Taoism and Other Eastern Religions
In China, ideas about manifesting emerged in the beliefs of ancient Chinese people who were Taoist. The Tao Te Ching (or Great Book of the Way and Virtue) by Lao Tzu states that nothingness named the beginning of the universe and haveness named all objects. The book reveals that a person makes an individual choice to have nothing and know the great wonder of the Tao or to have objects and know abundance. Another passage says that the sage has nothing, yet lives to help others and in so helping grows richer. The sage gains even more abundance by giving to others.
The date of composition of the Tao Te Ching has been disputed, but many sources list 6 B.C. as likely. Lao Tzu, whose name means “Old Master,” is widely accepted as the author of the book. He was a Taoist sage who served in the Zhou Dynasty court.
Taoism contains the idea of effortless manifesting. Achieving your goal is not as important as the process that unfolds from the inception of an idea to the completion of the desired result. The miracle is that you can draw to you something you deeply desire out of the chaos, obstacles, and confusion that are all around you every day.
Taoism stresses living life from an open and loving heart space. Be attentive. Be positive. Be happy. Observe the Tao at work. Know what goal or desired object you desire to manifest and let that be the result you aim for, but focus on observing how the Tao operates to make it happen. You don't have to be action-oriented and try to figure out how to get that thing you want. You simply allow for the manifestation to arrive in its own perfect time. The process of its coming to you should be the focus rather than achieving the object, according to practitioners of wu-wei, as the art of effortlessly manifesting is known.
He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it. He (who knows it) will keep his mouth shut … blunt his sharp points and unravel the complications. — Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 56:1–3
Tao Emphasis on the Yin
Although the Tao acknowledges the importance of male or yang qualities, it emphasizes the female or yin. Female is the polar opposite of male; yin opposes yang. Each person should, according to Lao Tzu, find a balance between yin and yang. When faced with a problem, instead of responding with a knee-jerk aggressive action (yang), remain calm and find power and peace in the stillness. Then you will know the right course to the solution. Your thoughts often propel your body into action as a response to a problematic situation. Use your thoughts and the working of the Law of Attraction to draw to yourself solutions and opportunities by remaining in a quiet mindful (yin) place. That is the way of the Tao. You are neither advancing nor retreating. You are not buffeted about by emotions. Instead, you are anchored at the center of inner strength and power.
To Polarize or Not
Some teachers of the Law of Attraction talk about polarization, an idea that finds resonance in the Tao Te Ching. They assert that you can choose to live your life with a focus on none other than yourself (independent) or you can choose to live in a way that understands and accepts your interconnectedness with the whole or everything in the universe (interdependent). To choose the latter requires an understanding and acceptance that you are one part of all things that make up the whole and that all you do affects the others. To choose to polarize either way requires a measured thoughtfulness, a decision, and a commitment to live by your choice for your lifetime. Choosing one pole or the other can strengthen your intent and clarify your work with the Law of Attraction. Of course, you can also choose not to choose.
