Sulia —
Parable about Revenge

One man insulted another with words…

The other — in response — hit him as hard as he could…

And the man who received the blow fell down and was very badly hurt…

Then the friends of the man who was injured killed the one who struck the blow…

Then all the kinsmen of the one who was killed, brutally put to death all those who took revenge…

In return, the families of all those who decided to retaliate were killed…

Then all the people rose up and for a long time killed their kin in internecine battles…

And who started the feud and who caused it, no one remembers…

… And it all began, let me remind you, like this: one person — with anger — uttered insulting words to another…

… What words we say to others — is up to us!

We must not settle disputes with a sword!

* * *

There are other — gentle — words which can be used to straighten out grievances and make amends!

Let us love, forgive, embrace, and help one another!

Let the words of love — like birds — fly over our common Earth!

And let them begin to sprout in human souls like tender shoots in spring!

(Written down by Anna Zubkova

in March 2022)

VASILYOK: Tale of the Golden Pine

 

Written down by Anna Zubkova, M.A.

Edited and translated from Russian by

Dr.Vladimir Antonov.
Corrector of English translation
Keenan Murphy.

 

 

Our story begins with a seed.
Yes-yes! With a usual pine seed!
Have you ever seen such a seed? It is small, with one transparent golden wing. Many of such seeds ripen in a mother-cone. Many cones grow every year on their mother-pine!
When the seeds are mature, the mother-cone lifts its scales, and then these seeds fly around for new pines to be born and to grow.
… So, one day, the wind blew — and our little seed flew, catching the airflow with its little wing.
“How beautiful and great is the world!” — the seed thought. — “How light and spacious! And I — can fly!”
“No, it is I that can fly,” — said the wind which carried the seed. — “I am carrying you! You have only one wing, so you yourself cannot fly like a bird or a butterfly.”
“Thank you!” — the seed responded. — “I am very grateful to you! I like to fly!”
“But this is not your destiny — to fly. You must sprout; you can become a wonderful pine! Choose a place where you would like to become a pine tree! And when you grow up, I will fly to visit you and play in your branches, so that you do not get bored.”
“Here! I like this high sandy bank of the river! Here, when I grow up, I will see the whole Earth!”
“Well, maybe not the whole Earth! The Earth — it is much more than you can see! But that place is really good,” — the wind agreed.
And, with these words, the wind gently lowered its seed into a small pit on the favored site and, creating a light vortex, sprinkled it with soil.
“Thank you!…” — the seed almost inaudibly whispered goodbye. — “Oh, how tired I am today! Oh, how much I want to sleep!…”
So, the seed slept and nestled by the soil, until a small root and sprout had appeared.
And then our pine was born in the light above the ground.
Have you ever seen newborn pines?
They are not much more than little blades. They have a thin thread-like green stem. And at the top, there are several tiny soft and tender needles sticking up.
Our pine had five of them!
It spread them joyously: “I was born! I am now — a pine!”
… As time went on, our pine grew. It was lucky: it was not washed away by rain, and it received sufficient sunlight, heat, and moisture.
It could feel the flow of life inside of itself: “Wow — I am really growing up!”.
After a few years, the tree could already stand conspicuously on the bank of the river.
As time went on…
Birds began to sing on the branches of the pine. The pine gladly listened to their songs.
The wind often visited it, when flying on this bank of the river.
In winter, the snow wrapped it up. In summer, a pleasant heat warmed its body and juices — to help it grow faster!
Yes, it wanted to become stronger and, even more so, it wanted — to caress with its branches the blue sky with white clouds!
It grew up faster and faster every year, growing new fluffy branches. Soon its trunk became slender and strong, covered with an orange-golden crust.
By the banks of the river, kids often came to play from a nearby village. They would undress and jump into the water and have fun, splashing and swimming…
Sometimes the pine also wanted, like them, to have fun, laugh, run on the sand, and flop into the river… But the pine did not know how to run… So it learned to be happy for others, along with them. And when happy children’s voices and laughter filled the air above the river — the pine was happy too, sending them waves of happy love with each of its needles…
But one day, an event happened that made the pine realize that not all people are the same…
… Some older guys came to the shore. It was cold, and they decided to make a campfire… But they were too lazy to collect dry branches and fallen tree trunks… So, they decided to cut our pine and make a campfire out of it…
“It is quite large and resinous, it will burn bright!” — said one of them.
The pine trembled…
Suddenly a little boy, who often came here to the beach to swim, shielded the pine with his body: “Do not touch it, it is — living, it will feel pain! If you want, I’ll gather dry branches for you! Look how many dry branches are in this forest! And you can go along the beach and collect pieces of driftwood… I can collect it for you, if you want! Just do not hurt this pine!…”
The older boys laughed, and pushed him so that he fell: “Don’t bother us, Vasilyok! Get out! Look at him: a tree will feel pain! You talk like a little girl!”
But the boy named Vasilyok (the pine now knew the name of its little friend) rose from the ground and again shielded the pine: “Do not touch it! It is — alive!”
So much strength and courage was in his words that the older boys retreated.
To not show their defeat, they told Vasilyok to bring them firewood. And they continued to mock him…
Vasilyok, not paying attention to the ridicule, was glad that he was able to save the pine…
… Time ran by unnoticed. The pine grew and became stronger. Vasilyok also grew. He often came to it on the shore. He would sit with his back touching its warm from sunlight trunk, and dream of something good.
Or he would just listen to the silence.
And our pine would melt with happiness at such moments and try not to disturb him.
It would also listen to the transparent silence.
And the silence — would surround both the pine, and Vasilyok, and would cover the sandy beach, and was inside the distant forest…
The water of the river would gurgle softly in the silence, without disturbing it, but decorating it…
The river would carry its water somewhere far, far away — where there was neither the pine, nor Vasilyok… But when they were immersed in the river’s quietness and swam down with the river’s water, it would seem that the distant lands and unknown worlds were here, nearby…
And the soft golden Light of Someone infinitely Great and Good — became visible in the silence…
… As time went on…
Vasilyok now often came to the beach with a girl with golden braids. The girl, too, had grown and become slim and beautiful. The pine now knew that the name of the girl was Olga.
Vasilyok and Olga made dates for themselves near our pine. And the pine saw how big and true love gradually flared within them.
The pine was not jealous. It loved them both and rejoiced together with them over the beautiful miracle of love.
… Everything was good…
But once, on a hot and sultry summer day, Olga bathed in the river. But blue-black storm-clouds began to form in the sky on all sides. Lightning was flashing, and rolls of thunder were getting closer.
The pine worried… It always felt uneasy when flares occurred between the sky and earth, and when thunder shook the area around. But here Olga had decided to go for a swim!…
The pine had never left its seat above the river. But it had seen more than once, how lightning during heavy storms struck into the water, and one time even saw how lightning struck a lone tree on the other side of the river, and how the tree caught fire…
The pine worried and tried to wave its branches in the wind. It was trying to warn Olga: “The thunderstorm is coming, lightning will strike!”
By this time, Vasilyok had already run ashore: “Olga! What are you doing?! The storm is starting! Let’s run home quickly!”
While Olga was dressing on the shore, the rain began to start. And the lightning strikes and thunder were getting closer and closer… There had never before been such a severe thunderstorm in the hundred years of our pine’s life…
The pine suddenly felt that the lightning could now strike those whom it loved so much. It straightened up its branches — and they caught the deadly flame! Vasilyok threw himself on the sand, covering Olga. The crown of the pine blazed up…
“Oh how I would like to be born in human body — to love like these people…” — the pine had time to think, before the flame engulfed it whole…
It plunged into the Light — the Light of that Infinitely Great and Good One…

