You’re Never Too Old
Benjamin Franklin helped frame the Constitution of the United States – when he was 80.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was still handing down decisions as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when he was in his 90s.
Grandma Moses was still painting her famous, and costly, landscapes at the age of 101.
The great author Goethe was 80 years old when he finished the great epic of his life "Faust".
Plato, the Greek philosopher, was still writing and teaching in Athens at the age of 80.
Guiseppe Verdi wrote his great opera "Othello" at the age of 74. He composed "Falstaff" when he was 80 and "Ave Maria" when he was 85.
Stradivari was the most famous maker of violins of all time. His instruments still sell for a fortune. He didn’t make his first violin until he was past 60.
Cervantes completed his famous "Don Quixote" when he was 70.
George Bernard Shaw wrote his hit play "Saint Joan" – at the age of 67.
Micel Chevreul, a famous scientist, was still working every day in his laboratory on colour research at the age of 103.
Benjamin Franklin was Ambassador to France at the age of 78 – and started writing his famous autobiography when he was 80.
Michelangelo didn’t even start his great work of art – St. Peter’s Cathedral – until he was 72 years old. He was still working on his masterpiece when he died at the age of 89.
Igor Stravinsky was still composing his fabulous music when he was 80.
Thomas Edison was still busy experimenting in his laboratory at the age of 84.
The August Ones
* my take on Chinese Mythology
Following on from the age of Nuwa and Fuxi (or cotemporaneous in some versions) was the age of the Three August Ones and Five Emperors, a collection of legendary rulers who ruled between c. 2850 BC to 2205 BC, which is the time preceding the Xia dynasty.
The list of names comprising the Three August Ones and Five Emperors vary widely between sources (see Three August Ones and Five Emperors for other versions of the list):
- Pangu - Preceded by None / Succeeded by Youchao
- Youchao-shi – inventor of house and building
- Preceded by Pangu / Succeeded by Nüwa - Nüwa / The Earthly Sovereign
- Suiren-shi – discoverer of Fire
- Preceded by Nüwa / Succeeded by Fuxi - Fuxi / The Heavenly Sovereign (south) – inventor of writing, fishing, and trapping
- Shennong / The Human Sovereign (west) – "the Divine Farmer" – father of Chinese agriculture, cultivating grains as food to avoid killing animals; father of Chinese medicine, and of tea; invented money and market for the exchange of good
- Yellow Emperor, Huangdi (center)
The “Diwang shiji” replaces Nüwa with the Yellow Emperor, regarded as the ancestor of all Han Chinese people
chief deity of Taoism during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD)
Emperors were legendary, morally perfect sage-kings. In one sense of the word, the first historical Emperor of China was Qin Shi Huang, who coined a new term for "Emperor" “huang-di” by combining the titles of "sovereign" (huang) and "god-king" (di ).
- Shaohao (east) – Leader of the Dongyi or "Eastern Barbarians"; his pyramidal tomb is in present-day Shandong province
- The “Shangshu Xu” and “Diwang shiji” include Shaohao instead of the Yellow Emperor - Zhuanxu (north) (Gaoyang) – Grandson of the Yellow Emperor
- unified calendar, astrology, religion reforms to oppose shamanism, and upheld the patriarchal (as opposed to the previous matriarchal) system
- Preceded by Shaohao / Succeeded by Ku - Ku - Great grandson of the Yellow Emperor; nephew of Zhuanxu
- Preceded by Zhuanxu / Succeeded by Yao - Yao – The son of Ku. His elder brother succeeded Ku, but abdicated when he was found to be an ineffective ruler
- Preceded by Ku / Succeeded by Shun
Shun and Yao are also known as the Two Emperors, and, along with Yu the Great, founder of the Xia dynasty, were considered to be model rulers and moral exemplars by Confucians in later Chinese history - Shun – Yao passed his position to Shun in favour of Yao’s own son because of Shun’s ability and morality
- Preceded by Yao / Succeeded by Yu the Great - Yu the Great founder of the Xia Dynasty – (Great Flood)
- Preceded by Shun / Succeeded by Qi
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors – Chinese History/Mythology
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors - History of China
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Three August Ones and Five Emperors)
The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
(Chinese: 三皇五帝; Pinyin: Sānhuáng wǔdì; Wade-Giles: San-huang wu-ti) were mythological rulers of China during the period from c. 2852 BCE to 2205 BCE, which is the time preceding the Xia Dynasty.(Actually, the translation of 帝 dì/dei5 is a problematic one in that it is most often translated using its modern sense, which did not arise until after the advent of an imperial state under 秦始皇 Qínshĭhuáng/Cen4héi2wong4. Its original meaning, and the most likely translation thereof, is that of supreme being, a kind of Übermann, rather than ‘emperor’. The character 帝 originally represented a shaman wearing a liturgical mantel.)
The Three Sovereigns
The Three Sovereigns, sometimes known as the Three August Ones, were said to be god-kings or demigods who used their magical powers to improve the lives of their people. Because of their lofty virtue they lived to a great age and ruled over a period of great peace.
