Meditation varies in form and goal, and most meditative practices purport to obtain and retain a peaceful mind, a mind that is not clouded by mundanes worries and daily anxiety and stress. To achieve this, meditation gives emphasis to both physical dimension and the psychological dimension, the very two dimensions that the complementary forces in Taoism, yinandyang, correspond to. The similarities go deeper. It could be said that meditation provides a good representation of Taoism, from both physical dimension and the psychological dimension.
In Taoism, good health requires a balance in yin and yang, which manifest themselves in po and hun respectively. Po represents the seven organs in the body and the various forms of emotions human experiences, corresponding to the mental aspect of health, whereas hun is yang-oriented and ensures the circulation of qi. It is only with a good balance of these two types of qi that a good health is had. With meditation, the physical aspect usually starts with remaining motionless, which is another way of saying “non-action.” The practice then proceeds into activities in one’s mind, not by monitoring emotions, but rather by observing emotions and playing passive. This psychological non-action instills in mind a powerful strength that is unaffected by the suffering of daily life, which is similar to the idea of “fasting of the mind”, a way of thinking promoted by Taoism that would eliminate misery in life. Non-action of mind, so to speak, gives the mind the power to make peace.
Over the past ten days I have been practicing meditation every morning, starting with breathing, then the sensations of my body, and paying more and more attention to my feelings. The key is to be a passive observer of the psychological activities in one’s mind instead of a controller of it. This has gradually taught me the power to let the negative emotions pass and to stop pondering over them. Also, this has seemingly given me more energy to pay attention to my life that would otherwise be wasted on negativity. The negative energy now would appear inconsequential. I feel I have found a sense of harmony of life as a result of this practice
Theyinandyanggive rise the cosmic breathing that is the Dao, which proffers the matter-energy to all beings. The harmony lies in the balance of this cosmic breathing, and to have this harmony in oneself is to find the way to optimize the energy of a being. To achieve the harmony, non-action is to be practiced, as in the practice of meditation.
In contrast to Confucianism, harmony is achieved on a smaller scale, through family relationships. One finds harmony in a well-ordered family and education of rites and old classics that would cultivate him to learn the way of a junzi. Both religions aim to accomplish harmony, yet the approach varies.
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