March 31st

Longevity

Contemplate in the morning.
Pull weeds in the afternoon.
The joys and labor of a single day
Are part of a whole journey.

If all you want is spiritual realization, it isn't that difficult. For the average person, a dozen years under the guidance of a good teacher will probably give it to you. That's shorter than what it takes to be a good musician, athlete, or artist. It's even shorter that the time it will take you to collect your pension. If you have the good fortune to study with the right person, you can succeed in a relatively short amount of time.But after you get it, then what? Many of us place such an emphasis on attaining realization that we may forget to put it in context. What actually matters is to walk Tao, maintaining vitality until we meet our end in a timely way. Spiritual realization is essential, but it is not everything.
A starving person dwells inordinately on the thought of food. Likewise, a spiritually hungry person can only think of realization. One who has food can place it in the right context, just as one who has understanding can place it in the correct perspective. Followers of Tao therefore do not emphasize enlightenment as an ultimate goal. For them, realization is a means, not an end. Their emphasis is on the act of living. They use the word longevity, not because they want to live forever, but because it symbolizes their determination to live the entire course of their lives well.

Personal Interpretation

Spiritual realization should not be the end, but the means. It should be valued in its ability to help us get the most out of life. The wise never stop learning, and they come to realize that learning takes on many forms. Experiential learning is not to be discounted. Having something means nothing if we cannot place it within a meaningful context.

Let us seek spiritual realization, but let us also let it inform the way we live.

March 30th

Disengagement


Wearily I open my prayer book,
Sepia photograph of sage on amber page,
Flaming raven Sanskrit, strange syllables,
Intone, chant, repeat.
Number vows with beads :
Every resolution is inspiration petrified.

There are some days when one is disengaged from Tao, not interested in devotion, and everything just becomes an empty form. Gone are spiritual bliss, deep insight, and integration with the rhythm of the universe. Instead, there is duty, form, and stiff discipline. One can try to remember the reasons for one's quest, think of the achievements of the past, reaffirm one's goals, and still not be inspired to do one's practice. What do you do?Every once in a while, it is permissible to skip things for a day. If you are angry, under great stress, or ill, then it is best simply to rest. But if one has made vows, if it is only a matter of laziness or indifference, then you must exert your discipline and practice even if it means that you are just going through the motions. In at least half the cases, something significant will happen. The rest of the time, going through your forms is in itself a good practice. It builds a tremendous momentum that will manifest itself in later times.

Personal Interpretation

We will all feel disengaged from Tao from time to time. It is natural. If we are angry or under great stress, sometimes the best thing we can do is take a break from our work, rest, regather our strength. We must still strive to keep the vows that we have made however. Sometimes going through the motions can be the very thing that brings us out of our funk. At the very least, going through the forms is good practice.  We must always ask ourselves what is best for ourselves and then act accordingly.

March 29th

Interpretation


The sage whose words are ambiguous you call great.
Those who advocate discipline you shun.
With one, you treat words the way you want.
With the other, you resent having no quarter.

It is unfortunate that we need the words of the wise. Though they are essential to our beginnings on a spiritual path, they can cause problems because they must be interpreted to be understood. Because words are imperfect, every generation rewrites itself.People love ambiguity, especially when it comes to religion. They can interpret things any way they want. If they are unhappy with the cast given to a particular teaching, they invent ways to circumvent it, which is why we have so many authorities, schools, and sects.
It is no accident that the most revered sages are dead. They aren't around to correct our misguided notions, to change their teachings, or even to make mistakes that might mitigate our reverence. Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Lao Tzu -- how many of us are actually devoted to the wisdom that they embodied? Or have we made them mere screens upon which we project our own ideas?
It is important to spend time with a living teacher, one who can correct mistakes and discipline you. But the object of such study should not be the creation of a new orthodoxy. Rather, your goal should be to bring yourself to a state of independence. All teachings are mere references. The true experience is living your own life. Then, even the holiest of words are only words.

Personal Interpretation


Words require interpretation. Thus, it is unwise to be guided solely by the words of the wise. We must live our own lives, have our own experiences, determine which doctrines feel true to us and which do not. Few of us live as this world's great spiritual leaders entreated us too, but most of us can readily quote a passage out of context, apply the teachings that support our own agendas. We must strive to operate independently. We should create our own path. Experience is a far more effective instructor than is the wisdom of those who have gone from the world.

March 28th

Integration


Be still to know the absolute.
Be active to know the outer.
The two spring from the same source,
All of life is one whole.

In stillness, one seeks the absolute Tao. There is neither beauty nor ugliness in it. Because it has no opposites, it is called absolute. By contrast, nothing of this world is absolute, because all things that we experience are relative.Seeking the absolute may be among the greatest goals, but you cannot remain on your meditation cushion forever. You must go out and explore life as well. This is the investigation of the outer Tao -- that aspect of Tao that flows through all existence. You must not fail to explore anything that interests you. Any skill you want to master should be learned. Any subject that arouses curiosity should be examined. Every insecurity should be overcome. Every question should be answered. If you do not do this, then you cannot freely flow with the outer Tao : Every one of your uncertainties will be an obstacle.
Initially, it will seem as if there is no connection between your time meditating and the outer things in your life. After all, the masters themselves constantly stress the difference between the spiritual and the social. But eventually, you will reach a point where the quiescence of contemplation and the activeness of living are integrated. Then there is no anxiety about whether one is living a spiritual life or not. You realize that it is all part of the same seamless whole.