The Three Sovereigns are ascribed various identities in different Chinese historical texts. The Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian states that they were:
- The Heavenly Sovereign (天皇);
- The Earthly Sovereign (地皇);
- The Human Sovereign (泰皇 or 人皇),
The Yundou shu (運斗樞) and Yuanming bao (元命苞) identify them as:
Both Fuxi, and also Nüwa, are the god and goddess husband and wife credited with being the ancestors of humankind after a devastating flood. The invention of the Primal Arrangement of the Eight Trigrams (Xian Tian Ba Gua, 先天八卦) is attributed to Fuxi. Shennong invented farming and is the first to use herbs for medical purposes.
The I Ching, starts like this: “In the old times of King Fuxi’s regime, he observed sky and the stars when he looks upwards, and researched the earth when he looks downwards, and watched the birds and beasts to see how they live in their environment. He took examples from nearby and far away, and then made 8 Yin Yang signs to simulate the rules of universe…After Fuxi died, Shennong rises. He made Plow and teach people how to raise crops and fishing. He invented money and market for the exchange of goods."
The Shangshu dazhuan (尚書大傳) and Baihu tongyi (白虎通義) replace Nüwa with Suiren (燧人), the inventor of fire. The Diwang shiji (帝王世紀) replaces Nüwa with the Yellow Emperor (黄帝), the supposed ancestor of all Han Chinese people.
The Five Emperors
The Five Emperors were legendary, morally perfect sage-kings. In one sense of the word, the first historical Emperor of China was Qin Shi Huang, who coined a new term for "Emperor" “huang-di” by combining the titles of "sovereign" (huang) and "god-king" (di ).
According to the Records of the Grand Historian they were:
- The Yellow Emperor (黄帝)
- Zhuanxu (顓頊)
- Emperor Ku (帝嚳)
- Emperor Yao (堯)
- Emperor Shun (舜)
Yao and Shun are also known as the Two Emperors, and, along with Yu the Great (禹), founder of the Xia dynasty, were considered to be model rulers and moral exemplars by Confucians in later Chinese history. The Shangshu Xu (尚書序) and Diwang shiji include Shaohao (少昊) instead of the Yellow Emperor.
The Song of Chu (楚辭) identifies the Five Emperors as directional gods:
- Shaohao (east)
- Zhuanxu (north)
- Yellow Emperor (center)
- Shennong (west)
- Fuxi (south)
The Book of Rites (禮記) equates the Five Emperors with the Five Lineages (五氏):
In one sense of the word, the first historical Emperor of China was Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇), who coined a new term for "Emperor" (huangdi 皇帝) by combining the titles of "sovereign" (huang 皇) and "god-king" (di 帝).
See also
Topics in Chinese mythology
General topics:
Creation myth · Astrology · Dragons · Religion in China · Folk religion ·List of deities · I Ching
Important beings:
Deities · Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors · Eight Immortals
Mythical creatures:
List of mythical creatures
Mythical places:
Xuanpu · Yaochi · Fusang · Queqiao · Penglai · Longmen · Diyu
Literary sources:
Shan Hai Jing · Shui Jing Zhu · Ten Brothers · Hei’an Zhuan · Fengshen Yanyi
Journey to the West · Baishe Zhuan · Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio
An ancient seal script form of the character for "dragon" that is now written 龍 or 龙 and pronounced lóng in Mandarin Chinese.
Nüwa
Nüwa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the character Nu Wa in the Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi, see Nu Wa Niang Niang
Nüwa iconograph in Shan Hai Jing
In Chinese mythology, Nüwa (Traditional Chinese: 女媧; Simplified Chinese: 女娲; Pinyin: nǚwā) is mythological character best known for reproducing people after a great calamity. Other later traditions name this as a creation myth attributed to either Pangu or Yu Huang.
Contents
- 3 Nüwa and Deluge traditions
- 4 Nüwa in history
- 5 Nüwa in popular culture
- 6 External links
Nüwa primary sources
Below are some of the sources that describe Nüwa, in chronological order. These sources do not include local tribal stories or modern recreations. (note: please maintain pattern of date, author, book, chapter, account, and detail for future additions.)
1) (475 – 221 BC) author: Lie Yukou (列圄寇), book: Liezi (列子), chapter 5: "Questions of Tang" (卷第五 湯問篇), paragraph 1: account: "Nüwa repairs the heavens" detail: Describes Nüwa repairing the heavens after a great flood. It also states that Nüwa molded the first people out of clay.
2) (340 – 278 BC) author: Qu Yuan (屈原), book: "Elegies of Chu" (楚辞, or Chuci), chapter 3: "Asking Heaven" (天問, or Wentian), account: "Nüwa Mends The Firmament" detail: The name Nüwa first appears here. This story states that Nüwa molded figures from the yellow earth, giving them life and the ability to bear children. Demons then fought and broke the pillars of the Heavens. Nüwa worked unceasingly to repair the damage, melting down the five-coloured stones to mend the Heavens.
3) (179 – 122 BC) author: Liu An (劉安), book: Huainanzi (淮南子), chapter 6: Lanmingxun (覽冥訓), account: "Nüwa Mended the Sky" detail: In remote antiquity, the four poles of the Universe collapsed, and the world descended into chaos: the firmament was no longer able to cover everything, and the earth was no longer able to support itself; fire burned wild, and waters flooded the land. Fierce beasts ate common people, and ferocious birds attacked the old and the weak. Hence, Nüwa tempered the five-colored stone to mend the Heavens, cut off the feet of the great turtle to support the four poles, killed the black dragon to help the earth, and gathered the ash of reed to stop the flood. Variation: The four corners of the sky collapsed and the world with its nine regions split open.
