The First

Listen for the first note.
Watch for the first sign.
Wait for the first answer.
Act at the first opportunity.

Growing Bent

A twig is bent,
and the tree grows bent.

A twig is staked,
and the tree grows straight.

A twig is bent,
and the tree grows straight.

A twig is staked,
and the tree grows bent.

All are true.
It is their numbers that vary.

Time Sweeps by in Decades

Time sweeps by in decades like a line of thunderstorms, and suddenly, we are decades older and can't remember how we got here. How did we get to be so old? Why do we still feel so young? Why do we still know so little?

Every age has its compensations, its own benefits, its own points of light. One of our tasks as we go through life is to notice and appreciate these as we go along.

Another reason to pay attention.

Progress

Stones into weapons.
Weapons into tools.

Caves into houses.
Houses into homes.

Curiosity into wisdom.
Wisdom into love.

Your First Decision

You make
your first decision
when you decide
you no longer want
to follow the path
laid out before you.

Blank Wall

A mind closed
to the Tao is like
a blank wall.

Solid.
Inanimate.
Unmoving.
Yet always
wearing away.

Six Choices

First is the choice of parents.
Second is the choice of families.
Third is the choice of friends.
Fourth is the choice of others.
Fifth is the choice of enemies.

You, too, have a choice in these.

Six Changes

Watching your child be born.
Losing faith in your parents' religion.
Being told of your mother's death.
Making the decision to get married.
Being confronted by your own prejudices.
Discovering the universe within.

No Tragedy

The blood of a tomato sliced
open on the cutting board,
why is this not tragic?

Why is not every end a tragedy?

Because nothing is permanent.

It is the ending that makes each
of the ten thousand things
appear luscious and bright.

We're Right

If we believe we can't get along with our neighbors because of their politics, we're right.

If we believe we can't work with our opponents to solve our mutual problems, we're right.

If we believe we can't find ways to live around people who are not like us, we're right.

What happens if we believe we can do these things?

Not Without Pain

Wisdom does not come without pain.

Hearing Is Not Listening

Hearing is not listening.
Looking is not seeing.
Thinking is not understanding.
Feeling is not knowing.
Living is not being.

Potential

The potential
to transform the world
lies within each of us.

We do it first
by changing ourselves.

Then we give others
a reason to change.

Then we let go.

When Is?

When is a summer night's noise not music?
When is a strong wind not a hard embrace?
When is a pinch of salt not a feast?
When is a wet forest not perfume?
When is a river not a galaxy?

Make a Difference

Tutor a child in school.
Teach an adult how to read.
Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Donate blood.
Help build a Habitat for Humanity house.
Recycle everything you can.
Be tolerant and courteous toward those around you, no matter where you are.
Read to a sight-impaired person.
Visit someone in a nursing home.
Check on someone in a hospital or recovering at home.
Add to this list.

Not Necessarily

The next step is not necessarily the best step.
The wisest move is not necessarily the wise move.
The straightest path is not necessarily the straight path.
The final destination is not necessarily the last destination.

Life

Show up for it.

Curve

The curve of the earth along the horizon
is like the bending of space as it crosses infinity
from one edge to the other and back again.

A long journey.
But what is long on the clock of eternity?
What is missing from the circle of infinity?

There is no long when there is no time.
There is no journey where there is no space.
The horizon is the bar that keeps us here, now.

One Thing, Something Else

It is one thing
to depend on other people.

It is something else
to be dependent on other people.

It is something else still
to be as dependable as we can be.

Charting Accurate Maps

Adversity deepens life.
It is like charting
the jagged depths
of a rolling sea.

How useful it is
to have accurate maps
when navigating
difficult waters.

Stilling the Squirrels

To still
the squirrels
in the trees
of my mind,
I clap out loud,
then I lose myself
in the moment
they're startled
silent.

Points of View

Seen from space, I am invisible.
Seen from within, I am enormous.
Seen from a distance, I am mysterious.
Seen close up, I am flawed.
Seen through other eyes, I am separate.
Seen through my own eyes, I am also separate.
Seen in full, I am not.

Have Patience With Yourself

Have patience with yourself
when you are trying to do something hard.

Have tolerance for yourself
when you are struggling with your flaws.

Have compassion on yourself
when you are lost and cannot find your way.

What Cannot Be Undone

Torn clothing.

Broken pottery.

Shattered glass.

Hurtful talk.

Salvation Journey

Salvation comes to us through our individual spiritual journeys. We find our way to it -- whatever it turns out to be for us.

When we find it, it is as if we have discovered our true selves. This is because all salvation comes from within. It is our rope to who we really are.

Seven Names

First is the name you were born with.
Second are the names you acquire.
Third are the names you call yourself.
Fourth are the names you never repeat.
Fifth are the names you are not aware of.
Sixth are the names you deserve.
Seventh is the name that is not a name.

Quiet Mind

A quiet mind
is a rare gem.
Treasure it.

Paths of Lack

Greed is its own punishment.
It guides us along paths of lack.

Inside Out

What happens
when you recognize
your own divinity?

You discover
the sacred
all around you.

How Long

I hike through a stream
and stop to watch algae
flowing like green hair
over carved river rocks
under the current.

How long this algae?
How long this green hair?
How long this rock?
How long this stream?
How long the river it feeds?
How long the oceans?
How long the mountaintops?

Someday, it will all pass away.
It will all perish into nothingness.

Maybe this is why eternity
is contained in this moment.

This one right here right now.