Personal Interpretation


Tao is absolute, but to our human minds it has two ways of being sensed, being perceived. We are in touch with it when we quiet our minds, but Tao is also to be found in the active nature of life.  We must participate in this world. We must satisfy curiosity by learning. We should work to extricate our insecurities. We should see that we pursue our interests, for doing so will bring us closer to the Absolute. We are bound to a world that is, by its very nature, one in which relativity reigns supreme. We must operate within its confines while also striving to reconnect with the source.

March 27th

Images



Sound, smell, taste, image, touch, sleep.
Can you think without clinging to these forms?
A thought without shape is rare,
Knowledge of Tao rarer still.

Our mind needs to cling to some object in order to function in its usual modes. If you look at your memories, you will find that most are tied to some sensory image. The thought of being in the country brings up a certain fragrance. You "see" relationships in a certain way. We may do math problems, or compose something to say to our companions, but we will still think in numbers and words.Some people make the mistake of rejecting this type of thinking, but we need to use these modes in order to function in the everyday world. When it comes to knowing Tao, thought tied to sensory images is not enough to bring complete realization. Dualistic thinking cannot be used to know Tao. But don't discard it as long as ordinary functioning in the world is necessary.
When one meditates, one must use an aspect of consciousness that does not cling to external forms. This type of consciousness is beyond the senses. Some call these states of mind superconsciousness, samadhi, nirvana, or enlightenment. These are mere names. All that matters is getting to these states. Then all labels fall away.

Personal Interpretation

Our senses are indispensable to us in this world. Our memories are tied to them. They are how we perceive our world, and they have value. To know Tao though, we must transcend them. Our naturally dualistic way of thinking is at odds with Tao and will naturally hinder our progress. We must learn to live as we must live in the world, while also taking the time out of our days to meditate and reach for an understanding of Tao. We must sometimes let our external selves fall away in order to get at the kernel of pure spirit that lies hidden inside each and every one of us.

March 26th

Retrospective


You could labor ten years under a master
Trying to discern whether the teachings are true.
But all you might learn is this:
One must live one's own life.

When one starts out learning a spiritual system, there are many absolute assertions that the masters make. These must be accepted with a provisional faith: Each must be tested and proved to yourself before you can believe in them. You will be exposed to all types of esoteric knowledge, but you need only be concerned with whether or not you can make them work for yourself.There will come an intermediate, joyous point where you find that certain techniques work even better than the scriptures claim. In the wake of these discoveries, you will also find that life continues to be just as thorny and problematic as ever. Does this mean that the stud of Tao is useless? No. It only means that you have been laboring to equip yourself with skill. You must still go out and live your life to the end.
When you look back and realize that you have absorbed the teachings so thoroughly that they have become routine, it is not the time to reject the system you have learned. It is the time to utilize what you have learned. It is the time to utilize what you have learned. You must express yourself, take action in the world, create new circumstances for yourself and others. Only then does the long acquisition of skill become worthwhile.

Personal Interpretation

We should not accept a faith because its merits have been explained to us. We should test out each and every tenet of the faith in question, see what holds true for us and what does not. We must make our own way in this world. It will not cease to be thorny because we believe certain things to be true, but our faith can help us through the rough times, so long as it is truly our own. We should not speak empty words that hold no true meaning for us and expect to be delivered from the storm.  The very process of cultivating faith will strengthen us in ways it is difficult to imagine.

March 25th

Intellect


Scholars, drunk on words and obscure meanings,
Weave a tangled web of concordances.
Simple practice never occurs to them.
Give up education, and the world will be better.

There are many who seek Tao through the intellect. They revel in thousands of concordances, seek similarities in all the world's religions, conduct learned discourses for enthralled audiences. But they would reach the truth faster if they tied their thoughts to experience.The intellect is inherently dualistic. It makes distinctions and creates new connections between concepts and calls that "meaning." This type of analytical thinking is extremely limited in the face of Tao, which is not fully rational, not fully quantitative, not fully describable. Though most followers of Tao are learned, they also realize that the intellect is but one aspect in what must be a multifaceted approach to Tao.
It is said one must give up on education, not because we should be dumb, but because we must seek a level of consciousness beyond the intellect. We must study, but not to the point that emphasis on experience and meditation is lost. If we can combine the intellect and direct experience with our meditative mind, then there will be no barrier to the wordless perception of reality.

Personal Interpretation

Intellect is one facet that must be cultivated. There are others. Tao is, by its very nature, multifaceted, as it encompasses all. We glimpse it best through experience, not by attempting to intuit meaning. Intellectualism can create distinctions where there are none, can actually work to keep us from Tao. We should utilize it, but limit the extent to which it defines our vision.

March 24th

Parting


You and I assumed forever
When we became companions.
But now, unhappy, you are leaving.
The sky turns to bitter candescence
Unslaked by resignation.

There are times when we have been lucky enough to have companions on our spiritual path, but the time of parting often comes without welcome. When our friends decide to leave, we are often left with doubt, confusion, and sometimes guilt. Anyone may leave the path. They won't suffer damnation; they will only walk a different path.The rule for those who follow Tao is this : Walk the path together as long as you can, and when you must part, never hold your companion back.
Should one seek to have no feelings at all regarding friends? After all, the sages constantly warn against attachment. Yet emotion is part of what makes us human. We may understand philosophically why a companion must leave, but we need not deny our feelings as we walk on alone.

Personal Interpretation


Parting is part of life. We may share our path with friends who, for a multitude of reason, may then choose to pursue a different direction. We should allow them to go, should understand that parting is symbolic of the temporary nature of the world in which we live. We should not try to stifle our emotional responses though. We may be sad. We should allow ourselves to feel sad. We may be angry. We should work to determine the cause of our anger and then work to redirect it. We may feel guilty. For what reasons do we feel guilt? Parting can teach us a great deal about ourselves and our needs, and at the very least, it can speak to the temporary nature of all things.

