Once a man found that his axe had gone missing; and he suspected his neighbor’s son of having taken it. Observing the youth walking around, the man was convinced that his was the walk of a thief. The youth looked like a thief and talked like a thief; everything he did pointed to his having stolen the axe.

 

Then one day, the man happened upon his missing axe.

 

After that, he noticed his neighbor’s son wasn’t behaving like a thief anymore.

 

Lieh Tzu (trans. by Cleary)

 

There are two major Taoist Philosophers who came after the Tao Te Ching and used not only short essay form, but also employed the use of allegorical stories to impart certain principles or ideas found in the Tao Te Ching. The most famous of the two is of course, Chuang Tzu, but I think Lieh Tzu is just as important and often times wrote with a bit more clarity and single pointedness than Chuang Tzu.

This week, I will be posting some allegorical tales from this lesser known, but extremely important Taoist Philosopher.

"Who for Whom" (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Once, a man held a huge banquet with thousands of guests. When someone presented a gift of fish and fowl, the host said appreciatively, “Heaven is generous to the people indeed, planting cereals and creating fish and fowl for our use.” The huge crowd of guests echoed this sentiment.

 

A youth of about twelve years old, however, who had been sitting in the most remote corner of the banquet hall, now came forward and said to the host, “It is not as you say, sir. All beings in the Universe are living creatures on a par with us. No species is higher or lower in rank than another, it’s just that they control each other by differences in intelligence and power; they eat each other, but that does not mean they were produced for each other. People take what they can eat and eat it, but does that mean that heaven produced that for people? If so, then since mosquitoes bite skin and tigers and wolves eat flesh, does that not mean that heaven made humans for mosquitoes and flesh for tigers and wolves?”

 

peace, wayf

 

 

Yang rises, Yin falls, and everything returns to the Source.

Summer gives way to Autumn, Autumn likewise, to Winter,

Winter to Spring, and Spring goes back to Summer.

 

In Summer, the trees are vibrant, green and full,

Life expresses itself through Virtue of the Source,

Yet, how much less is this expression of Virtue shown,

In the beautiful array of colors in an Autumn landscape,

Or the pure white glory of a fresh Winter snow?

In Spring, life springs up anew in the new beginnings

Of a cycle that has no end, no beginning

Except what we perceive as such.

 

An infant, kicking and screaming his way into the world

As he takes his first breath, in his Spring; fresh, pliant, soft and yielding.

His first breath is synonymous with his last,

Each breath in between just steps along the path.

Life gives way to death, so that from death, life may flourish.

 

In each fragment of each thing, seeds of Yin and Yang grow,

Infinitely divisible to the smallest degree,

Yin to Yang, Yang to Yin

 

All things spring forth from the Source,

And return to it in infinite degrees of divisibility

In various ways always returning

Always flowing outward

 

If you can find the motion within the stillness

The sound within the silence

The Yang within the Yin

You have found the Source

Hold to it

It is there where all things reside

It is from there that all things flow forth

 

 

You are beautiful, vibrant;

Your eyes can smile the brightest smile,

Yet, at times I know there is a sadness there

So profound, no words can penetrate it.

Things you want are simple;

Yet they seem so out of reach, inaccessible.

I want to hold you forever and whisper,

“It’s okay, as long as you are here with me.”

Words sometimes are weak,

Intent gets lost in a reliance on symbolism

My intent is true, my dearest one,

My intent is to love you from this day

Until the last breath flows passed my lips

As long as you know that,

As long as you understand

That nothing can change the way I feel for you

 

I will breathe

 

This world outside us

Of broken truths and shattered reality

Can not change us,

We won’t falter in our quest

Yes, I want to hold you forever and whisper

“It’s okay, as long as we hold tight to each other.”

I want to be the foundation for you

That you have been for me

I want to be the strength that holds you up

When you feel you are about to crumble

Please understand that I am here

For one reason, one sole purpose

And that, my love, is to lift you to the highest plateau

To show you heights you have never imagined in your wildest dreams

You were an angel here on Earth

That pulled me out of the darkest depths

Of a hell of my creation

And now, I want to take your hand

And slowly guide you back

To this paradise we have here

 

I love you

And the last breath I ever take will find me

Uttering those same words to you

 

~ * ~

 

 

peace, wayf

Miss SixxRoxx has been kind enough to include yet another of my articles on "Needs More Cowbell" today. This one is about Riley B. "B.B" King.

Thank you, Six!

peace, wayf