* * *

        Later Vasilyok and Olga got married. On the spot where our pine was growing, which had saved them from the lightning, they planted a new pine. The new tree was now already green, and it was stretching up to the sun.
In the family of Vasilyok and Olga, a daughter was born.
But that is for another story: the story not about the pine, but about a girl with amber-golden eyes, who was a bit similar to our pine, and a little bit — to Olga, and a little bit — to Vasilyok. And, of course, it is also a story about love.
After all, it is love that unites souls and leads them to the Perfection!

http://spiritual-work-with-children-en.blogspot.com/

The Twelve Parable: Birth of the Immortal Lao Tse

        Lao Tse was sitting in a deep meditation.
The flame of a non-material fire was lighting up  Huang Di and other Immortals gathered near this fire.
Lao Tse said:
“That’s all. The work of My life is finished; the manuscript of the book about Tao and Te is left in good hands. Scribes have already started copying it to guard for centuries.
“I finished everything and am ready for the death of My body. I am fully prepared to leave this world and pass to the life with You among other Immortals in the Abode of Tao.”
Huang Di replied:
“Good! Come with Me into the Depths, I accept You!
“And now dissolve yourself completely, You know how,  in the Great United ‘We’, Which is called Tao.”
… It seemed to Lao Tse that He had left His material body forever.
He became both the Transparent Calm of the Ocean of Tao and the Fire That comes from It.
A former Lao Tse didn’t exist anymore. He became one of the Immortal Te, Who abide in the Oneness with the Power That creates material worlds and controls them.
… It was a total surprise for Lao Tse — to get back into His body. Yet this body was no longer the same. He could easily remove it by dissolving it in the formlessness — or recreate it again anywhere.
The Ocean of Tao moved now together with the body of Lao Tse, as if carrying it on the crest of the Wave; the body of Lao Tse was filled with the United “We”.
Thus Lao Tse should now carry the Great Wisdom and show the Power of Tao and Te to the incarnate people, perceiving everything that happened with them from the Oneness with Tao.

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Eleventh Parable: Lessons of the Achievement of Immortality

        This day Lao Tse made a long way on His donkey along the mountain trails. On steep slopes He often got off and walked. Thus they climbed very high.
Exhausted, they chose a place to stay for the night.
The donkey got his supper — fresh grass.
Lao Tse gathered some dry brushwood and built a small fire. He was looking at that fire…
Huang Di, too, was looking at it…
Memories again displaced the reality of that moment by a not less vivid reality from the past life…

* * *

        Huang Di and His disciples were on the peak of a mountain. A night sky, studded with stars, embraced them from all sides. There was no wind. Silence! Peace!
Yet it was cool.
Huang Di reached out His hand — and a huge fire blazed up! It was remarkably beautiful! Tongues of flame seemed to be dancing some sort of special dance, and sparks flew to the night sky, as fiery threads, from which the fire stars were falling down into the space of the night…
Disciples warmed up… They were looking at the fire, which fascinated them with its beauty!
Huang Di began to speak in the transparent stillness of the night. His soft, deep voice united the listeners, the Speaker, and what was said — in one. The understanding was penetrating into the souls as the words sounded.
“Remember this fire! For you it will be enough to recall its image — and, regardless of the situation, you will be able to feel Me, My presence!
“Just as the endless marquee of the sky over the whole Under-Heavenly World can always remind you about My existence — so this fire can remind you about Me and the Great Infinite Power of Tao, Which, like Tao Itself, is everywhere, under all the manifestations of the material world. It is My Creative Fire.
“Nevertheless, you should accustom yourself to seeing and recognizing diverse Manifestations of Tao in everything on your Path. Tao is the invisible Sustainer of all that exists. People come to the Earth, being born, and go away, leaving their bodies that have fulfilled their purpose — but Tao always exists on the other side of the material world.
“The One Who has cognized Tao can’t be entangled by doubts anymore!
“The Wise Who have cognized Tao can serve people as a reference point. These Wise show — by the examples of Their lives — how it is possible to bring order and peace into the world, where discords and hatred reign. They also show how to maintain and multiply love and purity in the midst of the chaos. The Wise can do this because They remain in the Unity with Tao!
“The Wise Who have cognized Tao can show the Path to others.
“They — by Their work — contribute to the process of the perfection of everything and everyone!
“They merge with the Ocean of Tao and enrich Its Infinity with Themselves.
“They obtain the Great Peace of Tao and may come out from It in order to accomplish great deeds.
“Each thing or event has its meaning. The Wises help to the things to occupy better places and to the actions to happen in their due time.
“Tao is Omnipresent! And the Immortals Who have reached the Unity with Tao are omnipresent too!
“For man it is possible to obtain the Immortality, but it is not granted by My miracles. The non-miraculous at all and hard work has to precede the attainment of the great achievements and abilities!
“The one who moves to the cognition of Tao develops oneself through practicing meditation day after day, year after year. And such a person can, eventually, obtain the state of the Immortal.
“It can be said that the life in a body is the cause of a death. But the one who has died — or, rather, left one’s body — knows that it is not the end, but the beginning of another life — life without a body. And such a life can last for centuries. However, the state, in which it occurs, can vary greatly. The soul remains on that level of subtlety or coarseness, to which it was accustomed during the life in a body…
“Those who learn to meditate, following the Path to the Subtlest, also cognize life without bodies. Leaving their bodies during meditation, they don’t die but learn about the life of the consciousnesses free from the material. Returning to their bodies after that, they guard the memory of the Heavenly and learn to maintain and develop their relationship with Te and Tao.
“A developed and strong soul can easily leave its body when it wants to, staying only with a small part of itself in the body. In this case, the body can continue walking, sitting, lying and reacting adequately to the things around it.
“If we do so, then nothing bad can happen to the bodies, as some fantastic stories about the Immortals narrate. Such a body can’t be eaten by animals or buried by shepherds or farmers who found it accidentally.”
… Huang Di proposed to His disciples that they begin filling their bodies with His Creative Fire:
“Fill all the chakras and meridians with this Fire. Let your bodies and consciousnesses become this Fire!
“Each of you can fill with this Creative Flame the whole body and its smallest details as well.”
… After some effort, the bodies and cocoons of the disciples became filled with the Divine Fire.
And a little deeper than this Great Flame, they perceived — as Living, Deepest and Endless Transparent Calm — the Ocean of Tao.
Huang Di helped His disciples to enter It for some time.
Lao Tse heard the words of Huang Di seemingly addressed only to Him:
“While everything superfluous in You hasn’t been burned by this Divine Creative Fire, and while the one who enters and becomes this Fire exists — these are just training meditations.
“But when the one who does this disappears — only the true United Existence of all Te in the Infinity of Tao will remain.”
… Lao Tse submerged himself into the Boundless Peace of Tao and dissolved himself in It.
Huang Di continued:
“We — as souls — can live being immersed in the Flame of Te or in the Transparent Calm of Tao.
“Let’s enter the Transparent Calm all together! Now let’s try to look from there at our bodies, and let’s begin to fill the chakras and meridians with the state of Tao.
“Through this, you can start learning to control your bodies from Tao, replacing gradually that part of the consciousness that you have left there to control them.
“And it’s worth mentioning that against the background of the Transparency of Tao, you will be able to see clearly all the energies of the consciousness that are not identical to the Subtlest yet!”
“How many years will this work take?” — one of the disciples asked.
“About 100 years, not less, and for the lazy — even more. Therefore, not all the spiritual practitioners live until the Immortality of their material bodies,” — Huang Di joked. — “Yet the most important thing is the immortality of the soul, which obtains properties and qualities of Tao and Te.
“Only very big Te can disappear fully in Tao and then manifest Themselves again in the Creation.
“The Transparency of Tao is completely immune to any negative influences! So, learn to be transparent!
“It’s possible, by rotating the energy of the consciousness through the microcosmic orbit, technique that I’ve already taught you, to cast out from the bodies everything that differs from the Transparent Peace of Tao. Then only Tao will be present in the body, replacing it by Itself more and more.
“Remember this moment! Now you are in the state of Te Who exist in the Mergence with Tao! You are ‘tasting’ the Immortality!
“However, in the future, you will have to learn all these gradually by yourselves!
“So, let the deepest Depths be for you now the only perceived world! Listen and feel here: inside the Ocean of Transparent Calm! From this state, you will be able to hear if someone calls you from the Earth for the help! You will be able to appear before the incarnate people as the Souls rising like Light-Fire Mountains from the Ocean of Tao!
“Afterwards, I will teach you how you can transport yourselves together with your bodies.
“Remember, too, that our aim is not to teach people to believe in miracles. Without us, there are enough writers of fairy tales about the immortals who can do whatever they want. This is a dream of many: to be able to fulfill any of their whims and desires.
“But the one who serves Tao never fulfills one’s own desires! For that person only the Desires of Tao and Te are the guide for action!
“The real Taoist won’t try even to save from the death one’s own body if there is not the Will of Tao for this… Such a Taoist will just accept, being in great peace, the death of his or her body and merge — as Soul — with Tao in the universal Abode of all the Perfects.
“Having left forever their worn-out bodies, Te serve Tao and people, showing Their Divine Appearances for the contacts with the embodied seekers of Tao, giving advice and controlling the courses of the destinies.”