March 23rd

Attunement


Traversing sun leads to a new season,
Vernal breath attunes the leaves.

Tao is here. It is we who are not always in harmony with it.Tao proceeds on its own way. It is we who are not ready to follow.
Tao is absolutely sure in its movement. It is we who involve ourselves in amusements.
Tao has no consciousness, yet it is supreme. It is we who think compulsively.
Therefore, tuning ourselves to Tao is the basic task. We must make ourselves the perfect instrument, much in the way a beautiful harp has all its strings adjusted. If we are less than perfect, how will we harmonize with the universal music? Once we are attuned, we can become open to Tao. Where it leads, we follow without hesitation. Just as a musician expresses individual talent and understanding and yet blends with the swelling magnificence of the orchestra, so too does the follower of Tao remain human and yet in harmony with the universal.
When the sun begins its new pattern, spring follows. The air warms, and the world rejoices. A new breath comes over all things, and even the trembling leaves are attuned to the vernal rhythm. Turn your face to the sun, as flowers know how to do. Turn your face to Tao, as we should all do.

Personal Interpretation

When it seems that Tao does not exist, it is only because we are out of harmony with it. We can be individuals and also harmonize with Tao. We are an instrument that, when properly tuned, is capable of great range and beauty. The wonders of the universe can flow through us if we let them. We must be open though. To be open is to expose ourselves to darkness as well as light. How else can we expect to attract that which is truest (for that which is true embodies both light and darkness, which are as two sides of the same coin). It is sometimes a difficult task to turn away from ourselves and towards Tao, but we gain our truest selves by doing so.

March 22nd

Sailing


Infinite expanse, sleek ocean teaming with life,
Turbulent, virile, ever-moving spread,
Seamlessly laid to the brilliant sky,
I float on you in my fashioned womb,
Sustained against your green-black depths.
Those on land never understand maritime life.
Those of the sea are intimate with your moods;
They navigate but are ultimately helpless.
Destinations become useless, drifting the sole reality:
A sailor's fears dissolve into acceptance.

Tao is sometimes compared to the ocean. Its depth is immeasurable, its power rules all who enter it. We seek to sail it with our knowledge of knots, direction, mathematics, and charts, yet our understanding is incomparable to its vastness. The young have great ambitions about exploring both above and below the surface, while the old have given in : They know that there is no other alternative than to accept the ocean and float upon it. One who accepts is sustained. Those who go beyond its terms meet death. Thus the wise say that they float here and there without care; they trust in the overwhelming power of Tao.

Personal Interpretation

It is apt to compare Tao to an ocean whose depths can be explored but never truly comprehended. There is danger in going too deep. We are foolish if we believe that we can force Tao to conform to our plans. The wise recognize that the best course of action is to float upon the surface of Tao, to be in contact with it without losing ourselves in it. Ultimately, we are at its whim. We cannot be idle. We must seek to navigate. We must listen to the urgings of the sea though. That is to say that we should listen to the urgings of Tao. Our course will be true if our destination is determined by consulting Tao. We will never reach it safely if we fight the forces of nature. 

March 21st

Opposites


Before emptying, there must be fullness.
Before shrinking, there must be expanding.
Before falling, there must be ascent.
To destroy something, lead it to its extreme.
To preserve something, keep to the middle.

Although we speak of opposites, they are not truly antagonistic elements. All opposites are part of the same entity. Like a two-headed snake, opposites are two parts of the same whole. They define one another, as black defines white. They alternate with one another, as war alternates with peace.Whenever any phenomenon reaches its extreme, it will change toward its opposite, just as the darkest night begins to change toward dawn, and the coldest winter is followed by glorious spring. Therefore, anything that one wishes to destroy need only be led to its extreme or crushed while it is just appearing. For example, the two easiest times to destroy a tree are when it is so tall that it is about to topple or so young that it can be easily uprooted.
The same principle holds if one wishes to nurture something. You can prevent its destruction by bringing it close to, but not over, its apex. You can take a branch from an old tree and graft it. This is the wisdom of the middle ground. Followers of Tao change a situation when it reaches its apex. By joining their efforts to a new situation that is just budding, they attain perpetuity.

Personal Interpretation


Opposites work together to define our world. When anything is destroyed at its onset or led to its extreme, it begins to be lost. The cycle of creation and destruction is interminable. The only way to preserve anything is to keep to the middle. We must strive to reach for the apex without reaching beyond it, for when the latter happens, the scale becomes unbalanced. Balance is the key to all substance.

It is important for us all to be vigilant, when it comes to ourselves, and also when it comes to the world beyond ourselves. We can easily eliminate a particularly poisonous aspect of our character when it has not yet taken root enough to have become a part of the personality. The winter winds rage fierce before spring finally comes. A storm may leave devastation in its wake, but it is by reaching such proportions that it finally blows itself out. We must take our cue from nature, and we must work to recognize what is good and what it is to be preserved and, likewise, what is detrimental, and is to be cut out of our lives.

March 20th

Spring


Sun and moon divide the sky,
Fragrance blooms on pear wood bones :
Earth awakens with a sigh.
Wanderer revels on the path alone.

