Tag: Taoism
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Devo Is Not-Not Zen: 005
Read time: 3 minutes. Devo was never just Whip It. They were a prophetic art movement disguised as a band. This is the first stand alone article in our BeToKnow series. We’re not here to decode the meaning of their songs. Nor will we deconstruct their thesis of “de-evolution” — that humanity is regressing, not progressing. We’re here…
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A New Model of Reality: No Before, No After—Only Now, Vibing
Read time 11 minutes. The final article in the series regarding a new model of reality. A shift is here. We’ve been exploring a new way of seeing reality, and today’s lesson marks a turning point. It’s a bridge between the old perspective and the new one. This article itself is highly emblematic of that…
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The Origin of Self-Awareness: The Mirror Cracks
Read time 3 minutes. The first movement in the valley. The echo begins to stir. The origin of self-awareness. This stand alone article is part of our new model of reality series. We’ve been building a new model of reality—steadily, one insight at a time.This article returns to the beginning.Or rather, the beginning of beginning: the…
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From Clarity to Conflict: The Five Phantoms of Ego
Read time 6 minutes. How distinction gives rise to the phantoms of ego—and the illusion of self is born. This stand alone article is part of our new model of reality series. We’ve already laid the groundwork. Unfiltered Vision introduced the nature of pure perception—non-dual and transparent. In our exploration of distinction, we saw how the unbiased separation…
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More Than Two: Distinction, Duality, and the Illusion of Conflict
Read time 3 minutes. Distinction and division are not the same thing. Duality gives rise to division and, more importantly, opposition. This stand alone article is part of our new model of reality series. Zen teachings often warn of the imperfection of words. These warnings typically point to the limits of language when trying to describe what…
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Stillness and the Path To Transformation: The Butterfly Cause
Read time 2 minutes. In this article we explore the benefits of embracing quietude and stillness. Caterpillars, butterflies and transformation. This metaphor is a bit tired, a bit worn out. It needs, yes, some new life. There is a bridge between the old and the new, the familiar and the unknown. That bridge is not…
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Silliness: The Wisdom And Presence Of Playfulness
Read time 4 minutes. Silliness as presence. Lately I’ve been hearing a car commercial with Elaine Stritch singing “Are You Having Any Fun?” Maybe you’ve heard it too—it’s hard to miss. The song is striking in its playfulness, but also loaded with wisdom: “Are you having any fun… laughs?” Or the sharper question: “Who cares for what you’ve got if…
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Unknowing Into The Peace of No-mind: Who Knows?
Read time 7 minutes. Unknowing is a stand alone article in our series regarding paradox. We have been winding our way through the endless dualities that rise up in Zen thought and practice. Each step reveals how overlapping, how intertwined, these ideas actually are. Such is the case with today’s topic: no-mind. I like to think of…
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Wu Wei: Self-reliance As Radical Liberation
Read time 6 minutes. Wu Wei is a stand alone article in our series regarding paradox. Wu wei is one of Taoism’s most vital and misunderstood concepts. Often translated as non-action or effortless action, it can sound like passivity. But that’s not it. Wu wei is not about avoiding action—it is about action so attuned to Tao that effort disappears.…