Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Effective Writing Made Simple
by Stephen Lau
A manual on writing skills for anyone who wants to write well!
To learn more, click here.
by Stephen Lau
A manual on writing skills for anyone who wants to write well!
To learn more, click here.
His Books on Writing and ESL
His Brief Biography
Born in Hong Kong, he received his education from University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, the SEMEO Regional Language Center, Singapore, and University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
He is a researcher with books and websites on health and healing, as well as on the art of living well.
His interests also include art and antiques: he paints and collects Chinese antiques.
He now lives in the United States.
Born in Hong Kong, he received his education from University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, the SEMEO Regional Language Center, Singapore, and University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
He is a researcher with books and websites on health and healing, as well as on the art of living well.
His interests also include art and antiques: he paints and collects Chinese antiques.
He now lives in the United States.
His most recently published books
My Myasthenia Gravis
by Stephen Lau
A holistic approach to treating and coping with autoimmune diseases based on the author's own experience and struggle against myasthenia gravis, one of the many autoimmune disease.
Learn how to rebalance and rejuvenate your body to free yourself from toxic steroid medications used to treat symptoms of most autoimmune diseases.
This is the 2nd edition.
For more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
A holistic approach to treating and coping with autoimmune diseases based on the author's own experience and struggle against myasthenia gravis, one of the many autoimmune disease.
Learn how to rebalance and rejuvenate your body to free yourself from toxic steroid medications used to treat symptoms of most autoimmune diseases.
This is the 2nd edition.
For more information, click here.
Congratulations!
You've Got Cancer
by Stephen Lau
A cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. Help your mind help your cancer. Use your mind to turn it into an opportunity for personal growth and development to conquer your cancer.
For more information, click here.
You've Got Cancer
by Stephen Lau
A cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. Help your mind help your cancer. Use your mind to turn it into an opportunity for personal growth and development to conquer your cancer.
For more information, click here.
Vision Self-Healing Self-Help
by Stephen Lau
This 147-page book is about vision holistic healing, which is healing of vision problems through the body and the mind. It includes the basic concepts of Dr. William Bates' method of relaxation and eye exercises. .
To get the paperback, click here; to get the digital copy, click here.
by Stephen Lau
This 147-page book is about vision holistic healing, which is healing of vision problems through the body and the mind. It includes the basic concepts of Dr. William Bates' method of relaxation and eye exercises. .
To get the paperback, click here; to get the digital copy, click here.
The Book of Life and Living
by Stephen Lau
Wisdom in the art of living well is based on the integration of conventional wisdom, spiritual wisdom, and the wisdom of Tao from ancient China. Get your blueprint for holistic living for a healthy body, mind, and spirit.
For more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
Wisdom in the art of living well is based on the integration of conventional wisdom, spiritual wisdom, and the wisdom of Tao from ancient China. Get your blueprint for holistic living for a healthy body, mind, and spirit.
For more information, click here.
TAO: The Way to Biblical Wisdom
by Stephen Lau
A complete translation of Lao Tzu's immortal classic Tao Te Ching with respect to the Holy Bible.
Learn and understand the ancient human wisdom from China in order to attain Biblical wisdom.
For more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
A complete translation of Lao Tzu's immortal classic Tao Te Ching with respect to the Holy Bible.
Learn and understand the ancient human wisdom from China in order to attain Biblical wisdom.
For more information, click here.
The Complete TAO TE CHING in Plain English
by Stephen Lau
This book contains the 81 chapters of the translated text of the ancient Chinese classic on human wisdom, written by the Chinese sage Lao Tzu. It also explains in plain English the essentials of Tao wisdom, which is the wisdom of TAO TE CHING.
For more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
This book contains the 81 chapters of the translated text of the ancient Chinese classic on human wisdom, written by the Chinese sage Lao Tzu. It also explains in plain English the essentials of Tao wisdom, which is the wisdom of TAO TE CHING.
For more information, click here.
His Books on Wisdom
Be A Better And Happier You With Tao Wisdom
by Stephen Lau
A 132-page book based on the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu's immortal classic "Tao Te Ching." Attain true human wisdom to understand what is genuine human goodness in order to know who you really are and not what you "think" you are: that is, you are the happiness.