* * *

        Lao Tse again found himself sitting near the small fire. His white donkey was eating grass near Him peacefully.
Now for Lao Tse it was already easy to maintain himself in the Great Ocean of the Transparency of Tao for a long time.
Huang Di continued the conversation, as if it was not interrupted by a gap between the incarnations of Lao Tse:
“Let’s continue the lesson that we didn’t finish in Your previous incarnation.
“I’ll tell You a little more about such Unity with Tao which is called the achievement of Immortality.
“At the beginning, the soul archives the Great Oneness with Tao. Leaving on the Earth its material body for the time of meditation or forever, the spiritual warrior merges easily into the Boundless Ocean of Tao.
“But, as I’ve said already, it’s also possible to make the body immortal. This requires new efforts and a long life of the soul in the Unity with Tao. A human body can become then like a wonderful vessel, which is always filled with Tao and carries Tao in itself!
“This is the Property that is really worth obtaining!
“A usual human body is fragile and subject to all possible influences; it can be easily damaged; it gets old and dies.
“However, You can create an immortal body, filled with the Immortality of Tao. Such a body carries Tao in itself, and Tao easily projects Its Power through it. This body is not subject to aging and diseases; it can be easily dissolved and recreated again.
“Yes, it is possible to live in such a deep Mergence with Tao and still have a material body.
“Living so, you can easily explore the mechanism of the creation of any forms from the formless*, and, conversely, the mechanism of their dissolution in the formless. Then You can participate — with the Power of Tao — in these processes.”

---

*   That is, protoprakriti — the cosmic building material from which the matter (prakriti) is formed. (You can find more details in the book Ecopsychology by Dr. Vladimir Antonov).

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Tenth Parable: About Pride, Humility, and Ability to Dissolve Oneself and Merge with Tao

        Lao Tse kept travelling.
Now He often stayed in the villages or towns to which Huang Di pointed. His fame of a healer and wise man grew and spread…
Huang Di taught His Disciple:
“Don’t reveal the great secrets to the unworthy!
“Besides, You shouldn’t rejoice too much because of the glory that surrounds Your abilities now! Don’t forget that You’ve learnt all that You can do now through the communication with Me, thanks to Me!
“Only great humility and great love allow obtaining the Great Power, Which is the same as the Power of Tao!
“A disciple should never lose the impeccable humility! This is the key to the great victory over oneself; this is the basis of the correct achievements in the transformation of the soul!
“You can’t be half agreeing with Tao: this will cause a dangerous breakdown.
“If one starts presenting one’s will as the Will of Tao, that person stands on the path that leads to the downfall, which will absorb silently all previous achievements of a soul.
“Only complete humility before the Supreme Will is the cure for this deadly disease — pride.
“The proud and selfish are ‘heavy’: they drown in their own vices, which entangle them with their ‘weight’. So they lose a major battle of life!
“On the contrary, the humble and selfless are ‘light’. Thanks to this, nothing in their lives can be a serious obstacle for them! They can quickly achieve the transparency of the body and subtlety of the soul.
“Sadness and anger are companions of pride.
“Peace and joy are companions of the perfect humility.
“In the state of the great peace, accept the inevitable!
“Everything in the world of matter is under control of the One Who lives in the Mergence with Tao.
“This Person has no desires different from the Will of Tao or opinions different from the opinions of the Great Te.
“There are many people who only heard about wise and helpful things, but never made of them the foundation of their lives. In spite of this, they consider themselves as men of knowledge and are proud, thinking that they have no equals… See how ridiculous their pride is in the Light of the Truth!
“Proud people with the vicious minds tend to see defects of others and condemn everything around. Yet they don’t notice their own imperfections!
“On the contrary, truly intelligent people, seeing defects of others, will eliminate the same bad qualities in themselves, as if they were looking in the mirror placed before them by Tao.
“It’s possible to help others only if they strive for the self-transformation.
“It makes sense to speak to those who are willing to hear.
“You shouldn’t interfere in the destinies of people who rejected the recommendations of Tao.
“The wise look at all creatures from the position of Tao, that is, with the eyes full of love.
“The wise acts, maintaining the Mergence with Tao inside Its Great Calm.
“The actions of the wise are perfect because they come from Tao. That is why, the reproaches of vicious people don’t affect the wise.
“The wise are immune to hatred and condemnation! Such emotions can’t touch them since they live in Tao!
“Even bodies of the wise can be hurt only if there is the Will of Tao for this.
“To help people to understand is a hard and thankless task, but it serves for the good of Tao.
“Even if only 9 people out of 9000 really hear and understand You, and if only 1 of those 9 can accomplish what he or she heard — even in this case, the benefit will be great! It is so since this 1 will achieve more than 9000 taken together.”

