The world of forms

(of my conversations with Zhuang Zhou)

-In this world of forms, which form is eternal? I will surrender at its feet.

-None.

-And where do all forms come from?

-From the no-thing, out of the no-form.

-That means I should devote my life to nothing?

-No, it means you should dedicate your life to everything, to all the forms.

-why?

-Everything comes out of the no-form, which means that the substantial essence of the whole universe is in all the forms. You, the cloud, a tree, what is the difference? Your form! Ha-ha.

-And where are the substantial teachers of life? I want to learn from them, my mind seems blinded by the world of forms.

-You won’t be able to find them.

-Why?

-That which interests you, they cannot teach.

-But I am only looking for truth.

-Exactly! The teachers of life are oblivious of truth, ironically, they have nothing to teach, hence, by knowing no-thing, they flow with all things. On the other hand, the teachers you are looking for have important messages to convey; lost in the duality of the spiritual and the mundane, they find security in deceptive forms.

-Dear Zhuang Zhou, please let me know, where is there a teacher of life?

-I don’t know, but if you look for one, you will find naught. When searching, you will only find he who has taken pride in his experiences and understanding. The humble teachers of life have seen that pride is the most dangerous form of them all; for them, experience is born and dies at the same time.

Personally, I only know one teacher of life and it is reflected in all forms: in the plants, the fishes, the mountains, the sounds, in the void and the infinite.

-What then should I believe?

-You can believe whatever you want! If you believe this or if you consider that, the universal essence remains unaffected. A belief is an imaginary form that springs out of a transient form, the mind. What importance could it really have?

However, if you cling too much to your beliefs, you will be as futile as he who clings to life. Also be careful of words, they are a very treacherous form; the further you delve into them, the further you are from the essence of creation. Only fear and confusion seek freedom through words, listen exclusively to those who have nothing to say.

I once met a man who wanted to escape from his shadow and his footprints: he was overwhelmed by the feeling of being persecuted by those two intruders every time he looked back. The man started walking faster, but they were both still there. He then ran at full speed hoping that sooner or later his shadow and his footprints would become weary, but he was the first to collapse and die.

The same thing happens to those who seek to be liberated from the world of forms by means of words, the more mantras or sacred words they can pronounce, the more they are rigidified with forms; until they finally collapse with all their imaginary ideas. The best is to be clothed by the natural and wordless shade of creation, only then can shadows, footprints, and words cease to exist.

-What about the enlightened teachers?

-Forms confuse the mind; the enlightened ones are the most confused.