For more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
A 132-page book based on the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu's immortal classic "Tao Te Ching." Attain true human wisdom to understand what is genuine human goodness in order to know who you really are and not what you "think" you are: that is, you are the happiness.
For more information, click here.
As If Everything Is A Miracle
by Stephen Lau
Rethink your mind, renew your body, reconnect your soul, and realign your being to become who you really are to live your life as if everything is a miracle.
To learn more, click here.
by Stephen Lau
Rethink your mind, renew your body, reconnect your soul, and realign your being to become who you really are to live your life as if everything is a miracle.
To learn more, click here.
NO EGO NO STRESS
by Stephen Lau
The human ego is the underlying source of all stressors in contemporary living.
Learn and understand the ancient human wisdom from China to eliminate all stress in everyday living.
To get your digital download, click here; to get your paperback, click here.
by Stephen Lau
The human ego is the underlying source of all stressors in contemporary living.
Learn and understand the ancient human wisdom from China to eliminate all stress in everyday living.
To get your digital download, click here; to get your paperback, click here.
His Books on Longevity
Your Golden Years
and
Santa Claus
by Stephen Lau
The wisdom in successful aging in your golden years. Overcome your adversity and frailty; cope with health, money, loss, death and bereavement issues. Live a meaningful and purposeful life, using Santa Claus as a role model.
For more information, click here.
and
Santa Claus
by Stephen Lau
The wisdom in successful aging in your golden years. Overcome your adversity and frailty; cope with health, money, loss, death and bereavement issues. Live a meaningful and purposeful life, using Santa Claus as a role model.
For more information, click here.
Younger and Healthier
for
Longer
by Stephen Lau
A handbook for both men and women to embrace the art of living well to stay younger and healthier for longer!
A 233-page book with rich information on every aspect of the body, mind, spirit to mature youthfully instead of getting old gracefully!
Click here for more information.
for
Longer
by Stephen Lau
A handbook for both men and women to embrace the art of living well to stay younger and healthier for longer!
A 233-page book with rich information on every aspect of the body, mind, spirit to mature youthfully instead of getting old gracefully!
Click here for more information.
His Novel
His Paintings
Blog for ESL
Effective Writing Made Simple
Increase Mind Power
Tao Wisdom and Biblical Wisdom
Myasthenia Gravis Disorder
Vision Healing
The Way Through Depression
FREEDOM NO FREEDOM
Effective Writing Made Simple
Increase Mind Power
Tao Wisdom and Biblical Wisdom
Myasthenia Gravis Disorder
Vision Healing
The Way Through Depression
FREEDOM NO FREEDOM
Forever Yin and Yang
by Stephen Lau
A novel about a cock wedding, a wedding with the presence of a cock instead of the groom, about unrequited love, murder, death, and reincarnation.in ancient China
To get more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
A novel about a cock wedding, a wedding with the presence of a cock instead of the groom, about unrequited love, murder, death, and reincarnation.in ancient China
To get more information, click here.
Picasso's "The Three Musicians"
by Stephen Lau
Size: 12' x 18"
Medium: Glass and airbrush paints
This is a three-dimensional presentation of Picasso's famous painting "The Three Musicians." There are 12 layers of glass airbrushed with colors. The light behind the art glass gives it a luminating and translucent visual effect.
by Stephen Lau
Size: 12' x 18"
Medium: Glass and airbrush paints
This is a three-dimensional presentation of Picasso's famous painting "The Three Musicians." There are 12 layers of glass airbrushed with colors. The light behind the art glass gives it a luminating and translucent visual effect.
Fortune
by Stephen Lau
Size: 10"H x 17"W
Medium: glass and airbrush paints
This piece is stacked with layers of 1/4-inch-thick glass in the shape of a pyramid. The Chinese character "fortune" at the back is sprayed with airbrush paints.
by Stephen Lau
Size: 10"H x 17"W
Medium: glass and airbrush paints
This piece is stacked with layers of 1/4-inch-thick glass in the shape of a pyramid. The Chinese character "fortune" at the back is sprayed with airbrush paints.
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Stephen Lau
Life journey is a long and winding road with many detours and side tracks. Its goal is not to find and gratify the self. At the destination, there is no real self.
ONENESS WITH ALL LIFE
Find out how to connect with others to avoid human conflicts and confrontations.
Find out how to connect with others to avoid human conflicts and confrontations.
Attachments are no more than distractions from fear and insecurity. Don't attach to things you don't need, and impress people you don't like.
Age is just a number, but health is a reality.
If you believe, or don't believe, you're right! You'll never be right because there is no "right" or "wrong"-- just your thinking.
Pay attention to what you are thinking: you are not your thoughts, and your thoughts are not you. They are just memories and wishful thinking to create the kind of life you want to create for yourself.
Pay attention to what you are thinking: you are not your thoughts, and your thoughts are not you. They are just memories and wishful thinking to create the kind of life you want to create for yourself.
His Books on Healing.
The Wisdom of Letting Go
by
Stephen Lau
Letting go of all attachments in the material world is the only way to let go of the ego, which is formed by a distorted human mind. This human flaw can be eradicated with the ancient Tao wisdom from China, and complemented with the Biblical wisdom. Learn how to let go to let God.
To download the digital book, click here; to get the paperback, click here.
by
Stephen Lau
Letting go of all attachments in the material world is the only way to let go of the ego, which is formed by a distorted human mind. This human flaw can be eradicated with the ancient Tao wisdom from China, and complemented with the Biblical wisdom. Learn how to let go to let God.
To download the digital book, click here; to get the paperback, click here.
Your life is your personal journey; it is about where you have been, where you are right now, and where you are going. It is uniquely yours; so don't compare it with anyone else's!
This is one-of-a-kind approach to depression, a universal mind disorder in a world of depression.
Unlike the conventional ways of avoiding depression, this new approach uses the ancient TAO wisdom from China to let you fully experience anything and everything in depression to become enlightened..
To get your digital copy, click here; to get your paperback copy, click here.
Unlike the conventional ways of avoiding depression, this new approach uses the ancient TAO wisdom from China to let you fully experience anything and everything in depression to become enlightened..
To get your digital copy, click here; to get your paperback copy, click here.
His Contact
stephencmlau@gmail.com
stephencmlau@gmail.com
His Books on Parenting
Make Your Smart Baby Super Smart
by Stephen Lau
This book is written for parents and grandparents who wish to make their smart babies super smart. This can be achieved through everyday simple games, activities and interactions aimed at increasing brain cells through spatial intelligence, non-verbal communication, emotional development, language skills, kinesthetic enhancement, and music appreciation.
To download the digital book, click here; to get the paperback, click here.
by Stephen Lau
This book is written for parents and grandparents who wish to make their smart babies super smart. This can be achieved through everyday simple games, activities and interactions aimed at increasing brain cells through spatial intelligence, non-verbal communication, emotional development, language skills, kinesthetic enhancement, and music appreciation.
To download the digital book, click here; to get the paperback, click here.
29 Smart Steps to Teach Your Smart Kid to Read
by Stephen Lau
29 steps, 90 games and activities, 50 illustrations to teach children to become proficient readers! Based on the author's own experience of teaching his daughter to read when she was still a baby two!
To get more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
29 steps, 90 games and activities, 50 illustrations to teach children to become proficient readers! Based on the author's own experience of teaching his daughter to read when she was still a baby two!
To get more information, click here.
Effective Writing Made Simple
by Stephen Lau
A manual on writing skills for anyone who wants to write well!
To get the digital copy, click here; to get the paperback, click here..
by Stephen Lau
A manual on writing skills for anyone who wants to write well!
To get the digital copy, click here; to get the paperback, click here..
His Books on Writing and ESL
Everyday American Idioms for ESL Learners
by Stephen Lau
More than 900 American idioms with simple explanation and examples for ESL learners.
To learn more, click here.
by Stephen Lau
More than 900 American idioms with simple explanation and examples for ESL learners.
To learn more, click here.
English Slang and Colloquial Expressions for ESL Learners
by Stephen Lau
Learn hundreds of common colloquial expressions for everyday situations.