It is the time of equinox, when day and night are briefly equal. This day signals the beginning of spring, the increasing of light, and the return of life to the frozen earth.Of course, this day only represents a moment in time. Spring has long been returning, and we know that summer will soon follow. The cycle of the seasons will continue in succession. There is no such thing as a true stopping in time, for all is a continuum. Nature makes its own concordances as a mere outgrowth to its movement; it is we who see structure and give names to pattern.
But who can begrudge temporary pleasures to a solitary traveler? Let us go out and enjoy the day, revel in the coming of spring, rejoice in the warming of the earth. For though the ground may be covered with frost, movement and growth are taking place all around us. Beauty bared fills our eyes and makes us drunk. As we wander the endless mountains and streams, filling our lungs with the breath of the forests, let us take comfort in being part of nature. For life has enough misery and misfortune. Philosophy reminds us enough of the transience of life. Give us the charm of the ephemeral, and let it silence all who would object.

Personal Interpretation

Spring has been coming for a long time. Nature and its processes are cyclical after all. This life is transient, but so too are our mortal husks. It warms the spirit to embrace the warming earth, and there is no shame in the embrace. Let us take a moment to give thanks for being delivered through the winter. Let us rejoice in the equinox, when night and day are nearly equal to one another. Let one be given to duty, the other to dreaming. We are but travelers on the road, and we must stop walking from time to time, stretch our limbs, find something in this world that causes our lips to smile and our hearts to feel peace and connection.

March 19th

Fear

Trust the gods within,
Accept given boons.
Illusion is reality's border :
Pierce fear to go beyond.

In your meditations, you will meet gods. These gods are nothing more than the holiest aspects of your own mind; they are not other beings. Your inner gods will grant gifts of knowledge and power. Accept what comes your way without doubt and without fear. You can trust your gods. They will never betray you, for you cannot betray yourself.Such trust dissolves fear and regret. You will find a resolution to your inner conflicts. The gods will direct you forward to the very border of reality itself. On the other side is vast profundity, the ultimate nature of existence. But the border can be crossed only if you have resolved all fear and regret.
All fear comes from our sense of self. When we stand at the border of reality, we are afraid that we will lose our identities by plunging in. We are afraid of being destroyed. but we came from Tao in the first place. We are Tao. To return to Tao is not to be negated, but to become one with the entire universe. True, we will no longer be who we are now, but we will be one with Tao. In that state, there is no need for fear.

Personal Interpretation


The gods we meet and who impact us more profoundly are aspects of our own minds. This is not a reason to deny their existence or lose faith in their ability to help us dissolve fear and regret, which bind us to this world. Rather, we should allow ourselves to receive the gifts they offer. Regret stems from a lack of resolution. It is spoken of in relation to the past. Fear is best defined as anxiety about the future. When we live in the present, neither regret nor fear can exercise any control over us. It is more difficult than initially supposed, but necessary to transcend the pain of this existence. We may feel ambivalent about giving ourselves over to Tao, for to deny the power of the past and the future is to step onto a path that can ultimately dissolve our sense of self and bring us in harmony with the Universe.  We are so used to thinking of ourselves as individuals. The very idea of giving what we are up is fear-inspiring. Perhaps we can best reassure ourselves by reminding ourselves that our identities were forged from the energy we will ultimately return to. We are Tao given form, plain and simple. Our lives should be about seeking out the source of our birth, returning to it. Who knows? We may yet be cast in a new form. There is no birth or death, only constant transformation.

March 18th

Fate


Dispel time
And you will
Dispel fate.

Fate is the force that interferes with our lives, wrecking things at the worst moments. Yet what we call fate is nothing more than the consequence of our own actions. Each time we act, we generate a chain of events that is tied to us completely. The faster we run from these links, the faster they follow us. They cannot be severed; our every act binds us further.The operative element here is time. The events of the past are the curse. Beginning followers of Tao learn to manipulate past, present, and future. They learn how circumstances operate and seek to take advantage of that. More advanced followers of Tao eschew this process of manipulation. They obliterate all regard to past, present, and future as definitions in order to negate the concept of fate.
In order to attain a state of being where there is no past to weigh upon the present and no future to be determined, followers of Tao must reach a profound merging with Tao. The follower then acts no differently than Tao would. There is no fate to oppose them, for they are existence, they are causality, they are Tao itself.

Personal Interpretation


Fate is a product of time and our relationship to it. We  may choose to believe that our lives are dictated by forces beyond our control. In truth, it is our actions that determine our circumstances. We are connected to all things. Even a solitary action has far-reaching implications. We may find ourselves regretting past mistakes or thinking of the future with anxiety. Both of these tendencies keep us from living in the present, where all life happens. We must try to think of time differently, to merge with Tao, to become one with the Universe, which makes no distinction between past, present, and future. Time is ultimately a human construct. Without it, we could not make sense of our world. Practitioners of Tao strive to reach beyond the bounds of the World, though. They seek to transcend the selves that are bound to this realm. When this transcendence happens, fate loses its power over our minds. We recognize that we determine our own course. Mistakes are a part of the fabric of our selves. They are not to be lamented. Anxiety is the result of uncertainty, but an embracing of that very uncertainty gives us a peace of mind that the uninitiated may fail to comprehend.

March 17th

Sanctity


Every soul is inviolable,
Any thought can be private.
The deepest goal is to
Find sanctity's source.

The body may be ravaged and hacked to pieces, but the mind may never be invaded. It is only when we permit others to influence us that our minds may be entered. Evil may thrive on enslaving us physically, emotionally, or mentally, but it can do so only by deception. That is why we must remember the sanctity of our own souls. Our thoughts are private. As long as we are determined, evil cannot sway us. People think that others can read minds or that the gods watch our every movement. No master, no psychic, no god can enter our inner gate if we choose not to let them in.By withdrawing into the sanctity of our souls, we can also know ourselves. This effort cannot be carried forth by others. It can only be accomplished through the self-effort of living and engaging in ongoing contemplation. Only we can enter the most sacred core of our beings and find the secrets of life.