* * *

        Once Huang Di said:
“Now it is the time for You to return to a life of solitude. Go to the mountains…”
“But, Huang Di, so many more people still need my help!”
“Well, do as You wish…”
… Lao Tse directed His donkey to the valley, to that place where the next village was seen in a distance… He began to submerge himself into meditation but noticed that the donkey changed route by itself and started climbing the hill slowly.
Lao Tse asked Huang Di:
“Why don’t You approve My desire to help people? You Yourself recently has advised Me to do so!”
“There are different ways and possibilities of helping people. I am, for example, doing this right now, too. And not only for You. I can help a lot of people at the same time, because I have the Great Power of Tao in Its totality.
“One shouldn’t oppose oneself to Tao even in the smallest things! It is important to learn to feel the Will of Tao always!
“Total submission of the developed human mind to the Will of Tao is one of the points of education.
“If You completely cut off Your ability to think — I will laugh at you since I don’t need fools! But if Your mind puts up resistance to My Will — then I will step aside and wait until You finally start wanting to merge with Me again…”
“Do we need to find the ‘golden mean’?”
“Yes. Only following carefully the ‘golden mean’, You can remain on the Path to Tao! On this background — I teach You to feel every nuance of the Will of Tao and Te!
“Now for You the time has arrived to become fully connected with My Great Power!
“Yet in order to attain the Full Mergence, You should master the ability to dissolve yourself. You should learn to disappear in the boundless Ocean of Tao!
“Just as a drop, falling into the large volume of water, loses its boundaries and becomes the inseparable part of this water, just as a river, flowing into the ocean, loses its current and shores — so the soul should be able to lose completely its individuality and separateness, merging with Tao, so that only one united Love, united Wisdom, and united Power remain!
“You’ve learned to be in the state of dissolution in Me.
“But now You should go deeper — in comparison with Your usual perception of Me!
“I — by Myself — have laid the Path from man’s developed spiritual heart to the Abode of Tao! Having passed it, You will be able to live forever in the Mergence with the Subtlest!
“Feel what I am! All that is not I — is like a dress on My Limitless Universal Body of Consciousness!
“Feel My Universal Greatness and Power!
“The slightest movement of My Arms can change worlds! But when there is no immediate need, I maintain the Great Peace.
“Tao exists in the state of the Great Peace.
“It is only by the Will of Tao that a movement begins from Its Abode — movement that creates a new reality.
“This movement is the Creative Divine Fire of the Great Te. They have Power to create or destroy parts of the universe, as well as to control and direct everything that exists.
“Thus I rule over everything, remaining in the Mergence with the Transparent Calm of the Ocean of Tao, Which lies in the depths, deeper than the Creative Flame.
“Regardless of whether I have a material body or not, I always feel the entire Absolute with Myself.
“My body — when I create it — is like a little finger on one of My numerous Hands. I can act with that ‘finger’, however it doesn’t limit My self-perception to such a small piece of the universe.
“You, too, can gradually expand Your self-perception inside this world and inside the subtlest worlds — embracing with yourself as a soul, consisting of love and peace, increasing volumes of the multidimensional universe.
“At first, you won’t be fully merged with the Divine Power. But gaining more and more experience of life in the Mergence with Tao, You should grow in Love and Wisdom! Through this, You will gradually obtain more and more possibilities to manifest the Great Power of Tao.
“Be One with the Infinite Transparent and Subtlest State of Primordial Tao!
“Don’t cross the boundaries of the Ocean of Tao, even when entering the shell of Your body!”

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Ninth Parable: Pearls of Wisdom are the Seeds that Can Sprout

Lao Tse began explaining to the recovering young man the laws according to which everything in the Under-Heavenly World lives.
He told him:
“Tao is the First Cause of the existence of the Earth and of all creatures that inhabit all worlds — tangible and intangible. All this is created by Tao and develops according to the Will of Tao…
“Yin and yang live in harmony, and their mutual attraction can be called love. This love is the greatest motive force in all that exists.
“Te permeate with Their Light and embrace with Their Love the entire Creation. They maintain order and control all events. Yet They don’t intervene in all of them.
“The destiny of every person is created by him or her through the thoughts and actions of that person. The destiny of every person is the result of the manifestation of his or her free will.
“The Great Te carry out destinies, creating educational situations for incarnate people.
“The first direct contact with the Immortal Te, the first immersions into Their Love and Bliss overwhelm the soul by the great miracle of Touching the Divine!
“But after this, a seeker can move to the Perfection only through a long series of one’s own efforts.
“It’s not possible to reach that place where The Great Te come from by the common roads! The real Path is hidden from the eyes of fussy people and inaccessible for those with impure thoughts.
“And only the one who is full of love, unshakable during the difficulties, moderate in desires — has a chance to walk this Path fast!
“The Heavenly, Which is hidden from the ordinary eyes, is not a half of the world, but much more!
“Tao manifests Its Will in everything that exists. But only those people who dedicate their lives to the cognition of this — are capable of cognition of Tao.
“This process should be started with the comprehension of the difference between good and evil — as Tao understands them. Such comprehension will become the guidance in life and allow avoiding many mistakes and losses.
“The Path to Tao can’t be found through searching in the material world.
“And it is very important on what you will spend your life.
“Have you ever thought about what will happen to you when your life in this body comes to the end?”
“Yes, when I was sick, I thought about this. When I almost died, it seemed to me that I had glanced at the worlds where the souls live without bodies, where our ancestors live… I realized how important it is to find the meaning of life in order not to waste the years of our lives on the Earth on idle concerns or amusements.”
… When the young man fully recovered, Lao Tse taught him special techniques that allowed developing the energy of consciousness.
He said:
“A human body has seven main chakras-cavities. They are like vessels, in which vital energies are accumulated and then directed to the different parts of the body.
“These cavities, as well as channels, through which energy flows, should be clean and bright. In this case, a human body will be healthy.
“Learn to move yourself as soul between these seven main cavities. And look with the soul from each one of them like out of windows — both forward and backward.”
… When the young man mastered this, Lao Tse showed him the next exercises:
“The energies inside and outside of our bodies can be perceived like air-light. If you inhale and exhale this air-light through your arms, legs, trunk, and head — you can make everything inside your body pure and filled with the radiant light. Then both the soul and the body will obtain purity and strength.
“The inner purity changes a person and gives him or her health and longevity, among other things.”
… The young man was an able disciple and learned quickly how to control of the movement of the consciousness. From that moment, he could easily direct the flows of consciousness — like streams and rivers of light — and make them pass through his body.
Then Lao Tse explained to him new methods:
“Have you ever observed the apparent motion of the Sun around the Earth? This is an illusion. But it can, by analogy, help you to learn to rotate your energy through the orbit around and then inside the body, filling it with light.
“Place your body properly and let the glowing light rise behind your body and fall in front of it.
“Do this until the whole space around and within your body becomes filled with the light and starts emitting the light.”
… Then Lao Tse taught His first disciple the most important: to expand as the spiritual heart, building inside it a huge Heavenly Palace — in order to be able to invite Huang Di and other Te into it.

* * *

        Many people from the surrounding villages got to know about the wise man and came to listen to the conversations of Lao Tse and to learn from Him the miraculous methods of healing bodies and souls.
He often asked questions to His audience — and people began to think before getting a ready answer. For example, He asked:
“Why do we consider some events as evil, others — as good, and to some of them we remain indifferent?”
“Have you thought about what should motivate people to behave in a good way?”
“Everyone has heard that man doesn’t need only food for the body, but also the nutrition for the soul. What kind of food feeds the soul?”
… At first, Lao Tse always taught to understand the ethical laws of Tao. Then He offered the meditative techniques that helped to master these ethical laws:
“Changes begin from the inner. When one changes the state inside oneself, changes start happening in one’s life and around that person.
“The equilibrium and peace of mind are achieved through submerging the consciousness into the spiritual heart.
“The usefulness of the inner calm is great! When it’s achieved, no anxiety from the material world can shake the inner peace of a seeker! No noise, discords, or talks can perturb the silence attained inside!
“Those who are capable of learning transmute calm — into power, misfortunes — into lessons, fortunes — into the mastered steps of development on the Path.
“Joyful harmony and bright serenity are obtained by those who accumulate virtues, and not earthly gold.
“Happiness is a property of the soul dwelling in its abode — the spiritual heart, where only love can be born!
“Grief can’t penetrate into the spiritual heart since that place is already occupied by love!
“If one has chosen for oneself the way of love and mastered it — that person withstands any difficult situation, without loosing the Essence. This Essence can be perceived only in the purity of the spiritual heart!
“Those who know about the true meaning of life won’t engage in the meaningless and useless. Such people consider as useful only those things that bring good, as it is understood by Tao and Te!”
… Soon the small shack on the outskirts of the village turned into a place where people gathered, coming from distant and from nearby lands and looking for the answers to their questions, as well as for the healing of souls and bodies.
The old parents of the healed young man now took care of the guests who came to Lao Tse. Their lives became filled with joyful labor, and their old age was lit up with love and gratitude of many people, as well as of Tao and Te…