4) (145 – 90 BC) author: Sima Qian (司馬遷), book: Shiji (史記), section 1: BenJi (本紀), chapter 1: prolog detail: Nüwa is described as a man with the last name of Feng. He is related to Fuxi; and possibly related to Fenghuang (鳳凰, pinyin: fènghuáng).
5) (58 – 147 AD) author: Xu Shen (許慎), book: Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字), entry: Nüwa detail: The Shuowen is China’s earliest dictionary. In it, Nüwa is said to have been both the sister and the wife of Fuxi. Nüwa and Fuxi were pictured as having snake like tails interlocked in an Eastern Han dynasty (+25 +220) mural in the Wuliang Temple in Jiaxiang county, Shandong province.
6) (618 – 907 AD) author: LiRong (李榮), book: Duyi Zhi (獨异志); vol 3, account: "opening of the universe" [citation needed] detail: There was a brother and a sister living on the Kunlun Mountain, and there were no ordinary people at that time. The sister’s name was Nüwa. The brother and sister wished to become husband and wife, but felt shy and guilty about this desire. So the brother took his younger sister to the top of the Kunlun Mounatain and prayed: "If Heaven allows us to be man and wife, please let the smoke before us gather; if not, please let the smoke scatter." The smoke before them gathered together. So Nüwa came to live with her elder brother. She made a fan with grass to hide her face. (The present custom of women covering their faces with fans originated from this story.)
7) (618 – 907 AD) author: Lu Tong (盧同), book: Yuchuan Ziji (玉川子集), chapter 3 [citation needed] detail: characters: "與馬異結交詩" 也稱 "女媧本是伏羲婦", pinyin: "Yu Mayi Jie Jiao Shi" YeCheng "Nüwa ben shi Fuxi fu", English: "NuWa originally is Fuxi wife" (note late date)
8) (618 – 907 AD) author: Sima Zhen (司馬貞), book: "Four Branches of Literature Complete Library" (四庫全書, or Siku Quanshu) , chapter: "Supplemental to the Historic Record – History of the Three August Ones" detail: The three August Ones (San Huang) are: Fuxi, Nüwa, Shennong; Fuxi & Nüwa were brother & sister and have the same last name "Fong" or Feng. note: SimaZhens commentary in included with the later Siku Quanshu compiled by Ji Yun (紀昀) & Lu Xixiong (陸錫熊 ).
9) (960 – 1279 AD) author: Li Fang (李昉), collection: Songsi Dashu (宋四大書), series: "Taiping Anthologies for the Emperor" (太平御覽, or Taiping Yulan), book: Vol 78, chapter "Customs by Yingshao of the Han Dynasty" detail: States that there were no men when the sky and the earth were separated. Nüwa used yellow clay to make people. The clay was not strong enough, so she put ropes into the clay to make the bodies erect. It was also said that she prayed to gods to let her be the goddess of marital affairs. (Variations of this story exist.)
Nüwa in various roles
An ancient painting of Nüwa and Fuxi unearthed in Xinjiang.
Since Nüwa is presented differently in so many myths, it is not accurate to tie "her" down as a creator, mother, goddess, or even female. Depending on the myth, "she" is responsible for being a wife, sister, man, tribal leader (or even emperor), creator, maintainer, etc. It is not clear from the evidence which view came first. Regardless of the origins, most myths present Nüwa as female in a procreative role after a calamity.
Nüwa as a repairer
The earliest literary role seems to be the upkeep and maintenance of the Wall of Heaven, whose collapse would obliterate everything. Also note the association to Deluge traditions below.
There was a quarrel between two of the more powerful gods, and they decided to settle it with a fight. When the water god Gong Gong saw that he was losing, he smashed his head against Mount Buzhou (不周山), a pillar holding up the sky. The pillar collapsed and caused the sky to tilt towards the northwest and the earth to shift to the southeast. This caused great floods and suffering to the people. Nüwa cut off the legs of a giant tortoise and used them to supplant the fallen pillar, alleviating the situation and sealing the broken sky using stones of seven different colours, but she was unable to fully correct the tilted sky. This explains the phenomenon that sun, moon, and stars move towards the northwest, and that rivers in China flow southeast into the Pacific Ocean. (this account is similar to the Huainanzi account; it was added as The Upkeep and Maintenance of Heaven [citation needed] )
Other versions of the story describe Nüwa going up to heaven and filling the gap with her body (half human half serpent) and thus stopping the flood. According to this legend some of the minorities in South-Western China hail Nüwa as their goddess and some festivals such as the ‘Water-Splashing Festival’ are in part a tribute to her sacrifices.
Nüwa as a creator
The next major role of Nüwa is of a creator deity. However, not many stories ascribe to her the creation of everything; they usually confine her to the creation of mankind. Many of these stories feature mankind being created or restored after a catastrophe.
It is said [citation needed] that Nüwa existed in the beginning of the world. She felt lonely as there were no animals so she began the creation of animals and humans, which means she had given names for those animals.