Personal Interpretation

The sanctum is the innermost part of a cathedral. Likewise, sanctity is found in the deepest part of our own selves. No one can enter our minds or bend our will without our permission. Evil can only creep into our lives through acts of deception, and a mind that is aware and on guard against it, will be effective at keeping it out.

It is wonderful to have a private place to physically retreat to, but a practitioner of Tao with a strong will, is equally capable of retreating into his or her own self, regardless of external environment.

The secrets to life, the answers to the most profound questions, the peace so many of us seek...these things can only be found within. This is why it is important to recognize the sanctity of our own souls, and to retreat into that part of ourselves which is in communion with the greater universe. We know things we don't realize we know, and life is a constant revealing of the self to the self.

March 16th

Breakthrough


Lake shadows color of cold,
Willow branches weep ice.
Swan rises dazzling in the sunlight.

After long self-cultivation, one's accumulated energy reaches a threshold and then bursts out full, breathing, and vibrant. Without the careful building of momentum, this moment of release would never have been possible. With long years of preparation and experience, the freeing of the soul will not be mere dissipation but will be so strongly focused that it lifts one into a higher state of awareness. When one's spiritual energy emerges, it feels like a swan rising from the water.Once you have reached this level of stored energy, you will be a different person. On one hand, you may take genuine comfort in the point of attainment that you have made. On the other hand, you now see all the other possibilities that remain for you to explore.
With the emergence of great possibilities comes the need for responsibility. If you diverge from your life's path in order to explore new vistas, remember how far you are flying, and remember to return at the proper times. Only you can decide how to arrange your life. Once you are a strong flier, you must still use wisdom to direct your flight.

Personal Interpretation


It is glorious to reap the benefits of careful self-cultivation. The journey is not an easy one. We may often find ourselves feeling like the baby swan in Hans Christian Andersen's tale, whose identity was a secret even to its own self until it reached maturity. the journey may involve bearing taunts and unkindness. We may feel different, isolated, unwelcome. In the end though, we will become what we were always meant to be, will be able to embrace the spiritual transformation that has suddenly cloaked us in dazzling white, a kind of armor against the ignorance of the unenlightened world. Like the elegant swan, we will reach our heads skyward, spread our magnificent wings, and take the world by storm. We get to determine when we leave our homes, what direction we fly off in. It is important to have a base to return to though, and we must insure that we have the strength to take a longer flight before we set forth on one. Sometimes it's best to take shorter flights first, test our own strength. Ultimately, we must listen to ourselves.

March 15th

Accumulation


An opening in the storming sea,
Gold deposited on bones.
Once accumulation has begun,
Take care not to interfere.

There is a fable about a pious man whose father had just died. A geomancer instructed the son to bury his father at the mouth of a sea cave. The sea opened at this spot only once in a hundred years, and a family who utilized it would experience great fortune. Although he had misgivings about this unorthodox location, the son threw the casket into the waters at the indicated time.For weeks the son doubted what he had done. He eventually went to a competing geomancer who, out of jealousy, advised the son the raise the casket. The son did so. When the coffin was brought up and opened, the man saw that a fine layer of pure gold had already been deposited on his father's bones -- a clear indication of the auspicious transformation that had begun. In regret, the son wanted to throw his father back in, but it was too late. There was no remedying what had been done.
Spiritual practice must be uninterrupted. We may be anxious because we see very little happening on a daily basis, but we must be patient until we can see what the accumulation of our effort yields. Self-cultivation means steady, gradual progress. To stop prematurely would be more disastrous than never having started at all.

Personal Interpretation

To live a truly spiritual life is no simple task. It requires sacrifice, self-realization, devotion even when the outcome is uncertain. Progress is made very gradually. viewed day by day, it looks as though practitioners of Tao are accomplishing nothing. The accumulated effect of their devotions can only be seen years after they begin their journey. We must be patient, and we must have faith that we will be rewarded for walking this path. Not in gold or restored youth or paradise. No, the reward we must seek is the cultivation of the self, the transcendence of the world of which we are a part, a return to the perfect harmony of the universe.

March 14th

Affirmation

Stand at the precipice,
That existential darkness,
And call into the void :
It will surely answer.

The precipice represents our dilemma as human beings, the sense that this existence is all too random, all too absurd. Is there order? Is there a force directing things? These are the important issues, so important that we cannot rely on scripture, but must instead explore on our own.The followers of Tao compare the void to a valley. A valley is void, yet it is productive and positive. The emptiness of the valley permits water to accumulate for plants. It allows life-giving sunlight to flood its surface. Its openness gives comfort to people and animals alike. The void should not be frightening. Rather, it contains all possibilities. Peer into it, call out, not just with your voice, but with your whole being. If your cry is deep and sincere, an echo is sure to return. This is the affirmation of our existence, the affirmation that we are on the right path. With that encouragement, we can continue our lives and our explorations. Then the void is not frightening, but a constant companion.

Personal Interpretation


The void, that is, the existential darkness in which we live out our lives, need not be frightening. As a valley's emptiness provides space for humans and animals to dwell, provides the optimal conditions for growth, and allows life-giving water to accumulate in its depths, so too does the existential void offers us sustenance. If we speak into its chasm with all of our  being, we are sure to receive a reaffirming echo in return. Affirmation is essential as we make our way across a terrain that is often rugged and uncertain. It is human nature to fear the unknown. To embrace it is to transcend the mortal aspect of ourselves and place faith in that part of us which is linked to the divine.

March 13th

Discovery


Seize the mountain spirits,
Make them divulge their secrets.
Only with strength is there discovery.

