Not once but twice in recent weeks I caught myself being judgmental in a way that surprised me. Both times, my judgment was based on a narrative, a story I was telling myself about things I had observed. At its inception an observation is neutral, but then we quickly start embellishing it with interpretations and […]
Living as a Perfect Human Being Read More »
“Judge not,” said Jesus. Two words, not hard to understand. Yet, by all appearances, almost impossible to obey, even by, sometimes especially by, those who claim to follow the teacher who said them. I don’t think this teaching discourages using good judgment or discernment. I think it is cautioning us against setting ourselves apart by
I’m Here to Love You Read More »
… continued from last post The second image that came to me in connection to living in trust was Peter walking across the water to Jesus. The disciples were in a boat during a storm and saw Jesus walking towards them on the water. Peter wanted to try it out so Jesus called Peter to
Living in Trust (Part 2 of 3) 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 »
In a recent post, I described my grandson’s loving acceptance of George the lemur who lost his tail. This morning, George was found with his hand resting on Chao Chao in what appears to be a gesture of kindness. (Everyone denies staging this scenario, so think what you will about how this came about.) Chao
George Pays It Forward Read More »
When my phone rang this morning, the caller ID showed my daughter’s name. I answered with a “Good morning, sweetie.” But the caller was my 7 year old grandson, who exclaimed, “Nana, how did you know it was me?!” “I just knew,” I fibbed.Even though my usual nickname for him is Honey Bunny, he responded to the
This chapter has a surprise bonus in it, a little hidden wisdom treasure. But before we get to that… The chapter begins with a passage comparing a person with abundant Te (Virtue) to an infant, a metaphor repeated in several places in the Tao Te Ching. A baby is supple and soft, yet amazingly strong
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 55 Read More »
In the Bible, Jesus and his followers encountered the funeral procession of a widow’s only son. Jesus had compassion for her and told her son to rise. The dead boy came back to life and was returned to his mother. The story is told in Buddhism of a mother who brought the body of her dead
Two Stories of Healing Read More »