The Dao De Jing was written about 2500 years ago, during the Zhou dynasty, by Lao Zi. There are many opinions but little fact is known about Lao Zi. All agree that he worked in the Imperial library. He was responsible for documenting Chinese history. He eventually left the Imperial employ and went west to Hangu Pass. It is believed that he was already immortal.

Lao Zi’s student Yi Xi was his successor. Yi Xi went to the gateway and awaited Lao Zi’s arrival. He waited for seven days. Lao Zi arrived riding on his bull. Yi Xi knelt to him and requested that Lao Zi teach him the knowledge of immortality. Lao Zi agreed to stay and teach. They went to Shang Xi Province to Lou Tai Guan Temple and wrote down about 5000 words – the 81 chapters of the Dao De Jing. Then Yi Xi passed down the writings.

Over the years the meanings for the Chinese characters have evolved. In addition no punctuation was used in the original text, so many translation and interpretation versions have been generated over the years. The characters have changed as well.

The Dao De Jing is the “Bible” of the Taoist religion. There are few translations that have been done from the nourishing life perspective. The translations done from the internal alchemy perspective vary based on the level of the practice of the translator. There are different “key holes” of perspective because the post heaven intelligence is at work when translating. The Dao cannot be understood empirically.

For 500 years after Lao Zi passed down the Dao De Jing and disappeared there were reports of him being seen. Sightings still occur today – like a Red Dragon.

The Dao De Jing unfolds the secret of immortality in the first chapter. In 2500 years fewer than 100 people have broken through the code. It takes either great, great intelligence or to be a super dummy to break through.

De=Virtue. People who break through have great virtue. The whole book speaks of only two things – The Dao or cosmos and Virtue or what life is about. It is a scripture about Dao and Virtue: the cosmos and life. Dao and Virtue are the origin of the cosmos and life. Dao is the path. Follow Lao Zi’s practice and never fail: the law, principle, rule of the cosmos. De is virtue – the application of the rule or principle of the cosmos by a person or living being.

Lao Zi used himself to know the cosmos. The most perfect instrument that we have is the body. Your body is the cosmos. Your spirit body is the Dao. The physical body is the vehicle for the spirit body, a container. Dao plus container –the method to be used with the body is meditation –through a special technique Lao Zi consciously entered the world visionary stage, the stage between yes and no, the border between reality and non-reality, the void, emptiness, no-time, no space, the direct sensing stage. Xiu Dao = Practice Dao – to directly experience and recognize the Dao. Practice of Dao changes the mind and body. The body changes as a side effect of the practice. Practice the Dao of Nourishing Life. Hair loses grey, senses become sharper.

There are normally three methods of research by humans: study of the material world, study of the spiritual world, study of both, all using knowledge, theory and logic. This only scratches the surface. It is limited. It only reflects the surface of reality. To gain direct knowledge you must put mind and soul into research and study to get non-relative perception, non-judgmental awareness. The methodology is written in the Dao De Jing.

The Principle of Polarity is in the Dao De Jing. Human is physical body and spiritual body or life force. Living person has life force, Shen or spirit and Ming or physical body. The container or body gives the Dao a condition to see its effect. Dao is not visible but is active all around us. We see it in the procession of seasons, growth of a seed, birth of a baby.

The human body has living power and intelligence or wisdom. The passion of the Dao is Virtue. We are the power of passion. The Chang or cosmos field and the living physical field are the polarity in which we exist. Attachment to emotion makes the polarity become visible: the seven emotions and 6 desires. Thought vibrates the energy field. We become controlled or affected by our thoughts and emotions. The way to have stillness in the energy field is to reduce thought to a minimum. We must go back to the origin of thought. For example you have to look at the origin of anger in your heart. Take a step back and you own the ocean and the earth, take a step forward and you will not have even an inch.

The Dao is like the ocean, each of us is like a wave. Stillness creates the wave. The harmony, unity of balance is the Dao; non-polarity and balance. Become desire-less, look inward, stay with the spirit and regulate the breath, stay with the conscious mind, drop the eyelids, seal the ear, enter the stage of the visionary – between black and white!