This chapter reflects the motion of Tao as the origin of all things, manifesting into form and then returning to the source. The image of the divine mother figures prominently, giving us the sense that Tao gives birth to, rather than creates, “all under heaven.” The bond between Tao and the universe is compared to […]
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 52 Read More »
I’ve been churned up lately about a personal situation. I find myself on the hamster wheel, running and running and getting nowhere. I run over things past – words that were said, decisions that were made, actions that were taken. I imagine different words, different decisions, different actions, and the different outcomes that would have
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The fire of the WayBurns in usRed blood redHotThe eternal flame Sees everythingWith loveBurning burningAll illusion
In a recent discussion with a friend about books we found insightful, I mentioned three by Adyashanti – Falling into Grace, The End of Your World, and Emptiness Dancing. Then I realized that these three book titles are a perfect description of awakening.Falling into Grace When I was growing up, we used to go to
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This chapter reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13:12 – For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. We think we see clearly, but when we look through the fog of our own judgments and beliefs, our hopes and fears, we see illusion yet think it real. We try to make
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 45 Read More »
The Tao Te Ching has been a source of inspiration in my life for many years. I don’t remember how I first encountered it in my young life, but I do remember that its simple wisdom resonated in my soul and I have loved it ever since. Several years ago, I gathered various translations with
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These apparently contradictory statements are at the heart of spiritual awakening, representing the two practices of release and acceptance. “Neti, neti” is a Sanskrit expression from ancient Hindu texts. It can be translated as “Not that, not that.” It reminds me to not grasp onto my beliefs and opinions, my judgments and fears. “This too,
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Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. ~Psalm 42:7 For the last six weeks, my usually busy schedule has been emptied. I suspended my martial arts classes, my piano lessons, my Chinese tutor. I made a choice to devote my mornings to a writing project. (Mornings, I’ve discovered, are really the only
People think that when you live a spiritually awakened life, you are always serene, always la la happy, always wise. But that’s not true. First of all, spiritual awakening is not a one time thing. As Adyashanti says, there is no such thing as enlightenment. There are only enlightened moments, because enlightenment, or awakening, can
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One of my favorite movies of all time is King of Hearts, a 1960s film starring Alan Bates and a young Genevieve Bujold. The story takes place in a French village during WWI. The inhabitants flee the town, leaving behind the inmates of an asylum with the gate open. They filter out into the empty
There is another wayThe only waySome think it secretYet it beckons allSome think it leads afarYet it leads nowhere else but hereSome think it hard to followYet it asks no sacrifice and requires no effortYour soul’s deep yearningYour heart’s desireIs already yoursNow and alwaysJust let go of everything that is not itAnd you will see
Y’all know the story of The Little Mermaid. She longs to leave her underwater world and enter the world above. She wants to walk on land. She wants to dance. She wants to love. She wants it so much that she is willing to leave everything behind. Even though every step will feel like she
Someone reminded me recently of how much I love Joni Mitchell’s music, although I haven’t listened to it in a long time. The last few days, a line from one of her songs keeps singing in my soul – No regrets, Coyote. It seems a perfect reflection on this year as it comes to a
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The chapter opens with the recurring theme of wu wei, or non-action.Tao is ever without actingYet without not acting Generally translated as “Tao does nothing yet nothing is left undone,” this concept causes much confusion when we interpret wu wei as static passivity. Rather, it is a dynamic energy of harmony with the basic order
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 37 Read More »
The 1950 Japanese film Rashomon is the story of a murder told from the perspective of four witnesses, each of whom tells a very different tale. As you watch the movie, you are caught up in each version, thinking “Oh, this is what really happened.” But then a new witness begins to speak, and you
“Here there be dragons.” So say the old maps to designate areas beyond the known world, where only the most bold or the most foolhardy dare venture. Dragons live there. Dragons breathing fire. Fire, the element of the heart. Hearts are by nature bold and foolhardy adventurers, and if freed from fear’s mooring, will sail