Tao Practice Glossary of Common Terms
Cultivating Tao - Strengthening our connection with Tao and allowing ourselves to be fertile ground through which Tao can grow.
“Driving our car” – Our “car” is our body, and our soul should be the driver. “Driving our car” is being present in our lives and making conscious and informed decisions that are in accordance with our True Selves.
Heart Sutra- A Buddhist sutra that is over two thousand years old and is studied and chanted in many spiritual and philosophical circles. It helps us to learn the impact of our heart/mind on our collective and personal experiences of reality, and train our heart/mind to align itself with the deepest core of our being. Heart Sutra in Mandarin and Pinyin. Heart Sutra in English. Glossary of Heart Sutra Terms.
Karma - A force generated through our intentions and actions which is governed by the principle of justice. There are many types of karma: good karma, bad karma, work karma, family karma, etc. A key aspect of karma is that it operates on many levels simultaneously: the physical, energetic and spiritual levels.
Patterns - The complete term is “karmic patterns”, which refer to any repetitive actions/thoughts/feelings we have in our lives, good or bad. These patterns develop momentum the longer they continue, and can block us from having new and fresh experiences. Most of all, they prevent us from exercising choice.
Promoting - Simultaneously ridding ourselves of karma and reaching higher levels of awareness with our xin and soul. When we promote, we are able to handle more because we do not get weighted down by things which used to bother us. At the same time, we begin to have new experiences which test the knowledge and clarity we have gained and make us more self-aware.
True Self - The part of ourself that is in perfect harmony with Tao, or the natural working of the universe.
Wu Wei - The Taoist term for natural action, or non-action. It is something which is done without any thought given to it. It is purely spontaneous action. This is actually not a lack of action, but rather action without “ado” or fuss. In the Tao Te Ching, it says “Tao does nothing, yet nothing is left undone”.
Xin - The Chinese term xin represents not only the emotions and attitudes typically associated in the West with the heart, but also the workings of the mind. The xin is the gatekeeper between our spirit and our physical body. The state of our xin determines the degree to which our spirit will guide our actions.
Yuen - The Chinese word which refers to spiritual affinity that occurs between anyone and anything, including: people, places, music, etc. There are different types of yuen as well as different levels of strength of yuen. Yuen often manifests in the material world as dislikes and likes.