The scriptures say that the mountains contain the answers. Generations of seekers have gone into the wilderness and have encountered spirits both benevolent and terrible. Though the possibility of great discovery is mixed with the threat of misadventure, we must all go into the mountains to seek these answers.We should understand that these mountains represent the unknown aspects of our own minds. Meditation is a process of discovery, of slowly exploring how you function as a human being. Through walking in the vastness of this land, you can resolve the problems of your psyche and seek the treasures buried in your soul. Like actual mountain exploration, this process is not without danger. Failure means falling into insanity and obsession. Success is to find treasures without comparison anywhere in the world.
People ask, "Is meditation necessary?" If you want to explore the innermost parts of your mind and ascertain who you really are, there is no more ideal method. Mere introspection is not deep enough, and psychological counseling will not necessarily bring you face to face with all parts of yourself. Only the depth and solitude of meditation can help you learn everything. Discoveries are there. We need only enter the mind to find them.

Personal Interpretation


Discovery should be a lifelong process, and it should be a process that each one of us chooses to embrace. The journey is arduous, much like climbing a mountain.  There may be moments when we are blinded by the bitter coldness of the path we have chosen. But there will also be moments when our gradual climbing lets us see things that we glossed over before. To discover is to gain new perspective. The treasures we should seek are not gold and gems, but the beauty that lies dormant within our own selves. It will be revealed to us in time, so long as we stay true to ourselves and follow the course which is best for us. As with any adventure, there will be obstacles that must be overcome, dangers that must be dealt with. We are stronger than we know though, The vastness of the mountain can be seen as a metaphor for the vastness of the mind. With meditation we can reach deeper down than mere introspection could ever allow. It won't happen overnight. But one day we'll open our eyes, and the world will begin to look different.

March 12th

Entertainment


The mind that turns ever outward
Will have no end to craving.
Only the mind turned inward
Will find a still-point of peace.

It seems people never tire of seeking new thrills. They crave entertainment, and they want newer, sharper experiences. Events do not even need to be actual -- people are more than content with recreations, displays, and stimulating machines. Music must be amplified. A historic location must have museums, shops, and festivals. Life must have elaborate ceremonies with images, music, speaking, dining, and drinking.Followers of Tao regard all reality as being projections of our minds. All phenomena are subjective and relative. Therefore, it is folly to further entangle ourselves in confusion. True reality lies in withdrawal from the swirling variations of the outside world. It lies in looking within and then slowly peeling away the layers of subjectivity. What will remain is not a core of objectivity, but a kernel of truth that absorbs rather than reflects. If we enter into this kernel, our minds cease to continue their habits of creating stimulating realities, and we enter into a silence that feels perfect and whole.

Personal Interpretation


If we look for happiness beyond our own selves, we will never find it. Nothing will be enough. Desire will consume us. If we choose to turn inward instead, we can peel away the layers of subjectivity, and slowly approach the truth that is defined by the peaceful silence that is laden with the greatest meaning imaginable. To seek peace within, to treasure solitude, to return to the source of all things, is to truly know Tao.

March 11th

Independence


A solitary crane
In winter snow
Needs no jewels.

A single crane standing unconcerned in the falling snow is the very image of independence. It needs no one, it is secure in its environment, and it is capable of going through life alone. Its independence stems from self-sufficiency.It needs no clothing, no building, no wealth, no status. It is content, even glorious in its naked identity. So too with ourselves: There is no need for dazzling clothes, an impressive career, an awesome temple, nor a bejeweled master. What we want is something far beyond such externals.
What facets of your personality are encumbrances? What personal aspects prevent you from being independent? These are the areas that will define your self-cultivation, for you must strive to stand alone. This doesn't mean that you won't ever join with others, but you will do so as an individual who will cooperate just as much as is necessary. In this way, you will never be lost in a group, and you will never fear being alone.

Personal Interpretation


We should all learn to be alone, and to rejoice in our solitude. It does not mean that we will  never come together with others, but when we do so, it will be as an individual, secure  in our sense of self. To embrace the self is not to obsess over external signs of status however. We  must worry less about the clothes that we wear and our possessions. We must spend more time identifying the troublesome facets of our personalities and exorcising them. Self-cultivation is an important process, and it doesn't look exactly the same for any of us.

March 10th

Illumination


Fire feeding on fire.

Everyone understands that burning wood produces fire. But when fire feeds on fire, that is a rare condition that yields the greatest illumination. Two flames come together and yield light more magnificent than either could have given forth alone.In the case of community activity, this means that when one cooperates with others, the accomplishments are greater than what the individuals can do on their own. Such a situation requires a harmony that will generate ideas, inspiration, as well as momentum for growth and action. If the combinations occur properly, the results will be like fire upon fire and will illuminate the world. Sometimes, the combination comes down to just two people. If two people join forces, neither sacrificing their individuality, but only lending their power to an endeavor, there will be a wonderful situation that will both benefit others and encourage greater growth in the two people as well.
Fire feeding on fire can also mean the swift exhaustion of all energies involved. One must be careful not to lose one's own personality in any joining. The idea is integration, not assimilation. No matter what can be achieved in joining with others, it is wise to remember that we each walk this path independently. The ultimate truth of the journey and its final rewards are still for each of us to face alone.

Personal Intepretation


We can often accomplish more when we join forces with others. In such situations, we become like a fierce flame joining another to become a larger conflagration. It is important that we maintain our individuality in such a joining. We enter this world alone, face life's most difficult decisions alone, and ultimately, leave this world  in solitude. We cannot allow ourselves to lose what we are, to become beaten down by the superiority of other forces that would rather control us than join us. Such relationships deplete our strength and ultimately, make it more difficult for us to withstand the trials of this world.

