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We have seen how many pre-Stone Age residuals still exist. Hence our pre-Stone Age roles are still alive and well, appropriate or not. We, males, have been culturally selected to be protectors, providers, and transmitters. The law enforcement agencies have taken over the role of protector; women have entered the work force, providing for themselves, and teachers have taken over cultural transmission. Hence the modern male has this sense of loss because he is no longer needed for his traditional roles.
While the Confucian tendency would be to Ôreturn to traditional family valuesÕ, the Taoist tendency would be to create new roles for the male dependent upon modern needs. The Taoists are always recreating themselves, while Confucians attempt to preserve tradition. Both tendencies have their place. But it is not the modern woman who is emasculating the male, although feminists are often blamed, it is merely that the needs of modern times have changed to the extent that the traditional male roles are no longer needed. Time to die and be reborn. Sorry about that, guys.
It would be instructive to look a little deeper at this Taoist/Confucian polarity. Confucians tend to justify gender role differentiation on the basis that it is the Ônatural order of thingsÕ. Women naturally take care of the children while men naturally are the hunters and providers. For women to provide or for men to raise children is unnatural, they would argue. They might even point to our cultural genetics as a justification of this stance.
The Taoists, on the other hand, believe in reversing the natural order – contrary to popular thinking. As mentioned above they believe that conditioning should be battled, not succumbed to. In this context the Taoist might argue that humans are constantly going through cultural evolution. Just because something was programmed in early in our heritage doesnÕt mean that it is an effective strategy now. We have all these obsolete programs running around our heads motivating our behavior in ways that are counterproductive to our survival now but which were effective at an earlier time in our development. Just because gender role differentiation was an effective Stone Age strategy doesnÕt justify the strategy now. Just because the man was traditionally the provider while the woman was the nourisher doesnÕt mean that this is an effective strategy now. Hence the Taoist techniques of meditation and exercise are designed to allow humans to transcend their genetic programming rather than fulfilling it. The idea is to raise consciousness to the level that one can consciously choose to follow or ignore this archaic programming. We are like computers with lots of obsolete programming attached, which we need to be aware of so that it wonÕt inadvertently foul the workings of our individual destinies.
Now while the Taoists want to transcend internal programming, they want to fulfill destiny by manifesting our original selves, unobscured by cultural and even genetic conditioning. This is the level of Taoism, which focuses on fulfilling our original Nature. This has nothing, I repeat, this has nothing to do with following our ÔnaturalÕ cultural and genetic conditioning and has everything to do with finding our own unique path and then proceeding down it to the end to fulfill our unique individual destiny.
How are we to fulfill our own destiny and deny our fate? We define destiny as the manifestation, over a lifetime, of the original yang essence unpolluted by conditioning. We define fate as that which happens when we follow our ÔnaturalÕ conditioning. The difference between the two is only a hairsbreadth, but while the original angle is small, the manifestation over a lifetime creates a huge chasm by the end.
If the difference is so small at every instant, how are we to distinguish between the path of fate and the path of destiny? It is not through the ÔpowerfulÕ mind. Nor is it through books or exercise. It is not through diet or good advice. It is simply through sung energy, relaxation energy. A contradiction in terms. Maybe, but no. Another one of those hairbreadths differences that is a mile apart in terms of eventual effect. Relaxation energy is based upon being so still and relaxed that the right behavior emerges independent of thought or desire.
Relaxation energy is based upon correct body alignment and is a complex art. One needs to be strong enough to relax properly. One needs to go into immediate training to learn to cultivate relaxation energy. Although most people arenÕt strong enough to relax properly, the training, itself, generates enough friction to lead to the emergence of the yang. Hence while relaxation energy is the secret, the training is the key. The training is constant and ongoing because the battle of conditioning is constant and ongoing.
If the Initiate is empty enough then there is not enough corporeality for the conditioning to have an effect. This is the secret of non-action in the midst of action. The idea is that sung energy, relaxation energy, can be generated in movement or stillness. One does not have to be aware of sung energy in order to use it. Most people with inexhaustible energy are tapping into sung energy. They are manifesting automatically, following the path of least resistance.
These darn words lead to so much distortion that sometimes itÕs better not to say anything at all. Ah what else is worth doing? A tragic endeavor. A Fractalized extension. Take a deep breath and try again.
Triggering our adrenal emergency response system gives extra energy on the short-term level but is exhausting and even debilitating over time because of the accentuation of the energy cycle, which leads to ups and downs. Tapping into our parasympathetic nervous system, designed to operate in harmonic situations, gives us an even-burning inexhaustible energy source. Burnout is inevitable when one manifests from the adrenal system, while burnout is not a phenomenon associated with the parasympathetic system. Hence the cultivation of sung energy, turns off our adrenal response system, and simultaneously turns our harmonic response system. Hence non-action in the midst of action does not mean to go to sleep on the couch. Nor does it mean take more naps in the afternoon, although that might help. WeÕve probably said more than should have been said. WeÕll be back to these topics though.