On the first day she created chickens. On the second day she created dogs. On the third day she created sheep. On the fourth day she created pigs. On the fifth day she created cows. On the sixth day she created horses. On the seventh day she began creating men from yellow clay, sculpting each one individually, yet after she had created hundreds of figures in this way she still had more to make but had grown tired of the laborious process.
This is a ceremony of bagging to bear children.
So instead of hand crafting each figure, she dipped a rope in clay and flicked it so blobs of clay landed everywhere; each of these blobs became a person.
This symbolized that she had children through sex with Fu-Xi.
In this way, the story relates, were nobles and commoners created from the hand crafted figures and the blobs respectively. Another variation on this story relates that some of the figures melted in the rain as Nüwa was waiting for them to dry and in this way sickness and physical abnormalities came into existence. [citation needed]
Nüwa as wife or sister
By the Han Dynasty, she is described in literature with her husband Fuxi as the first of the San Huang, and often called the "parents of humankind". However, paintings depicting them joined as half people – half snake or dragon date to the Warring States period.
-
- "It is said" in the form of dragons that she and her husband carved out the rivers of the world and drained the resulting floods. [citation needed]
This means that they knew how to prevent the danger of water.
Nüwa as a goddess for Miao people
Nüwa is also the traditional divine goddess of the Miao people.
Nüwa and Deluge traditions
Details of the Nüwa flood stories clearly share commonalities with other global Deluge traditions, and are worthy of note:
- global flood or calamity (Gong Gongs destruction)
- destruction of humanity and animals (explicitly described)
- select pair survives calamity (Fuxi & Nuwa in most Chinese versions)
- select pair survives in a boat or gourd (Zhuang version)
- similarity of names (Nuwa, Noah, Nu, Manu, Oannes, etc.)
- rebuilding humanity after devastation(explicitly described)
- colorful heavenly object (5 colored pillar)
Many other comparisons are possible, but the scattered and indirect nature of the evidence makes any harmonious explanation difficult. Additionally, although the earliest Judeo-Christian influence in China is about 600 AD, there is also the undocumented possibility of earlier arrivals who could have influenced the development of the myth. For more detailed comparisons and treatment, please see Deluge and Pangu.
Is Nüwa related to Noah?
There could be some parallels from the elements of the story to some of the story told in the book of Genesis. These are:
- Nüwa’s creation of humans from mud has similarities with the story of Adam’s creation from soil (and other earth origin myths, such as the Greek myth of Deucalion-Pyrrha who created humans by flinging pebbles)
- The Fuxi-Nüwa brother & sister element is similar to Adam and Eve coming from the same body
- The Fuxi-Nüwa have a half snake element. In Genesis, Adam and Eve are tempted by a serpent.
- The Fuxi-Nüwa flood survival [citation needed] is similar to the flood of Noah.
Those who read the Bible literally usually consider it plausible that such shared resemblances are derived from ancient legends of a common ancestral tribe whose descendants dispersed widely from Mount Ararat (Genesis 6-11). However, these elements could be coincidences or respond to shared mythic elements present in Creation and Deluge myths around the world. It is also possible that some of these elements have been exchanged between the two traditions and inserted into existing myths.
Nüwa in history
Paintings of Nüwa, and her consort Fuxi, date to the Warring States period.
Although Nüwa is typically represented as a woman in mythology, the noted Chinese historian Sima Qian (in the Shiji, Chapter Benji or prolog) clearly identifies Nuwa as a man with the last name of Feng. Some scholars consider Nüwa a tribal leader (or emperor); others consider the name Nüwa a title.
Nüwa in popular culture
Nu Wa as featured in Dynasty Warriors 3
A character named Nüwa is an unlockable in the video game Dynasty Warriors 3 alongside Fuxi.
Nüwa also appears in Sierra Entertainment‘s city-building game Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom. She is a non-playable character and one of the three ancestral heroes of the game, who can be summoned to the player’s city. She can safeguard the city from fires and enhance the production of clay pits and kilns.
Nüwa also has a major role in the Hong Kong ATV television series, "My Date With A Vampire (2)." Disappointed with her creations (humanity), she plans to destroy the world and let the world be reborn. That fateful day is predicted to be 1 January 2001, and the other characters race against time to stop her from destroying the world.
In Wong Yuk Long‘s comic Weapons of the Gods, Goddess Nu Wa created the Crystal Sword, the strongest sword in the comic which later found by the main character after a long journey and used the sword against other Magic Weapons.
Nüwa
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
Preceded by Youchao
Emperor of China
Succeeded by Suiren
External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCwa"
The Mysticism of Music, Sound and Word – Wahiduddun’s Web
Wahiduddun’s Web – Living from the Heart
The important thing is not to think much,
but to love much;
and so, do that which best stirs you to love.
- Saint Teresa of Avila
If you are seeking closeness to the Beloved,
love everyone.
whether in their presence or absence,
see only their good.
if you want to be as clear and refreshing as
the breath of the morning breeze,
like the sun have nothing but warmth and light
for everyone.
- Shaikh Abu-Said Abil-Khair
All those who are unhappy in the world
are so as a result of
their desire for their own happiness.
All those who are happy in the world
are so as a result of
their desire for the happiness of others.
- Shantideva
O, friend! Nobody veils you, but yourself.
In your path there is no thorn or weed, but yourself.
You asked: shall I reach the beloved or not?
Between you and the beloved there is nobody, but yourself.
- Awhadoddin Kermani
You do not have to struggle to reach God,
but you do have to struggle to tear away
the self-created veil that hides him from you.
- Paramahansa Yogananda
Before you ask God for what you want,
first thank god for what
you have.
- Talmud, B’rachot 30b
How long will you keep pounding on an open door
begging for someone to open it?
- Rabi’a al-’Adawiyya
I do not desire suffering;
yet fool I am,
I desire the cause of suffering!
- Shantideva
Wisdom tells me I am nothing.
Love tells me I am everything.
Between the two my life flows.
- Nisargadatta Maharaj
In the morning, the one who does not understand will
consider what he will do,
while the one who understands will
consider what the one will do with him.
- Ibn ‘ata ‘illah
Until you become an unbeliever in your own self,
you cannot become a believer in god.
- Shaikh Abu-Said Abil-Khair
Student:
Sir, if one gave up the I, nothing whatsoever would remain.
Ramakrishna:
I am not asking you to give up all of the I. you should give up only the "unripe I." the "unripe I" makes one feel: "I am the doer. these are my wife and children. I am a teacher."
Renounce this "unripe I" and keep the "ripe I" which will make you feel that you are god’s servant, his devotee, and that god is the doer and you are his instrument.
- Sri Ramakrishna
Worn-out garments are shed by the body,
worn-out bodies are shed by the dweller within the body,
new bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments.
Not wounded by weapons, not burned by fire,
not dried by the wind, not wetted by water,
such is the one.
Not dried, not wetted, not burned, not wounded,
innermost essence, everywhere, always,
being of beings, changeless, eternal, for ever and ever.
- Bhagavad-Gita 2:22
Where are you hurrying to?
you will see
the same moon tonight
wherever you go!
- Izumi Shikibu
There is no difference in the destination,
the only difference is in the journey.
- Inayat Khan
All the violence, fear and suffering
that exists in this world
comes from grasping at "self".
What use is this great monster to you?
if you do not let go of the "self",
there will never be an end to your suffering.
- Shantideva
In the pursuit of learning,
every day something is acquired.
in the pursuit of Tao,
every day something is dropped.
- Lao Tzu
Correct behavior
means that you are
occupied with commendable activity.
- Ibn ‘Ata’
There is only one virtue
and only one sin
for a soul on the path:
virtue when he is conscious of God
and sin when he is not.
- Abu Hashim Madani
I see now
that all creatures
have perfect enlightenment
– but they do not know it.
- Buddha
satyameva jayate
truth alone is victorious
- Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.6
Books, Papers, Music and Photos of Hazrat Inayat Khan available on this Website
Contents of Volume II: Preface
Part I: The Mysticism Of Sound
The Silent
Life
Vibrations
Harmony
Name
Form
Rhythm
Music
Abstract
Sound
Part II: Music
Music
Music of the Spheres
Music of the Spheres
The Ancient Music Hindu Music
The Vina
Physical Plane
Physical Body
The Voice
Sound and Color -1
Sound and Color -2
Psychic Influence
Healing Power of Music
Spiritual Development
Part III: The Power Of The Word
Power of the Word -1
Power of the Word -2
Power of the Word -3
Power of the Word -4
Power of the Sacred Word
The Word that was Lost
Part IV: Cosmic Language
Voices -1
Voices -2
Impressions
Magnetism
Influence of Art
Life of Thought
Imagination
Memory
Will
Reason
The Ego
Mind and Heart
Intuition
Inspiration
Phrases
Volume II – The Mysticism of Music, Sound and Word
Part I: The Mysticism of Sound
Chapter VIII
ABSTRACT SOUND
Abstract sound is called Saut-i Sarmad by the Sufis; all space is filled with it. The vibrations of this sound are too fine to be either audible or visible to the material ears or eyes, since it is even difficult for the eyes to see the form and color of he ethereal vibrations on the external plane. It was the Saut-i Sarmad, the sound of the abstract plane, which Muhammad heard in the cave of Ghar-i Hira when he became lost in his divine ideal. The Quran refers to this sound in the words, ‘Be! and all became.’ Moses heard this very sound on Mount Sinai, when in communion with God; and the same word was audible to Christ when absorbed in his Heavenly Father in the wilderness. Shiva heard the same Anahad Nada during his Samadhi in the cave of the Himalayas.
The flute of Krishna is symbolic of the same sound. This sound is the source of all revelation to the Masters, to whom it is revealed from within; it is because of this that they know and teach one and the same truth.
The Sufi knows of the past, present and future, and about all things in life, by being able to know the direction of sound. Every aspect of one’s being in which sound manifests has a peculiar effect upon life, for the activity of vibrations has a special effect in every direction. The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe. Whoever has followed the strains of this sound has forgotten all earthly distinctions and differences, and has reached that goal of truth in which all the Blessed Ones of God unite. Space is within the body as well as around it; in other words the body is in the space and the space is in the body.
This being the case, the sound of the abstract is always going on within, around and about man. Man does not hear it as a rule, because his consciousness is entirely centered in his material existence. Man becomes so absorbed in his experiences in the external world through the medium of the physical body that space, with all its wonders of light and sound, appears to him blank.