March 9th

Creativity


Storm breaks into pieces,
Clouds change the horizon.
Revolving of the heavens
Generates all movement.

Without movement, there could be nothing created in this universe. The revolving of the heavens can generate wind, rain, thunder, lightning. The revolving of the earth enables us to have day and night, the very cycle of the weather, the seasons, and the growth of plants. Movement is responsible for creativity.Followers of Tao value initiative, but mere aggression is not enough. One needs creativity. This can mean the ability to solve problems, to think of unusual strategies, or to compose poetry, music, and painting. In all these cases, one moves in concert with Tao not by blind aping, but by giving intelligent counterpoint and harmony. Creativity does not mean the arbitrary making of something out of our cultural minds. Rather, it is spontaneous movement in tandem with Tao, a movement that will generate life and not misery for others.
One has reached the ultimate levels of creativity when one has mastered skill so thoroughly that it can be forgotten. Look at heaven and earth. Do they think about creating the weather, the seasons, and the cycles of growing? They only go on revolving according to their nature, and the rest is generated without any thought or work on their part. This is truly effortless action and is considered the highest skill that a follower of Tao can attain.

Personal Interpretation


Creativity is an important aspect of our humanity. Movement is responsible for the existence of all things, and we are most productive when we move in concert with Tao, which is like a river that flows through the very fabric of existence. It will do us no good to swim against the tide. We must let it carry us where it wills us to go. But Tao is not always sensed as a vigorously flowing thing either. We must still take initiative and paddle forward. There will often be obstacles in our way though, deterrents to the course of action we seek to initiate. Creativity can help us overcome those obstacles. It can help us to see things more clearly by expressing the innermost depths of our souls. It is essential to our spiritual success.

March 8th

Returning


Angles against lavender sky
Flung far across heaven's vault.
Unfettered, swallows
Circle back to the nest.

Swallows are famous for their daring speed and the unpredictable paths that they take in flight. Yet no matter how far they fly, they circle back to their nests.The idea of returning is significant for all of us. We must work, explore, travel, and make our achievements in life. No matter how much we strain and how wide we wander, we all need some lodestone, some center from which to operate. For some of us, this is a place, a home. For others, it is merely withdrawal into our own hearts.
Followers of Tao believe that there is a core spirit to which each of us should return. This core spirit is increasingly obscured by our own thoughts and the complexity of civilization. All education, while a necessary evil, is a stain upon the primal soul. Therefore, returning is a process of simplification that throws off the unnecessary problems of socialization. One gradually peels back the layers and makes one's way back to the unsullied, pure inner person. The time to do this is long, and one needs a great deal of guidance and self-cultivation to achieve it, but until one returns to the natural state, one cannot truly hope to be one with Tao.

Personal Interpretation


We must go out into the world and live our lives, but we must also have respite. We must have a place to return to when we grow weary. For some, it is a tranquil home. For others, it is a favorite hobby, an escape from the tedium of everyday existence. Followers of Tao should understand that while things like education benefit us, they also complicate our understanding. We should seek to simplify our lives as much as possible. The primal soul longs to be allowed to be what it is, but too often we bury its needs under the requirements of society. We must learn to know our true selves and we must refresh ourselves spiritually from time to time, in order that we might remember our purpose in this place.

March 7th

Cycles

Dawn is a shimmering of the horizon.
Dusk is a settling of the sky.

Dawn and dusk together represent the measure of a day. When the sun rises, the moon sets. When the moon rises, the sun sets. This represents the cycle of existence, for without such alternation, the power of the universe could not be generated. When the sun reaches its zenith, it will inevitably begin its descent toward its nadir. All events -- including our own plans and activities -- follow the same pattern.It is wisdom to know the cycles of life and where any particular circumstance that we are involved in stands on the curve. If we want to perpetuate something, we should join it to new growth to compound our progress. If we want to destroy something, we need only lead it to its extreme, for all things decline after their zenith.
All too often, people express uncertainty about where they stand in life. It's important to examine both the short-range and the long-range. If you want to go far in a decade, you have to go far each year. If you want to go far each year, you have to make sure that you do something significant each day. Use the cycles of life to establish a measure to your life, and then arrange your plans according to the units that you have chosen. Then there will be no fear of not knowing your own progress.

Personal Interpretation

The cycles of nature are also the cycles that dominate our lives, whether or not we care to admit that they exist. Knowing the cyclical nature of all things gives us more power over our lives than we may imagine. If we wish to do something meaningful with our lives, We must learn to do something meaningful with each and every hour of our days. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Just as we must seek to create, we must also acknowledge that destruction is necessary to make way for new growth. The interchange of these dualistic forces is what shapes our world. We must learn to perceive when to pursue a new path and when to remain on the one we're on. Shifting goals are not an indication of failure. Letting go is a valuable skill. It may take years to cultivate, but it is worth it.

March 6th

Ascent


Chill morning, stone steps.
The path to the temple is steep.
We may stumble at times,
But we must always get up again.

Spiritual cultivation is a daily activity. No matter how much we achieve one day, we must continue the next. Progress is often so subtle that we may feel the effort futile, and it is hard to get up each morning and try again with the same enthusiasm. Yet this is precisely what we must do.If we have the benefit of guidance, talent, and the proper circumstances, then the bulk of our attention has to be paid to such a simple day-to-day effort. No person ever leapt to heaven in one bound. Spirituality is achieved by steady climbing, like a difficult journey to a mountain temple. The number of steps is in the thousands; the way is steep. It takes a long time to get there, and we must content ourselves with the panoramas along the way and think that the view at the summit will be best of all. If we fall, we must pick ourselves up and get back on the trail again.
Success in spiritual life is measured not by spectacular events but by daily devotion. This iron will, this deep sincerity maintains our ascent.

