nonconformist
Chinese for "nonconformist"

golden statue




The world is dazzling,
I alone am dull.
Others strive for achievement,
I follow a lonely path.



Followers of Tao are nonconformists. The conventional label our behavior erratic, antisocial, irresponsible, inexplicable, outrageous, and sometimes scandalous. We hear other voices, respond to inner urgings. We have no interest in the social norm; we only care about following Tao. It does not matter if no one can understand us, for we are nurtured by something most people do not sense. Awakening to this inner urge, and distinguishing spiritual impulses from the merely instinctual, is one of the crucial goals of self-cultivation.

We all have many voices, personalities, ambitions, and tendencies within ourselves. The ability to distinguish between them, and the ability to silence all the voices save for Tao’s, is imperative if one is tor reach this state of being. Once one is in touch with the true Tao, there are no doubts, and the murmuring of others cannot have any effect. One is as comforted as a child at its mother’s breast.

The more one walks in Tao, the more one is interested in self-perfection. All that matters is constant cultivation to be with Tao. This is a lonely path. There are others who follow Tao, but it is not always possible to meet them. That is why it takes someone both sensitive enough to hear the all and strong enough to walk the solitary path.

 
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9

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Tibet, Treasures from the Roof of the World    
TIBET: TREASURES FROM
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
Eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara
Tibet, 19th — 20th Century
Norbuglinkha Collection
Photo Courtesy of Bowers Museum

A masterpiece of fine art and religious expression, this spectacular sculpture presents the most important Tibetan Buddhist deity, Avalokiteshvara. The exquisitely wrought details include the deity’s one thousand arms, forming a halo around the figure. One thousand eyes appear, one on each palm. Tibetans believe Avalokiteshvara can see all misery and alleviate all pain. They also believe the Dalai Lama to be a physical manifestation of this all powerful deity, who has limitless compassion for all living beings.
close view of eleven headed one
 

T  A  O   t e  C  H  I  N  G 
hand drawn calligraphy of the word dao
t  w  e  n  t  y   o  n  e   
verse 21
 Harmony is only in following the Way.

The Way is without form or quality,
But expresses all forms and qualities;
The Way is hidden and implicate,
But expresses all of nature;
The Way is unchanging,
But expresses all motion.

Beneath sensation and memory
The Way is the source of all the world.
How can I understand the source of the world?
By accepting.
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