Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Notes on Jiang Tai Gong's Six Secret Teachings (Section 5 of Chapter 1)


The observed lessons from the fifth section of chapter one (The Civil Teaching: Cleared Instructions) are:
  • One's comprehension of The Singularity (The Dao) is interrupted when the strategist interacts with topics and objects  about which he/she is  doubtful or when he/she fail to act when it is needed.
  • The understanding of The Singularity (The Dao)  begins when one becomes soft and quiet (within one's own terrain), dignified and respectful (to all), tolerant yet hard.
Comments From The Compass Desk
The section starts with the Emperor Zhou asking Jiang Tai Gong, the sage-strategist for clear instructions on what can he teach his son and the future generations. 
The sage-strategist responded by that The Dao is the absolute principle that underlining the matrix of connectivity and order within the universe. It is the base concept of Daoism. The masses use it as the practical guidance in how to live in harmony with the world.

The 'Dao' literally means 'the path' or 'the way'. It can also mean 'discipline'. The professional view the Dao as the Singularity. (Hint: Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 42).
Most translations of Laozi's book Tao Te Ching, offered the perspective of the Tao that is similar to Buddhism in reference to the preaching of peaceful intent, modesty, minimalism and open-mindedness.
The book also encompasses the duality of yin and yang, where each quality is embedded deeply within the other. Conclusively, there is hardness that is embedded in the soft factor and that there is softness embedded in the hard factor. 

This perspective is also found in the practice of Taijiquan and other Chinese internal martial art systems.


The way (or the path) of a great leader is parallel to that of a warrior, where he senses the way and the flowing with the forces around his terrain. Most people cannot define the Dao, yet they constantly strive towards it.


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