Personal Interpretation

The journey is more important than the destination. To lead a spiritual life is not to be constantly enlightened. Instead, it is to devote ourselves to the improvement of ourselves each and every day. As with any other journey, we must measure spiritual success in small steps. It takes years to reach our destination, and some of us never do. It might be argued that it is the journey itself which changes us, perfects us, makes us what we seek to be. If we fall along the way, we must pick ourselves back up again. This is difficult to learn to do, but very necessary.

March 5th

Unbound

Bird song flies unfettered
Over blue sky and green fields.
Once you feel Tao run,
Give way, give way.

What is it like to feel Tao? It is an effortless flowing, a sweeping momentum. It is like bird song soaring and gliding over a vast landscape. You can feel this in your life : Events will take on a perfect momentum, a glorious cadence. You can feel it in your body : The energy will rise up in you in a thrilling crescendo, setting your very nerves aglow. You can feel it in your spirit : You will enter a state of such perfect grace that you will resound over the landscape of reality like ephemeral bird song.When Tao comes to you in this way, ride it for all that you are worth. Don't interfere. Don't stop -- that brings failure, alienation, and regret. Don't try to direct it. Let it flow and follow it. When the Tao is with you, put aside all other concerns. As long as the song lasts, follow. Just follow.

Personal Interpretation


 When Tao fills us, when it directs us, we should listen to its urgings, should follow to where it leads. The flow of Tao is not something to be controlled, nor interfered with. It is like a wave that must be ridden. Great joy can arise from the moments when we are one with Tao. We should simply allow ourselves to be.

March 4th

Articulation


Rain dripping from eaves
Sounds nature's poetry.
We speak and write to
Explain to ourselves.

Knowledge of Tao lodges in the same part of the mind as poetry. That is why the ancients expressed themselves in verse : There is the same quick perception.When we are in touch with Tao, it is not our academic learning that is speaking, but the spirit of Tao itself. The old texts are very specific about this. That is why there is such a vast difference between the words of scholars and the words of a practitioner, just as the words of academics differ from the words of poets.
At the elementary stages of study, we need to articulate our experiences and let Tao flow through us. Followers of Tao frequently use writing, art, and even poetry as tools for self-discovery. By articulating their experiences, it helps them to understand the stages they are going through. Once they can do this, it satisfies and neutralizes their rational minds. The process clears away intellectualism and leaves the true Tao, which is not subject to words or images.

Personal Interpretation


We must all go through stages of oneness with Tao. Poetry has long been used as a vehicle for the expression of universal experience. Art can be a tool for self-discovery if we let it. In the end, the rational mind is appeased and all falls away, and then there is only Tao. But it takes a long time to get there. For now, we can be content with articulating the wonder and confusion of life, using the methods with which we are best acquainted.

March 3rd

Interpretation


All that we experience is subjective.
There is no sensation without interpretation.
We create the world and ourselves;
Only when we stop do we see the truth.

The world exists, but we cannot truly be one with it in our normal modes of consciousness. Our minds know the world by constructing conclusions from the data of our senses. All that we know is filtered and interpreted.Therefore, there is no such thing as objectivity or direct knowledge of the world. Everything is relative because we are each condemned to our particular vantage points. As long as we all have different perspectives, as long as perception relies on our senses, then there cannot be an absolute truth. All knowledge from experience, valuable as it may be, is imperfect and merely provisional.
Inner truth is only glimpsed by disconnecting the mechanism of interpretation. If we can withdraw the activities of the senses and isolate that part of the mind responsible for filtering sensory input, then we can temporarily shut off the ongoing process of interaction with the outside world. We will then be in a neutral place that is wholly turned inward. We are left with an absolute state, entirely without distinction or relativity. This is called nothingness, and it is the truth underlying all things.

Personal Interpretation

It is impossible for us to know any objective truth in this lifetime. Our senses are responsible for gathering the input that forms the basis for our construction of our world and of ourselves. This is why there is great value in meditation. By disconnecting from the world from time to time, by choosing to minimize interaction, we can enter a neutral state of mind. It is nothingness, but it is a nothingness that is filled with great portent. It offers a glimpse into the universal truth underlying all things.

March 2nd

Sorrow


Rain scatters plum petals;
Weeping stains the earth.
One can only take shelter
And wait for clearing.

When sorrow comes, its bitterness soaks everything. The sages say that life is illusion, but does that change its poignancy? Let us be sad; it is feeling that makes us human. If we gain enlightenment, understanding all life to be a dream, sadness and happiness will fall away soon enough.The greatest sorrow of life is witnessing. Experiencing our own sufferings is not as difficult as watching others held in fate's mighty grip. Bearing our own problems is easier because we are always aware that we can exercise other options -- up to the final one. However, it hurts the most when we can do nothing for others. The greatest sorrow is to see those we love suffer helplessly.
When faced with a sad situation, it is best not to languish in it. We can change things by being with different people, moving to other places, or, if all else fails, adjusting our own attitudes to take the initiative. Sadness is transitory, like everything else. If we want to deflect it, we need only alter its context and allow it to be subsumed back into Tao.

Personal Interpretation

Sorrow is inevitable in this life. The most poignant sorrow arises when we are unable to alleviate the suffering of others. But we must remain strong. Sorrow, like everything else in this world, is transitory. It will pass away. And in the meantime, perhaps the saddest moments of our lives can teach us something. In the end, all will be subsumed back into Tao. We must keep faith and help where we can, of course. But we must also work to understand that sorrow need not be meaningless.