For more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
Learn hundreds of common colloquial expressions for everyday situations.
For more information, click here.
English Words and Phrases Frequently Confused and Misused
by Stephen Lau
This book is written for ESL learners who may have problems with English words and phrases that may look similar but are different in meanings. Learn those words and phrased that are frequently confused and misused in writing. Click here to get the book.
by Stephen Lau
This book is written for ESL learners who may have problems with English words and phrases that may look similar but are different in meanings. Learn those words and phrased that are frequently confused and misused in writing. Click here to get the book.
Prepositional Words and Phrases for ESL Learners
by Stephen Lau
This 122-page book has hundreds of common prepositional words and phrases selected for ESL learners with explanations and examples.
To download the digital book, click here; to get the paperback, click here.
by Stephen Lau
This 122-page book has hundreds of common prepositional words and phrases selected for ESL learners with explanations and examples.
To download the digital book, click here; to get the paperback, click here.
Falls by Night
by Stephen Lau
Size: 27" x27"
Medium: Chinese ink on paper
by Stephen Lau
Size: 27" x27"
Medium: Chinese ink on paper
Mountain by Night
by Stephen Lau
Size: 25" x 50"
Medium: Chinese ink & color on paper
by Stephen Lau
Size: 25" x 50"
Medium: Chinese ink & color on paper
His Paintings
Kaleidoscope of Change
by Stephen Lau
Size: 3' x 9'
Medium: oil & collage on canvas
A scroll depicting the history of changes in China through thousands of years.
by Stephen Lau
Size: 3' x 9'
Medium: oil & collage on canvas
A scroll depicting the history of changes in China through thousands of years.
Stephen Lau with his painting Kaleidoscope of Change in 1990
Life is a series of changes. Change what you can, but accept and embrace what you cannot change.
Envy and discontent come from comparing and competing.
Life is a bed of roses but with thorns; just be comfortable with it.
MY WAY! NO WAY!
TAO IS THE WAY!
by
Stephen Lau
TAO IS THE WAY!
by
Stephen Lau
Many are unhappy not because of what they have experienced throughout their life journeys, but because they don't have the human wisdom to perceive and process what they've experienced.
Happiness is a state of mind, due to the the perceptions of the human mind. Change your perceptions to change your so-called realities. Empower your mind with human wisdom -- ancient wisdom from the East and the West, conventional wisdom, and spiritual wisdom -- to think differently to have totally different perspectives of what may have made you happy or unhappy.
To get your digital copy, click here; to get your paperback copy, click here.
Happiness is a state of mind, due to the the perceptions of the human mind. Change your perceptions to change your so-called realities. Empower your mind with human wisdom -- ancient wisdom from the East and the West, conventional wisdom, and spiritual wisdom -- to think differently to have totally different perspectives of what may have made you happy or unhappy.
To get your digital copy, click here; to get your paperback copy, click here.
The TAO of Healing Myasthenia Gravis by Stephen Lau
This book is about how the TAO can heal autoimmune diseases, including myasthenia gravis.
Click here to get your paperback copy, and here to get your digital copy.
This book is about how the TAO can heal autoimmune diseases, including myasthenia gravis.
Click here to get your paperback copy, and here to get your digital copy.
You Just Don't Die!
by
Stephen Lau
This 154-page book is more than just about how to live to a ripe old age; it is about how to live as if everything is a miracle even though you may have many life changes and challenges.
Click here to find out more.
by
Stephen Lau
This 154-page book is more than just about how to live to a ripe old age; it is about how to live as if everything is a miracle even though you may have many life changes and challenges.
Click here to find out more.
His Blogs
Many pray simply because they want their "expectations to be fulfilled." But the TAO wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China shows you where human expectations have come from. Click here to get your copy to find out how to live your everyday life as if you were praying.
On the journey of living longer, you need both a compass and a roadmap.
The compass is your wisdom, which is unlimited, and the roadmap is your knowledge, which is limited.
Click here to get your copy to find out how to harness the TAO on your life journey.
The compass is your wisdom, which is unlimited, and the roadmap is your knowledge, which is limited.
Click here to get your copy to find out how to harness the TAO on your life journey.
