The Dao De Jing teaches that nothing is more soft and yielding than water, and yet nothing is more powerful. Water yields without resistence when pushed, yet simply by following its intrinsic nature, water carves out great canyons, wears down intransigent rocks, cascades through quicksilver rapids, and plunges over thundering waterfalls. People think that softness […]
The Power of Softness Read More »
Everything we hold on to will be relinquished. The people we love, the things we have, the beliefs we defend, the identities we treasure, the bodies we inhabit – all will be left behind. Like the great closing sale of life – everything must go! Every loss we fear will come to pass. What does
Recently I invited a friend to join me in an activity I had planned for the two of us. I had an idea of how this would all go, but when my friend showed up, she had a very different idea. Taken a bit by surprise, and thrown off balance for a moment, I did
Several years ago, the desire to know, to merge, with the Divine Beloved was so strong within me that I knew without that union, nothing else would ever be enough. And so I wrote this prayer: BelovedOh to feel your touch of graceI ache for your embrace of compassionTake me to yourselfLose me in the
An Answered Prayer Read More »
I haven’t had a word of the year for a decade. In an illustration of cosmic humor of the universe, my last word of the year was in 2013 and my word was “wait.” But as 2013 came to a close, no new word came for 2014. Now, ten years later, as 2023 drew to
The Power of Being Willing Read More »
A koan is a paradoxical statement or question used in Zen Buddhism to confound logical thinking and facilitate enlightenment. For example, what is the sound of one hand clapping? Our brains like to identify, categorize, explain, and evaluate. When they are not able to do this, they get agitated and start scanning more anxiously for
Life, the Ultimate Koan Read More »
My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened. ~Michel de Montaigne I must be getting old. Several people in the last year have asked me to offer some wisdom or insight gained over decades of living. It has proven more challenging than I might have anticipated. Indeed, the more I
Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile. ~William Cullen Bryant Today is the equinox, ushering in fall in the temperate climate of the northern hemisphere. (Apologies to my friends in the southern hemisphere – this post will be out of sync with your entry into spring, and to friends in the tropics who have a different seasonal
The Season of Courage Read More »
I was chatting with my daughter about a situation involving my grandchildren. I can’t even remember what we were talking about, but at one point my daughter paused and looked at me. “You’re a ride or die Nana,” she observed. I had to look that up. A ride or die person is someone who will
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 »
Just a simple little key, right? A little house key that got lost when I went for a walk. When I got back home, the key was not in my pocket. What happened to it? It probably fell out when I pulled a poop bag out of my pocket to clean up after my dog.
The Nature of Desire Read More »
I’ve mentioned the technique I used for years of writing with my non-dominant left hand to respond to prayers or questions I addressed to the Universe or God or whatever name you prefer. I found that my left hand accessed a source of wisdom in some mysterious way that I can’t explain. I don’t think
Message from the Universe 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 »