your taoist thought for the day: being humble
 

Being humble
(Quotations from Chuang Tzu)

If a man is crossing a river and an empty boat collides with his own skiff, even though he be a bad-tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, he will shout at him to steer clear. If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, and yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty, he would not be shouting, and not angry.

If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you....

Who can free himself from achievement, and from fame, descend and be lost amid the masses of men? He will flow like Tao, unseen, he will go about like Life itself with no name and no home. Simple is he, without distinction. To all appearances he is a fool. His steps leave no trace. He has no power. He achieves nothing, has no reputation.

Since he judges no one, no one judges him.
Such is the perfect man:
His boat is empty.

Re: your taoist thought for the day: being humble
 

Doesn't this mean you have to jump overboard? :confused:

Re: Re: your taoist thought for the day: being humble
 

no, but you might want to avoid *flaring* your nostrils or other part of the anatomy ;)

If an empty boat struck my boat, I'd sink the other one. If an empty car hit my 911, I'd sue.

I guess I flunked Taoism 1A. :D

Re: Re: Re: your taoist thought for the day: being humble
 

Hey, speaking of flaring, did I tell you I'm going to Japan for the shin splint surgery. I'm coming back 6-3. :D

On being humble.

Todd:

You know how (living in SoCal) many reasonably nice 911's you see every day? What, maybe 3 or 4 max in one day?

I am in Sun Valley Idaho.

Noonish, I took my crew to a rooftop Grill and drinking establishment for an open air lunch and an adult beverage.

In the 90 minutes we were sitting there, I saw, and remarked to the other members of my crew, no less than TEN (10) 911's drive by. Nine of them were SC's, and one lime green with palomino interior SWB earlier 911.

Every single one had Idaho plates, and every single one was immaculate.

Coming from someone who is jaded by the sheer numbers of p-cars in SoCal, I am humbled.

No matter who hit my boat.

all i need are 2 more 911s and then i can be humble :)

"Who can free himself from achievement, and from fame, descend and be lost amid the masses of men? He will flow like Tao, unseen, he will go about like Life itself with no name and no home. Simple is he, without distinction. To all appearances he is a fool. His steps leave no trace. He has no power. He achieves nothing, has no reputation."

This explains why Cindy's box stock looking '99 Ford Ranger is mostly my vehicle of choice these days. There is safety in anonyminity... Fame AND fortune? They can have it. Gimme fortune alone...
;)

nostatic:

I have no idea what that boat stuff means. All I know is--

2 happiest boat days of your life.

The day you buy your first boat.

The day you finally sell it.

"He achieves nothing..."

Sorry, but that's not my goal in life.

Never saw a Brinks Truck follow a hearse.

Dantilla? Ahhh, but one person's "nothing", meaning no fame or untold riches, can be another person's "everything"...when he has enough to be happy. Dig? ;)

"he who dies with the most toys...still dies."

I'm way more humble than any of you...

I like Asian women, but there's one drawback: an hour later you're horny again!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1089345788.jpg

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! Ramming speed.......

Hey my username is power whaddya expect?

When struck by an empty boat while crossing a river, there is no need to be angry because:

-you have full coverage and a good attorney and need a new boat
-the owner of the empty boat will have to pay for your sore neck and your friend psychotherapy to get you through the anguish of the horrifying incident.
-it's funny how many people at the resteraunt upstream are going to lynch a certain valet boat parker who didn't feel like tying them up.:)

I take from todays lesson that if I take the Taoist road of life, I can go around ramming anything I want to because others will perceive my vessel as empty. Hmm ramming anything I want to....

I can't afford a boat, so I guess it doesn't matter.

I do have a kayak though. . .

...film at 11 :D

That would be the Republican spin on Taoism :p

And since it is better to have an empty boat, we'll take everything from everyone else's boat...for their own good. Or is that the Democratic spin?

Actually I think that is just the *political* spin...

Okay, let's try this-

"...he has no reputation."

Is that what you want engraved on your tombstone? By achievement, I don't mean making money. That's easy. Plenty of fools do just fine in that department.

I guess life doesn't boil down to "Am I successful?", but more like "Am I significant?". Does it matter that you are on this planet at all? The original quote has an underlying sadness to me, like drifting through life, aimlessly. No purpose.

"An unexamined life is not worth living." I forget who originally said that. I have no need to "keep up with the Jonses". I try not to compare myself with my friends, but to compare myself against my potential.

I think I'm pretty good at knowing when to be hard on myself, and when to cut myself some slack.

If I had a point, I'm sure I would have been there by now.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

It is the First Commandment for a reason...God will not be mocked.

That isn't my interpretation of it, and I don't think that is the intention. In fact, the point is not to drift aimlessly, but more that if you pursue "significance", then you will miss things along the way. Kinda like the Zen riddle, "if you have one eye on your goal, you only have one eye with which to find your way."

It is a fundamentally different way of looking at life than western ways, and feels very foriegn and somewhat subversive. It goes against almost everything we've been taught ("eyes on the prize", etc).

You have to study/ponder the Tao for awhile to start to get what it is talking about...and I'm just scratching the surface. Its like peeling an onion...there's always a deeper layer more powerful than the last.

I figured that Mr. Holland and his opus would be unable to engage...

Re: your taoist thought for the day: being humble
 

Man the 2nd to last paragraph sure sounds like U are talking about me....I am nothing, a nobody, a person who has no account except for his bank book (Trust Fund).

Yep Tabby sure is an empty boat....and that is how Tabby really became a Man of wealth and taste....

Having walked furtively down the taoist road, even so much as committing to a half arm tattoo testifying my faith, I came up wanting...empty. The peace I have attained, albeit fleeting, is at times a joy of tears. I cannot explain it, but it gives me hope, love, forgiveness and direction. This feeling has been at times so profound that it is hard to deny I walk the right path. Not saying doubt doesn't rear its ugly head quite frequently.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." -- (ya ya ya, I know)

"I am the way, the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the father except through me."

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened."

"Love your brother like yourself and love the Lord, your God, with all of your heart, your soul and your mind."

(there is no one more zealous than a convert):D

Yeah.....Burn em at the stake!

Or feed em to the lions!

Naw the Romans did that just for the fun of it....l

It was a spectator sport for the Romans...after all they didn't have professional sports towatch on TV nor did they have movies to go to....I guess for them an orgy was the equivalent of a porno movie...U had to do something to pass the time when your the greatest power on earth...other than start wars of conquest.

Go Detroit or the Lions 8 the christians

That crazy Mariucci, leave it to him to go for two right outta the gate.

No No we are not talking about Tigers but Lions....unless of course we are in OZ than it iis, "Oh no Lions and Tigers."

But then Detroit could be OZ?

Ok, I just got the scoop from my buddy at the game. He says Detroit kicked field goals in each of the first two quarters. Then they snagged a timely sack on the first possession of the third. Says it's not as close as the score leads you to believe and that this new expansion team from Utah really needs an offensive line. There ya go. Lions-8 Christians-0 2:20 3rd.

lol

2:20 in the third and the Christians are only down by 8? who cares? it's still anyone's game. the Lions obviously showed they can't make it into the endzone, and I hear that Brigham Young fella has some potential once they get him off the bench

Could be long game though as they're playing on the Christians home field where a day is a thousand years and a thousand years a day. Hope yer fridge is stocked.

Actions speak louder than words. Don't tell me what you believe, show me what you believe.