The TAO of Living for Life
by Stephen Lau
Know everything you need to know about the TAO, the wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China.
To get more information, click here.
by Stephen Lau
Know everything you need to know about the TAO, the wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China.
To get more information, click here.
His Art Glass
REFLECTIONS
OF
STEPHEN LAU
OF
STEPHEN LAU
This book shows you how to deal with all the problems of aging, and how to thrive in the last days through the Book of Revelation.
For get your copy, click here.
For get your copy, click here.
Click here to find out:
MARITAL BALANCE AND HARMONY.
MARITAL BALANCE AND HARMONY.
Click here to find out:
ACCOUNTABILITY IN MARRIAGE.
ACCOUNTABILITY IN MARRIAGE.
Click here to find out: CAN THE BIBLE HELP YOUR MARRIAGE?
Better spoken and written English for better communication. Click here.
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
NO MORE
Myasthenia Gravis
NO MORE
Myasthenia Gravis
Pick out the incorrect sentences from groups containing both correct and incorrect sentences. You will be given the explanation why they are either correct or incorrect.
Correcting the incorrect helps you avoid sentence errors in your writing.
Click here to get your book.
Correcting the incorrect helps you avoid sentence errors in your writing.
Click here to get your book.
Use TAO wisdom and spiritual wisdom to live in reality with accountability--a life with no depression.
Learn how to write correctly by correcting the incorrect.
Life is about anything and everything. To live as if everything is a miracle, you need the ancient wisdom of the TAO to tell you what life is all about.
His Websites
A Website
Live a life of freedom from stress, a life of reality, and not of fancy and fantasy.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
You have your freedom of choices, but they often come with your bondage to many problems in your life as you grow up, become an adult, and turn into a senior.
WHY CHANGING YOURSELF?
You must "change" yourself to survive and thrive in a constantly changing world.
You must "change" yourself to survive and thrive in a constantly changing world.
Understanding the Meaning of "Your Freedom"
To understand the meaning of "your freedom," you need your wisdom, which is not the same as your knowledge. Knowledge refers to the information you have acquired, while your wisdom means using the information collected to apply to your everyday life and living. So, an individual can be knowledgeable but without being wise.
Then, what is your wisdom? And where does it come from?
Your wisdom is all about opening your thinking mind to find out how it perceives and processes not only all your life experiences but also all the information you have been exposed to through your individual five senses. Your perceptions and processes create the so-called “realities” in your own mind, and they subsequently affect how your mind thinks, giving you your beliefs, your attitudes, and even your self-delusions.
The reality is that you have both a conscious mind and a subconscious mind. All your past information is stored in your subconscious mind, which controls and dominates your conscious mind. In other words, your wisdom is your mental capability to separate the truths from the half-truths, as well as to discern and discover the self-delusions and the self-illusions stored in your subconscious mind. Without that mental capability, you will not fully understand your “freedom”, as well as your choice and obedience to do this and not to do that.
“The reason why man may become the master of his own destiny is because he has the power to influence his own subconscious mind.” Napoleon Hill
So, your wisdom is all about controlling your subconscious mind.
And this is how.
1. Emptiness
Your wisdom begins with having an empty mind, which is clarity of thinking. Your mind cannot think clearly with its many pre-conceived ideas and thoughts. Only an empty mindset can free you from the many shackles of life that might have enslaved you for years, keeping you in bondage even without your knowing it.
An illustration
There was the story of a professor who visited a Zen master to find out more about Zen (an ancient Chinese philosophy).
During the visit, the professor kept on talking while the Zen master was serving him tea. At some point, the Zen master kept on poring tea into the teacup held by the professor even though it was already brimming over.
The moral of the story: If you want to get more information about something, you must have an empty mind first.
So, open your mind to empty it of any pre-conceived thinking.
2. Questioning
Thinking is also a process of self-intuition through asking relevant questions to create self-awareness and self-introspection. It is the natural habit of your thinking mind to solve problems by asking specific questions. Solving problems with specific questions is self-empowering your thinking mind to attain wisdom because it creates your intent to learn, to discover, and then to change for the better.