* * *

        But the time arrived for the lessons of Lao Tse to come to an end, and He had to leave His transformed disciple.
The young man learned to perceive the Great Te and listen to Their advice!
And he began — as he could — to do what Lao Tse did, helping people.
Yet he was really sad, seeing his Master off:
“I still know very little and can’t do many things! How then can I help others?”
But Lao Tse said:
“You’ve learned everything that you need now. In due time, you will get to know all that I know and, perhaps, even more. After all, now you know the way to learn all this. You can do this most successfully through helping others. All secret knowledge will be revealed to you by the Great Te when you are ready to understand it correctly and use it properly!
“Don’t deviate from the Truth in your life: follow the principles of good and justice — and Tao will guard your peace! And your actions will be guided by wise Te!”
“Huang Di used to tell me this:
‘We should learn to feel Oneness with everything, trying to see situations through the eyes of Tao and Te.
‘Then, in particular, You will feel everyone You meet as clearly as You feel yourself. You will see their thoughts and understand their desires and abilities.
‘Moreover, You’ll know the attitude of Tao towards this person and see what good You can do for him or her.
‘It will be clear for You if You should help this concrete human being in his or her good intentions — or simply allow that person to do foolish acts and let that one create one’s own destiny.
‘This is how people’s destinies are formed. Destiny “follows behind” the thoughts and actions of each one.
‘There are no accidental significant encounters in life! Through these encounters, the Will of Tao comes to people.’”
… And Lao Tse continued His way on His donkey.

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Eighth Parable: Huang Di’s Lessons of Healing

This time Huang Di stopped Lao Tse on the way to a village. He pointed to the poor and rickety old shack on the outskirts of a settlement and said:
“Today we will spend the night here.”
“Why? We’ve always shunned villages, keeping the solitude, since the calm life with Tao shouldn’t be perturbed with the vainly of a worldly life!”
“That which was good for a certain period of time not necessarily will be good always! It is wrong to be too attached to certain rules — either in a meditation or in Your daily life!
“Ask the owner to let You stay overnight in this house — and you will know the reason why You and I came here. It is time to change something in Your life: now You can start learning to help people.”
Lao Tse knocked on the door, but there was no  response. Only after a long period of silence, He heard shuffling footsteps, and a haggard old man opened the door.
Lao Tse came in and saw a woman — evidently the wife of that old man — sitting at the bedside of a sick young man.
Lao Tse guessed that this young man was their son and that he was seriously ill.
The old man said:
“He is our only hope and support in our old age… But now he is dying! We prayed to all gods, whom we know; we evoked the spirits of our ancestors; we gave all our savings to the healers, but no one could help…
“Could it be that Heaven finally heard our prayers — and You came to save him?”
… Lao Tse did not expect such a reception and such a course of events…
He called Huang Di for help and got His answer:
“Give him My drink, and immerse yourself in meditation: I’ll teach You how to heal this young man…”
Lao Tse took from His bag a vessel with a potion made of mountain herbs, which Huang Di taught him how to prepare, gave it to the parents and told them to give some of it to the young man from time to time.
The old thanked the guest as if the miracle already had happened!
“What can we do for You, holy traveler?”
“Now I will ask Huang Di to help Me with the healing. If you take care of my donkey, that will be enough…”
And Lao Tse dived into the meditation of Mergence with Huang Di…
Yet instead of direct instructions on how to cure the sick man, Lao Tse again saw the pictures from His past… And the material world disappeared completely from His perception…

* * *

        They were again present during the lesson in the room for conversations.
“Why Lu isn’t with us today?” — Huang Di asked.
“His wife fell ill, and he stayed with her,” — one of the disciples replied.
“But if he’d come here, You would have helped him to learn how to heal her. What will happen to her now?” — another asked.
“Will You help his wife, Huang Di?” — a third disciple said.
“I will, but not right now… All events — troubles and joys — don’t come in one’s life by chance, but in accordance with the Will of Tao and by means of Te! They can teach a lot of things to the one who is willing to learn.
“Until man learns lessons from all these situations, it will be very difficult to help him or her…
“Lu knew a lot about the Supreme, and it was his right to make this choice. The consequences of this choice will form his future destiny.
“As long as one person is attached to another rather than to the Infinite Tao, this person should stay among the worldly, in the circle of births and deaths…
“On the other hand, to find the real Immortality, tenderness, care, and the help to other beings — one should obtain another Base: Divine Primordial Tao.
“If now any of you manages to convince Lu that his love for Tao should be stronger than his love for his wife, and even if he follows this advice and leaves the worldly because of the external indication, but not because of the internal choice of the soul, then the similar situations will repeat again and again in his life.
“It is wrong to pull people to Tao! Each flower blooms in its own time! And the fruits also appear when they should!
“Tao patiently waits for the time when each soul blooms!
“… And now we can practice our healing abilities.”
Huang Di pointed with His Arm of Consciousness to a shepherd that fell from the mountain and injured his legs severely.
“Let’s visit this place all together!” — Huang Di said.
And in a moment — by Huang Di’s Power — they were carried to the place in the mountains where the body of the shepherd was.
Huang Di approached the moaning man and passed His hand over him. The shepherd became quiet…
“Is he dead?” — one of the disciples asked.
“Not at all! Look closely: he has simply fainted. The soul left the body for some time, but this is not death. He won’t feel any pain now.
“Look at his body with the consciousnesses and find the places of fractures and other injuries.”
… Huang Di observed how His disciples joined the broken bones…
When it was done, He said:
“Observe now that a body has numerous energy channels, through which vital energy flows. Connect these channels in the sites of injuries,  using your arms of the souls in the sites of injuries. Repair so that the energies can flow freely in all channels.”
… Huang Di kept explaining while His disciples were working, and half an hour later, the shepherd stood on his feet!
He started looking anxiously for his flock and became slightly scared after seeing the strangers. But when one of the disciples pointed to the herd of goats, he calmed down, thanked with a bow and went away…
“Huang Di, why have You made it so that he couldn’t remember the miracle of healing?”
“It wouldn’t have helped him. He wouldn’t have become better due to this, since his mind isn’t capable of understanding how he was healed.
“This lesson was useful for you rather than for him.
“You saw the possibilities of using the Power of Te during the healing.
“At the same time, you should remember that it can’t be done without the consent of Tao!”
… They came back to the room for conversations in the same miraculous way.

* * *

        Here they met Lu, who was waiting for them…
Feeling himself guilty and sad, he fell at the feet of Huang Di.
“Huang Di, help me! My wife is very ill, no remedies could help her! Save her if possible!”
“Get up, Lu! You are still my disciple, so behave with dignity, please!”
Lu, wiping his eyes, stood up and made an effort to calm down his emotions. Finally, he managed to do so and, being in the deep inner silence, bowed before Huang Di.
“That’s better…
“Love for individual creatures is truly beautiful, Lu.
“But it should be developed into the Divine infinite Love, devoid of human attachments and conventionalities!
“This kind of Love knows no barriers! Its possibilities are enormous!
“Besides, as you’ve heard many times, the death of the body doesn’t mean that someone parts from you or that someone’s life ends. Now you can really understand this…”
“Yes, Huang Di! While I was waiting for You here, I understood a lot…”
“Yes, you’ve learned a lot, and it is — good! But you missed the lesson of healing, Lu, and we all have to repeat it for you again.”
Huang Di addressed all His disciples:
“Look, we don’t need to be close to the body of a patient to heal that person… We can just — being merged with the Light-Power of The Great Te — bring, from below, the Arm of Consciousness close to the body of that person…
“Look, here is the wife of Lu…
“Act attentively! Now we can cast out all the energies affected by the disease from her body and replace them with Light.
“There is the Will of Tao for this…”

* * *

        At this point, Lao Tse realized that now He was again in the room with the sick young man…
“Now do the same by yourself” — He heard the approving voice of Huang Di. — “When I say ‘yourself’, I means that You — as a spiritual heart with gentle arms — should feel the Infinite Divine Power that flows and works through You. Don’t worry: I will help You to understand what to do and how…”
Lao Tse began working.
Half an hour later the young man opened his eyes and uttered his first words.
… After that, his parents started believing in the existence of miracles; they were not capable of something more yet. But love-reverence for Tao and gratitude to Huang Di and Lao Tse — from that moment on — always filled and lit up their lives.
… The next morning, Lao Tse wanted to leave the house where He healed a person for the first time, but Huang Di stopped Him:
“Through you, Te prolonged life of this young man in his body. Now You should teach him something I taught You. This is especially important for him! If not, he will become a debtor of Tao and Te.”
… Thus Lao Tse found His first disciple.

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Seventh Parable: Trials Will not Cease until the Very End of the Path

Time passed by. Daily meditations became a usual work for Lao Tse.
Nevertheless, at some point He noticed that His ceaseless efforts did not bring Him the same joy and satisfaction…
On top of that, the weather had changed: the rain had been falling for several days already…
Even the donkey did not like the gusty wind with the rain and the clay, which became slippery under its hooves.
The cold penetrated the body of Lao Tse wearing wet clothes, and the nights spent under the open sky did not give Him any rest.
It was harder and harder to meditate, although He tried His best.
Lao Tse could not understand what Huang Di wanted from Him. And when He asked Huang Di about this situation — the silence was the only answer…
Lao Tse tried to overcome fatigue, but…
Finally, Huang Di said:
“So, are You tired of all this? Do You want to go back to your old life and forget about the Path to Tao?”
“No! Of course, no! But why is everything so bad?…”
“The fatigue or the diseases of the body hinder the spiritual work. It’s necessary to maintain the body’s energies in good conditions.
“Find a house and take a rest! After that, We will discuss all Your problems.”
… Suddenly, the weary travelers saw an old abandoned house.
Lao Tse came in and looked around. It was dry and quiet. The dampness and the wind did not enter here; only the steady sound of rain was heard through the walls, which were damaged in some places.
A large pile of fresh hay was in the corner. Anyhow, Lao Tse got a warm bed, and the donkey — a good supper under the roof…
“Thank You, Huang Di!”
“I accept Your gratitude. And answering Your question, I will say that it was just a little test.”
“But I thought all tests were over a long time ago since I am totally with You!”
“Testing doesn’t cease until the very end of the Path. A possibility to fall, to abandon further efforts or to make a wrong choice is also a part of God’s ‘hardening’, which the soul must pass in order to achieve the Divine Perfection!
“Well, now take a rest!”
… The donkey began eating its supper.
Lao Tse also ate some rice flatbread that He had with Him and fell asleep.
He dreamed about the space of the Blissful Light, in Which He was soaring like a bird and resting as a soul. Meantime, His body also restored its strengths…

* * *

Closer to the morning, Lao Tse saw himself among His friends during one of the lessons of Huang Di.
They met again in the room for conversations.
Huang Di said to His disciples:
“Today we will talk about some important aspects and conditions of mastering the stages of the Path. It will be useful both for you and for your future students.
“Routine and monotony of spiritual exercises and of efforts directed to the service can hide Me from a seeker. This is similar to the situation when gray thick clouds hide the light of the sun for a very long time…
“But even in such situations one should never forget that all spiritual efforts can produce the correct results only if they are made by the soul that persistently transforms itself into Love!
“I don’t come to those who don’t love Me!
“And that one who forgets about love will embrace only… the dead emptiness in the meditations. That person won’t get satisfaction from such a spiritual work and may even consider as wrong the methods and the very formulation of the Purpose and tasks of the spiritual efforts…
“The problem in such cases is rooted in the loss of love for Tao. If one loses this state of love even for a moment, then That Sacredness Which, as it seemed before, was almost in the hands becomes imperceptible.
“’I’ of the soul and the Infinity of Tao can merge in the indissoluble Unity. But the only way to achieve this is love!
“Therefore, one needs to return again and again to the state of love for Tao, especially in difficult situations.
“As the result, the state of Mergence with Tao may become habitual.
“On the way to that state, one should learn not to oppose oneself to the Will of Tao in anything: either in large issues or in small!
“After that, on the next big stage of the perfection, man has to learn to live coming out from the Infinity of Tao. But this, too, can’t be archived immediately.
“Initially, each soul is evolving as an individual soul. This is necessary for its qualitative development and the quantitative growth .
“And only if the soul becomes very large and obtains all Divine qualities — it can completely dissolve itself in My Transparent Calm!
“At the beginning, those who explore Tao come to the Abode of Tao — as guests. The Great Te, on the contrary, come and disappear in Tao, for They return to Their common Home! This means that They have become the Hosts since They have learned how to be in Unity with Tao all the time! They can also come from the Abode of Tao to act in the material world.
“Let Me add that until a human body hasn’t obtained the perfect and total Divine Calm of Tao, it can suffer because of the influence of adverse factors.
“The destruction and the death of a body — by themselves — don’t harm a soul. So don’t be afraid of the death of the body.
“Yet bodies are given to us so that we can grow and develop ourselves in them. That is why, we should make effort to keep them healthy and strong. One should eliminate the fatigue and the illnesses! Don’t surrender to them!
“A material body is necessary for a person to walk the spiritual Path. Therefore, a body should be treated with care, as some sort of dress given to me by Tao for my entire life on the Earth.”

* * *

At that moment Lao Tse woke up. The joy because of the gained understanding overfilled Him!
The sun was shining outside and the water drops were sparkling on the wet leaves.
Lao Tse washed His body under a small waterfall flowing from a mountain ledge.
He perceived himself truly awakened and began to wash himself, like with water, with the streams of the Light of Love coming from the Heavenly Source. Sparkling streams, which gave Bliss, were flowing and flowing through His body and around it…
Lao Tse realized once again that the Great Te are always ready to help abundantly those who seek purification!
The Divine Light of Love pervaded both the body and the soul, and Lao Tse felt the unquenchable desire to give this Light to all living beings, including all the people, who live without knowing about this great Light of all Te! These Te are always ready to help with the healing and the transformation of the bodies and of the souls and to open the great Path of the cognition of Tao!
Lao Tse saw a peach tree in bloom. Its flowers opened themselves to the sunlight and were giving their beauty and fragrance to everyone. Lao Tse felt himself like a similar tree, which just yesterday stood bare and was absorbing with its roots the moisture from the depths, but today bloomed with fragrant flowers!
He used this image as the basis for a new meditation: He stepped into the depths of the Light-Fire, already known by Him, dissolved himself in It and began to ascend, being this Light-Fire, to His own body and pass through it.
The streams of life-giving Divine Love were flowing inside and were opening in the chakras, like buds full of bliss and purity.
A minute later the energy channels of the body became filled with this radiance. Lao Tse felt like the spring and the fragrance flowed into every corner of His body! Now the Light-Fire ran freely inside all energy channels.
Lao Tse felt himself filled with the Light — and this Light was radiating irrepressibly out of His body!
It seemed incredible, but not the young body of Lao Tse acquired lightness, youthful flexibility, and mobility — and started radiating the Light so that the halo of Love-Bliss covered all the space around!
Huang Di praised His disciple:
“Well done! You’ve demonstrated Your creativity and come really close to mastering the meditation ‘Tree’.
“You can see now how all living beings on the Earth get the life strength from Tao, like growing plants. This meditation should be started from the Sea of Light-Fire or from the Ocean of the Great Calm of Tao. And as You master it, You will feel all beings of the Under-Heavenly World as branches of the great Divine Tree.
“By mastering this meditation, You will be able to restore the work of the internal organs of Your body and make them function harmoniously. You also will be able to heal other people.
“Still You need to remember that energies, which flow inside the bodies of different people, are not equal in the levels of their subtlety, but correspond to the state of the soul that lives in that body.
“If the level of subtlety of these energies inside the body corresponds with the Transparent Calm of Tao, then the matter of that body will change gradually as well.
“When all chakras and main meridians are purified and all three dantyans are developed and refined — You can fill completely even the smallest energy channels of Your body, using that image of a tree. In that case, the Divine Power of Tao will permeate the entire body from inside, saturating its flesh with the Divine state.
“And after a while, the matter of this body will become totally Divine. Such a body then will obtain the immortality, and the owner of this body — all the qualities of Tao: Love, Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence!
“Thus Tao gets the possibility to act through our bodies in the material world in the most effective way.
“However, to achieve this, You still need to work hard.”

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Sixth Parable: Find the Treasure!

One day, riding on His donkey, Lao Tse saw people digging diligently under the ancient walls.
“What are you looking for?” — Lao Tse asked them.
“If you are a sage who can see through all things, then tell us where the treasure is buried here?”
“Is it worth spending so much effort on a treasure hunt? Gold and other jewellery will not make you better or happier! If you dug up the ground and planted some seeds — the land would reward you with the harvest for your hard work. You would be well fed and happy and be able to live in peace. Why do you want to obtain that which you haven’t created?”
“We don’t need your teachings! If you can’t see through the stones, then don’t play wise and go away!” — the treasure seekers became outraged.
… Lao Tse realized that these people did not need His words and went His way.
However, He recalled that once He read about the great Treasure that must be found by a person who seeks Tao.
“Huang Di, tell me about the Treasure mentioned in the ancient tales. They say it has to be found on the Path of cognition of Tao. They also say it is like a spring that lifts the mortal to the cognition of the Immortality.”
“You’ve asked a good question! It’s just the right time for it,” — Huang Di replied.
Lao Tse dismounted from His donkey and wanted to start writing down the words of Huang Di, but Huang Di stopped Him:
“Don’t write about this Treasure now. Just hear Me out.
“The time has come for You to know this. It will also come — when it should — for every seeker of Tao. And then they will hear My words and see the priceless sacred depository of the energy of consciousness that they accumulated during many lives in many bodies…
“Every person, living in the world, begins to collect — incarnation after incarnation — precious particles that make up this Treasure gradually.
“Loving unselfishly and tenderly, souls grow as the spiritual hearts, preparing themselves for the life in paradise. Giving the bliss to others and admiring the beauty — they become subtle, approaching gradually the Abode of Tao. Thus the consciousnesses grow, enriching themselves with the best, the subtlest components.
“And to prevent squandering this real wealth of the soul on worldly affairs only, some of this energy is saved for the future — for the activities on the Path to Tao.
“A lot of people have this Treasure, but only few of them know about it.
“Some people have more of it, others — less…
“If a treasure is buried under a house, but the owner of this house doesn’t know about it — that owner can’t get any benefit from that treasure. In the same way, if a person doesn’t know about the real Treasure, he or she can’t get any benefit from it!
“And there is no point in trying to find this Treasure in order to use it in the material world.
“Only the one who knows the essence of this Treasure and is able to use it for the real spiritual progress can be its owner.
“People don’t need much in the entire material world, but they don’t know about this. They are looking for a lot of things, but of little significance, whereas the great Treasure is near them! This Treasure gives the worthy one the power on the Path. In India, yogis know it as Kundalini.
“But if people who are unworthy because of their negative qualities of the soul try to use this ‘spring’ of the great power of this Treasure to dominate others, then this force will throw them to the foot of the stairs leading to the Heavenly… Their existence will become miserable, and their destinies — sad… They will fritter away their lives and have to begin accumulating this Treasure again…”
“Do I understand right that a person who has found this Treasure can’t return to a usual worldly life?”
“If a good person chooses a worldly life and wants to return to the external — Te will never stop him or her. Everyone is free in one’s choice…
“Nevertheless, it is impossible to take into a material life those values that were intended for the Path to Tao. In that case, they will disappear, become elusive, so to say. This is similar to the situation with gold and pearls, jade and jasper, which can’t be brought into the worlds of Tao and Te! There — different ‘gold’ shines!
“The Treasure lost by a person because of the wrong choice is saved for him or her in the Absolute. And then that person will be able to find it again in the next incarnations.
“When the soul is ready, I give it this Treasure. And all Te are always glad about the successes of everyone on the spiritual Path!”
… Huang Di continued His explanation, directing the attention of Lao Tse to the subtle worlds:
“Look, here is Your Treasure! All Your anterior subtle states of the consciousness — drop by drop — have created this sea of diamond light, stored in a special huge container that extends in the depths of the multidimensionality. Now unite yourself with this Divine part of You!”
In the depths under His body, Lao Tse saw with His vision of the soul a huge reservoir filled with radiance, looking like some diamonds sparkling in the sunlight. He touched this Treasure with the arms of consciousness — and the bliss overfilled His body… He perceived that the diamond radiance was turning into the flow of radiant and transparent Heavenly Bliss and uniting with the embodied part of the soul…
Huang Di recommended:
“Now make a comfortable place where you could lie down and let this Heavenly Bliss pass through all parts of your body. Whenever You connect with the Divine part of yourself, You will be able to use all the power and all the skills of the soul that has been accumulated by You during many lives, during all the time of learning from Me!”
Lao Tse spread a mat and lay down comfortably.
As soon as He placed His arm of consciousness into the container with the Treasure, the flow of Bliss again filled His body up to the top of His head and poured from there… It was as if His body had become a transparent hollow vessel, and the diamond shining stream was flowing through it like a spring river that has broken the ice…
For several days, Lao Tse lived in this Blissful Mergence interrupted only briefly.
Now He could feel himself like the Great Te, becoming a huge consciousness consisting of Light. This consciousness could take the form of a human body and had a face and arms. Thus He could stand above the land, touch and cleanse His material body with the arms of the soul…
It seemed to Him that He achieved the fullness of the Divinity and that nothing would ever shake this state!
It seemed to Him that He cognized everything, that the Perfection was attained and that the Supreme Ultimate was reached!
Huang Di did not “open His eyes” since His Disciple really was in the state similar to that of the Great Te. Yet… Huang Di knew that this state of Lao Tse was only a small separate “drop” of the Great Ocean of the Divine Consciousness — “drop” with name Lao Tse.
To merge himself totally with the Ocean of Tao, Lao Tse still needed to keep working hard.

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html

The Fifth Parable: Huang Di — the Great Emperor of the Under-Heavenly World

The donkey was trotting forward slowly.
Sometimes it stopped to refresh itself with another portion of grass. Then Lao Tse got off and let it graze.
Lao Tse strove to cognize all that Huang Di opened for Him as rapidly as possible.
He often asked Huang Di about His past incarnations, about those lessons of discipleship…
And that day, when they again made a halt, Huang Di allowed Lao Tse to see pictures of that distant past in which Lao Tse was one of the disciples of the incarnate Great Emperor of China.

* * *

… The procession was moving slowly and solemnly. The Emperor Huang Di, sitting still in a ceremonial dress on an eminence, contemplated it. Masses of people were passing by like a river. The solemn procession seemed to be endless.
“An incarnate God has come to people! How can He bear such endless ceremonies? Will I be really admitted to a personal meeting?” — Lao Tse recalled those events as clearly as if they were happening to Him again at that moment.
The ceremony ended. The guards led a few invited people into the inner chambers of the palace of Huang Di.
Only many years of meditative practice allowed Lao Tse to overcome the agitation and enter the room calmly… Several students were already there.
Huang Di tenderly looked at the newcomer. He seemed to be different: not that deity from the festive ceremony. Although the Divine Greatness and Calm were like transparent Ocean around His body, He was also just a wise and kind Man.
Huang Di said:
“I am glad to greet you all here! The fact that you were invited indicates Your substantial progress on the Path of cognition of Tao.
“I hope that they didn’t forget to accommodate you and feed you in the bustle of the festivity?”
… It was quite surprising to observe how His Universal Greatness combined with an understanding of the common human needs of His students.
… Very soon new disciples of Huang Di got accustomed to His corporal appearance and to the living presence of God in a human body. His presence near them was no longer a heavenly miracle that caused stupefaction because of piety… They could ask questions and listen to His answers, and they did not lose their power of speech when the Divine Ruler of the Under-Heavenly World addressed anyone of them personally.
… During teaching, sometimes He invited them to the room for conversations. Other times He carried all of them together with their bodies — by His Power — to other places of China: to the mountains, valleys, or to the ocean shore; and then His lessons took place there.
… Now Lao Tse saw himself among the disciples of Huang Di. They were in the room for conversations and were listening to the words of the Great Master.
Huang Di was sitting next to them like an equal among equals and spoke. It was as if there was no distance between the Immortal Master and His disciples. By this He also helped them to ascend to the heights of His Divine Consciousness.
The Ocean of the Living Light of Huang Di was above and below in relation to our planet… And His Boundlessness spread throughout the whole Under-Heavenly World! Yet He was also in His body — by a Part of Himself. He was sitting with His disciples in one room and explained to them the fundamentals of the Path. The Great Soul, Which permeated all things with Its Living Light, was joined to a human appearance!
As soon as any of the disciples opened the gates to his or her spiritual heart — the Heavenly Palace of that disciple became filled with the Love of Huang Di!
Here He was — the Divine Emperor of the whole Under-Heavenly World and the Emperor of their lives!
His eyes were calm. And when He smiled — His Bliss embraced them all.
“Whenever you lift your eyes to the sky, remember: the Heavens exist around all the Earth and within it. I fill them!
“I embrace everything with My Heart!
“Such is My Omnipresence!
“No matter from where you call Me — I immediately will come at your call!
“I am above everything and under everything!
“I am not unique! There are other Greatest Souls! Yet it is always easier to call that Friend Whom you know well!
“Now you may ask questions — and I’ll answer to you.”
One of the disciples asked:
“Why do almost all people live their lives as if Tao and Te don’t exist?”
“The Appearances of Te are not visible for one with an ordinary sight! Only loving, gentle, refined and great spiritual heart gains the ability to see Them!
        ”A body that carries inside it a little soul is easily overcome by diseases and other afflictions.
“Those who do not feel joy and Light but look only at their problems and sorrows, seeing only darkness, are also unstable in their lives.
“People should study and practice the ways of the purification of souls and bodies! Only then joy will come into their lives!
“The art of living and growing by soul — stable in the subtle and tender love — becomes the great support in life! A person who lives like this — soon will be able to see Immortal Te and rely on Their Guidance on the Path of the cognition of Them and Tao!
“Such people blossom by the souls and obtain for themselves the unshakeable Base of all things — Tao!”
… Huang Di looked at another disciple, and that disciple asked:
“How should we help people? I ask this because only very few of them want to hear a wise advice! And even those who have heard it usually object and don’t do those things that could benefit them!”
“Those who are weak and irresolute, those who haven’t matured on the material roads, and those who seek only self-assertion and are obsessed by the passion for the worldly — should be left to their fates. Don’t try to help them to reach those peaks which are unaffordable for them!
“At first, every person develops slowly. People experience what they wish and need to experience. Through this, they obtain — life after life — a large amount of different experience: sweetness of success, bliss of happiness, bitterness of defeat, sadness of disappointment… And only afterwards, the time comes when nothing attracts them inside the world of the things, nothing can evoke in them a desire to possess something else material.
“Then such people start seeking the meaning of their existence and turn their eyes of the soul to Tao! In that case, Te brings them to the road of knowledge.
“Not all people need the Truth about Tao since not all of them can withstand it right now! A soul has to grow in its personal evolution up to the stage when the passion to cognize Tao rises in it! Yet it’s impossible to teach this!
“You should learn to see and find those who really need the Path.”
… Another student asked:
“As for the worldly riches, I want to know if one should renounce them and if the material wealth is an obstacle on the Path.”
“As long as worldly wealth doesn’t ‘bind’ a soul — it can be useful. But how many of those who, owning gold and silver, palaces and lands, jade and jasper, are free of those material objects?
“On the other hand, a poor man is also not free from the worldly. The poverty fetters one’s personal development even more, since a poor man is constantly concerned about what to eat and where to get money for living. This ‘attachment’ to the worldly causes even more harm to this person than the excessive possession of the worldly things!
“To be truly free from the worldly, a poor man has to acquire it first…
“Moreover, those who never obtained anything important of the worldly things haven’t learned to deal with the worldly property… That is why, there is little hope that they will be able to accumulate the spiritual treasures and use them properly! They, among other things, won’t be able to give the sacred treasures, which they would obtain, — to Tao, Who sent them to the Earth for their education!
“That is why, souls don’t come to the Earth only once. Incarnating many times, they should learn a lot both in the material world and in the worlds of the Divine subtlety.
“Among other things, they should cognize love in all its manifestations. The one who is skillful in the worldly love can become skillful in the ‘heavenly’ love. But the one who is not skillful in the worldly love will not be able to comprehend and manifest the power of the transforming spiritual love!
“For this reason, people first learn to love in small things, where joy alternates with sadness.
“Yet the one who really has cognized and realized in oneself the Divine Love cannot be upset by anything! After all, that person acts according to the Will of Tao!
“… As for those who are not ready yet for the Great Path — they can serve Tao with their deeds. It will make their lives even better now, and their future destinies — excellent! Serving in this way, they plant good seeds in their destinies: the good done now — will produce fruits for them in their future lives on the Earth.
“The destinies of those who serve Tao in every possible way are pure and beautiful!”

[to be continued]

http://parables-of-masters-en.blogspot.com/2012/12/foreword.html