge humanity of the many layers of karmic thoughts
which have built up over time. One might think that people
with proper spirits should become annoyed with these types
of mistaken beliefs and movements. Yet when people
become upset or competitive over such things, it only means
that they, themselves, have departed from the Spirit of God.
This is why I suggest that people begin by placing all of
their thoughts in a prayer for world peace, letting their
thoughts and actions be renewed and corrected therein, and
then lead their lives accordingly. There is nothing more
essential to the all-important development of a peaceful spirit
than to root one’s life in prayer for world peace. Even the
teachings of Lao Tsu that, on first glance, appear so difficult
can be put into practice with surprising ease when they
come from within regular practice of the world peace prayer.
74
.rner.
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tr”ri ;I
Kuu
Calligraphy by Masahisa Goi
Chapter 7
PRACTICE THE VOID
IN THE EXTREME
Practice the Void in the extreme
and silence will be earnestly defended.
The Ten Thousand Things rise together
while one watches them revert.
Everything flourishes yet each returns to the root.
To return to the root is called Silence.
This is called the return to Life.
The return to Life is called the Normal.
To know the Normal is called Bright.
When the Normal is not known
disorder is made, and there is Evil.
If the Normal is known, one can receive.
To be able to receive is to be Public and to be Public is to be King.
To be King is to be Heaven and to be Heaven is to be The Way.
To be The Way is to be lasting.
Immerse the body fully and there is no danger.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 16
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
Practice the Void in the extreme
and silence will be earnestly defended.
As used commonly, the word Void (I2 kyo) means empty,
and is used to write such things as it g- (empty words, i.e.,
falsehoods), IPi (empty wealth, i.e., embellishment, ornamentation),
(empty color, i.e., affectations), or 12.,!,!,
(empty nothing, i.e., nothingness, nil). This character Void
(TO is therefore used to express all that is empty, all that is
hollow, all that is lacking substance. For the same reason it
is easy to misinterpret this word as representing the dishonest
or untrue. A proper reading of this character is quite different.
The true meaning off~(Void), while including the
empty and hollow, is essentially the same as~(Kuu, emptiness)
in that it means to empty oneself of all human
thoughts of self-interest and limited wisdom. The realm of
Emptiness (Kuus) is, however, truly inconceivable and may
not be described by words. The term Void as used by Lao Tsu
in ‘Practice the Void in the extreme,’ on the other hand,
implies the existence of some level—some stage—at the state
of Kyo. One feels at one with what is more commonly called
the state of Kuu when one has reached the extreme of emptying
oneself, and I think that it would not be incorrect to
restate this opening line as ‘Practice the Void (4.) in the
78
MASAHISA GOI
extreme and become Empty ( .).”
The outcome of this deliberation over terminology really
does not matter much but, as most readers’ doubts are not
so easily removed, I have chosen to include the above discussion
nevertheless. As the Lao Tsu speaking from within
my own heart says, Kuu is both shallow and deep, and it is,
therefore, probably best to think of Kyo as being one with
Kuu.
Moving on to explain the meaning of the complete passage
‘Practice the Void in the extreme/and silence will be
earnestly defended’—if one is completely emptied of all
thoughts of self-interest and limited wisdom, one will enter
a pure state of silence where, regardless of the surrounding
happenings or events, thoughts cease to be aroused. One
becomes, in other words, ‘silence that will be earnestly
defended.’
If one enters the realm of Kyo, truly eliminating the self
and overcoming the self or feelings of profit and loss that are
linked to the same, one will not be surprised or upset by
anything. Such a person will exist ‘protecting silence.’
The Ten Thousand Things rise together
while one watches them revert.
Everything flourishes yet each returns to the root.
Just as the plants and trees shoot forth new buds, profligate,
79
THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
and flourish together in spring, so do the ‘Ten Thousand
Things,’ subject to each of their individual natures, suddenly
become manifest, grow, age and decay, finally returning
their form to the original world. Regardless of how something
may appear to be prospering for a time in the visible
world, everything has to return to its origin—the `root’—of
each self. The origin of the ‘Ten Thousand Things’ is, of
course, contained within the Great Life Force; what is called
the `root’ of each self is actually the resonance of the source
of the life force that, in the case of a plant, manifests itself in
this Earthly world as a plant. This is the Great Life Force that
has been divided into the origin of all flora, fauna, and so
on.
I do not think there are many who do not feel a sense of
wonder when they stop to consider the process that goes on
within each and every one of the tiny seeds that produce the
magnificent and beautiful floral forms before us. The pulse
of the plant’s life that exists within the seed harmonizes
with the vibrations of the Earth, and is then heightened to
produce a splendid and beautiful form. The riches of this
world are produced via the rhythms manifest in this world;
these are, in turn, generated by the life force that is hidden
within the self. This is, of course, not only true of flora, but
applies to all things, animate and inanimate alike. Various
vibrations of the life force also work to assist those rhythms
in manifesting themselves in this world.
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MASAHISA GOI
The above notwithstanding, Lao Tsu states that the riches
of each individual must at some point once again be
returned to their origin.
To return to the root is called Silence.
This is called the return to Life.
The return to Life is called the Normal.
Lao Tsu is saying that to return to the root, that is, to the
original, is called ‘Silence.’ When Lao Tsu speaks of Silence,
he means that there is not even the slightest thought of Self.
There is, therefore, no movement separate from the origin.
This is a realm devoid of thought waves. The original form
of the Great Life Force as it begins to go into action as
numerous life-waves is, in other words, ‘Silence.’
When one enters this state of Silence, one has what is
called fuku-mei (Tn), ‘the return to Life,’ or ‘union with the
source of the living.’ Lao Tsu then adds that this ‘return to
Life’ is called the ‘Normal.’ ‘Normal’ as used by Lao Tsu is,
however, completely different from the common sense ‘normal’
ordinarily used in this world. The word ‘common’
found in the expression ‘common sense’ does, on the other
hand, actually stem from the true meaning of this word
‘normal .’ It has, however, come to mean that which is commonly
known and can be confirmed by any ordinary person
of this earthly world.
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
The ‘normal’ Lao Tsu speaks of describes the spiritual
state of the original world that lies deep beneath the common
sense of this world. For this reason, I expect the meaning
of this will be difficult for most to grasp readily. The spirit
that emanates from the state of Kyo is the spirit of the normal.
Simply stated, ‘Normal’ is the condition in which life
waves reverberate in perfect unison with the principles of
the Universal Spirit as the spiritual expression of the Divine
Heart of the Universal God.
To know the Normal is called Bright.
When the Normal is not known
disorder is made, and there is Evil.
If the Normal is known, one can receive.
To know this state of the Normal is called Bright. Bright, as
the word implies, means light and clear, that which is not
dark, clouded, or confused. This is the Light that is the very
heart of God Itself.
If the Normal is not known, one will think of and commit
all kinds of disorderly acts and Evil will result. On this
point, I always say that if one is capable of conducting one’s
own actions naturally as the spirit of God Itself, no acts of
karmic thoughts will arise. As a result, there will no longer
be any karmic waves to disturb the Self, inflict injury on others,
damage the nation, or ruin the harmony of mankind.
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MASAH I SA GOI
As the words, `If the Normal is known, one can receive’
state, if one knows the Normal, one will become equal to the
natural spirit, and will thus be capable of receiving—of being
filled with—anything.
To be able to receive is to be Public and to be Public is to be King
To be King is to be Heaven and to be Heaven is to be The Way
To be The Way is to be lasting.
Immerse the body fully and there is no danger.
Everything from `to be able to receive’ to `to be the Way’ in
this passage is used by Lao Tsu to describe the Spirit of God.
Thus, if one can become one with this spirit, one will attain
eternal life yet meet no danger or difficulty, although still in
possession of a physical body.
Lao Tsu employs a variety of expressions—to be ‘Public,’
‘King
,’ ‘Heaven,’ or ‘the Way.’ He uses these, however, to
point to the same state of ‘extreme practice of the Void.’
This is the spirit that has been completely made into Kuu,
i.e., the Spiritual World of Divine Beings.
As an aside, the character2iis used to mean ‘public.’
This word ‘public’ implies a wide-reaching vision that is
completely devoid of self. The person whose self has been
fully immersed within such a broad perspective is thus said
to be a Public Figure.
There are few public figures on this planet who perform
83
THE SPIRIT OF Liao Tsu
their duties from this truly public position, however. Not
only true today, this has been the case in previous ages as
well. While perhaps not going as far as graft or corruption,
most of those who serve as public figures do so from—and
while emphasizing—their own self-centered positions.
Beginning with the heads of the various ministries and moving
on down through the many bureaucrats below, I do not
think there are many who perform their duties with their
selves fully immersed within the public perspective. There
are, to be sure, plenty of people who conduct the work
assigned to them with vigor. The true public figure is, however,
quite different from this. Totally devoid of all selfish
thoughts relating to lifestyle or position, one naturally
enters the spiritual ground called the Public when one
becomes Kuu.
While the public viewpoint is, indeed, profound, to
teach such things to the people who hold public positions
today is all but impossible. That is why I think it best, using
my own terminology, to place the vanishing phenomena of
one’s selfish spirit within a spirit of prayer and go about
one’s job as usual. This spirit of prayer should, if possible, be
expressed in totally public words such as those of the prayer
for world peace.
Next, we come to the word ‘King.’ The character for
King (1) is composed of an upper horizontal line that signifies
Heaven and a lower horizontal line that signifies Earth.
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MASAHISA GOI
Between these two, Heaven and Earth, is then found a cross
(-I-) which is, in turn, the shape which supports and harmonizes
Heaven and Earth.
Putting this in more simple terms, humans have to be
able to harmonize the real within the ideal (this harmony is
shown in the cross) and to fuse material problems with spiritual
ones in order to express Heaven’s ideals on Earth. The
person possessing this ability is called ‘King.’ This person,
therefore, has to be a divine being who makes the wisdom of
God his or her own in order to become King. On the other
hand, the world is thrown into disorder by those who
become leaders only by birth or through lust for power, yet
lack the ability to harmonize ideals with reality.
A person who practices ‘the void in the extreme’ can, in
this way, become public, king, Heaven and the Way. Lao Tsu
concludes by saying the physical body of such a person is
secure as well.
The ancient teachings of wise people such as Lao Tsu or
Confucius state that it is enough to simply enter such a condition
or, in some cases, that it is essential that one enter
this sort of mental state. The method for doing so, however,
has not been written down. Even if such a method had been
recorded, it would most probably not have been an easy one
to perform in practice. Sages of this kind no doubt purified
their disciples through the light of their own divine personalities,
in order that they might naturally achieve their own
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
paths. The same might not be readily achieved, however,
using only the books and other records left for later generations.
That is why it was necessary for someone to appear in a
position such as my own in order to instruct people in a
simple method for realizing the principles expounded by
Lao Tsu and others. The method of Vanishing Phenomena
via the Prayer for World Peace is that simple method.
86
Chapter 8
THAT WHICH IS BROKEN
IS MADE ANEW
If it can bend, it is all.
If bent, it can be straightened.
If empty, it can be filled.
If broken, it can be made anew.
If scarce, there is some.
If plentiful, one may wander.
The Sage that adheres to this embraces the One
and becomes the model for all under heaven.
He does not show himself and is for that reason brilliant.
Does no right on his own and is for that reason clear.
Does not boast and is for that reason accomplished.
Is not conceited and for that reason endures.
Does not struggle
and for that reason none under heaven struggle with him.
The ancient words If it can bend, it is all’ are not empty.
We have only to return to this to truly become all.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 22
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THE SPIRIT OF LAo Tsu
If it can bend, it is all.
If bent, it can be straightened.
If empty, it can be filled.
If broken, it can be made anew.
If scarce, there is some.
Ifplentiful, one may wander.
Lao Tsu begins this chapter with the words ‘If it can bend, it
is all. If bent, it can be straightened.’ This chapter is often
cited by those who believe Lao Tsu’s teachings to be pessimistic,
to illustrate how truly negative his philosophy is. I
myself, though, have never pictured Lao Tsu as a pessimist
of any sort.
Some, for example, explain the phrase ‘If it can bend, it
is all’ by using the following negativist analogy: If a tree
grows too straight, it will be cut and used for lumber. If the
same tree were to grow in a bent shape, though, it would be
unfit for use as lumber and would consequently be left to
complete its life as a tree. Similarly, a person who extends
oneself straight out into the world may be spotted as good
material and put to use. The critics then conclude that Lao
Tsu teaches that we should always be restrained, de-emphasize
the self, and lead a safe, inconspicuous existence in
order to protect ourselves and to avoid the troubles and
pains of others who grow too ‘straight.’ I cannot accept an
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MASAHISA GOI
explanation such as this that depicts Lao Tsu to have been a
prophet of this kind of pessimism.
Lao Tsu is not describing a negative way of protecting
one’s own self, or body, when he says ‘If it can bend, it is
all/If bent, it can be straightened,’ but is, rather, here
explaining the freedom of the spirit that is not attached to a
single material object, position, or any other thing with
shape or form. A free person is one who can ‘bend’ freely
according to the situation or the people who face him or
her. It is someone who can bow without clinging to the
desire to show how great or right he or she is. (The ‘bend’ in
‘If bent , it can be straightened’ means to bend the body in
Chinese.) Lao Tsu’s words are always rooted in and teach the
free and unrestricted nature of life; they are not words that
simply preach how to protect oneself from the outside
world.
The passages that follow all describe the state that is naturally
born of this total freedom: ‘If empty, it can be filled./If
broken, it can be made anew./If scarce, there is some.’ For
Lao Tsu, the only thing that is important is to live according
to the true Self, the mainstream of the Self that flows from
the one, Great Life.
Lao Tsu warns us, however, to be extremely wary of
excesses by stating `If there is plenty, one may wander.’ This
is because, even in the case of the finest people, it is easy to
lose sight of what is important when there is ‘plenty.’ This is
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as true for a surplus of academic knowledge as it is for a surplus
of material objects.
Among these passages, the one I am most drawn to is
that which reads ‘If broken, it can be made anew.’ These are
truly fine words, and my own teaching of the constantly
‘vanishing images’ is actually a gentler , more easily practiced
version of the same philosophy of ‘breaking.’
The phenomenal world is a place in which old things
are broken down and new ones are constantly being born.
To cling forever to the old obstructs the birth of the new.
Attachment thus impedes the natural movement of the universe.
Even if the old is splendid and fine, it absolutely cannot
remain just as it is. We must avoid attaching ourselves
to the old forms of things.
According to the principles of cosmic science,” the cosmic
particles (17 levels beyond the electrons, mesons, protons,
and corpuscles just discernible by today’s most
advanced scientific techniques) that are the true corpuscles
of the Universal Source are constantly being released from
the heart of the universe while old cosmic particles, having
once been utilized, are constantly being dispelled.
Some of these cosmic particles vibrate on a material
wave length, while others vibrate on a spiritual wave length.
Our world is constructed in accordance with the harmony of
these two. Old material and spiritual particles are instantly
replaced by their counterparts, and both are constantly in a
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process of metabolic change.
Even if we are uninformed about this principle and continue
to cling to our old self and to material things, new cosmic
particles are being sent one after the other from the
heart of the universe in order that the old self and old material
objects may disappear. These new particles cause continual
metabolic change, irrespective of our preferences or individual
abilities to adapt.
A state of continual extinguishing has arisen, whereby
thought waves relating to old habits and attachments to old
things and conditions are continuously broken down and
extinguished in the form of sickness, misfortune, or, where
nations are concerned, war.
This is what I have been explaining to people through
the concept of ‘vanishing images.’ According to the principle
of metabolic change, there is no need to fear being broken,
destroyed, torn apart, or extinguished, because such
things occur through the divine spirit that works to deepen
and heighten each of us individually, and humanity as a
whole, so that we can behave as true children of God, and
turn this world into a divine world. It is the design of the
universe that all humanity be born anew as people of
truth—divine beings who do not inflict injury or destroy,
and who are directly united with all other people within the
infiniteness of Life itself. For this reason, God, taking the
form of numerous divinities, is now sending forth a great
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light of rescue to this planet, carrying with it a tremendously
powerful elixir of merciful love to help the people of this
world.
`If broken , it can be made anew’ is truly a fine passage.
As outlined above, the method I employ originally grew out
of a desire to lessen the impact people receive at these
moments of ‘breaking.’ It teaches that all of the evil, misfortune,
sickness, and discord of this world are the vanishing
images of distorted thought waves. These are thoughts that
have, in the past, wandered away from the divine spirit of
God. If one abides by the principle of ‘vanishing images,’
the new, true person who is one’s real Self will be born,
along with other new people of truth. My method also
teaches people to keep in mind the principle of ‘vanishing
images,’ to pray for the harmony of humankind, and to
plunge into the prayer for world peace, making it the basis
of their daily life.
In this way, discrepancies between the old (i.e., karmic
thought waves from past worlds) and the newly-born Self
(the true, divine Self) are beautifully erased in a great, divine
light; and the process of metabolic change—in ourselves and
in humanity—moves towards completion with as little fear,
injury, or pain as possible.
This is why there is no need to fear evil, misfortune,
sickness or calamity. Everything is working toward the creation
of improved conditions and the birth of a new and
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better person. Chisel this into your heart while continuing
to pray the prayer for world peace, and the rest will take care
of itself. Lao Tsu inside of me keeps repeating the words of
truth in a loud voice, over and over again.
The Sage that adheres to this embraces the One
and becomes the model for all under heaven.
He does not show himself
and is for that reason brilliant.
Does no right on his own
and is for that reason clear.
Does not boast
and is for that reason accomplished.
Is not conceited
and for that reason endures.
Does not struggle
and for that reason none under heaven struggle with him.
The ancient words ‘If it can bend, it is all’ are not empty.
We have only to return to this
to truly become all.
The Sage is a person who ‘embraces the One and becomes a
model for all under Heaven.’ He or she is, in short, an example
for others to follow. The ‘One’ referred to here is the
divine spirit of the Universal God. Once united with this
One, there is no longer any need to show oneself off to the
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world, as there is no longer any self-centeredness. Unified
with the divine spirit of the Universal God, the Sage leads a
perfectly natural life that permits his or her own personal
mission to be expressed unimpeded. Once having entered
this state, the person shines brightly, like a mirror reflecting
all that surrounds it.
There is even less of a need for thinking oneself right,
self-approval or bragging, and the person ceases all struggles
with others, while adding one accomplishment on top of
another. If everyone were to become this kind of Sage, all
strife would vanish from this planet.
As the ancients said, once one is able to be free, whether
bent or straight, one can also complete the mission of one’s
life. If one becomes completely free, one will recognize that
the word ‘complete’ is not false. All that human beings need
to do is to achieve this free spirit and complete their missions,
and then return their worldly body to the spirit of the
Universal God.
This marks Lao Tsu’s conclusion to this chapter. It is
admittedly difficult to discern the true meaning of this passage
from the original text alone. Generally speaking, if a
person simply reads the words of someone like Lao Tsu—
someone who manifests eternal life itself—the words will
most likely be interpreted according to one’s particular state
of mind at the time of reading, not necessarily as Lao Tsu
originally intended them. When presenting Lao Tsu, the
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MASAHISA GOI
interpreter’s own degree of awakening is a matter of utmost
importance.
When one stops to think that, even today, the monthly
publication of my own articles and speeches are subject to a
wide variety of interpretations according to the mood, of the
reader—sometimes completely misconstrued in the
process—I am certain most can appreciate just how difficult
it is to accurately interpret the words left behind by someone
as ancient as Lao Tsu.
Lao Tsu is inside me lending assistance as I write these
lectures, saying to me such things as ‘It doesn’t matter how
others are trying to interpret me—I don’t remember ever
saying anything like that.’ I realize there are various other
lectures on Lao Tsu available, but I hope you will read these
with the assurance that they have been interpreted while
being completely one with the spirit of Lao Tsu.
Being one with the spirit of Lao Tsu does not mean that
I have any less respect for him, however. While writing these
lectures I have, in fact, felt constantly humbled by the
tremendous breadth and scope of this person. Lao Tsu is a
divine person who far transcends relativistic terms such as
‘great’ or ‘not great
,’ and it is this great Sage ‘who does not
struggle,’ Lao Tsu, who instills me with his life force which
continues to lead me on my way.
Lao Tsu is alive today. He is the indispensable force, the
rich life blood, that flows throughout my prayer for world
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peace, supporting it with Christ and Shakamuni as well. I
have every confidence that the prayer for world peace will
continue to grow rapidly.
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Chapter 9
BECOME THE SAME IN Loss
AS THE PERSON OF Loss
Unusual Words are Natural.
Thus the whirlwind does not outlast the morning,
nor does the thunderstorm outlive the day.
What makes them?
Heaven and Earth.
Yet, even Heaven and Earth are incapable of lasting.
What, then, about people?
The person who follows The Way is the same in The Way as the
person of The Way, the same in Virtue as the person of Virtue,
the same in Loss as the person of Loss.
If you become the same in The Way as the person of The Way,
he, too, will take joy in your obtaining The Way.
If you become the same in Virtue as the person of Virtue,
he, too, will take joy in your obtaining Virtue.
If you become the same in Loss as the person of Loss,
he, too, will take joy in your obtaining Loss.
Not enough belief is disbelief.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 23
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Unusual Words are Natural.
Thus the whirlwind does not outlast the morning,
nor does the thunderstorm outlive the day.
What makes them?
Heaven and Earth.
Yet, even Heaven and Earth are incapable of lasting.
The meaning of ‘Unusual Words’ in the opening line of this
chapter is, just as the Chinese characters show: strange, or
unique (*) words (F, ). Put another way, ‘Unusual Words’
are words that do not show on the surface, words that cannot
be made to show on the surface, or words that do not
exist and that are not words at all.
A form that does not show itself and is not clearly manifest
on the surface is called ‘Natural.’ That form may show
itself violently at times in the shape of a whirlwind, gale, or
thunderstorm. Rarely, though, will the winds continue to
blow all night or the rains pour for more than a few days at
a time.
What is it that makes these winds blow or these rains
fall? Heaven and Earth. Yet even that which is driven by the
vast and seemingly unlimited power of Heaven and Earth
will not last long if it continues to manifest itself in the
extreme manner of a thunderstorm, gale, or other natural
phenomenon.
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The main point of this passage is that even Heaven and
Earth do not constantly show themselves fully in this manner.
In the following lines, Lao Tsu then moves on to discuss
a more lasting method of expression.
The person who follows The Way is the same
in The Way as the person of The Way,
the same in Virtue as the person of Virtue,
the same in Loss as the person of Loss.
If you become the same in The Way as the person of The Way,
he, too, will take joy in your obtaining The Way.
If you become the same in Virtue as the person of Virtue,
he, too, will take joy in your obtaining Virtue.
If you become the same in Loss as the person of Loss,
he, too, will take joy in your obtaining Loss.
Not enough belief is disbelief
This section may be summarized as follows: As even Heaven
and Earth are incapable of sustaining an extreme method of
expression for an extended period, how much less possible
will it be to ensure the harmony of this world if human
beings show themselves in a similarly violent manner.
Moving next to the question of what should be done,
Lao Tsu says that those of the Way should be the same as
the Way itself. One has to be equal in the Way with those
who practice the proper way of life and have climbed aboard
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the Spirit of the Universal God. One must lead the same sort
of life oneself or, as Lao Tsu says in the next line, one has to
be equal in spirit to the person of Virtue—be ‘the same in
Virtue as the person of Virtue.’
As we have already seen in other chapters, Lao Tsu’s
method is to frankly state the most difficult of things outright.
Even though one may nod and receive these teachings
with one’s intellect, Lao Tsu’s words may not be realized in
practice by most. One has to be of the same high state—`the
same in the Way as the person of the Way’—as the true person
of the Way and, while one may think one is capable of
facing up to such a spirit with the same sort of spirit oneself,
it is most probable that one will be unable to handle a person
who treads a higher spiritual path with such a singular
mind.
Lao Tsu’s teachings are, as I have frequently pointed out,
intended for sages and saints of a similarly high spiritual
state.
Even though the souls of those who are not of the same
spiritual condition as such sages or saints may feel soothed
by these lessons, realistically speaking I think it is impossible
for such persons to put Lao Tsu’s teachings into practice.
On the other hand, while it may not be possible for the
average person to go as far as Lao Tsu’s realm per se, it certainly
is possible for anyone to discover the Way that he
points to and to take the first one or two steps. This is why I
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think it acceptable for people to simply imitate Lao Tsu’s
Way, and to follow in the direction of his guiding finger—
even if only one step at a time—with a feeling of thanks for
being allowed to walk the Way of Truth. This is certainly
better than giving up at the start, saying that one can’t possibly
tread such a path.
The human spirit is an interesting thing indeed. Once
one has made up one’s mind and begins something, many
things previously thought impossible are accomplished with
surprising ease. With tireless practice of sports, for example,
people become quite advanced in those particular ways, and
change completely from when they first started upon that
path almost before they know it. This catharsis is, however,
first and foremost a question of spirit. After a few months or
years of constant spiritual training and continued polishing,
people will one day realize what fine human beings they
have become.
There are many examples among people of my acquaintance
who have entered a noticeably different state through
the continual practice of a single spiritual training method:
the prayer for world peace. This is why Lao Tsu says we
become ‘the same in the Way’ if we listen attentively and
with sincerity to a teacher who is particularly advanced in
the Way. Thus, by saying ‘become the same in Virtue’ Lao
Tsu means that the person of virtue will be pleased by and,
in turn, love the person who feels love and respect for his
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lofty virtue. Not only for such persons of virtue, but for all
of us, it is natural to be pleased by those who listen to our
words attentively and to feel oneness with them as kindred
spirits in the Way.
A sincere heart is the most important factor for becoming
loved and respected by others. People with sincere hearts
can harmonize with anyone, naturally blend with the Way
and accumulate virtue. The only thing that is responsible for
delivering me to my present realm, for example, is not that I
have a particularly good head on my shoulders or that I am
otherwise gifted. The one truly indispensable factor to my
own spiritual development is my sincere heart. A sincere
heart is difficult to come by, yet is vital to mastering the
Way. God is pleased most by people with sincere hearts.
`If you become the same in Loss…he, too, will take joy
in your obtaining Loss.’ Most people probably think it easier
to face people who have lost, are paupers or are ill (the socalled
despondent types) than it is to face ‘the person of the
Way’ or ‘the person of Virtue’ (the great and outstanding)
discussed above, but such is not the case.
Nothing is more difficult than having to deal with people
who have problems or who have lost hope. A sincere
heart will not here alone suffice, and in such cases it is necessary
to possess keen powers of perception in order to see
into the other’s spiritual condition so that one may then
join with it. A deep heart of love is required in dealing with
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those who ‘have lost.’
The basic problem, then, is how to nurture such powers
of observation and perception, and how to develop a deep,
loving heart of one’s own. A person who is simply good and
sincere might easily end up thinking the same disgruntled
thoughts as the person who is complaining, and might be
pulled down by stories of other people’s misfortunes. People
might find some sense of relief in complaining or fulminating
but in time this habit of complaining takes root and,
without even being aware of the weakness that caused them
to fall into despair, they choose a way of life that hampers
further uplifting of their spirit.
The bitter complaints of these people might, if repeated
over and over again, eventually engulf the good and sincere
individual within its karmic waves, disrupt the individual’s
life and spiritual condition, and spell the ruin of Lao Tsu’s
teaching of truth, ‘become the same in Loss.’ It is, just as Lao
Tsu states, good to place oneself in the position of the other
in order to comfort and strengthen them; one must do so,
however, by melting into the heart of the other while at the
same time taking care not to be pulled into their karmic
thoughts.
To be `the same in Loss’ it is thus necessary to place oneself
in the position of one’s own Guardian Spirit and original
divine spirit. This position of the original divine spirit lies
within the heart of God, and here, too, exist all love, wis-
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dom and strength. Words spoken from this standpoint of
the original spirit will naturally comfort and encourage others.
Cleansing waves of light will travel from oneself to lift
away the layers of karmic thoughts from others without
allowing oneself to become enveloped in those same waves
of illusory thoughts.
We come next to the question of how to go about placing
ourselves in the position of the original divine spirit.
This is done via the steadfast spirit of prayer. It is best if this
spirit of prayer is large enough to include the well-being of
others, as well as peace for humanity—an all-inclusive
prayer, such as the prayer for world peace. Moreover, a
prayer for the peace of humanity also possesses a unique
power born from the resonance of deep love, that wishes for
the accomplishment of other people’s heavenly missions as
well as one’s own.
Even if one were able to lighten another person’s present
grief or adversity, that alone would not do much to help the
person accomplish the mission of his or her life. Rather, the
important thing is to have a deep, loving heart that holds a
more fundamental aim: for the other person to fulfill their
divine mission and to complete their life in this world as a
person of truth, so that the person’s future work, to be
undertaken in the next world, can be made easier for them.
This kind of deep, loving heart does not become
enveloped by karmic thought waves, however strong they
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MASAHISA GOI
might be. Only such a deep, loving heart will continue shining
brightly, despite the presence of karmic thoughts coming
from people around oneself.
It does not do oneself or others any good only to regard
despairing people with pity. And, just as Lao Tsu says in
closing (‘not enough belief is disbelief’), we have to believe
in the heavenly missions of others and realize that all people
were born into this world possessing their own unique and
individual missions. ‘Belief’ means to have faith in the great,
divine love of the Universe and in the fulfillment of the missions
of others.
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O
Chapter 10
INDEPENDENT OF IT THERE IS NO CHANGE
WHEREVER IT IS PRACTICED
THERE IS NO DANGER
That which is mixed is born before Heaven and Earth.
It is silent and sublime.
Independent of it there is no change,
Wherever it is practiced there is no danger.
One should make it the mother of all under Heaven.
Yet, I know not its name.
By its nickname, it is called The Way.
One could, likewise, name it ‘The Great.’
The Great is called departure, the departure is called
distance, and the distant is called return.
Thus, The Way is Great.
Heaven is Great, Earth is Great, and the King is Great.
The Four-Greats exist in the world
and the King is included as one of these.
Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven,
Heaven follows Way, and Way follows Nature.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 25
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MASAH I SA GOI
That which is mixed is born before Heaven and Earth.
It is silent and sublime.
Independent of it there is no change,
Wherever it is practiced there is no danger.
One should make it the mother of all under Heaven.
It seems clear that ‘That which is mixed’ is not a material
object such as is found in this world. To describe this in any
further detail is indeed a difficult task. In short, the fundamental
‘something’ that precedes both Heaven and Earth,
‘That which is mixed ,’ might most simply be called the
Universal God.
Rather than seek another name to describe the same
thing, one could of course simply skip over this section and
proceed to the next. I think it is easier, however, for the
intellectual or knowledge-seeking person to understand the
fundamental existence of the Spirit of the Universal God
through the addition of a variety of explanations instead.
Considering that Lao Tsu himself employed a number of different
terms to express this fundamental entity
(Omniscient/Omnipotent), there certainly is an incentive for
me to continue his work in these chapters on Lao Tsu and
elsewhere.
That which precedes both Heaven and Earth is, as the
words ‘silent’ and ‘sublime’ suggest, without sound, shape or
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form. Existing in this way, everything is included within it;
hence, it is said to be that which is ‘mixed.’ It does not rely
on anyone or anything, and it remains an absolute one,
even when thoughts of calling on others arise. Because this
exists prior to Heaven and Earth, nothing exists separate
from it. It is entirely independent and self-reliant. Furthermore
it will meet no danger and commit no errors, regardless
of how it acts or how it chooses to proceed. Lao Tsu calls
this the parent who gives birth to all under Heaven. It is the
‘mother of all under Heaven
.’
Put into more modern terms, this would probably best
be termed the Creator, Maker or Absolute. It is this that Lao
Tsu then tries to express using a variety of different expressions
in the section that follows.
Of the many expressions used by Lao Tsu in this chapter,
I am particularly drawn by the words, ‘Wherever it is
practiced there is no danger.’ This single phrase coincides
with the Philosophy of Light which I espouse, and it reaffirms
for me the correctness of this principle.
That which is born before the Heaven and Earth is the
mother of all under Heaven. This omnipotent power ‘travels
without danger.’ No matter where it wanders or how it
chooses to go, nothing threatens it and there are no
mishaps. One has to conclude that the people and rest of
creation born of an omnipotent power that knows no dangers
or errors must themselves be intrinsically perfect beings
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MASAHISA GOI
that are likewise devoid of dangers and errors. Lao Tsu is
here clearly pointing to the way of bright thought—my
Philosophy of Light.
This is why, regardless of how evil or full of misery and
wrong the world may appear, I continue to reject the- existence
of any such negative forces, saying instead that these
are merely indications that the Universal Divine Spirit has
not yet fully shown itself—forms that will vanish once the
spirit and light of the Universal God are made clearly evident.
This is also the reason why I explain that all thoughts
and actions of evil, hardship, or wrong are vanishing phenomena,
and that, once they have vanished, the light of the
original divine spirit will shine forth clearly.
Yet, I know not its name.
By its nickname, it is called The Way.
One could, likewise, name it ‘The Great.’
The Great is called departure, the departure is called distance,
and the distant is called return.
Thus, The Way is Great.
Heaven is Great, Earth is Great, and the King is Great.
The Four-Greats exist in the world
and the King is included as one of these.
Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven,
Heaven follows The Way, and The Way follows Nature.
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In this passage Lao Tsu states that he himself does not know
the name of that which precedes and is born before Heaven
and Earth. If, however, he were to give it a name, Lao Tsu
continues to say that he would dub it ‘the Way,’ or, going
one step further, ‘The Great.’
This absolute being precedes everything and, as all life
exists within it, all of the activities of living organisms are
conducted inside it as well. For this reason, human beings—
as individual strands of the Great Life Force—tend to gaze
up at the Absolute Being, since it should be possible to bring
themselves into direct contact with it by tracing their life to
its origin and source. Try as they will, however, they never
seem able to touch the innermost part of the Absolute Being.
This is because they still retain their individual consciousness
of self. Try as they may to locate the heart of the
Absolute Being, for as long as their consciosness resides
within their individual life force, they can only comprehend
that which exists in the realm of the individual self. The
realm of the Great Life Force—the Absolute Being—thus
remains a mystery.
In response to this, Lao Tsu teaches that we should
always act out of No-action (Mu-i), and lead lives that surpass
the consciousness of self. Lao Tsu is himself a person
who acts in No-action and who has penetrated deep within
the heart of the Absolute Being (Great Life Force). This
notwithstanding, even Lao Tsu concedes that he does not
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know the true name of the Absolute.
All names that have been attached to the Absolute are
titles assigned to it by human beings. At present, it is most
common to use the terms God, Nyorai, or Buddha, but Lao
Tsu used the name Way (). He also used the names Great
(ak), Depart (1), Distant (i), and Return (a). All of these
titles are applied to describe the Absolute and thus mean virtually
the same thing.
One can, for example, explain the character for Great
(k) in the following manner: the single horizontal line (—)
represents the oneness that precedes the distinction between
Heaven and Earth and holds within it the unity of Heaven
and Earth. Atop this ‘one’ (—) is then placed a person (A),
to form the complete character (A), Great. A person, as is
frequently pointed out in these essays, is the place where the
spirit comes to rest and is where Yin and Yang are unified.
Describing this a bit further, Great is the state where
everything comes to a stop in perfect equilibrium. The person
placed atop the One (—) that exists prior to the division
of oneness into Heaven and Earth is not therefore a person
who possesses a physical body of any kind but is rather the
fundamental person (A Hito, tiE) instead. This is not only
the place where the ‘spirit stops’ (21E.) or a ‘spiritual person’
(TEA), but is also a person positioned above the One that
precedes the division into Heaven and Earth.
Put in more modern terminology, the Great Person rep-
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resents the figure of the Universal God. Stated in its simplest,
yet most accurate written form, this Universal God
may best be expressed by the character k (Dai Big, Great).
This form of expression is typical of Lao Tsu’s grand nature.
Once set into motion, this Great (k) becomes a
Departure GI Sei), Distant (4, En), or a Return (a Han). For
this reason, Lao Tsu says the Way is Great, Heaven is Great,
Earth is Great, and, finally, that the King is Great. The Way,
Heaven, Earth and King are all Great because they are manifestations
of the Universal God. Lao Tsu concludes by stating
‘The Four-Greats exist in the world, and the King is
included as one of these’ and that Man, Earth, Heaven, the
Way, and Nature each follow, and each is in harmony with
what precedes it.
Lao Tsu says that Man, Heaven, Earth, and the Way are
significant parts of this Great—that is to say, they are significant
manifestations of the Universal God—and that human
beings, in particular, stand as one of the four great manifestations
of the Universal God.
Human beings, he continues, are subject to Earth.
Without going into detail, suffice it to say that to ‘follow
Earth’ means to be sustained in accordance with the laws of
Earth. Earth, Heaven, the Way and Nature, likewise exist in
accordance with the laws that apply to their own relative
positions. Each follows the laws that apply to it and prosper
together as manifestations of the Spirit of the Universal God.
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MASAHISA GOI
This Spirit of the Universal God gives birth to, nurtures, and
envelops all. It is what drives the life force inside of everything
in existence.
Explaining this in terms of cosmic science, this Spirit of
the Universal God is the birthplace—the nucleus—of everything
in the universe. It is, likewise, the origin of the
Universal Particles that work within all objects—animate or
inanimate—that serve as the source of everything in creation
and that sustain all activity. These Universal Particles
may be divided into two types, Spiritual and Material.
Everything is created, sustained, and altered by the various
combinations or separations of these particles.
Thus, while the Spirit of the Universal God envelops and
surrounds everything, it also exists within all. As all worlds
consist of activities of the Spirit (Heart) of the Universal
God, we are left to conclude that the single truly fundamental
existence is that of the Universal God Itself.
An individual who receives life and lives on this planet
does not, therefore, merely live as the physical form of what
is usually called a ‘person;’ he or she exists instead as all of
creation living in the form of one person.
To express this in simple terms, for a human being to be
born in this world, there must first be a mother and a father.
Once born, it is then necessary that some form of nourishment
be supplied, via the parents, to this child. Where does
this sustenance—essential to the physical body and life-
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that flows via the parents come from? It comes from Nature,
from various manifestations of the Spirit of the Universal
God.
Knowledge of this is essential in order for a human
being to develop into a True Person. If one overlooks this
fundamental principle, one cannot live as a full-fledged
‘stopping place of the Spirit’ (I Hito)
, who realizes that he
or she exists as a branching out of Divine Life itself.
Without a basic feeling of gratitude for the blessings of
universal divine love, and for the gifts received from everything
in creation, one cannot fulfill one’s role as a governing
spirit of creation, one of the Four Greats, or a True Person.
This applies regardless of how great an individual’s worldly
knowledge might be. On the contrary, a lifestyle rooted only
in this kind of ‘knowledge’ will eventually bring about the
ruin of the individual, which in turn will contribute to the
destruction of humanity as well.
The essence of this human karma was clearly expressed
with the announcement made by one of the large nations
that it has developed a rocket which may be launched from
a satellite circling our planet and which can hit any target at
will. My first reaction upon learning this news was that
there is nothing more frightening than knowledge in the
hands of fools who know nothing at all about the fundamental
nature of human beings.
Unless the people of this planet make efforts toward
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knowing what a human being really is, they will end up
destroying themselves. It is to eliminate this kind of absurdity
that I write these essays, practice the prayer for world
peace, and strive to let more and more people know about it.
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NOTHING IS ABANDONED
NOTHING IS DISCARDED
The good deed leaves no tracks, the good word no trace
and good measure does not use calculated plans.
The gate well shut has no lock,
yet may not be opened;
The good knot is tied not with twine,
yet may not be undone.
The Sage who holds to this always saves people well.
Thus no one is abandoned.
This always saves things well.
Thus nothing is discarded.
(This is called Strike Bright.)
Thus, the good person is the not good’s teacher,
and the not-good person is the good’s resource.
He who does not value this teacher or who does not love
that resource may have wisdom, yet will wander greatly.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 27
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The good deed leaves no tracks, the good word no trace
and good measure does not use calculated plans.
The gate well shut has no lock,
yet may not be opened;
The good knot is tied not with twine,
yet may not be undone.
Just as the cart is not stopped by its tracks while moving
along the path, so too is the spirit of the person who performs
a truly good deed not halted by self-pride. Nor are his
or her actions given wide or glorious recognition in the eyes
of others.
Truly good words, likewise, do not damage or in any
way cause injury to oneself or others. Regardless of how
splendid the words of a Sage may be, when mentioned to
others they will be of no benefit if the other party happens
to be busy with other things, in a dark mood, or simply not
inclined towards such talk at that particular moment. Such
ill-timed discussions not only bring others no benefit, but
frequently result in injury on both sides. Comments intended
to help only worsen the other’s mood and, as a result of
the other party’s thoughts directed against oneself, one’s
own heart begins to cloud over. This is why one must wait
for the right person and time before speaking even the best
of words. In addition to person and time, the final thing to
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observe before speaking is place as well.
The passage ‘good measure does not use calculated
plans’ means that the best calculations are not made by
pushing the beads of an abacus one by one, but rather
require that one go beyond immediate thoughts of profit or
loss, see deep into things, and grasp their general outline.
Not limited to mathematical calculations, the principle of
ascertaining the basics first and of looking past the secondary
issue of weighing profit or loss applies to all manner
of planning as well. The plan or computation that stems
from this kind of profound spirit is termed `the good plan’
by Lao Tsu.
The next line, ‘The gate well shut has no lock, yet may
not be opened’ means that people’s hearts are just like a
well-sealed door that uses no bars or locks, yet cannot be
opened. All that one needs to do is to unite one’s own heart
with the principles of the Universe (the heart of God) and
one will be freed from all injury. Even without being on
constant guard by hiding one’s true feelings, fleeing from
people one finds disagreeable, or always keeping one’s heart
under lock and key, evil thoughts will no longer be there for
others to observe.
Finally, we come to the passage ‘The good knot is tied
not with twine, yet may not be undone.’ Lao Tsu says here
that true union is very different from something that has
been wrapped with twine or constricted by all manner of
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detailed clauses. On the contrary, true union is a complete
and total exchange between two hearts. Only such a bond
will remain fast in face of strife or conflict of interests,
despite the absence of restricting ties, pledges, or contractual
clauses. The union of two hearts is a far more fundamental
kind of bond.
The lifestyle Lao Tsu speaks of here is truly profound,
and is nothing short of exquisite.
The Sage who holds to this always saves people well.
Thus no one is abandoned.
This always saves things well.
Thus nothing is discarded.
(This is called Strike Bright.)
Thus, the good person is the not good’s teacher,
and the not good person is the good’s resource.
He who does not value this teacher or who does not love
that resource may have wisdom, yet will wander greatly.
As the Sage is one who leads the life described in the previous
section, he or she is ‘good’ and thus capable of saving
others. This is why Lao Tsu says none are abandoned.
The difficulty of realizing this teaching in practice, however,
is virtually unrivaled. I myself have had significant
first-hand experience with the difficulties of helping all
manner of disagreeable, wretched, and so-called corrupt peo-
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pie without deserting them. One might even say that I have
had so much experience with such people that I have had
enough.
Most will not, of course, turn their backs on close relatives
or acquaintances that, for some karmic reason, they are
obligated to assist, even if these persons are of a disagreeable
disposition, insane, or simply malicious. If there are not
close relationships binding the two, however, most tend to
abandon such individuals because they are just too much
trouble.
Lao Tsu says that a Sage, on the other hand, will lend
assistance to such people without turning his back, even
though he could easily separate himself from them if he
wanted to. The Sage aids these individuals despite the obstacles
presented to his own freedom of movement.
If one stops to consider oneself lending assistance to
everybody and anybody that comes seeking, I think most
cannot help but be impressed with the dignity of the love of
someone capable of so doing. Performing a true action of
love is no easy matter, unlike the usual kindness rendered
with the thought, ‘I’ll lend him a hand because he’s a good
guy in trouble’ or ‘I’ll help her out because she likes me,’ and
so on.
An example of the quality of action worthy of the Sage
Lao Tsu is describing may be found in Victor Hugo’s novel,
Les Miserables. I think the section that depicts the bishop
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Myriel protecting Jean Valjean from the authorities even
after he has attempted to kill the bishop and make off with
the silver candlesticks—and in the end sending him on his
way with the stolen candlesticks still in his possession—is
the kind of action typical of the Sage Lao Tsu speaks of. How
does one become a person who performs such actions? Only
by entering the deep state of Kuu and becoming the person
of No-action whom Lao Tsu describes.
On the other hand, entering the deep state of Kuu or
Mu-i is not easily accomplished. Moreover, I cannot think of
anything more misdirected than for people to pride and
praise themselves for having done something to help another
or for performing minor actions of love. The person who
does not abandon others and who does not ‘discard things’
does not carry out actions of love or relief consciously,
thinking to accomplish a particular end. Nor is this the kind
of person who, reflecting on the depth of his own love, then
decides to stop performing acts of love because he has
already done enough for others.
Acts that stem from the bottom of Mu-i and that come
from the depths of Emptiness express themselves perfectly
naturally as acts of love and redemption. This is why Lao
Tsu states that the Sage’s heart is not halted by thoughts of
his love for people, or by thoughts of having just uplifted
someone. His thoughts flow smoothly, while his heart
remains pure. Thoughts and actions exist as one. The person
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who can naturally act in harmony with heaven’s wish for
the happiness of others and the world—this is the person
who may properly be called a Sage.
In instances where we believe we have done something
to benefit others, I think it is important that we be careful
not to be prideful or look down on those who do not act
similarly. It is necessary to plunge one’s entire self into the
heart of the Universal God prior to taking one’s first steps
into the realm of `no persons discarded’ that Lao Tsu discusses.
If we have any thought of performing actions of love or
of doing good deeds, then these thoughts must, in the end,
be subtracted from the acts or deeds themselves. This is
because the small self that consciously thinks ‘I am doing
this’ has derailed from the spirit of the Universal God. We
only need to know the truth, that the flow of the spirit of
the Universal God will naturally express itself through all
our actions. This is what is called ‘acting in No-action;’ it is
the realm where all distinctions between God and self—
thoughts that say ‘I did that’—have vanished.
Entering this state is no easy task, however. This is why I
say, for practical purposes, it is enough for people to practice
returning all good thoughts of self to the heart of the
Universal God via words of prayer so that they may then
have their thoughts and actions cleansed and renewed. This
is also the reason for my saying that these words of prayer
should, like those of the world peace prayer, act to unify
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oneself with the rest of humanity, while reuniting all
human hearts within the Spirit of the Universal God.
The prayer ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ is comprised of
truly magnificent yet simple words that spring from the
state of ‘acting in No-action.’ Practicing the Prayer for World
Peace thus perfects the union of one’s own spirit with the
spirit of the Universal God, and links the Universal Heart
with the hearts of all humanity. Those who humbly practice
this prayer and plunge their entire selves and all their lifeenergy
into its simple words will easily begin performing
what would otherwise be the ‘difficult’ action of No-action,
without taking false pride in their own good deeds.
Lao Tsu calls a person capable of ‘not abandoning others’
or of ‘not discarding things’ the ‘person of Striking
Bright.’ This is one who has entered the realm of Mei (FA
Bright), and who has penetrated deep into the heart of God.
Following this, Lao Tsu then concludes this chapter by
saying that ‘the good person is the not-good’s teacher, and
the not-good person is the good’s resource,’ and that ‘he
that does not value this teacher or that does not love that
resource may have wisdom, yet will wander greatly.’
Few will disagree with the statement ‘The good person is
the not-good’s teacher.’ Many, though, may have difficulty
complying with the second part: ‘and the not-good person is
the good’s resource.’ This passage strikes at the very root of
Lao Tsu’s teachings, however, and these are indeed words
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that come from a deep understanding of the principle that
nothing that appears in this world functions outside the will
of the Universal God.
Lao Tsu is suggesting here that a ‘good person’ will be
able to polish his character enormously thanks to the ‘notgood’s’
presence, because the ‘not-good person’ provides the
other with learning material that assists him in improving
himself. All obstacles and circumstances inopportune for
oneself will in fact cease to exist if one thinks of everything
in this way. All things that appear to be working against
oneself are thus the training materials that help to further
polish and refine one’s personality. In contrast, Lao Tsu says
that one who regards things that stand in the way of the self
as true hindrances, or obstacles, is bound to ‘wander greatly,’
regardless of how intelligent one may appear to be.
The first step towards a heart that does not discard
things is to be of a frame of mind where everything manifest
in one’s surroundings appears ‘good.’ As I frequently point
out, the easiest method of entering such a frame of mind is
to live the life of the prayer for world peace, which includes
the recognition of vanishing forms.
By ‘vanishing forms’ I mean that all thoughts, events,
and so on that are manifest in this world are the vanishing
shapes, or images, of karmic causes and effects from past
worlds. A teaching that enables us to comply with this vanishing
process, so that our true, divine Self may shine forth,
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will, in time, make it possible for anyone to enter Lao Tsu’s
realm of ‘none abandoned, nothing discarded.’
It is the sincere hope of the Lao Tsu deep within me
that, via these Lectures on Lao Tsu, many may enter this mysterious
realm along the gentle, easy-to-practice path of
prayer for world peace that was carved out for that purpose.
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Chapter 12
RETURN TO THE UNLIMITED
If one knows the masculine yet protects the feminine
one will become the ravine under Heaven.
If one becomes the ravine under Heaven
and does not depart from true virtue
one will return to an infant.
If one knows the white yet protects the black
one will become the model under Heaven.
If one becomes the model under Heaven
and does not misconstrue true virtue
one will return to the unlimited.
If one knows honor yet maintains the role of the disgraced
one will become the valley under Heaven.
If one becomes the valley under Heaven and if true virtue suffices
one will return to the uncut block.
If this block is split it becomes a utensil.
The Sage who applies this becomes a leader of government.
Hence, the greatest means of cutting does not sever.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 28
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If one knows the masculine yet protects the feminine
one will become the ravine under Heaven.
If one becomes the ravine under Heaven
and does not depart from true virtue
one will return to an infant.
If one knows the white yet protects the black
one will become the model under Heaven.
If one becomes the model under Heaven
and does not misconstrue true virtue
one will return to the unlimited.
The masculine referred to in the expression ‘If one knows
the masculine and protects the feminine, one will become
the ravine under Heaven,’ means to be full of courage and of
a bright, positive and masculine nature. To ‘know’ here does
not mean to know this with one’s head but rather to firmly
grasp this state of being with one’s heart.
If one can protect the reverse side of ‘the masculine’—
‘the feminine’ (i.e., a gentle, quiet, humble feminine spirit
overflowing with motherly love), Lao Tsu says one will then
‘become the ravine under Heaven .’ This ravine, placed as it
is below something as massive as Heaven itself, means a
heart that knows no limits, a great magnanimity capable of
holding any person or thing—in a word, someone capable of
being made into a person of truly great proportions.
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If one becomes this kind of giant person—like ‘the
ravine under Heaven’—and does not stray from true virtue,
one will be returned to an infant. In other words, Lao Tsu
says that by acting out of a virtue that is similar to the
Divine Spirit of God, one is filled with the pure potential
and naturally innocent spirit of a child.
Next comes the passage, `If one knows the white yet protects
the black, one will become the model under Heaven.’
White is used here as a symbol of purity, cleanliness, and
various forms of light mixed together and completely purified.
This is a metaphor for the spirit of sagacity itself. And
yet, as one makes this spirit one’s own, one must also protect
the black. The black represents the undeveloped places
that light has not yet reached, such as people lacking wisdom.
Since the time of Lao Tsu many hundreds of years ago in
ancient China, this earthly world has remained outside the
reach of the Divine Light of the Universal God. Today the
world continues to be the residence of undeveloped human
beings. In other words, it remains a place where people’s
original divine nature does not easily show through. It is a
world of darkness and of ignorance, a world in which the
white light does not shine evenly.
If one starkly exhibits this immaculate spirit of the
white, one may be unable to mix with others in this world
of darkness and ignorance. Towering high above the others,
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MASAHISA GOI
one may become isolated from them and have no influence
over the politics and policies of the world below.
This is why Lao Tsu teaches that, by knowing the white
and defending the black, by becoming oneself a person of
ignorance in order to conform to the lifestyle of others in
this world of ignorance, and by then working for the benefit
of humankind, one can be appreciated as a person who truly
knows the heart of one’s fellow human beings and be valued
as a fine person of selfless knowledge and friend of all. As
models for all under Heaven, such people will influence others,
gradually causing them to be purified as well.
The human spirit is a strange thing indeed. There is a
Japanese saying that ‘Purified Water Houses No Fish.’
Similarly, someone who looks up to another as being really
fine and worthy frequently abandons the idea of actually
becoming that kind of person. Sensing that he could never
become such a fine person himself, he views the other as far
removed, out of reach, and totally unapproachable.
Lao Tsu says that if we lead a life of ‘knowing the white
yet protecting the black’ and become ‘the model under
Heaven,’ we will not misinterpret true virtue and will ‘return
to the unlimited.’ These words, ‘return to the unlimited,’ are
awesome words indeed. They hold a profound stillness that
penetrates inner space, returning us to the deepest-of-deep,
purest-of-pure, far reaches of the ultimate. This is the state
that I wrote about in the poem called ‘Lao Tsu’ which
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appears in the prologue to this book.
This place of absolute limitlessness is the fountainhead
of the divine spirit of the Universal God. Therefore, to
‘return to the unlimited’ means to be made into the divine
spirit of the Universal God. I believe this expression points
to the true heart of Lao Tsu’s teachings.
Despite the fact that the terms Mu (,;:!, Nothingness) and
Kuu are used extensively in philosophic works, it is extremely
difficult to convey by words alone such things as the truly
amazing experience of reaching limitlessness, or the tireless
progression of one’s spirit through past worlds to break
through and become Emptiness. Explaining this a bit further,
one can say that as one plunges deeply into the interior
of the physical waves of this world, one will at some point
break into the realm of spiritual light. If one fully immerses
oneself in this realm, reaching its innermost depths, the
world of Bright will be revealed. This world of Bright has
numerous levels, which expand through deeper and deeper
worlds. Finally, at the innermost of inner levels, exists the
profound world of Emptiness, the realm without polarities,
the limitless realm of Kuu.
The cosmic science I frequently refer to deals with this
principle as it applies to the inner realm of the cosmic nucleus,
which is the origin of the life-force waves that flow
throughout the universe. This is this realm of ‘no-limit.’
Whenever I use the words ‘Light’ or ‘Bright’ there is a
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tendency for people to envision an electric light, the sun’s
rays, or other light-forms commonly visible in the material
world. When speaking of Light or Bright in a spiritual sense,
however, we are speaking of a light invisible to the physical
eyes. This light is, rather, perceptible by the more sensitive
eye of the soul. There are in fact several different levels and
layers to this eye of the soul, the distinctions between which
are very substantial. This is why there are very real differences
between the psychic visions and inspirations of those
who merely stand in the doorway to the world of Bright and
those who have actually entered inside and are thus nearer
to its center. All that is seen and felt by the people of this
world, on the other hand, is the movement of the elementary
particles, where everything appears as a manifestation
of various wave forms.
The science of the world today has advanced to a very
significant level. For example, a living object that was formerly
viewed only as a collection of cellular particles was
then discovered to be made up of atoms. These atoms were
in turn discovered to be made up of a nucleus and ions. This
nucleus was then found to be composed of protons and neutrons.
Mesons were then discovered, soon followed by the
hyperon, K-mesotron, pie-meson, mieu-meson, and so on.
These discoveries were then followed by the neutrino and
light particles said to be the most elementary of all particles.
Put simply, what began with the alpha, beta, and gamma
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rays subsequently exploded into a whole new world of elementary
particles.
What was originally called ‘electricity’ was thus discovered
to really be a flow of electrons, and what was termed
‘light’ was found to be light particles undulating in wave
forms. The science of the world today has advanced to the
point where it is in fact ready to begin to discover the resonance
of the bright waves perceptible now only by psychic
vision and inspiration. As a part of the waves of the natural
world, these waves will one day be proven to be linked with
the others already discovered.
When this link between visible and invisible light waves
is proven, what was heretofore only explained in philosophic
terms as ‘the world of Bright,’ ‘Emptiness,’ or ‘Nothingness’
will at last be given a scientific base and explained in
scientific terms. What is referred to as ‘the world of light’ or
‘Bright
,’ contains a large spiritual component. This spiritual
component—what is called spiritual light—can itself, however,
be scientifically proven. This will eventually be accomplished
by means of the Universal Particles whose existence
we have learned about from cosmic science, through
research conducted under the direction of cosmic beings.
Among Universal Particles, those that operate on a spiritual
frequency (Spiritual Universal Particles) are clearly differentiated
from those that work on a material frequency (Material
Universal Particles). This is the primary point of difference
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MASAHISA GOI
between the science of the world today and cosmic science.
Returning to the passage, Lao Tsu is thus saying that the
Universal Particles begin to function in a wave-like manner
in this most central, most fundamental of worlds. Lao Tsu
calls this deepest center of the natural universe the ‘unlimited.’
Using more spiritual terminology, this center can also be
called the ‘Divine Spirit of the Universal God.’
If one knows honor yet maintains the role of the disgraced
one will become the valley under Heaven.
If one becomes the valley under Heaven and if true virtue suffices
one will return to the uncut block.
If this block is split it becomes a utensil.
The Sage who applies this becomes a leader of government.
Hence, the greatest means of cutting does not sever.
One who retains a humble attitude, even when enjoying
both wealth and fame, will become an individual of truly
monumental proportions. This is what Lao Tsu calls ‘the valley
under Heaven.’ If this same person then accumulates
virtue of the Divine Spirit of God, he or she will return to
‘the uncut block ,’ the original tree itself. The person will
return, in other words, to the pure and simple world that is
the fountainhead of life itself.
To return to the original form or to a pure and simple
state does not, however, mean to be used as the raw materi-
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
als for, nor added as an appendage to, some other product. It
simply means to have the potential for being made into a
variety of ‘utensils.”‘ Applying this to human beings, Lao
Tsu says that a person of overly big proportions cannot ever
be put to use working for someone else.
Lao Tsu next goes on to state that it is the Sage, living
according to this principle, who will become the ultimate
leader of government.
In conclusion, Lao Tsu says that ‘the greatest means of
cutting does not sever.’ To cut without severing means that
a person whose actions come straight from the original
world of the Universal God always maintains a spirit of
wholeness, and eventually tends to develop into the most
central figure. The true monarch is the best example of this:
he or she never acts in a departmentalized manner, and
peace will prevail for as long as he or she reigns.
There are a multitude of talents spread among the people
of this world of ours. In many cases, these talents are
clearly being put to full use. There are also, however, those
who appear to be easygoing individuals lacking any special
skills, yet who stand out among others.
This is why there is no reason at all for you to feel
dejected or give up on yourself because you think that you
are clumsy or that you lack talent. By placing your thoughts
within the source of the Universal life force through immersion
in prayer for world peace, and by leading a pure and
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MASAHISA GOI
simple life in your present situation, you will be made into a
person of indescribable charm by the waves of Light that
will begin to flow from the Universal Source into your physical
body.
Chew well on, and live according to, the following
words:
Believe in your mission,
Expend your Human Energies,
Heaven helps those
who help themselves.
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Chapter 13
ONE WHO KNOWS ONESELF
IS ENLIGHTENED
One who knows people is wise.
One who knows oneself is enlightened.
One who masters others has strength.
One who masters oneself is strong.
One who knows what is enough is rich.
One who acts with strength has direction.
One who does not lose one’s place will last long.
One who is not destroyed at death is long-lived.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 33
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MASAHISA GOI
One who knows people is wise.
One who knows oneself is enlightened.
It is clear from this opening passage that Lao Tsu uses the
terms ‘wise’ and ‘enlightened’ to mean two different
things—that is, one who knows people is wise and one who
knows oneself is enlightened. Just what does Lao Tsu mean
by distinguishing wisdom from enlightenment?
While it is true that, in this excerpt, Lao Tsu considers
knowing people as well as knowing oneself important and
probably never intended to make a major point of distinguishing
self from other, or wisdom from enlightenment, I
think it is safe to say that a natural verbal distinction arose
from Lao Tsu’s basic belief that to know oneself is more difficult
than to know others. To know oneself, moreover, represents
a higher stage of development than knowing others.
Why, though, does Lao Tsu place enlightenment (Mei IN in
Japanese, literally ‘bright’ or ‘brilliant’) above wisdom (chi
i)?
Let us begin by describing the term ‘wisdom’ (chi). The
Chinese character chi (‘) is written by placing the character
*11 (to know, inform) over the character 19 (hi, sun). As I
have frequently noted, hi has the same meaning as the word
g (hi, or sometimes rei, spirit). Hi may thus be said to represent
the spirit, the original source of light, the original spirit,
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
or original body.
The character for wisdom (V?), chi in Japanese, therefore,
means knowledge placed atop of the essential, divine spirit.
This, in turn, may be interpreted to mean `to know with the
head,’ `to know by the experience stored in one’s brain,’ ‘to
know cerebrally.’ It does not mean to know by the essential,
divine spirit or through spiritual awakening.
There is, of course, nothing wrong in knowing with the
head, and this is in fact how people generally understand
and learn about things. Moreover, people have a tendency
to make fun of those who are not good at comprehending
things with their heads. In order to associate with and
understand others, it is for this reason important to develop
wisdom (chi t ) and to also have a sound intellect oneself.
Someone unable to understand the true or real personality,
who, after only a few words of praise or favors, suddenly
considers another to be a good person, or who, upon being
reproached, thinks badly of the person doing the cautioning,
must be said to be lacking wisdom. This is why Lao Tsu
says ‘one who knows people is wise.’
On the other hand, while one is able to know people
through wisdom (cerebral knowledge), it is impossible to
know one’s Self by the head alone. To fully know the Self
and to see oneself as a living part of the Universal Life
Source (that is, to know the real true Self, as distinguished
from the visible self), it is first necessary to quiet one’s
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thoughts, deepen the spirit, and enter into the fountainhead
of life itself. Without entering the profound state of Kuu or
Mu, the true Self cannot be known. Lao Tsu calls the entry
into this state Mei H (Bright or enlightenment).
Turning next to make a similar analysis of the character
Mei (q), we find that it can be split vertically, leaving H and
A . The left part, El (the sun), stands for the positive, masculine,
also known as yang; the right part, A(the moon), represents
the negative, feminine, also known as yin. These
principles should be familiar to most. The harmonious interaction
of p(+) and A(—)—Great Harmony itself—is thus
represented by the single character FA Mei.
H and A are used to write ‘sun’ and ‘moon’ in both
Chinese and Japanese. High above earth and far beyond the
reach of physical human beings, the combination of these
two in the character IN (Mei) depicts the form of Great
Harmony as it manifests itself in the highest-of-high, deepest-
of-deep, innermost-of-inner worlds at the center of the
natural universe. The state of Mei may, therefore, be summarized
as the state of having entered into the heart of the
Universal God. It is a state where there is not even one speck
of ego, a state of perfect spiritual purity.
To know one’s true Self is for this reason a difficult and,
in many ways, incredible experience. As one begins to learn
about one’s own Self, the individual’s thoughts and actions
begin to correct themselves, making one freer, less easily
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swayed by what other people say, and less easily moved by
material things, position or feelings. Through knowing oneself,
it becomes possible to act out of the essential spirit—the
spirit of God itself.
Returning to the term ‘wisdom’ (V chi) for a moment,
there is actually a word 1=91V(Meichi) in Japanese that combines
both Mei and chi. While this still means ‘wisdom’ or
‘sagacity’ it is, again, a term used to represent wisdom
derived from divinity rather than from simple cerebral
knowledge. Judging from the above, one may readily appreciate
the tremendous amount of respect the simple character
IN (Mei) commands in the Japanese language .
One who masters others has strength.
One who masters oneself is strong.
I do not think I need to go into too detailed an explanation
of this excerpt, but let us take a few moments before moving
ahead.
Just as Lao Tsu says, it requires strength to master others.
He is not, of course, simply referring to the strength of one’s
muscles here but instead means to also include the power
inherent in all of the individual’s talents as well. This does
not mean that someone lacking strength can change the situation
by saying things behind people’s backs or by saying
things to make oneself appear important. There is, in fact,
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no clearer sign of an undeveloped character than to drop
names or to carry on gossip about people in order to convince
oneself of one’s own greatness.
Possessing strength is, without question, the number
one factor in mastering others. The same holds true for relations
between countries. Just as between individuals, it is
not very impressive for a nation that does not itself possess
any real strength to be critical of other countries and act as if
it is, in fact, a major power.
A nation’s real strength is not, of course, measured by
the size of its military. If a nation’s people are capable of
unifying themselves in the spirit of cherishing their country,
and if individuals can place their own personal benefit
behind that of their nation, that country’s real strength will
become quite significant, even if it does not possess military
power per se. That is the kind of country I would like Japan
and the rest of the world’s nations to become some day.
Similarly, I would like to see this kind of energy focused
on prayer for world peace. It is clear by now that military
power cannot bring forth true world peace. I think it would
be far better to re-channel the tremendous energies people
are devoting to building up defenses into the movement of
prayer for world peace instead. I am likewise confident that
our research into cosmic science will be of great benefit to
this undertaking in the future.
Lao Tsu says that it requires strength to master others. In
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answer to the question of what it takes to master oneself,
however, he only says `to be strong.’ As was earlier pointed
out, `to know oneself is to be enlightened.’ There is, moreover,
no higher state than the state of Mei where all desires
and karmic thoughts/actions are overcome.
When the true spirit of Mel shows itself, an unyielding
willpower is born. Willpower that is born from the state of
Mel is a naturally-spawned willpower, a deep inner strength
able to overcome any karmic temptation. This does not
mean simply tensing up one’s psyche and suppressing
desire, but rather indicates a total and free strength beyond
the realm of karmic temptations and intentions. In short, to
actually master or, as Lao Tsu’s original text states, ‘win over
oneself’ is not easy. The kind of willpower needed to overcome
all karmic thought waves may only be found by entering
the brilliant state of Mei.
One who knows what is enough is rich.
This passage describes the limitlessness of human desires—of
seeking a prestigious position after money has been attained,
of craving a still-higher position as soon as some status has
been attained, of wanting to always remain at the highest
level, and the constant planning and scheming that prevent
the spirit from ever coming to rest.
I think that to ‘know what is enough’ is extremely
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MASAHISA GOI
important. Regardless of how despondent one’s condition,
those who are able to find satisfaction within their poverty
and who are able to give their spirit a rest have the same
spiritual freedom that is often associated only with wealth.
One who acts with strength has direction.
This passage means that, regardless of what difficulties may
present themselves, the person who has established a path
for oneself and who proceeds down it by work and study
will, as a traveler with a firm sense of direction, inevitably
reach the desired destination.
If attaining that goal is truly the wish of our inner soul
and lies within the mission ordained for us from heaven, we
will certainly be able to achieve it. For this reason, it is
important for us to believe in our own divine missions and
to exert our every effort for their completion in the time,
place, and situation in which we live.
Because every person has a mission in life, it serves no
purpose for people to throw up their hands whenever they
find themselves in an environment that does not appeal to
them. This sort of attitude creates a tremendous obstacle to
the fulfillment of one’s mission. Divine power works
through people who make their best efforts, regardless of the
circumstances, ensuring the successful completion of their
respective missions.
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One who does not lose one’s place will last long.
The phrase ‘one’s place’ as used by Lao Tsu here does not
simply refer to location, position, or role, but means instead
‘the place of truth .’ To put this in a very Lao Tsu-ian way, as
long as one does not lose sight of the path, one is standing
on the Way. Using more modern phraseology, this means
being within the Divine Spirit of God.
No matter how high one’s position or how splendid
one’s home, these will always remain ephemeral things—
position or lodging in this world that, as part of this world,
cannot last more than a hundred or so years. The phrase
‘last long’ here then obviously does not refer to the relative
time of this world but rather speaks of the eternal nature of
the person of the Way. This is closely related to the next,
and last, line.
One who is not destroyed at death is long-lived.
What does Lao Tsu mean by ‘not destroyed at death’?
If we think in purely material terms, life is destroyed
when the physical body dies. Thus, if a materialist were to
attempt to explain the passage ‘not destroyed at death,’ he
or she would have to say that Lao Tsu is referring to the
individual’s work or good deeds that remain behind in the
world for many years following the person’s departure.
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My reading of Lao Tsu, however, does not allow for such
a shallow interpretation of this final line, ‘One that is not
gone at death is long-lived.’
To not be destroyed at death is to know the truth that
life continues, even after the physical body has passed away.
Put another way, those who believe that their lives end
when the physical body is destroyed do not surpass death.
In other words, those people will continue to wander
around as if lost in a dream until they realize that, even
without the physical body, life goes on in its unified spiritual
form. The reverse of this is that many people are now
leading what have to be termed ‘dead’ lives.
A person’s physical existence is but a single manifestation
of the resonance of life. Human life is, in truth, a creator
of worlds. Lao Tsu is, therefore, here warning us about
the shallowness of fixing our attention only upon physical
forms, and of thinking that there is no human world apart
from the physical one.
To enter the bright realm of Mei is no simple task. This is
why it is important to always live within the spirit of prayer,
for this spirit of prayer is, itself, the gateway to Mei. And in
thinking about the various kinds of prayer, I feel quite sure
that a prayer aimed at the peace of all people—a prayer for
world peace—is the highest and broadest spirit of prayer that
we can have.
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(
The Way is Vast (Daidô a)
Calligraphy by Masahisa Goi
nts°
Chapter 14
YET CAN
THE WAY IS
MOVE FROM
VAST
LEFT TO RIGHT
The Way is vast
Yet can move from left to right.
Everything lives relying on it
Yet it does not deny.
It only serves
Yet is without name.
It clothes the ten thousand things
Yet becomes not their master.
It should be called Small.
Everything returns to this
But it becomes not their master.
If one were to name it
It should be named Great.
It is because it does not attempt to be great
That it is truly Great.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 34
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO TSU
The Way is vast
Yet can move from left to right.
What is called ‘The Way’ here is not a single massive entity,
nor is it something that has frozen in place after once
spreading out. It is, instead, capable of moving freely from
left to right, while still pouring forth like water from a
spring. It can move in the horizontal plane to separate into
left and right, and is, likewise, capable of moving freely in
the vertical plane as well.
Everything lives relying on it
Yet it does not deny.
It only serves
Yet is without name.
Everything, or all living things, live and grow off the energy
provided by the Way. Yet the Way—or to use a more modern
term, the Universal God—does nothing to impair or
thwart the growth of the ten thousand things, and only continues
to impart its life force while leaving everything up to
the natural strength of things. Nor do the ten thousand
things refuse this life force, saying instead, ‘this alone is adequate.’
And while God may do such fabulous things as provide
life energy to the ten thousand things and give all liv-
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MASAH I SA GOI
ing things a taste of the joy of life itself, It does not seek
fame or in any way become proud.
It clothes the ten thousand things
Yet becomes not their master.
It should be called Small.
The Way, or the spirit and power of the Universal God, is a
wondrous and mysterious thing full of love. At the same
time, it is responsible for producing the many and varied
forms of human beings, mountains, rivers, grasses, trees,
birds, fish, insects, and so on, giving them color and illuminating
all with the energy of life. The Way does all this, yet
also lets every individual be his or her own master. The Way
does not make pronouncements that it is the master of the
ten thousand things. The power behind everything, it
remains hidden from view and it issues no orders.
Turning next to the question of where it conceals itself,
one might say that the Way resides and is active within the
ten thousand things as Life itself. This is why Lao Tsu says
that the Way should be called ‘Small.’
Modern science having progressed the way it has, one
should realize the profound implications of Lao Tsu’s words,
‘It should be called small .’ Modern science has isolated
numerous elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
etc.) that are themselves made up of various particles (elec-
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
trons, neutrons, etc.) that, when thrown together in various
combinations, produce all animate and inanimate things
(the ten thousand things). Our own cosmic science has, likewise,
identified the Universal Particle as the smallest and
most fundamental of all.
The energy that operates within this smallest of entities
is the energy of the Way. This is, at the same time, the energy
of God. Without the benefit of modern science, that Lao
Tsu should choose to call this (Way) ‘Small’ is almost as aweinspiring
as it is typical of his timeless sagacity.
Everything returns to this, but it becomes not their master.
If one were to name it, it should be called Great.
In direct contrast to the previous passage, this section goes
on to say that ‘it’ (the Way) should be named Great.
As stated in the lines which precede, there is nothing
that lives and grows that does not depend upon the energy
of the Way. As a result, everything returns to, and is one
with, the Way. And yet, the Way does not present itself as
that which oversees everything.
No matter how one views it, the Way clearly does preside
over everything, is the parent which gives birth to and
rears all, and is the source of all energy. This notwithstanding,
the Way does not name itself ruler.
Putting this in human terms, one has to be impressed
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MASAHISA GOI
with the unfathomable and expansive heart that, while
holding such power and all of life in its own hands, does not
then choose to show itself on the surface.
Looking up at the millions of stars scattered about the
limitless skies, I feel nothing but awe for scale of that spirit.
Pondering the great form of the single principle that towers
over each of these stars, one has to agree with Lao Tsu that
‘it should be named Great .’
The Way is infinitely minuscule and infinitely massive.
Just like the Way, the Sage is one who, without having to
show oneself, lives sincerely and freely. This kind of person
does not hold thoughts that are separate from God, such as
‘I am great ,’ ‘I am enlightened,’ ‘I work for everyone’s benefit,’
and so on. Nor do such people strive to notify others of
their existence. They are, nevertheless, naturally appreciated.
It is because it does not attempt to be great
That it is truly Great.
We are brought, then, to these closing lines where Lao Tsu
says one may be made Great, that is, made into the Way,
into the Universal God itself. This, in turn, means that the
Sage is someone capable of performing actions that express
the Universal God itself.
As I write these essays on Lao Tsu, I am frequently struck
with the wisdom Lao Tsu showed in choosing to describe
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‘God’ by the term ‘The Way’ or ‘Great .’ I say wise because
whenever one uses the word God to describe the Absolute,
one immediately perceives God as something separate from
oneself, something that is always monitoring one’s actions,
or something that works to restrict the freedom of the Self.
For the same reason, it is not uncommon for people to feel
threatened by the presence of something that might level
punishment immediately upon those guilty of even the
slightest mistake.
On the contrary, the Absolute (God) does not exist
somewhere apart from human beings, nor does it do things
such as judge them or punish them for their mistakes. The
Absolute (God) exists, instead, always within human beings,
vivifying them with life-giving energy while assisting them
from the outside as well.
By ‘vivifying human beings from within,’ I mean that
God works to make the brain, internal organs and other
facilities of the physical body operate. In this capacity, God
functions as the life force that sustains each and every individual
from within. By ‘assists human beings from the outside,’
on the other hand, I am referring to God as the Sun
and Earth. And when made into air, water and food, God
also works to support a human being’s physical body externally.
Viewed this way, the power of God exists both within
and around human beings. And yet, while this is what made
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them grow to what they are today, this power makes no
demands of, nor issues any orders to human beings in
return.
As the Law of Life, God only moves the planets and governs
the fate of humanity in accordance with humanity’s
own self-determined rules. All of the illnesses, calamities and
misfortunes present in this world are nothing more than the
results of human beings’ own discord with the harmonious
movement of the universe. They are not punishments handed
out by a judgmental God.
It is for this reason that I think that, rather than instruct
people about God being the Absolute and the Great Life
Force, it may be easier for everyone to understand the truth
if one speaks of the Way, or the natural movement of the
universe, showing, as Lao Tsu does, how to live and act in
accordance with the Way.
Shakson19 was another who, like Lao Tsu, avoided the
term ‘God’ when mentioning the Absolute. He even went so
far as to use a special word, ‘Nyorai,’ to describe individuals
who were enlightened or became one with the Absolute.
This was to prevent mixing the karmic20 thoughts of human
beings with the spirit of the Absolute, or the Great Life
Force.
I am frequently asked why God made human beings
with so many karmic thoughts. These kinds of inquiries are,
themselves, nothing other than doubts raised by mixing
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
one’s karmic thoughts with the Absolute One, or the Law of
the Great Life Force. The Absolute Universal God is, above
all else, the Great Life Force, or Universal Life itself. It is the
Way. Without giving orders, punishing humankind, or
deeming itself protagonist, it is the principle upon which
the entire universe revolves.
This is the Way about which Lao Tsu speaks. Though
infinitely small and miniscule, the Way spans the Universe
and is of limitless proportions. Big, it governs the existence
of everything in the universe through a deep, vast array of
worlds. Small, it becomes the minuscule Universal Particles
and atoms that work within humans and all living things to
bring about the movements of life. It is, in short, what
breathes life—vivid and energetic life—into all.
The Way is the Law of the Universe and Law of Life.
Therefore, all that human beings need to do is live according
to the Universal Law and follow the Law of Life. It is enough
to live following the Way, acting in accordance with its Law.
But this Way is not readily understood, and the Law of
the Universe and of Life are unknown to most. The result of
this ignorance is misfortune for individuals and, eventually,
the delivery of humankind and the earthly world to the
brink of destruction.
The terms ‘Universal Law’ or ‘Law of Life’ may appear
unnecessarily cumbersome, however, and it is here that we
may appreciate the simplicity of Lao Tsu’s ‘Way’ instead.
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Simple yet full of meaning, ‘the Way’ is intuitively comprehensible
to most.
As mentioned previously, there exist both the Way
(Law) of the Universal Particles, electrons and atoms, as well
as the Way that refers to the lifestyle of human beings.
Although Lao Tsu speaks always of the lifestyle of the Sage,
there can be no doubt that one’s own character will gradually
improve if one lives by imitating the path trod by such
holy persons. Unawakened human beings, though, cannot
easily follow the Way, or the Law of God, unassisted. This is
why I have been explaining that there exist Guardian Spirits
and Divinities, who guide human beings in the direction of
the Way and lend them strength for their own deliverance.
Lao Tsu frequently uses water to depict the Way. Water,
with its ability to flow freely into any position and to be
shaped by any set of of circumstances without clinging to
any single form, leads a truly ideal existence. The word
`vast121 in ‘The Way is vast …’ is an example of Lao Tsu’s referring
to water to depict the enlightened form of something
that can move in perfect freedom, regardless of other people
or other circumstances.
Water is not the only naturally occurring phenomenon
that shows the way for human beings to follow. The clouds,
wind, birds, grasses and trees—all one has to do is study any
animate or inanimate thing in the natural world and one’s
proper path may be discovered.
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
Just as the scientist pays close attention to the movements
of nature and to the movements of animate and inanimate
objects in order to broaden the scope of his or her
own field of study, so, too, is there a need for people along
the way of religion to lead humble and sincere lives, striving
for good while taking care, as does the scientist, to observe
their own each and every action, the attitudes of others, and
the directions taken by all forms of existence.
There is, in Japanese, the expression ‘The Way is everywhere,’
but if one were to replace ‘Way’ with ‘God,’ one
would be left with ‘God is everywhere.’ God resides in all
animate and inanimate objects as the Law, and is made
apparent by the sincere efforts of human beings in combination
with their practice of gratitude to their Guardian Spirits
and Divinities.
I discovered my own Way led by my Guardian Divinity
and Spirits who had previously branched out from the essential,
Universal God, and today I am proceeding down that
Way at full speed. This is the way of forging peace on Earth,
the Way of prayer for world peace.
The Way of prayer for world peace is identical to the
Way Lao Tsu speaks of. Likewise, it is identical to the Way of
the Spirit of the Universal God. The Way of prayer for world
peace enables people to comprehend the infinitely minute
existence of the Universal Particle, and also to grasp a giant
key to the Law of the Universe: the way of yin and yang,
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MASAHISA GOI
that manifests the Great Way as many; and the Great Way,
that manifests the union of yin and yang as One. This
applies even in the infinitely minuscule world of the
Universal Particle.
Lao Tsu continues to grow more grand.
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Chapter 15
IF YOU TAKE THE GREAT ELEPHANT
OUT INTO THE WORLD WITH You
If you take the Great Elephant out into the world with you
you will meet no harm and your peace will be great.
A traveler will stop for food and merriment,
but talk of the Way is lean and without flavor.
Look at this and you cannot see enough.
Listen to this and you cannot hear enough.
Make use of this—
It may not be exhausted.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 35
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MASAHISA GOI
If you take the Great Elephant out into the world with you
you will meet no harm and your peace will be great.
The ‘Great Elephant’ that Lao Tsu refers to here is, of course,
a metaphor for the Way, or the Spirit of God. The reason
Lao Tsu describes the Way using this ‘Great Elephant’
metaphor is that the elephant holds a natural authority in
the animal world, such that even the tiger and so-called king
of beasts, the lion, steer well clear of its path. Lao Tsu is not,
of course, speaking about the elephants of far away Africa,
but constructs his metaphor around the elephants of nearby
India instead. The elephants of India are said to be extremely
gentle by nature and, while they virtually never initiate
attacks on other animals, they themselves enjoy a strong
and somewhat aloof position, free from harassment by others.
The ‘Great Elephant,’ indeed, serves as the ideal
metaphor for the Divine Spirit as it exists in the animal kingdom.
To ‘take the Great Elephant’ (in other words, to make
the Divine Spirit of the Universal God your own) and proceed
along the Way, means to venture into any environment
or place without receiving injury or suffering loss of
self, regardless of what one attempts. There could be no
greater peace of mind than that which stems from the
knowledge that nothing can injure or in any way do one
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harm. This, in short, is the life of confidence that will make
for a truly peaceful world.
A traveler will stop for food and merriment,
but talk of the Way is lean and without flavor.
‘Music’ is one translation of the Chinese word V that
appears in the original, and the same character can also
mean ‘merriment.’ Lao Tsu is not speaking only of music
here, but means to include all of the arts of entertainment
that pass through the eyes and ears to please our senses. In a
similar way, ‘food’ here refers to all edible materials that pass
through our mouths to bring us gustatory satisfaction.
While these things can draw the attention of and eventually
gain control over people, Lao Tsu never alters his tone
to accommodate the listener when discussing the Way. His
words are, for this reason, ‘lean,’ or totally lacking embellishment.
Without any of the superficial appeal of song or
dance, and devoid of intriguing flavors altogether, it should
come as no surprise that Lao Tsu’s straightforward pronouncements
of what people should or should not do were
not well received by most. This is because Lao Tsu never
attempted to accommodate the listener or alter his words at
all when speaking of the Way. The best medicine is that
which is bitter to the taste.
Those religious groups that have recently been recruiting
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MASAH I SA GOI
followers at sporting events, or by sponsoring parties under
the pretense that life is meant for amusement, are moving
away from, not closer to, the Way of Lao Tsu. There are, to
be sure, religious leaders who feel no shame in using sweet
words and behaving contrary to the Way in order to increase
their followings.
As a result of writing these essays on Lao Tsu, I have
come to understand* from what depth of knowledge and
understanding Lao Tsu describes the Way. I -have likewise
gained a tremendous appreciation for his masterful use of
metaphor to elucidate the highest and most meaningful way
of life for human beings.
On the other hand, I sense that many readers feel exasperated
when they try their own hand at interpreting Lao
Tsu’s words in their original form, regardless of which chapter
they may attempt. This is why I have chosen to write
these essays on Lao Tsu, as I hope to take his profoundly difficult,
seemingly unrealizable words of truth (or, as Lao Tsu
says himself in this chapter, to take the tasteless as well as
the superficially uninteresting) and erect a pillar of light
which can easily be climbed by the average person.
Look at this and you cannot see enough.
Listen to this and you cannot hear enough.
Make use of this—
It may not be exhausted.
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
I feel exactly the same as Lao Tsu that, even if we see the
form or hear the words of the Way (words of truth), these
only represent a mere glimpse of the total. Only when we
ourselves begin to act does the Way and its various uses
become evident.
We enjoy watching and listening to music or dance. So,
too, are our palates pleased when we take food. The Way
must be acted out by ourselves alone, however, or it will
avail us nothing.
In each of these chapters, Lao Tsu has been describing
the lifestyle of the person of truth and various profound
states of mind. Regardless of how great their truth, though,
words not expressed in actions will not suffice. Lao Tsu is
first and foremost a person of action, not a preacher. A ‘person
of action’ does not, however, mean someone involved
in business dealings or politics. It simply means a person
who exists as the Way itself—a divine being—who strikes
others with the light of the Universal God.
The Way—Truth—is not to be found amidst extraordinary
actions. It lies instead within the most common and
mundane of everyday activities.
If we were to take the example of to what we should be
thankful for being here today, we might begin by replying
that it is the various mechanisms of our bodies continually
performing their specified functions that sustain us.
According to this line of reasoning, it is our own physical
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MASAHISA GOI
organs that are responsible for keeping us alive here on
earth. If this is the case, we should be thankful to our heart,
lungs, arms, and legs for working continuously on each of
our behalves.
There is nothing strange about this feeling of thanks,
and I actually think it is a rather obvious feeling that we
should all practice. Most view this to be too obvious a point,
however. Not to be led around by my comments to the contrary,
very few ever stop to thank the various organs of their
own bodies.
I suppose this brings us now to the phrase `lean and
without flavor.’ After our bodies, we should next be thankful
for the water we drink and the air we breathe. As one cannot
live without either water or air, how thankful then should
we be for the water and air made freely available to us in
abundant supply. These words—`lean and without flavor’—
are easily passed over by most as common knowledge, and
few indeed are those who embrace such basic things with
true feelings of thanks.
By looking closely at each of the things around us in this
way, we will discover that we receive nothing for which we
should not be grateful. Generally speaking, though, people
do not feel grateful to the invisible, untouchable world of
nature for continuously providing these gifts to us from the
day we are born. By grouping all of these various things
together through the realization that it is the divine power
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
of God that breathes life into them all, the spiritual person
thus teaches that we should be always sending our thanks to
God.
These teachings, devoid of ornamentation and relatively
unstimulating, offer no contest to the interesting or entertaining
pleasures that more readily draw people’s attention.
Even among those who turn towards God, faith, or the spiritual,
people tend to favor those religious groups that have
nice sounding catch phrases or that claim to be able to heal
the ill or eliminate poverty with prayer. While this might
make pilgrimages possible, it is obvious that people’s minds
have not changed much from Lao Tsu’s time to our own, or
differ significantly from one country to the next.
Lao Tsu knew the human mind well, yet continued his
elucidation of the way of life that links human beings with
the origin of the Great Life Force without ever considering
lowering his teachings to match the popular level. Lao Tsu’s
words have a special, naturally high quality about them.
This is why it feels as if the spirit is elevated and made deeper
as one reads them—even in the original.
It must be that one is naturally being purified in the
process of reading. There can be no doubt that those who
received Lao Tsu’s teachings directly from him while he was
present in this world had their souls heightened by the
words—and the flash of light that preceded them—that
came from his lips.
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MASAHISA GOI
Even though I am always with Lao Tsu in a spiritual
sense, I feel nothing but tremendous respect for what one
must, for the lack of a better term, call the intense strength
of a flash of light that, in an instant, can wipe out any
karmic thoughts. It is these waves of light that I find so inexpressible
in voice or print.
The ‘Great Elephant’ referred to at the beginning of this
chapter (‘If you take the Great Elephant out into the world
with you’) is none other than Lao Tsu himself. Lao Tsu
emerged from within the Great Elephant to appear in this
world and resolve its problems. Those who understand this
are ushered inside him to complete themselves as a part of
his mission.
The bright waves of light that are Lao Tsu have been
fused with my spiritual body, making me one of those who
have had their physical body drawn inside the Great
Elephant itself. That is why, ever since being fused with Lao
Tsu, my physical self has been unified with my divine Self
within the work of the Great Elephant, both striving tirelessly
to complete the divine task of raising this world to a
world of omnipresent Bright Light.
When a person’s divine Self works in perfect unison
with his or her physical self, tremendous strength will manifest
itself in the form of great works. Lao Tsu, Buddha, Jesus,
and the various Guardian Spirits all labor to help create such
divine persons.
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
It is important to discard the idea that Lao Tsu is nothing
more than an ancient Chinese sage. Lao Tsu is at this
very moment sending out intense waves of Bright Light—a
part of the light of world deliverance—to help waken each
and every one of us. Lao Tsu is very much alive today, and
he stands now in the middle of the Way, his white hair of
light waving, staring into the hearts of us all. Yes, he stands
there staring, wondering if the profound meaning of his
lean and flavorless words will sink into the hearts of any,
saying to himself, ‘how many are really listening?’
Lao Tsu’s words are ordinary yet deep, profound yet
applicable to our everyday lives.
It is important to remember, however, that words are
not in themselves the Way (Make use of this—It may not be
exhausted’) and that when ‘this’ is expressed in actions, it
has a powerful, brightening effect on the hearts of others
and on the path humanity chooses to follow.
First we must thank our physical bodies. Thank Mother
Earth, the Air and the Water—this is the first thing that I
hope the readers of these essays on Lao Tsu will do. Let us
make the practice of thanks for all things our number one
priority and take our first and then second steps toward the
ordinary, yet uncommon, life of practicing thanks. By working
from within this practice of gratitude, the process of our
unification with God will progress.
I think it better, rather than twist around all manner of
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MASAHISA GOI
theories and philosophies, to have each of these naturally
emerge from within the simple practice of thankfulness
instead.
Actions are more important than anything else, and a
theory without action is an empty, lifeless object. Lao Tsu is
a person of action, as I myself am a person who respects
such actions. Acts of thanks and of love are basic to the
peace of all people on this planet. Prayer for world peace is
the one action that combines the actions of gratitude and of
love into one function. The words (`May Peace Prevail on
Earth’) of prayer and gratitude are very, very important in
gradually directing us towards world peace. This is why I
always include the prayer for world peace in these essays on
Lao Tsu, and why Lao Tsu is himself one of the central figures
in the prayer for world peace. The truth of this will
gradually reveal itself, and we should all join hands, take the
Great Elephant, and go out into the world. If we do, our
peace will be great and we will meet no harm. ‘Your peace
will be great’—as will the rest of the world’s as well.
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nto
Chapter 16
THE
IS
HOLD THIS
HIGHEST VIRTUE
NOT VIRTUOUS
AND YOU HAVE VIRTUE
The Highest Virtue is not virtuous;
hold this and you have Virtue.
The lower virtue does not lose Virtue;
hold this and there is no Virtue.
The Higher Virtue acts by nothing and holds to no purpose.
The lower virtue acts, yet has a purpose.
The Higher Benevolencea cts and holds no purpose.
The Higher Justice acts, yet has a purpose.
The Higher Etiquette acts but, when no response,
must lock arms and strike out.
Therefore,l ose The Way, but gain Virtue.
Lose Virtue, but gain Benevolence.
Lose Justice, but gain Etiquette.
The mannered person is of thin loyalty
and is the first sign of disorder.
Prior knowledge is the flower along The Way
but is the beginning of folly.
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MASAH ISA GOI
The sound person who holds this exists within
that thickness not within the thin.
Its place is in the fruit, not within the flower.
Therefore, leave that and take this.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 38
The Highest Virtue is not virtuous;
hold this and you have Virtue.
The lower virtue does not lose Virtue;
hold this and there is no Virtue.
Though it is common in the orient to use the word ‘virtue’
(spiritual richness) alone, we can also speak about ‘upper’
(i.e., ‘the highest’) virtue and ‘lower’ virtue as well.
Just what kind of virtue is the ‘Highest Virtue?’ Unlike
the spiritual riches that people consciously try to accumulate
through performing good deeds and so on, the highest
virtue refers to those things that naturally manifest themselves
as virtuous actions without any thought of accumulating
a store of good deeds.
‘Lower (lesser) virtue
,’ on the other hand, refers to those
actions performed by a person who is always thinking to
accumulate spiritual riches and whose heart thus resides
apart from the essential spirit of virtuous actions. Even
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
though the actions are virtuous, the term ‘lower virtue’
implies that this is something different from disinterested
Virtue itself.
The Higher Virtue acts by nothing and holds to no purpose.
The lower virtue acts, yet has a purpose.
The Higher Virtue is performed by a person who acts in all
naturalness with perfect spontaneity, not out of an ulterior
motive. Consequently, no selfish thoughts of how to use
such virtue for one’s own benefit, and so on, arise from the
person of the Higher Virtue. Lower virtue, on the other
hand, is performed with the intention of reaping personal
benefit.
The Higher Benevolence acts and holds no purpose.
The Higher Justice acts, yet has a purpose.
The Higher Etiquette acts but, when no response,
must lock arms and strike out.
The higher meaning of Benevolence22 is that one performs
actions without the base intentions of extracting gratitude
from others or of using those actions for one’s own benefit.
Justice, on the other hand, may be enacted for the purpose
of satisfying one’s own personal craving for fairness or
to receive some reward. The same applies even to the higher
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MASAHISA GOI
forms of Justice.
We come next to Etiquette and see that, even in its
higher form, it is possible for people to ‘lock arms,’ that is,
to confront and challenge others in cases where one’s own
good manners are met by another person’s discourtesy.23
Therefore, lose The Way, but gain Virtue.
Lose Virtue, but gain Benevolence.
Lose Justice, but gain Etiquette.
The mannered person is of thin loyalty
and is the first sign of disorder.
Prior knowledge is the flower along The Way
but is the beginning of folly.
The sound person who holds this exists within that
thickness not within the thin.
Its place is in the fruit, not within the flower.
Therefore, leave that and take this.
In this passage, Lao Tsu states that the highest way for a person
to live is to live the Way as it is. Those unable to live
according to the Way may lead the life of Virtue; those
unable to lead the life of Virtue may live the life of
Benevolence, and so on. Lao Tsu thus articulates the following
order of lifestyles:
The Life of the Way
The Life of Virtue
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
The Life of Benevolence
The Life of Justice
The Life of Etiquette
I suppose anyone familiar with the teachings of Confucius
will probably have difficulty accepting Lao Tsu’s comments
regarding Etiquette (`the mannered person is of thin loyalty
and is the first sign of disorder.’). However the loyalty Lao
Tsu refers to here is far more than the loyalty used when
speaking of ‘loyalty to one’s ruler’ or ‘loyalty to one’s master.’
Close examination of Lao Tsu’s choice of the character
for loyal (1 chu) used in ‘of thin loyalty (belief)’ is quite
revealing. This is a compound written by placing the character
for ‘middle’ or ‘center’ (FP) over the character for
heart/spirit 0L4). Lao Tsu’s expression thus contains the profound
meaning of the spirit at one with the center.
There are, to be sure, many today who think that this
term ‘at one with the center’ means nothing more than the
selfish loyalty called for by Japanese militarist leaders during
World War Two. In truth, however, to be ‘at one with the
center’ means to be at one with the center of the universe,
or to be One. It implies that to return to the center of the
universe, one must first be at one with the center of the
essential, divine Self. To ‘be at one with the center’ is no
simple catch phrase.
To return to the essential, divine Self is the same as
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MASAHISA GOI
returning to the Spirit of the Universal God, or to be at one
with the Way. Thus, if a person returns to the essential
Being, he or she will be at one with the Spirit of God. Such a
person is, in turn, capable of leading Lao Tsu’s Life of the
Way. The world for loyalty Cll. chil) is for this reason an
extremely important one.
Similarly, the word for belief di shin) is, as explained in
an earlier chapter, the union of a person (A) with words
(q). As words are ‘the leaves of God’s tree,124th is is the same
as God and humans being united in the single spirit of
Truth. Faith, then, is to be at one with the Spirit of God, the
spirit of Truth itself.
Seeing that this original spirit of loyal belief had
thinned, there came a time when the leaders and those in
power decided that something—even if in form only—had
to be done. As a result, they instructed people to show
respect for one another by exhibiting certain manners.
Manners (etiquette) may thus be said to have been the harbinger
of disorder; they were the sign of the coming chaos.
This is the meaning behind Lao Tsu’s comments about etiquette.
The concept of Mu-i is fundamental to Lao Tsu’s philosophy.
Lao Tsu never praised actions that were based upon
human intentions, and did not preach actions based upon a
specified form or spirit. Nowhere in Lao Tsu’s words does
one find him speaking highly of actions that are performed
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
out of something other than Mu-i.
Lao Tsu, in this section, thus says that actions of the
Way (or actions of the Spirit of God, done by No-action, or
Mu-i) are the highest actions possible. He then goes on to
state that the attachment of any other motive or purpose
will only lower the level of actions. The spirit of Lao Tsu is
clearly evident in the order he assigns to these other factors
(Virtue, Benevolence, Justice, Etiquette). And while I suspect
that most modern-day readers will find it difficult to distinguish
between Virtue, Benevolence, and Justice, I do hope
people will stop to consider Lao Tsu’s deep spiritual vision
and appreciate his true personal character.
The next passage, ‘prior knowledge is the flower along
the Way but is the beginning of folly’ may be analyzed as
follows: Prior knowledge means thoughts that strive to know
about something beforehand. This is what is commonly
referred to simply as ‘knowledge.’ Knowledge, however,
being different from the Way itself, is like the showy flowers
that bloom along the path; if we are not careful, we may
become intoxicated with flowery tests of knowledge and in
no time be led astray from our original paths. Knowledge, in
this way, can develop into ‘the beginning of folly.’
The ‘sound person’—the person of truth—does not
dwell within the frivolous realm of superficialities but is
rather always atop the heavenly-lit seat of the Way itself.
Not tempted by the attractions of worldly knowledge, that
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MASAHISA GOI
are easily scattered like petals in the wind, the ‘sound person’
thus remains always in place to bear the fruit of the
Divine Spirit instead.
As the self resides within Mu-i, Lao Tsu respects actions
that are naturally performed out of the mental state of Noaction.
He does not, on the other hand, hold those who analyze
such actions one-by-one with their cerebral knowledge
or who engage in various intellectual games in very high
esteem.
This is a difficult point about Lao Tsu and yet it will not
benefit anyone—either oneself or the rest of the world—to
speak haphazardly against knowledge if one is not oneself
speaking from the state of ‘doing in No-action.’ Only those
who have perfected No-action and who reside in Kuu M.
Emptiness) itself are qualified to adopt such a position on
conventional knowledge or wisdom.
When one has entered the state of Mu-i, that person’s
actions are then performed in accordance with a profound
natural wisdom. Gradually ceasing to operate with cerebral
knowledge alone, and acting in complete freedom, all review
by conventional human knowledge then becomes unnecessary.
The problem with cerebral knowledge is that within it
lie instinctual feelings of the small self (ego) and of personal
loss or gain. These thoughts inevitably block the flow of the
Divine Spirit, and turn all one’s actions into those of an
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
unawakened person.
Giving this point full consideration, and also realizing
that it is all-but-impossible to live in these modern times
without such cerebral knowledge, I recommend that people
try placing all knowledge within the vibrations of prayer.
Lao Tsu, as has frequently been pointed out elsewhere in
these Lectures, never attempted to lower his teachings in
order to make the Way more easily understood by others.
My own teachings, on the other hand, guide people one step
at a time towards this profound and highest of realms.
When lowered to the realm of Etiquette—to the world of
form where matters of the highest of realms are treated separately
from the heart—Lao Tsu’s Virtue and Benevolence
become nothing more than actions of hypocrisy. Once having
been lowered into this realm of Etiquette, however, it is
most common for people to operate in that world of form
only, and to then begin conducting formalized exchanges of
greetings and manners. It goes without saying that to have
manners based on forms is preferable to the discourtesies
performed by a portion of the youth of today; but to build a
society upon formalized manners that perform few actions
out of the original Divine Spirit is, on the other hand, not
very desirous either.
Few, unfortunately, can take the teachings of Lao Tsu
and realize them as they are, and there are indeed many
who read Lao Tsu’s works simply for their refreshing quality.
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MASAH I SA GOI
I do not think it right to relegate Lao Tsu’s teachings to little
more than psychological refreshment, however, and am, for
this reason, endeavoring in these essays to adapt his lessons
for ready application in the lifestyles of modern society.
As a first step, I would like to see people perform ‘acts of
lower virtue’ if they cannot perform ‘acts of the Higher,’ and
engage in ‘acts of justice’ if they cannot perform those of
‘lower virtue .’ These will be people capable of realizing their
own natural etiquette, without having to conduct acts dictated
by formalized manners.
While Lao Tsu distinguishes and then, one by one, discusses
Virtue, Benevolence, and Justice, I group this together
into the single expression, ‘the Divine Spirit of God.’ This is
what I would like to see manifest in all our words and
actions. If one fixes solely on the highest of the high, one is
likely to experience only misery and discouragement in
searching for the Way.
This is why I suggest that people submit all their
thoughts and actions to a vanishing process with the words
‘Fading away—May Peace Prevail on Earth.’ This constant
practice enables them to leap straight into the Divine Spirit
of God. Prayer is the method for this, and the highest spirit
of prayer is prayer for the peace of the world.
Prayer for world peace is the Way—the ‘Highest of
Virtues.’
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r
0 Chapter 17
THE ONE OF OLD
The One of Old—
Heaven holds The One and is, thus, pure.
Earth holds The One and is, thus, tranquil.
God holds The One and, thus, becomes spirit.
The valleys hold The One and are, thus, full.
The Ten Thousand Things hold The One and are, thus, alive.
The Ruler holds The One and is, thus, proper.
It is The One that makes these what they are.
Heaven without the pure is the tearing open of the truly fearful;
Earth without tranquillity is its beginning.
God without spiritualization is endless fear;
A valley without filling may be exhausted.
The Ten Thousand Things without life is unyielding fear;
A Ruler without value may be drained.
Thus, that with value holds to the base to become the origin;
and that which is high holds to the low to become
the foundation.
The Ruler, thus, refers to himself as alone,
deserted and without fruit;
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MASAHISA GOI
But doesn’t this holding to the base become the origin?
Thus, try to make several vehicles, and there are none.
Desire not to become round like the jade nor aloof like the stone.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 39
The One of Old—
Heaven holds The One and is, thus, pure.
Earth holds The One and is, thus, tranquil.
God holds The One and, thus, becomes spirit.
The valleys hold The One and are, thus, full.
The Ten Thousand Things hold The One and are, thus, alive.
The Ruler holds The One and is, thus, proper.
It is The One that makes these what they are.
The ‘One of Old’ referred to here means the person who has
attained the Eternal One. This Eternal One is the Great Life
Force. It is omnipotent, and holds all potential. It is manifest
in an infinity of forms, and is the all-able one that exists
prior to the appearance of The Ten Thousand Things. Put
simply, this One is the heart of the Universal God Itself.
As the first of all numbers, ‘One’ is a word used for all
manner of things at present. Yet the tremendous resonance,
splendor, mesmerizing quality and unfathomable depths
combined with its high-reaching, infinitely penetrating rays
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
that shine to the end of eternity make me certain that ‘The
One’ Lao Tsu refers to in ‘The One of Old’ is none other
than light itself.
When the profound depths and elevated tone of the
speaker’s spirit reverberate within the heart of the listener—
words can be wondrous things indeed. The One of Lao Tsu
reverberates within me now as the words of the Universal
God.
Lao Tsu says that Heaven will be pure, Earth will be tranquil,
and God will become spirit once this deep original One
is realized. But, as most probably will not understand the
phrase ‘God holds The One and, thus, becomes spirit,’ let us
take a few minutes to discuss this prior to moving ahead
with our discussion of this chapter.
The term ‘God’ (I1 Shin) does not here represent the
Universal God but is, instead, used by Lao Tsu to describe
the Soul (4 Tamashii). This is similar to Shakyamuni’s use of
this same term /[ii (Shin) to describe the Spirit or Soul (2
Reikon). Interpreted in this way, ‘God holds The One and,
thus, becomes spirit’ means that spiritual freedom is first
achieved when this original (inner) energy is harnessed by
the soul.
‘The valleys hold The One and are , thus, full,’ ‘The Ten
Thousand Things hold The One (that is, they are connected
to, and live supported by, the Life Force),’ and ‘The Ruler
holds The One (Truth), and is, thus, proper (and becomes ,
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MASAHISA GOI
thus, the foundation upon which the nation is built’). In
these lines we are shown that the many and varied modes of
life arid of existence are made correct through their connection
with the original One.
Everything, in other words, is derived from the one
Universal God.
Heaven without the pure is the tearing open of the truly fearful;
Earth without tranquillity is its beginning.
God without spiritualization is endless fear;
A valley without filling may be exhausted.
The Ten Thousand Things without life is unyielding fear;
A Ruler without value may be drained.
The words ‘Heaven without the pure is the tearing open of
the truly fearful’ are words of truth. Indeed, all calamities in
this world are caused by the removal of impurities from
Heaven by the power of The One.
Humanity is responsible for presiding over this earthly
world, and, in fact, the thoughts emitted by each individual
human being are what determine whether this will be a
world of brightness or a manifestation of hell. Moreover,
Heaven itself may be fouled by the karmic thoughts of
human beings as these thoughts grow to envelop this world.
For this reason it is necessary to remove these karmic impurities
from Heaven when their accumulation becomes too
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
heavy. These impurities are removed by the `power of The
One’ (the energy of the Life Force) through an outpouring of
energy greater than had previously been at work. Karmic
impurities can, in this way, be driven away instantaneously.
The purification of karmic thought waves bring about,
in this manner, titanic changes in Heaven and Earth. This is
the `beginning of the truly fearful’—the tearing open of horror
itself. And `Earth without tranquillity is its beginning .’
To forestall and prevent these calamities and disasters,
humankind must act by placing all its thoughts within The
One. This process of placing all thoughts within The One is
what is more commonly termed ‘prayer.’ The highest
method of prayer, in turn, is prayer for world peace. ‘May
Peace Prevail on Earth’—To live in the spirit of this prayer is
the supreme way for human beings to attain The One .
As mentioned earlier, the ‘God’ (1) found in `God without
spiritualization is endless fear’ refers to the Spirit or Soul .
Expanding this a bit further, one might also include in this
same term, `God,’ as used by Lao Tsu, the various living
beings and Guardian Spirits not perceptible to earthly
humans via the five senses.
It is common to use the term ‘Guardian Spirits,’ but this
does not mean that these spirits work alone in their job as
protectors of the human race. Rather, they work using the
power of The One—the power of the Great Life Force—the
energy transmitted from God.
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MASAHISA GOI
It is necessary for physical human beings to constantly
lead lives of prayer in order to ensure that these Guardian
Spirits continue to work freely, and that the souls of one’s
ancestors and other closely related persons may do their
work smoothly. It is important to steadily live in the spirit of
prayer because prayer returns human beings’ thoughts to the
origin of life, keeps a person always within The One of Lao
Tsu, and gradually works to unify the physical being with
the spiritual. In this way, even when surrounded by the
karmic thoughts of humanity as a whole, the person can
manifest his or her original nature as a spirit from God in
daily life. And the brightness being emitted will merge into
the activities of the Guardian Spirits and Divinities, making
their work easier and assisting in the enlightenment of various
other souls.
‘A valley without filling may be exhausted’ means that
all natural functions are able to be carried out when we
attain The One, but that all works are extinguished where
the power of the One does not function.
Thus, that with value holds to the base to become the origin;
and that which is high holds to the low
to become the foundation.
The Ruler, thus, refers to himself as alone, deserted
and without fruit;
But doesn’t this holding to the base become the origin?
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
Thus, try to make several vehicles, and there are none.
Desire not to become round like the jade nor aloof like the stone.
All existence is, in this way, formed according to the single
Great Life Force, the Eternal Life. This holds true for that
‘with value’ as well as for that called ‘the base’ (‘base’ is used
here only to denote social position, not in a derogatory way
to comment on a person’s heart, spirit, or mind). This means
that, as manifestations of The One, people of higher social
rank should refrain from clinging to discriminatory feelings
and hold to the origin in order to join with those of lower
social position (`the base’). The high should make its base
the low, and should not hold scornful thoughts over distinctions
between rich and poor, or the like.
This is why Lao Tsu says that the Ruler should refer to
himself as ‘alone’ (that is, an orphan), ‘deserted,’ someone
lacking virtue, barren, ‘without fruit’ or happiness. When
attaching a title to oneself, one should therefore place oneself
in as lowly a position as possible. This act of placing
one’s thoughts in as lowly a position as possible permits one
to make the lives of the base and poor one’s guide.
It follows then that, just as the function of a cart or
other vehicle is destroyed if one takes it apart to inspect each
of its wheels, so too is it wrong to make distinctions between
such things as ‘glittering jewels’ and ‘rolling stones.’ All existence
is a manifestation of The One, the Great Life Force; it
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MASAHISA GOI
is a mistake to attempt to make distinctions between stones
and jewels, and so on.
For example, Lao Tsu says that, even if distinctions in
wealth or social standing do exist, one should not look upon
those manifestations with prejudiced or biased eyes.
Everything exists as a single family within life.
The main point Lao Tsu is trying to convey in this chapter
is that we need only become one with the Great Life
Force (Eternal Life) for all of this phenomenal world to be
naturally made harmonious. Wherever there is a lack of this
spirit of oneness, some sort of defect will be produced, so
that those conditions or those people will eventually face
ruin.
Since the time of Lao Tsu, though, the people of this
planet have gradually forgotten the blessing and significance
of The One. And while there are, of course, individuals who
still live according to The One, making the Spirit of the
Universal God their own, a single glance around the nations
and societies of today is sufficient to confirm humanity’s
clear lack of gratitude toward The One.
Heaven and Earth and the ‘Ten Thousand Things’ will,
just as Lao Tsu says, be ‘torn asunder’ (destroyed) the minute
the one power that is the origin of all phenomena becomes
cut off from the individual’s heart and spirit. Our world is in
fact now on the verge of such a crisis, and it is not yet at all
clear whether or not this earthly world will in fact become
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
severed from the original One.
The crisis spoken of here is the one brought on by the
individual consciousness becoming caught up in the physical
self, and by each assembly of physical human beings
latching onto their own group or country. The result of this
is that both individuals and countries seek increased wealth
and power (originally bestowed and equally spread around
the Universe by the Great Life Force, The Singular-Existent
One) for themselves alone. This lifestyle has strayed from
the tracks of the Universal Laws as originally set down by
the Singular-Existent, and is thus the condition of a disunified
heart or spirit. And, as Lao Tsu states, a heart or spirit
not at one spells destruction.
Regardless of how one may try to secure powers and
accumulate quantities of this or that, these powers and
quantities will be destined to vanish away if they do not
stem from within the strength of the origin, or if they
remain separate from the power and the functioning of The
One itself. Proud of its powers and quantities, and constantly
attaching itself to the temporary forms of position and
power—this is the current state of this earthly world today.
The same can be said about the paths of religion and science.
Unless religion and science return to ‘The One of Old’
they will not be able to live. Without wisdom that is capable
of discerning the flow of the eternal river of life, neither religion
nor science can offer earthly humanity a true means of
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MASAHISA GOI
deliverance.
Inevitably, it will be necessary to discard all arbitrarily
constructed quantities along with the various artificial concepts
of God that have been instated by human beings over
the past. It is necessary to discard all such things from the
past and return to the life of Mu-i.
Prayer for world peace is the method for practicing the
above. By casting all of one’s thoughts into wholehearted
prayer for the lifestyle of the Original One, into prayer for
the harmony of the people of this world, as in the words
‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ and
, with a feeling of gratitude,
receiving life anew, one can indeed return to ‘The One of
Old.’
When The One is grasped, the religion and the science
practiced by that person will work for the peace of all life on
earth.
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t°
Chapter 18
IT IS AS IF THE GREAT CREATION
WERE LACKING
It is as if the Great Creation were lacking—
yet it is inexhaustible.
It is as if the Great Plenitude were empty—
yet it is unlimited.
It is as if the Great Right were bent,
the Great Skill crude,
the Great Speech a stutter.
Where noise wins there is cold,
where silence wins there is warmth.
With pure silence all under Heaven will be right.
Dotokukyo, Chapter 45
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MASAHISA GOI
It is as if the Great Creation were lacking—
yet it is inexhaustible.
The ‘Great Creation’ referred to here means something of
large proportions or scale. In the case of a person, this would
be a great personality. Applied on a more universal scale,
this term refers to the motions of the planets and cosmos
itself.
When viewed from the eyes of the average person, it is
difficult to comprehend the entirety of something of such
scale. As a result, there remains something unsatisfactory
about these kinds of motions to the human observer. On a
universal level, it appears that there is something lacking in
the dynamic and natural phenomena created by an allknowing,
all-powerful God. If God really possesses perfect
strength, then the humans born of God should have been
made more perfect; the imperfect emotions of anger, jealousy,
hatred, fear, and sorrow should, in other words, never
arise.
Extending the above logic a bit further, God Itself begins
to appear imperfect. But even this conclusion is preferable to
those who then go on to say that the statement ‘everything
is the product of God’s power’ is false, and thus question the
very existence of divinity and the Eternal Law of the
Universe.
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THE SPIRIT OF LAO Tsu
Viewed from the position of the average person who
only thinks about the short-term pluses and minuses of the
present situation, someone who expresses the true, Divine
Spirit—in other words, a large-scale person, or a person of
Great Creation, who is at all times firmly rooted in the eternal
nature of life, appears to be unfathomable and not quite
‘all there .’ Lao Tsu, however, says that the workings of this
Great Creation are truly magnificent and, further, that they
may not be exhausted.
It is as if the Great Plenitude were empty—
yet it is unlimited.
The ‘Great Plenitude’ means something like the ocean or sky
that is large and full, something massive and plentiful.
When people become like this—deep in spirit and
unfathomable in wisdom—they are often too immense and
deep for others. Consequently, they may appear undependable,
even empty, to others at first glance. Appearances
notwithstanding, their works are, in the end, truly great.
It is as if the Great Right were bent,
the Great Skill crude,
the Great Speech a stutter.
The ‘Great Right’ means the great divine spirit that runs
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through Heaven and Earth, activating and enlivening everything.
A person of the ‘Great Right’ only expresses the will
and laws of the Universe, never deviating in the least. Yet
something as vast as a spirit permeating Heaven and Earth
cares little about which way the acorns fall, and lets others
do as they like without confrontation. A small-scale person,
on the other hand, might make a big issue of something
that the person of Great Right considers unimportant, and
will go to great lengths trying to force through their own
opinion.
Such acts may in fact be interpreted by some to be brave
and proper. They can even result in feelings of resentment
towards the ‘greater’ person, who would never act on such
petty motives. The smaller person thus comes to look down
upon the one possessing the Great Right, saying things such
as ‘I’d heard he was supposed to be a really great person, but
he’s not got an ounce of courage,’ or ‘bowing and giving in
to others like that—I really overestimated his character,’ and
the like.
Ape rson of the Great Right does not favor any particular
philosophy, creed, or ‘ism’ and may for that reason appear
only to be replying ‘I see, I see’ without voicing any opinions
or objections while listening to others speak. To an
opinionated, smaller person, this seems like nothing more
than the spineless attitude of a weakling. This is what Lao
Tsu means by ‘It is as if the Great Right were bent.’
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It is as if ‘the Great Skills (were) crude’ refers to those
instances where, on first glance, a work of great craftsmanship
and talent appears to be of inferior quality. This sometimes
happens with paintings or sculptures, as is the case
with the works of famous calligraphers often mistaken for a
child’s scribbling.
Because a truly masterful work of art expresses a deep,
natural spirit, its quality may not be understood through the
superficial eyes of the uninitiated, who are drawn more readily
to the shallow, dabbed-on colors of a mediocre work.
Unless one is an extremely keen practitioner of the particular
form in question, or unless one is capable of unconsciously
following the movements of Nature, it is indeed difficult
to distinguish between true skill and inferior work.
The same can be said about evaluating the true worth of
people. A person of perfect truth may appear inept when
viewed through the conceited eyes of smaller personalities.
Such people of truth can even fall victim to smaller ones’
impulse to make fun of them. Ryokan,ZS for example, was a
direct and living manifestation of the original spirit of God.
Yet, Ryokan led a life that appeared completely absurd to the
people around him. Ryokan had the pure spirit of a child
and was, for example, fond of referring to himself as Daigu,
the Great Fool.
To most modern day people, stories of Ryokan waiting
for hours to be told he was no longer ‘it’ when playing
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games of hide and seek with children, or of allowing bamboo
shoots to continue growing through a crack in the floor
of his house, or of becoming fond of the lice that gathered
on his clothing, and actually counting them with a smile on
his face and then carefully returning them back to his
clothes, may seem unbelievable. The life-view that lies
behind these stories is, however, basically the same as the
Great Skill we have been discussing.
The above are all examples of the teaching that ‘Great
Skill is as if crude.’ By this I do not of course mean to say
that allowing plants to grow uncontrolled or to let lice go
running about freely on one’s clothes are in themselves necessarily
good. Observing the natural tranquillity that flows
behind these stories does, however, provide useful examples
of the Great Skill in practice.
The next phrase, it is as if ‘the Great Speech (were) a
stutter,’ is an often-used expression, as it points towards the
profound fact that the truth contained in a stutterer’s words
may move the heart of the listener more than does the polished
speech of an orator.
Here the term ‘Great Speech’ does not mean to wield
great oratory through words that flow out with the voice. It
refers instead to ‘words’ that come from a person transmitting
the waves of the Great Life Force emanating from the
Spiritual Body.
I often point out that true words are not those that arise
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from the vibrations of the vocal cords. True words are what
exist prior to the voice. True words are, in short, the echoing
of the spirit, the resonance of the heart. They are the vibrations
of the Life Force, waves of light themselves.
The meaning of the above is that a truly ‘great orator’ is
one who can continually emit these kinds of words, and is
not an individual capable of mischievously imposing his or
her own thoughts on others. There are, in fact, occasions
where this type of truly great ‘orator’ is an unusually poor
speaker. But even if this person is a stutterer, the light waves
that emanate from his or her spiritual body shine to fill the
surrounding area with light.
This is why we should not judge people by the smoothness
or clumsiness of their speech. More importantly, we
have to train ourselves to be able to directly sense the
unique personal feeling of the other. Once this kind of intuitive
sense is developed, one will come to understand the
Divine Spirit of Nature and God, the differences between
right and wrong actions, and high and low personal characteristics.
It is important to strive to recognize the true Person, and
to avoid being led astray by such superficial things as
appearances, clothing, words, attitudes, and actions.
Where noise wins there is cold,
where silence wins there is warmth.
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With pure silence all under Heaven will be right.
The phrase ‘where noise wins there is cold’ refers to the state
in which a person’s true nature is not expressed. Such people
are indeed capable of causing a commotion by running and
dancing around while preaching this or that ‘ism.’ They
stand in marked contrast to the person of calm exterior yet
vibrant spirit, who expresses his or her true nature. In short,
this noisy state is one in which life’s light ceases to shine,
causing us to thus sense a cold, empty place—a place of
darkness and shadows only. Many people have themselves
had a taste, or have forced others to taste, the cold and
empty feeling that remains after the noise and hullabaloo
and the self-important talk have ended.
The reverse of this, ‘where silence wins there is warmth,’
is where one quiets the various thoughts that run around in
one’s brain and becomes the very center of tranquillity.
Putting this into Shinto terms, it means to perform the rite
of Mitama-Shizumay, settling the spirit in order to then
allow the Life Force to shine as one bright light. The reason
that light shines forth when silence triumphs is that the
essence of life (the Life Force) is light. Light, in turn, is
warmth. The workings of the Life Force are light waves
themselves and, in our cosmic science, the very first vibration
of life is contained within the workings of cosmic particles.
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The Life Force is active. But to allow this Life Force to
work as freely as possible—as light itself—one must quiet the
thought waves that race round in the brain. This is necessary
to prevent the Life Force from becoming enveloped within a
smothering layer of karmic thought waves. This is likewise
the reason behind various ascetic practices26 aimed at ushering
the individual within the state of Kuu or within the ‘settled
spirit’ (M.). It is indeed extremely important for
human beings to calm their thoughts.
‘With pure silence all under heaven will be right .’ The
word ‘pure’ used here includes the idea of pureness as in `to
purify’ or ‘cleanse.’ It also has the meaning of `original
essence.’ In Japanese, the character for this ‘pure’ (I4) is written
by placing three drops of water next to the character for
blue (W). This ‘pure’ thus literally means ‘blue water.’ As the
original essence of water is blue, water’s true essence is
expressed when it has been purified to its original color.
In a similar way, Silence, when purified to its original
essence, leaves ‘the true right under heaven.’ Thus, if the
nations, peoples, and individuals of this world could only
live in a manner allowing them to express their true natures,
world peace would naturally follow.
Unfortunately, however, the ‘original essence’ of most
individuals, peoples, and nations, is not yet able to express
itself, owing to the smothering layers of karmic thought
waves mentioned above. Karmic thoughts conceal this ‘orig-
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inal essence,’ and prevent most people from expressing this
essence as it is. Thoughts allied with the animal instinct of
physical self-protection continue to run around inside the
head of each individual, greatly affecting the relations
between the peoples of this world. As a result, we are still
subjected to the spiritual cold that exists wherever ‘noise
wins.’
World peace cannot be established until this kind of
‘pure silence’ prevails . What can be done to help foster such
pure silence? My reply is that there is no other practical
method than to continue one’s everyday life within the spirit
of prayer. Prayer quiets the karmic thought waves and is in
fact the very act of entering deep within the light waves that
are the Divine Spirit of God. Prayer is thus a method for
making the ‘original essence’ of one’s Self shine brightly, as
one of the children of God. It is a method of making silence
win out. And, in its highest form, prayer is a means of promoting
the peace of our planet—the Prayer for World Peace.
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NOTES
1. Mu-i (.i°L4 ), which means ‘No-action,’ is discussed in
Chapter 2.
2. Dotokukyo (MINI) literally means ‘book that teaches the
way to spiritual enrichment.’ The Chinese transliteration
Tao-te Ching is frequently used in the West.
3. ‘Yin’ and `Yang’ are sometimes described as plus and minus
energy.
4. ‘Sage’ is a translation of the Japanese word
which also means ‘saint’ or ‘holy person.’
Seijin (EA),
5. In the original Japanese text there is no distinction between
‘he’ and `she ,”himself’ and ‘herself,’ and so on.
6. Kuu (~) is sometimes translated as `stillness,”emptiness,’ or
‘nothingness .’ Masahisa Goi explains: Kuu is not a nihilistic
or negative condition. It contains nothing, yet everything. It is the
infiniteness of life itself, divinity itself living vibrantly.
7. Zazen0.) refers to seated meditation.
8. Wakodojin (*Qi’UJ ) refers to divine light being tempered,
or softened, so that it can be more easily received by people
in dark (dusty) situations. Wa (*p) means soft, harmony, or
peace. KO M) means light. DO (n) means same. Jin OS)
means dust.
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9. The Kojiki is Japan’s oldest mythological record describing
the creation of the Japanese archipelagos and the activities
of various divinities.
10. Here, the meaning of ‘commoner’ is ‘unawakened person.’
The term hyakusei (Mit), which literally means farmer or
peasant, is used here to denote the average, unawakened
person.
11. Suku (nN), the term Lao Tsu uses in the original text, were
tied-grass, dog-shaped figures used as offerings when worshipping
the gods. These dolls were treated with the utmost
respect during religious services, but were thrown by the
wayside as soon as the services were over.
12. The Japanese Emperor Meiji lived from 1852 to 1912.
13. ‘Shakyamuni ‘ refers to the saint whose teachings formed
the basis of Buddhism. Other spellings , such as
`Sakyamuni’ are also used .
14. The character for person (A) is simplified to (4) when it is
combined with other characters.
15. Honen (1130-1212) was the teacher and spiritual advisor of
Shinran.
16. Shinran (1173-1262) was a priest who, along with his
teacher Honen, established the teachings of the Pure Land
Sect ( ±r1) of Buddhism.
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17. Cosmic science is a scientific study that elucidates the principles
and structures of the universe and all forms of life. It
is attained by extinguishing the individual self and communing
with higher dimensional worlds. More information
on cosmic science will be available in the future.
18. Utensils (ki): Originally, this word meant bowl—something
capable of holding anything that might be poured
into it.
19. Shakson is another name for Shakyamuni. See Note 13.
20. Here, ‘karmic’ refers to disharmonious thought vibrations
that stem from misunderstandings about the true nature of
a human being.
21. The character for ‘vast’ (7R) originally meant ‘overflowing
water’ and it gradually came to be used to describe things
that are expansive, massive, or vast.
22. The word for benevolence (fin ‘(T) is written by placing the
character for two next to the character for person (A).
It denotes the principle of what binds two people (hence,
society) together in Confucian thought.
23. The word for etiquette, or good manners, is rei (4L) in
Japanese, and it is written the same as the word for ‘bow’ or
`to bow .’ To neglect to reply to another person’s bow is,
thus, a discourtesy (*4L), or the loss (*) of a person’s bow
(n).
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24. Kotoba (73X) is the term for ‘word’ in Japanese and it is
written with the two characters koto (s), meaning speak,
and ba (), meaning leaf or foliage.
25. Ryokan (1758-1831) was a Zoto Zen priest of the 18th century
who is still widely loved in Japan for his poems and
other writings, which are filled with his love for nature,
children, and farmers. Refer to items 178 and 249 in The
Wisdom of Masahisa Goi (See Byakko magazine, Vol. 8, Nos.
7 and 8, September and October 2000).
26. ‘Ascetic practices’ refer to disciplines such as spending time
in the mountains or sitting under waterfalls, and so on, for
the purpose of shedding the ego.
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ORGANIZATIONS HONORING
MASAHISA GOI
Byakko Shinko Kai
publishes books by Masahisa Goi
and introduces his teachings to interested people
812-1 Hitoana, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka 418-0102 Japan
Phone [+81] (0) 544-29-5100 Fax [+81] (0) 544-29-5111
E-mail: gbs1357@quartz.ocn.ne.jp
http://www.byakko.or.jp
The World Peace Prayer Society
dedicated to spreading the non-sectarian message
amd prayer May Peace Prevail on Earth
a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) associated with
the Dept. of Public Information at the United Nations
26 Benton Road, Wassaic, NY 12592 USA
Phone [+1] 845-877-6093 Fax [+1] 845-877-6862
E-mail: peacepal@worldpeace.org
http://www.worldpeace.org
The Goi Peace Foundation
working to build a global peace network uniting our hearts
and our wisdom for world peace
established in Tokyo with the approval of
the Japanese Ministry of Education
Heiwa Daiichi Bldg. 1-4-5 Hirakawa-cho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093 Japan
Phone [+81] (0) 33265-2071 Fax [+81] (0) 33239-0919
E-mail: info@goipeace.or.jp
http://www.goipeace.or.jp
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