Tao Wisdom – Vision

imagination
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Words worth pausing with today.

The person who uses only the vision of his eyes is conditioned purely by what he sees. But it’s the intuition of the spirit that perceives reality. The wise have known for a long time that what we know through our eyes isn’t equal to the intuition of our spirit. Yet most people rely only on what they see, and lose themselves in external things only. Isn’t that sad?*

~ Chuang Tzu

*Forstater, Mark. The Tao: The Living Wisdom Series (Kindle Locations 494-497). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Mark Forstater, in his exploration of the Chuang Tzu’s writings continues:

“Our culture isn’t comfortable with deep subjective experience, in which artistic, religious and mystical feelings are found. We’re often wary of exploring this interior life, because we’re afraid of what may be lurking there: fears and insecurities, repressed feelings of sexuality or anger. This is because the subjective life is home to the unconscious, that powerful, dark and hidden side of our mind, which is also the source of our creativity.

Often scientists and others who are more comfortable with objective knowledge forget that creativity not only generates artistic and mystical feelings but also includes their own scientific creativity, as the career of Albert Einstein makes very clear. Einstein’s important discoveries were all made first in his mind, through subjective unconscious reflection. Only later did he go to the trouble of testing them ‘objectively’. We have lived in a materialistic, scientific culture for so long that objective knowledge is king, and the subjective is denigrated and considered suspect and unreliable.” *

* Forstater, Mark. The Tao: The Living Wisdom Series (Kindle Locations 477-485). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

 

44 responses to “Tao Wisdom – Vision”

  1. so lovely….i’m always about negotiating my subjectivities….lovely image too Val…i am craving some green ~ smiles from a very white etown ~ hedy

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thank you Hedy for your comment and the smile along with it 💕

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Oh I know all about this inner sight, Val. In fact, my post today boldly proclaims that I do. And I don’t give a fig what the skeptics say! LOL This is how I live my life … not by “sight” but by “spirit”. Beautiful post, dear friend. Much Love!! 🌹

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I thought this would resonate with you Amy 💛 thank you for your kind words ❣️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You are so welcome, Val! Thank you for being true to YOU!! ☺️

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks you Louise 💕

      Like

    1. Keep embracing the unknown with an open heart and mind Paul 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Intuition grabs what the conscious mind cannot grasp and clues us in. To encourage it:

    Be Open ~ Remain awake and aware.
    Notice ~ Pay attention. Listen. Observe.
    Trust ~ Accept that sometimes “we just know.”

    Of course, intuition isn’t a horse to be harnessed. Like a cat, our sixth sense arrives on silent paws at its bidding, not ours.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I hadnt heard that cat analogy before. Love it Nancy. Pay attention to those silent paws and stay present 💛

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, Val. I believe it’s an original analogy by me (and my intuition) . . . first shared in this post I wrote in 2015:

        Plugged Into The Source

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  4. So wise! Thanks for this reminder, Val. ❤️

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Glad you enjoyed it Jill 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  5. This is such an insightful read. The more I learn about Einstein, the more fascinating he becomes. He was fascinated by the power of imagination and it’s so cool that that was the foundation of objectivity, not something separate. Great post, Val. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Agreed. He was remarkable in his approach and thinking. Thank you Diana 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  6. “We have lived in a materialistic, scientific culture for so long that objective knowledge is king, and the subjective is denigrated and considered suspect and unreliable” – what a close!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Agreed. It does make one pause and think about what society values. Thanks Dave 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Such a wonderful post, Val 🙂
    I use my subjective knowledge in so much of life as possible. Sometimes I get to know, that I live in another world…..
    Much love ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Irene. I too see myself living in a different planet compared with some others 😉 Let us keep being true to ourselves and our intuition. xo

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Sooo good Val! The eyes of the heart see so much clearer than our physical eyes. I’m so thankful for the intuition of the spirit… ❤

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Lovely comment Julie. Thank you 💛

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  9. so wonderful to sweetly
    be allowed
    more than objectivity
    in our subjective experience, Val :-()

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Tuning into ourselves without judgement or criticism is truly sweet. Thank you David🙏

      Like

  10. Val,
    Such a good reminder to spiritual seekers that many others are not inclined or interested in seeing through the spirit. Thank you.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you for sharing this perspective. It’s an important one to remember 🙏

      Like

  11. awesome post. agree!!
    I love Einstein with his many thoughts on creativity/imagination. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you Debi. Einstein still surprise me too ❣️

      Liked by 1 person

  12. That last sentence seems to be sadly true. It causes one to think first before sharing one’s insights with another. Somewhere along the line, spiritual insight took a back seat. I trust intuition, it always steers me well.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Good point Eliza. Keep checking inwards … and finding others to share with . 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  13. We have everything within, why do we keep searching everywhere but there? Great post Val 💚

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thats the question Karen! We are conditioned to look elsewhere to satisfy our wants and needs. So easy to forget sometimes that we have it all. Thank you 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Lovely post. 🙂
    Your words are inspiring and positive.
    Thanks Val. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your lovely comment 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I have always trusted my intuition above what my eyes see. That sounds like an interesting book. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Keep trusting your intuition Marlene. The book is full of wisdom from the Tao and some interesting insights for modern times. Have a good week. 💛

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Yes, indeed. It’s stultifying and soul-shrivelling to keep that dark well of creativity at bay. Or so I imagine, as I’ve never managed it. Life is challenging enough without killing the artist within! Aloha Val – great post. ❤

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Love your comment Bela❣️ May we continue to fight against the stultifying soul shriveling darkness!

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Thanks for sharing, was sooo valuable

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Nishtha 🙏

      Like

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