This can be easily understood by studying the nature of color. There are many colors that are quite distinct by themselves, yet when mixed with others of still brighter hue they become altogether eclipsed; even bright colors embroidered with gold, silver, diamonds, or pearls serve merely as a background to the dazzling embroidery. So it is with the abstract sound compared with the sounds of the external world. The limited volume of earthly sounds is so concrete that it dims the effect of the sound of the abstract to the sense of hearing, although in comparison to it the sounds of the earth are like that of a whistle to a drum. When the abstract sound is audible all other sounds become indistinct to the mystic.
The sound of the abstract is called Anahad in the Vedas, meaning unlimited sound. The Sufis name it Sarmad, which suggests the idea of intoxication. The word intoxication is here used to signify upliftment, the freedom of the soul from its earthly bondage. Those who are able to hear the Saut-i Sarmad and meditate on it are relieved from all worries, anxieties, sorrows, fears and diseases; and the soul is freed from captivity in the senses and in the physical body. The soul of the listener becomes the all-pervading consciousness, and his spirit becomes the battery which keeps the whole universe in motion.
Some train themselves to hear the Saut-i Sarmad in the solitude on the sea shore, on the river bank, and in the hills and dales; others attain it while sitting in the caves of the mountains, or when wandering constantly through forests and deserts, keeping themselves in the wilderness apart from the haunts of men. Yogis and ascetics blow Sing (a horn) or Shankha (a shell), which awakens in them this inner tone. Dervishes play Nai or Algosa (a double flute) for the same purpose. The bells and gongs in the churches and temples are meant to suggest to the thinker the same sacred sound, and thus lead him towards the inner life.
This sound develops through ten different aspects because of its manifestation through ten different tubes of the body; it sounds like thunder, the roaring of the sea, the jingling of bells, running the water, the buzzing of bees, the twittering of sparrows, the Vina, the whistle, or the sound of Shankha until it finally becomes Hu, the most sacred of all sounds.
This sound Hu is the beginning and the end of all sounds, be they from man, bird, beast, or thing. A careful study will prove this fact, which can be realized by listening to the sound of the steam engine or of a mill, while the echo of bells or gongs gives a typical illustration of the sound Hu.
The Supreme Being has been called by various names in different languages, but the mystics have known him as Hu, the natural name, not man-made, the only name of the Nameless, which all nature constantly proclaims. The sound Hu is most sacred; the mystics call Ism-i Azam, the name of the Most High, for it is the origin and end of every sound as well as the background of each word. The word Hu is the spirit of all sounds and of all words, and is hidden within them all, as the spirit in the body. It does not belong to any language, but no language can help belonging to it. This alone is the true name of God, a name that no people and no religion can claim as their own. This word is not only uttered by human beings, but is repeated by animals and birds. All things and beings proclaim this name of the Lord, for every activity of life expresses distinctly or indistinctly this very sound. This is the word mentioned in the Bible as existing before the light came into being, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’
The mystery of Hu is revealed to the Sufi who journeys through the path of initiation. Truth, the knowledge of God, is called by a Sufi Haqq. If we divide the word Haqq into two parts, its assonant sounds become hu ek, Hu signifying God, or truth, and ek in Hindustani meaning one, and both together expressing on God and one truth. Haqiqat in Arabic means the essential truth, Hakim means master, and Hakim means knower, all of which words express the essential characteristics of life.
Aluk is the sacred word that the Vairagis, the adepts of India, use as their sacred chant. In the word Aluk are expressed two words, al meaning he, and Haqq truth, both words together expressing God the source from which all comes.
The sound Hu becomes limited in the word Ham, for the letter m closes the lips. This word in Hindustani expresses limitation because Ham means I or we, both of which words signify ego. The word Hamsa is the sacred word of the Yogis which illumines the ego with the light of reality. The word Huma in the Persian language stands for a fabulous bird. There is a belief that if the Huma bird sits for a moment on the head of anybody it is a sign that he will become a king. Its true explanation is, that when a man’s thoughts so evolve that they break all limitation, then he becomes as a king. It is the limitation of language that it can only describe the Most High as something like a king. It is said in the old traditions that Zoroaster was born of a Huma tree. This explains the words in the Bible, ‘Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.’ In the word Huma, hu represents spirit, and the word mah in Arabic means water. In English the word ‘human’ explains two facts which are characteristic of humanity: Hu means God and man means mind, which word comes from the Sanskrit Mana, mind being the ordinary man. The two words united represent the idea of the God-conscious man; in other words Hu, God, is in all things and beings, but it is man by whom he is known. Human therefore may be said to mean God-conscious, God-realized, or God-man. The word Hamd means praise, Hamid, praiseworthy, and Muhammad, praiseful. The name of the Prophet of Islam was significant of his attitude to God.
Hur in Arabic means the beauties of the Heaven, its real meaning is he expression of heavenly beauty. Zuhur in Arabic means manifestation, especially that of God in nature. Ahura Mazda is the name of God known to the Zoroastrians. This first word Ahura suggests Hu, upon which the whole name is built.
All of these examples signify the origin of God in the word Hu; and the life of God in every thing and being.
Hayy in Arabic means everlasting, and Hayyat means life, both of which words signify the everlasting nature of God. The word Huwal suggests the idea of omnipresence, and Huvva is the origin of the name of Eve, which is symbolic of manifestation; as Adam is symbolic of life, they are named in Sanskrit Purusha and Prakriti.
