My Daoist teacher introduced me to the non-conceptual space that has always been here, regardless of my aims, skills, emotions, or ideas. He didn’t give me any new aims or skills or ideas.
He used the Dao De Jing as a vehicle for transmitting the teaching, but what he was transmitting was not really captured in the words of the text in the way a scholar might look for understanding.
It was a wordless teaching, free of any dogma– although there was a requirement for daily practice to participate in his group, beyond this threshold of showing up, there was no “should” and no “must”.
“Laozi’s teaching isn’t about how we should be, it’s how we actually are.” His students always left his home silent and calm, with a full belly and no desires. No pressure and no spiritual aspirations.
Such fertile ground.