Sitting and forgetting by Sima Chengzhen

The root of the substance is the Way itself; but because the mental spirit is subject to influence, its obscurity gradually deepens. After flowing in waves for a long time, eventually, the mind becomes separated from the Way. 


 When you recognize your confusion and work to clear it up, that is called cultivating the Way. When you no longer flow in waves, and you merge with the Way and rest in the Way, this is called returning to the root.


Keeping to the root is calm stabilization. After a long time calmly stabilized, illnesses dissolve and life is restored. It is restored and continued, and you spontaneously attain knowledge of the eternal.

This text, translated by Thomas Cleary, has been preserved for over a thousand years because of the concise explanation of practice. I came across it in one of Cleary's collections of Chinese spiritual teachings, in this case a compilation of many sources over hundreds of years. 


What this means to me is that the Way is harmony. Harmony is a form of entrainment. Entrainment is a universal natural tendency for various vibrations to synchronize. An every day example is applause at the end of a performance. At first, each person claps at a different rate, but after prolonged applause, people tend to clap at the same rate. When people start clapping at the same rate (usually without conscious intention), they are becoming entrained. They applaud with identical frequency. If the frequencies are not identical, the result is called a "beat."


"In acoustics, a beat is an interference between two sounds of slightly different frequencies, perceived as periodic variations in volume whose rate is the difference between the two frequencies." Wikipedia.
If two instruments sound the same note, but there is a throbbing beat that is also heard, then the instruments are not exactly in tune. Musicians use this effect to ensure they are in tune. 


With this knowledge, I infer that when Cleary translates Sima Chengzhen's words as "waves," I substituted "beats." So my understanding is that the Way is complete entrainment, synchronized mind and body. When the mind becomes confused, it starts to lose its entrainment. The evidence is the waves or beats that arise from the original harmony of synchrony. As the beats, or the difference between the Way and the obscured mind, the waves (or beats) become stronger and stronger. Eventually, the obscured mind loses its harmony with the Way completely. Now, only the frequency of the obscured mind is apparent, and the frequency of the Way has itself become obscure. That is why it has been always so hard to trace.


After explaining the process of separation from wholeness, the text prescribes the cure. First, I have to recognize my own confusion. Recognizing that I am badly confused about many beliefs I have never thoroughly investigated, is called cultivating the Way. Cultivating the way is a phrase describing the re-entrainment that naturally occurs after a long time. When I "no longer flow in waves" is when I have reduced the beats, the differences between my obscured mind and the Way, finally eliminating any difference. Then I will attain knowledge of the eternal. 


I like this view because it does not require any supernatural beliefs but instead relies on universal phenomena  that occur everywhere. No doctrine is required; no faith. No extreme practices or hardships need to be endured. Best of all, people who practice patiently in this way can see the results for themselves. If you don't practice you don't know. If you do practice, you do know.


This beautiful image is from http://personaltao.com/services/patterning/, a website worth a look.