Ceaselessly you are engaged in teaching the world what you believe holds the greatest truth, the greatest value. ~The Way of Mastery Chapter 67 of the Dao De Jing speaks of having three treasures – mercy leading to courage, economy leading to generosity, and humility leading to leadership. This got me to wondering what my […]
What Treasure Am I Teaching? Read More »
When our contemplation group used to meet in person, I sometimes placed a bowl by the door. As we settled in, I invited people to place in the bowl anything that was weighing them down, distracting them, keeping them from being fully present – worries, anxiety, should’s, judgments, have to’s, and so on. “Don’t worry,”
It’s that time of year, at least in the temperate climes of the northern hemisphere. As we approach winter solstice, health is in our awareness more than usual this year. Some of us are getting our flu shots and Covid boosters. Health concerns are now part of our plans for holiday travel and getting together
Breathing a Blessing to My Body Read More »
My last post was about a practice I’ve recently adopted of taking five mindful breaths at set times five times a day. Since I began this practice, it has created a rhythm of returning to stillness that has gradually shifted my default orientation back into balance and alignment. I find myself not getting so caught
Every Breath a Prayer Read More »
Life has been … what … lately. At times overwhelming, at times sad, at times distressed, at times upset, at times peaceful, at times distracted, at times frustrated, at times joyful. In other words, lots going on. Especially in my head. Stories, worries, plans, lack of plans, projections, more stories. Scattered. Recently I had a
Five Breaths Five Times a Day Read More »
As a person who often advocates “practice,” I’ve been exploring what it means to practice something. We might have lots of practices. I practice martial arts, for example. Some of us practice mindfulness, meditation, yoga, loving-kindness, and more. When we have an intention to cultivate or develop a skill or a habit, we devote time
The Art of Allowing Read More »
We practice releasing. We practice allowing. We practice accepting. We sometimes overlook the practice of receiving. How is it different from these others and why is it important? Is it different? In some ways all these practices are related. In one way they are all the same. But each does have a slightly different flavor.
The Practice of Receiving Read More »
Sometimes we have a challenging encounter with someone. Sometimes we have an ongoing challenging relationship with someone. It’s hard to be at peace or to keep an open heart when someone hurts us, irritates us, enrages us, or frightens us. It’s easy to justify our judgment, our feelings, our reactions. After all, this other person
This chapter contrasts two cultural approaches to wealth. In a broader sense, it speaks to nature’s intrinsic seeking of balance and harmony. And in an individual sense, it speaks to our own internal alignment and equilibrium. The first approach is compared to stringing a bow. The top point of the bow is pulled down
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 77 Read More »
Leaves paint autumn beauty Yet trees still let them go Knowing that life demands release That breath cannot be held
Lately I’ve been feeling drained, like my life force is seeping out of me. Absent any other symptoms indicating illness, I’ve been puzzled by this general malaise. Last night I gave it some focused thought. What is different in my life? What has changed in recent weeks? Two things came to mind. First, I’ve been
The answer is right there in the terms we use to describe ourselves when we are upset or at ease. It is a matter of direction. A few days ago I had an appointment with someone who was coming to my house. The person didn’t arrive on time, and as the minutes ticked by, I
How to Calm DOWN When You Are Riled UP Read More »
The last several days, I have been caught up in a spiritual tantrum. A patient friend listened to me rant about my frustration. I’m not feeling very kumbaya. I don’t want to cultivate compassion or acceptance. I feel judgmental and angry. I don’t like people very much right now. I’m mad at the universe for
Carried by Practice Read More »
This is a beautiful chapter that acknowledges how elusive something so simple can be.My words are very easy to knowVery easy to put into practiceYet under heaven no one is able to know themNo one can put them into practiceWhen people ask me to explain Tao to them, or ask me what they need to
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 70 Read More »
Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. ~C. S. LewisWhen my dog Rosie was a puppy, she was so terrified of other dogs that I could not take her for a walk. So I went to a wonderful trainer for help. We were in
If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be excellent. ~Pema Chodron You’ve heard me frequently emphasize and encourage practice. I’ve talked about the “razor’s edge” of practice, that place where we are challenged to release, expand, embrace, accept, forgive. The place where we meet fear on the battlefield and bow in respect. The
The title to this post is more “religious” sounding than my usual writing. Yet this phrase came to me up at the cabin this last weekend and it has persistently stayed with me. So I, in turn, have persistently stayed with it! I meditated and asked this phrase to reveal to me its message. And
Clothed in Divine Raiment Read More »
I was walking in my neighborhood this morning, strolling beneath a canopy of brilliant fall colors, kicking rainbow leaf confetti on the sidewalk. A breeze shook loose more leaves that swirled and drifted down. Energetically, autumn is a time of gathering, bringing in the harvest, storing our resources for the winter. In the Chinese five
The Beauty of Release Read More »
This uncharacteristically long chapter comprises several parts that may at one time have been separate. It reminds me of the book of Proverbs in the Bible, which contains many pearls of wisdom that can be considered as stand alone verses. Because of its length, I’m going to break discussion of this chapter into two posts.
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 64 (Part 1) Read More »
