Baby Boomers Tao guide to alleviating elderly problems
The Tao Te Ching is a sacred text containing eighty one verses that were dictated by a self-realized man, Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu lived approximately five hundred years before the birth of Jesus – the Tao Te Ching is the most widely translated body of text after the Bible and its eighty one verses are believed to be the ultimate commentary on living a harmonious life by observing nature – this seems to be exactly what the doctor prescribed for the Seventy-six million baby boomers.
The 71st verse: Knowing ignorance is strength. Ignoring knowledge is sickness. Only when we are sick of our sickness shall we cease to be sick. The sage is not sick but is sick of sickness; this is the secret of health – a Wayne Dyer translation
Lao Tzu is teaching us that sickness simply implies that there is some imbalance in the mind or body. He is telling us that all sickness, mental and physical, stems from not being in tune with the great Tao (or the great Way) – in simpler terms, something about ‘you’ is not in agreement with the ways of nature. Even the slightest presence of a cough, cold, fever or fatigue indicates that there is surely a mental equivalent of that in the form of bad thinking habits – anger, fear, hatred, jealousy or guilt – a movement away from the pure compassion, love, acceptance and patience of the great Tao.
Taoist sages have rightly concluded that fear, hatred, doubt, impatience, greed or any other “ego-based” thoughts always end up creating some ‘dis-ease’ (hyphenated) in the mind or body. Thus, for optimum health, baby boomers will need to weed out such thoughts and to stay centered in the natural well-being of the great Tao by planting seeds of compassion, mercy, patience, well being and empathy. As a great mystic once said, “Don’t think of illness, think of health. Don’t think of thorns, think of flowers. Don’t think of ugliness, misery, think of beauty and joy”.
Practicing the Tao
Contrary to what baby boomers may think, the truth is that it’s never too late to make healthy changes in our lives. Start with cultivating a “happy mind” by refusing to entertain negative thoughts and feelings. Start to perceive a sneeze, an ache, a slight pain or any other form of minor discomfort as the body’s request to allow it to return to its natural healthy state by taking some time off, relaxing or simply going for a walk. A “happy mind” would naturally trust and follow the body’s messages knowing fully well that a body that’s often heard; never falls sick.
Baby Boomers will benefit from taking a good look at their habits, engagements and pursuits from a Tao perspective – ask yourself if these thoughts, habits or pursuits could be a cause of any mental and physical dis-ease (both now and in the future)? If the answer is yes, then simply make it a point that you will not continue to ignore this – after all ignoring knowledge is sickness and knowing ignorance is strength. We baby boomers simply have to take gradual and steady steps everyday towards weeding out negative and impure thoughts/habits/engagements from our lives and planting in seeds of compassion, sharing, peace and empathy.
When Sathya Sai Baba, a God-realized man in India, received multiple fractures to his hipbone; a disciple asked him how he could remain happy and blissful in such an apparent painful physical state. His reply was:
“People today need to learn to give up body attachments and experience their divinity within. Pain is a natural phenomenon. But suffering is a “choice”. I do not suffer, as I am not (just) the body”.
Psychological Articles as Solutions to Types of Discrimination
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