Rest in peace. This is something we often say to or about the dearly departed. It’s a lovely sentiment, so lovely that I wonder why we wish it exclusively to those who have died. Wouldn’t it be nice to rest in peace while we’re still alive? Some might respond with the familiar saying “I can […]
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
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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
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
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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 »
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 »
I like the word “synchronicity.” Coined by Carl Jung in the 1950s to describe a meaningful relationship or connection between apparent coincidences, it combines the roots of “together” and “time.” However, let’s not get too bogged down in the definition or etymology. I like the sound of it when I say it out loud. It
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I love the taiji (yin yang) symbol. You are probably familiar with the design in which two curving shapes create a perfect circle. The two curving shapes represent yin (darker) and yang (lighter). Yin and yang are sometimes thought of as opposites, each with various associations–yin with the receptive, mysterious, feminine, earth; yang with the
The Illusion of Conflict Read More »
Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water Yet nothing is better for overcoming what is hard and stiff As we approach the end of the Tao Te Ching’s 81 chapters, the text returns to the theme of water. Water is the most common metaphor for the energy of Tao. It flows
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 78 Read More »
A person at birth is soft and gentle At death is hard and unyielding Sprouting plants are tender and supple At death are brittle and dry Stiff and unyielding are associated with death Soft and gentle with life The wisdom in this chapter is easy to understand from our own observations. Babies learning to
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When people do not fear powerGreat power appearsThese first two lines have been translated and interpreted so many ways, it’s difficult to find any footing in a particular meaning. Like many passages in the Tao Te Ching which seem to address governance, this couplet could refer to actual political government, and could also refer to
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 72 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 »
In my No Way Café contemplation group, we were joking about my “addiction” to acquiring even more translations and interpretations of the Tao Te Ching. This could prove to be a costly and cumbersome habit since the Tao Te Ching has been translated more than any other book in history except the Bible. How many
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This chapter address the theme of power in the context of the relationship between large and small countries. Like other chapters addressing nations and government, this chapter can also apply to individuals – how we govern ourselves and how we relate to others. A large country is like a river deltaThe lowest point where all
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I’m reading a book titled “What is Mysticism” by Jon Mundy. Yesterday I read this passage: Mostly, it’s a profound inner knowing and an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things – a sense that everything is perfect just the way it is. When I read it, I got chills because I was blessed to
Everything – No Matter What – Is Perfect Read More »
I woke up this morning feeling so grateful, grateful for everything. Really, everything. If you follow this blog, then you know I’ve been through some challenging times in the last year and a half, and especially in the last few months. I became sorrow’s apprentice and learned to grieve (still learning). Along the way, amazing
Grateful for It All Read More »
At a meditation class last week, I was paired up with a young man for a time of sharing reflections. He told me this story. When he was 19, he joined the army. During basic training, the drill sergeant would find some mistake every day and make his group do push ups as a consequence.
There Will Be Push Ups Read More »
A few weeks ago, I started practicing taiji (tai chi) at a different martial arts school. I’m not new to taiji, but I’m new to this school, so I am sort of a beginner and not a beginner at the same time. Some things are familiar to me, but every school, and even every teacher,
Find the cost of freedomBuried in the groundMother Earth will swallow youLay your body down ~Stephen Stills For the last few days, I have awoken humming this refrain. It replays throughout the day and rocks me to sleep. Although it was written about war, it sings to my soul about internal war, the one
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I began this year thinking of it as the year of the heart. Heart energy had exploded open in my soul. I was aflame for the Beloved. It was exciting, but hard to sustain. Fire, after all, consumes. In martial arts we use the wisdom of the Chinese five element practice, which associates elements with