Jehovah was originally Yahuva, Ya suggesting the word oh and Hu standing for God, while the A represents manifestation. Hu is the origin of sound, but when the sound first takes shape on the external plane, it becomes A, therefore alif or alpha is considered to be the first expression of Hu, the original word. The Sanskrit alphabet as well as that of most other languages begins with the letter A, as does the name of God in several tongues. The word A therefore expresses in English one, or first; and the sign of alif expresses the meaning one, as well as first. The letter A is pronounced without the help of the teeth or tongue, and in Sanskrit A always means without.
The A is raised to the surface when the tongue rises and touches the roof of the mouth when pronouncing the letter l (lam), and the sound ends in m (mim). The pronunciation of which closes the lips. These three essential letters of the alphabet are brought together as the mystery in the Quran. With A deepened by ain the word Ilm is formed which means knowledge. Alim comes from the same, and means knower. ‘Alam means state or condition, the existence which is known.
When alif the first and lam the central letters are brought together they make the word al which means ‘the’ in Arabic. In English all suggest the meaning of the entire or absolute nature of existence.
The word Allah, which in Arabic means God, if divided into three parts may be interpreted as ‘the One who comes from nothing’. El or Ellah has the same meaning as Allah. The words found in the Bible, Eloi, Elohim and Hallelujah, are related to the word Allahu.
The words om, omen, amen and amin, which are spoken in all houses of prayer, are of the same origin; A in the commencement of the word expresses the beginning, and M in the midst signifies end; N the final letter is the re-echo of M, for M naturally ends in a nasal sound, the producing of which sound signifies life.
In the word Ahad which means God, the only Being, two meanings are involved by assonance. A in Sanskrit means without, and Hudd in Arabic means limitation.
It is from the same source that the words Wahdat, Wahdaniat, Hadi, Hada and Hidayat all come. Wahdat means the consciousness of self-alone; Wahdaniat is the knowledge of self; Hadi, the guide; Hada, to guide; Hidayat means guidance.
The more a Sufi listens to Saut-i Sarmad, the sound of the abstract, the more his consciousness becomes free from all the limitations of life. The soul floats above the physical and mental plane without any special effort on man’s part, which shows its calm and peaceful state; a dreamy look comes into his eyes and his countenance becomes radiant, he experiences the unearthly joy and rapture of Wajd, or ecstasy. When ecstasy overwhelms him he is neither conscious of the physical existence nor of the mental. This is the heavenly wine, to which all Sufi poets refer, which is totally unlike the momentary intoxication’s of this mortal plane. A heavenly bliss then springs in the heart of a Sufi, his mind is purified from sin, his body from all impurities, and a pathway is opened for him towards the world unseen; he begins to receive inspirations, intuitions, impressions, and revelations without the least effort on his part. He is no longer dependent upon a book or a teacher, for divine wisdom, the light of his soul, the Holy Spirit, begins to shine upon him. As Sharif says, ‘I by the light of soul realize that the beauty of the heavens and the grandeur of the earth are the echo of Thy magic flute’.
Laozi – Wikiquote
Laozi
There is a thing inherent and natural, which existed before heaven and earth. Motionless and fathomless, It stands alone and never changes; It pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted. It may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe. I do not know its name. If I am forced to give it a name, I call it Tao, and I name it as supreme.
老子 Lǎozi (c. 4th century B.C.) was a Chinese mystic philosopher; also called Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze. The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, or Dao De Jing) represents the sole document traditionally attributed to this legendary figure.
Contents
Tao Te Ching
A leader is best when people barely know that he exists…
- The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name.
Non-existence is called the antecedent of heaven and earth; Existence is the mother of all things.
From eternal non-existence, therefore, we serenely observe the mysterious beginning of the Universe; From eternal existence we clearly see the apparent distinctions.
These two are the same in source and become different when manifested.
This sameness is called profundity. Infinite profundity is the gate whence comes the beginning of all parts of the Universe.- Ch 1 as translated by Ch’u Ta-Kao (1904)
- The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source but differ in name;
this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.- Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English (1972)
- The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.
Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.
Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.- Ch. 1 as translated by Stephen Mitchell (1992)
The Tao is called the Great Mother: empty yet inexhaustible, it gives birth to infinite worlds.
- The tao that can be described
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be spoken
is not the eternal Name.
The nameless is the boundary of Heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of creation.
Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery.
By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real.
Yet mystery and reality
emerge from the same source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness born from darkness.
The beginning of all understanding.- Ch. 1 as translated by J.H.McDonald (1996) [Public domain translation]
- The way you can go
isn’t the real way.
The name you can say
isn’t the real name.
Heaven and earth
begin in the unnamed:
name’s the mother
of the ten thousand things.
So the unwanting soul
sees what’s hidden,
and the ever-wanting soul
sees only what it wants.
Two things, one origin,
but different in name,
whose identity is mystery.
Mystery of all mysteries!
The door to the hidden.- Ursula K. LeGuin (1998)
- The universe is deathless; Is deathless because, having no finite self, it stays infinite. A sound man by not advancing himself stays the further ahead of himself, By not confining himself to himself sustains himself outside himself: By never being an end in himself he endlessly becomes himself.
- Ch. 7
- A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honor people, They fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, "We did this ourselves."