Knowing the importance of asking questions and the continuation of asking more relevant questions is the way to attaining true human wisdom.
For example, to develop your empty mindset, do your reverse thinking—which is thinking backward by asking questions to find out how and why you might have your current thoughts of thinking with your attitudes and prejudices, as well as with your beliefs and emotions. Your reverse thinking may then show you that your so-called “new realities” are, in fact, distorted and even unreal.
3. Consciousness
Your wisdom has to do with your consciousness, which is acute awareness of your body in the now. For example, your consciousness of your breaths—that is, your breathing in and breathing out—relaxes both your body and your mind, and thus giving you clarity of thinking. For centuries, meditation has been practiced to improve the function of the thinking mind.
So, with consciousness, you may become more aware of what is happening to your body, as well as to others and to the surrounding around you.
4. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is your mental sharpness to know what is happening in your mind. This may awaken you to certain universal truths about anything and everything in this world.
Some universal truths
Impermanence is one of the universal truths. Everything changes with every moment, and nothing lasts forever. According to Buddha, human life is like a river. The water flowing in a river is like a progressive series of different but unified movements of water, all joining together to create the impression of being only one continuous flow of water. Likewise, your existence is moment-to-moment, with each moment leading to the next. It is your illusion that you, in this moment, are the same person in the next moment to come; just as the river today is not quite the same as the river yesterday. Even from a scientific point of view, Buddha’s point of view is true. Cell-division takes place continuously in each living being. The old cells in your body are continuously replaced by new ones; that is, you are constantly subject to change, and the change is a continuous movement, just like the flowing water in a river.
Nothingness is a universal truth derived from impermanence. Death will come in the end for all and sundry. This is the way of all flesh because you, just like everybody else, have a built-in mechanism in your genes to ensure your guaranteed mortality.
Spontaneity is another universal truth. Everything in life follows a natural cycle: what goes up must also come down—just as life is inevitably followed by death.
5. Simplicity
An empty mind demands a simple lifestyle with no attachments that often become distractions and distortions of your thinking mind. Attachments are things and people that define who you think you are. Your attachments may come in different forms, such as career success, good relationships, wealth and material possessions, and many others.
The truth is that you are who you really are, and not who the person other people think you are. Attachments only inflate your ego to distort your thinking mind. So, let go of your attachments to have an empty mind to live with humility.
The bottom line: With humility, let go of your attachments to live a simple lifestyle to have an empty mindset for clarity thinking that always asks questions and seeks relevant answers.
Now, with your wisdom, you may have better understanding of what “freedom” really means.
Freedom is not just about your right and your choice or obedience to do certain things in your life. Freedom has also to do with others—the oneness of all life. That is, anything is connected to everything; just as the English poet John Donne once said: “No man is an island.”
So, your freedom has a connection with the freedom of others, and it is your choice and your obedience that ultimately create your freedom and your bondage. More specifically, your choice or your obedience can turn your freedom into bondage, or your bondage back into freedom—more realistically, your freedom always comes with some bondage.
FREEDOM with BONDAGE: Get your wisdom to know your "true freedom."
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
To understand the meaning of "your freedom," you need your wisdom, which is not the same as your knowledge. Knowledge refers to the information you have acquired, while your wisdom means using the information collected to apply to your everyday life and living. So, an individual can be knowledgeable but without being wise.
Then, what is your wisdom? And where does it come from?
Your wisdom is all about opening your thinking mind to find out how it perceives and processes not only all your life experiences but also all the information you have been exposed to through your individual five senses. Your perceptions and processes create the so-called “realities” in your own mind, and they subsequently affect how your mind thinks, giving you your beliefs, your attitudes, and even your self-delusions.
The reality is that you have both a conscious mind and a subconscious mind. All your past information is stored in your subconscious mind, which controls and dominates your conscious mind. In other words, your wisdom is your mental capability to separate the truths from the half-truths, as well as to discern and discover the self-delusions and the self-illusions stored in your subconscious mind. Without that mental capability, you will not fully understand your “freedom”, as well as your choice and obedience to do this and not to do that.
“The reason why man may become the master of his own destiny is because he has the power to influence his own subconscious mind.” Napoleon Hill
So, your wisdom is all about controlling your subconscious mind.
And this is how.
1. Emptiness
Your wisdom begins with having an empty mind, which is clarity of thinking. Your mind cannot think clearly with its many pre-conceived ideas and thoughts. Only an empty mindset can free you from the many shackles of life that might have enslaved you for years, keeping you in bondage even without your knowing it.
An illustration
There was the story of a professor who visited a Zen master to find out more about Zen (an ancient Chinese philosophy).
During the visit, the professor kept on talking while the Zen master was serving him tea. At some point, the Zen master kept on poring tea into the teacup held by the professor even though it was already brimming over.
The moral of the story: If you want to get more information about something, you must have an empty mind first.
So, open your mind to empty it of any pre-conceived thinking.
2. Questioning
Thinking is also a process of self-intuition through asking relevant questions to create self-awareness and self-introspection. It is the natural habit of your thinking mind to solve problems by asking specific questions. Solving problems with specific questions is self-empowering your thinking mind to attain wisdom because it creates your intent to learn, to discover, and then to change for the better.
Knowing the importance of asking questions and the continuation of asking more relevant questions is the way to attaining true human wisdom.
For example, to develop your empty mindset, do your reverse thinking—which is thinking backward by asking questions to find out how and why you might have your current thoughts of thinking with your attitudes and prejudices, as well as with your beliefs and emotions. Your reverse thinking may then show you that your so-called “new realities” are, in fact, distorted and even unreal.
3. Consciousness
Your wisdom has to do with your consciousness, which is acute awareness of your body in the now. For example, your consciousness of your breaths—that is, your breathing in and breathing out—relaxes both your body and your mind, and thus giving you clarity of thinking. For centuries, meditation has been practiced to improve the function of the thinking mind.
So, with consciousness, you may become more aware of what is happening to your body, as well as to others and to the surrounding around you.
4. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is your mental sharpness to know what is happening in your mind. This may awaken you to certain universal truths about anything and everything in this world.
Some universal truths
Impermanence is one of the universal truths. Everything changes with every moment, and nothing lasts forever. According to Buddha, human life is like a river. The water flowing in a river is like a progressive series of different but unified movements of water, all joining together to create the impression of being only one continuous flow of water. Likewise, your existence is moment-to-moment, with each moment leading to the next. It is your illusion that you, in this moment, are the same person in the next moment to come; just as the river today is not quite the same as the river yesterday. Even from a scientific point of view, Buddha’s point of view is true. Cell-division takes place continuously in each living being. The old cells in your body are continuously replaced by new ones; that is, you are constantly subject to change, and the change is a continuous movement, just like the flowing water in a river.
Nothingness is a universal truth derived from impermanence. Death will come in the end for all and sundry. This is the way of all flesh because you, just like everybody else, have a built-in mechanism in your genes to ensure your guaranteed mortality.
Spontaneity is another universal truth. Everything in life follows a natural cycle: what goes up must also come down—just as life is inevitably followed by death.
5. Simplicity
An empty mind demands a simple lifestyle with no attachments that often become distractions and distortions of your thinking mind. Attachments are things and people that define who you think you are. Your attachments may come in different forms, such as career success, good relationships, wealth and material possessions, and many others.
The truth is that you are who you really are, and not who the person other people think you are. Attachments only inflate your ego to distort your thinking mind. So, let go of your attachments to have an empty mind to live with humility.
The bottom line: With humility, let go of your attachments to live a simple lifestyle to have an empty mindset for clarity thinking that always asks questions and seeks relevant answers.
Now, with your wisdom, you may have better understanding of what “freedom” really means.
Freedom is not just about your right and your choice or obedience to do certain things in your life. Freedom has also to do with others—the oneness of all life. That is, anything is connected to everything; just as the English poet John Donne once said: “No man is an island.”
So, your freedom has a connection with the freedom of others, and it is your choice and your obedience that ultimately create your freedom and your bondage. More specifically, your choice or your obedience can turn your freedom into bondage, or your bondage back into freedom—more realistically, your freedom always comes with some bondage.
FREEDOM with BONDAGE: Get your wisdom to know your "true freedom."
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau