When I first learnt to read, I had my pick of the most amazing and uplifting books that had ever been written. It was like a dream beginning for me. My father was an avid reader of philosophy and spiritual wisdom and I followed suit thanks to the ‘dreamtime’ library. One of my favourite books and one of my earliest memories of inspiration and clear thought was the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. I think the reason why I loved this book so much initially was the beautiful illustrations of China’s landscape in all seasons. This particular version of the book was incredibly in tune with Lao Tzu’s wisdom and the ideas of Taoism in general, due to the breathtaking photography.
It is traditionally thought that the composition of this text was circa the 6th century BC, so its wisdom has been around for a very long time. The ideas are as old as time itself yet surpasses it. For a long time I struggled with the opening words of the book and didn’t get much further because I thought it was mind blowingly perplexing:
“The Tao that can be spoken is not the real Tao.”
However, the fun of this was in fact, at 5 years old, I understood it as, “okay, can’t talk about it, so let’s look at some more of the lovely pictures.” (There was one with a panda that was always my favourite!) Now, all these years later, I know that is exactly what Lao Tzu was trying to convey, we can’t describe it in words so lets understand it by letting go of the thought and absorbing ourselves in the beauty of nature. We can debate about the reality that is in everything and everywhere until we are blue in the face and yet we won’t have described a fraction of it. I think this is where Lao Tzu and Socrates would differ, had they ever met.
Instead of debate, Lao Tzu encourages us to be in solitude and stillness, this alone will bring us the peace and the truth we are seeking. This wisdom, in its pure simplicity, has been passed down from master to student and has been spoken about by every spiritual teacher and writer that has existed since. Why is this such a meaningful and profound message? When you spend some quiet time, just you alone, no-one else, in quiet meditation or contemplation, slowing down that conscious mind chit-chat, that part of you that knows comes to the fore. It has taken me a long time to truly understand the amazing wisdom here, most probably because I never liked spending two minutes on my own let alone half an hour or an hour. Now my best insights come in those times of stillness, it just took me a while to realise the simple wisdom of the Tao Te Ching that was so innate when I was a child.
Day 39 of 50 ideas in 50 days is Thresholds of the Mind by Bill Harris. Neuroplasticity is a favourite subject of mine, the power to mould and shape our minds to install the changes we want. Bill focuses on the power of meditation and says, “whatever the technique, the effect on the brain is substantially the same: synchronisation of the two brain hemispheres – and after much practice, an experience of connection with the rest of the universe, accompanied by profound inner peace and happiness.” So how does it work? Meditation, as well as hypnosis, slows down the brain to give a greater balance of the two hemispheres and as a result, creates a more peaceful state of mind.
Bill has created a meditation system called Holosync that can hold your brain in the theta state after a few minutes. The theta stage is stage 3 in the slowing down of the brain and it requires many years of meditation usually, to experience. Most of our day to day experience is in the beta state (alertness, arousal, anxiety, fight or flight). When we are in relaxation, meditation or pre sleep state, we experience alpha brain patterns. Dreams, memory and deep meditation are when our brain is in the theta state and delta brain waves are dreamless sleep and the collective unconscious.
Bill makes an important point about using Holosync that is significant with personal development in general. He says, “no matter how gung-ho you are, no matter how eager you are to be in great shape, you don’t run a marathon in the first week.” The results come steadily with daily practice and conscientious discipline. This then remoulds the brain and utilises its plasticity.
Another big idea in Bill’s work is the idea that resistance causes suffering. He says, “it isn’t that change is painful; it’s our resistance to the process that creates the pain…end the resistance and the discomfort ends.” This is an idea that has been addressed by many self-help authors, to resist reality is futile and can cause much pain, both physical and mental. The amazing author and teacher of ‘Hypnobirthing,’ Marie Mongan cites this to be one of the main reasons for the experience of pain in childbirth. Fear creates the fight or flight syndrome which sends oxygen and blood to the arms and legs – away from where they should be in the birthing process. This causes extreme tension which then causes the pain. Breathing, relaxation, going with the flow creates an experience as it should be and one that has been experienced by so many women in other parts of the world for thousands of years due to their positive social conditioning.
Bill says, “not resisting what is does not mean that you cannot want to change what is and the difference is one of the attachment to the outcome.” The secret is to have happiness and contentment within oneself and one that is not dependent on external results.
It is traditionally thought that the composition of this text was circa the 6th century BC, so its wisdom has been around for a very long time. The ideas are as old as time itself yet surpasses it. For a long time I struggled with the opening words of the book and didn’t get much further because I thought it was mind blowingly perplexing: