few individuals have moved
The Yin-Yang symbol is at the heart of the Taoist tradition. It is the magical, mystical alchemical circle that embodies the teachings of Taoist Philosophy. Lao Tzu seems to be the way out for Jews and Hindus. And this is strange that no tradition arose out of Lao Tzu, no religion. Jews have created three great religions, Hindus have created three great religions -- all the six great religions belong to these two peoples. Lao Tzu remained an individual. Yes, a few people followed him; down the centuries, a few individuals have moved into the world of Lao Tzu, but only individuals -- no religion came out of it, because the whole Taoist approach is such that it cannot create fanatics. And unless you can create fanatics, you cannot create a religion. The whole of Lao Tzu's philosophy is such that it gives you such balance, such tranquillity, such serenity, that you cannot become a fanatic -- Hindu, Christian, and Mohammedan. It is impossible. These things happen only to neurotic people. If you can't sleep, enjoy the moon and the stars. If you can't predict who is going to turn up, or when, enjoy the surprise. The first principle of the path is therefore to let go. By letting go one reaches a state of acceptance. Ah, you may say, this might make sense from a people-management point of view. There is, ultimately, no way of attributing, with any certainty, any specific piece of learning to any specific teaching: language learning can take place independently of teaching intentions and it is impossible to tell what has been learnt because of some teaching and what in spite of it. The first principle of the path, the letting go, is the most important. Accept it: you are not in a landscape of the street-plan, like those grids of prosperous streets which stretch above the medieval town in Barcelona. You are much closer to being in the medieval maze below, where there are no right angles, where the population is inhomogeneous, where there are dogs that live on the street and noise at night. It might be a lot more fun, too. The Upanishads say, "Thou art that" and the Upanishads say, "I am Brahma, the ultimate." Someone asked Ramakrishna, "Where is god?" Ramakrishna said, "Don't ask this, ask where he is not?" The Buddha said: If a man who has committed many a misdemeanour does not repent and cleanse his heart of the evil, retribution will come upon his person as sure as the streams run into the ocean which becomes ever deeper and wider. Once a person starts comparison, he cannot stop comparing only with those who are unfortunate. He will also look at those who are richer than him, who are more beautiful than him, who are stronger than him, who are more respectable than him. Then he will be miserable. If you look around, if you are watchful enough, then you are bound to stumble again into something so beautiful and so ridiculous. The very idea of creating the world and creating you all is such a cosmic joke! God must have a sense of humour. Find your answer, but that is possible only when you start with your question.