- Ch. 17
Since before time and space were, the Tao is. It is beyond is and is not.
How do I know this is true?
I look inside myself and see.
- Since before time and space were,
the Tao is.
It is beyond is and is not.
How do I know this is true?
I look inside myself and see.- Ch. 21 as translated by Stephen Mitchell (1992)
- There is a thing inherent and natural,
Which existed before heaven and earth.
Motionless and fathomless,
It stands alone and never changes;
It pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted.
It may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe.
I do not know its name. If I am forced to give it a name, I call it Tao, and I name it as supreme.- Ch 25 as translated by Ch’u Ta-Kao (1904)
Without the laughter, there would be no Tao.
- Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Tao, take it and practice it earnestly.
Scholars of the middle class, when they hear of it, take it half earnestly.
Scholars of the lowest class, when they hear of it, laugh at it.
Without the laughter, there would be no Tao.- Ch. 41
- ‘Block the passages, shut the doors,
And till the end your strength shall not fail.
Open up the passages, increase your doings,
And till your last day no help shall come to you.’- Ch. 52 as translated by Arther Walley (1934)
The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. Tolerant like the sky, all-pervading like sunlight, firm like a mountain, supple like a tree in the wind, he has no destination in view and makes use of anything life happens to bring his way.
- The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind,
he has no destination in view
and makes use of anything
life happens to bring his way.- Ch. 59 as translated by Stephen Mitchell (1992)
- Wise men don’t need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren’t wise.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others, the happier he is.
The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is.
The Tao nourishes by not forcing.
By not dominating, the Master leads.- Ch. 81 as translated by Stephen Mitchell (1992)
Attributed
There are many translations or paraphrases of the Tao Te Ching available and thus variants abound; many of the major declarations within it are expressed or interpreted in many different ways. The following quotes are not yet sourced to particular chapters or translations.
- The called Tao is not Tao.
- A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. [These two lines are from the Confucian quote 万里之行始于足下.]
- Alternate version: A journey of a thousand [miles] starts with a single step.
- A true traveller has no fixed plan, and is not intent on arriving.
- Alternate version: If you do not change your direction, you may end up where you are heading.
- Above all, do not compete.
- Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.
- By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try, the world is beyond the winning.
- Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
- Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.
- He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know.
- He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
- He who obtains has little; he who scatters has much.
- I am not at all interested in immortality, only in the taste of tea.
- Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
- The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be. (Ch.57)
- Alternate version: The more prohibitions there are, the poorer the people will be.
- The true free living human-being is the one that achieves his dream without depending on someone.
- To see things in the seed, that is genius.
- When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish.
- When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
- When the center does not hold, the circle falls apart. [References 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats]
External links
Wikipedia has an article about: Laozi
Wikisource has original text related to Tao te Ching.
- 老子 Lǎozĭ 道德經 Dàodéjīng – 拼音 Pīnyīn+王弼 WángBì+馬王堆 Mǎwángduī+郭店 Guōdiàn+大一生水 Tàiyī Shēngshǔi +new English+German transl.: verbatim+analogous+poetical (Dr.Hilmar KLAUS)
- Translations in more than twenty-one languages: On-line Tao Te King Original Chinese text with translations, including side-by-side comparison of two or four translations. Navigation in English or in German.
- Translations in English (Waley, Lau), French (Julien), German (Wilhelm) and modern Chinese: On-line Daodejing Original Chinese text arrayed with translations.
- Several translations: On-line Tao Te Ching. Western Reform Taoism.
- Tao Te King as translated by Ch’u Ta-Kao (1904)
- Translation by Stephen Mitchell: On-line Tao Te Ching.
- Translation by j.h. mcdonald: Religions and Scriptures: Tao Te Ching.
- An online translation by Charles Muller: Professor Muller’s site: Daode jing.
- Translation by Chad Hansen: On-line Tao Te Ching: both English and modern Chinese. Also Zhuangzi.
- An Informal online interpolation by Ron Hogan is available in several formats at Beatrice.com: Tao Te Ching. An iPod formatted version of this translation is available at SwiftlyTilting.com: The Tao Te Ching for your iPod
- Translation by Sonja Elen Kisa: On-line Tao Te Ching (selected poems) going by the name The Flow and the Power of Good
- Translation from the City University of Hong Kong: On-line Tao Te Ching. Classical and Vernacular Chinese, and English.
- Interpolation by Peter Merel: On-line Tao Te Ching.
- Commentary by Swami Nirmalananda Giri: Commentary on the Tao Te Ching.
- Wayne L. Wang The Dynamic Tao and Its Manifestations:Tao and modern scientific thoughts
- Tao De Ching (GNL’s Not Lao)
- Sanderson Beck’s Interpretation
- Translations and commentary by Nina Correa
- A "plain English" online interpolation of Chapters 1–37 ("Tao") by the Universal Dialectic Institute: Tao: The Way of Nature
- Free mp3 downloads of Tao Te Ching narrated by Michael Scott of ThoughtAudio.com.
Chinese versions
- Comparison Chart Chinese characters with PinYin spellings of the Wang Bi, HeShang Gong, Mawangdui A and B, Guodian texts.
- Bamboo slips of the Guodian text Photographs of the Guodian Bamboo Slips with modern equivalents of the Chinese characters, PinYin and Wade Giles spellings, and English definitions.
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