Understanding Mercy

No matter how much
mercy we extend to others,
we'll never really understand it
until we've had to receive it
for ourselves.

Symbol-based Species

Symbols cluster
around us like
street urchins
wherever we go,
just waiting for us
to give them meaning.

What Masters Us

When our fears master us,
we see devastation lurking.

When our thoughts master us,
we see forests and trees.

When our humanity masters us,
we see a hillside in season.

When our divinity masters us,
we see what was there all along.

Marks of Change

What marks us
can only change us
as much as our fears
will allow.

Lichen

What makes a rock
a comfortable place
to build a home?

Any place is comfortable
if you fit yourself to it.

Pulling Strings

For one who seeks Tao,
Tao is everywhere.

For one who denies Tao,
Tao is nowhere.

For one who ignores Tao,
Tao is behind the scenes,

pulling strings.

Easier to Understand

What if the universe really is
in every speck of matter?

What if the universe really is
embedded in every cell of our bodies?

What if the universe really is
just calling out to itself?

Why would that make it
any easier to understand?

Hard Enough Already

Life is hard enough already.
Why add to the misery of others?

Courtesy doesn't cost extra.
Politeness smooths the way for all.

Four Leisures

A meal eaten lazily among friends.
A comfortable seat at water's edge.
A favored book and time to read it.
A calm mind in the middle of chaos.

Agendas

Everybody
has an agenda.

We each want things
to go our way.

The true agenda
is no agenda.

Ignorance

Ignorance is costly,
but it can lead to wisdom.

Willful ignorance leads
to an uncharmed life.

Bones

What holds
us up in life
is the last
to dissolve
in death.

Bones are like
the roots of trees.
The most solid part,
but hidden from view.

Not a Sliver

There's not a sliver of time
that doesn't contain eternity.

There's not a single point
that doesn't contain infinity.

The sliver knows only the sliver.
The point knows only the point.

Eternity wears time like a jacket.
Infinity holds space in the palm of its hand.

Fear of Falling

We build a fence
along the edge of a cliff
to keep us from falling
into the gorge.

But what draws us
to that sheer drop
in the first place?

Are we seeking
a better view?

Or are we looking
toward that day
when we may fly? 

Every Wall

Every wall has a crack.
But you won't see it
until it appears.

When will it appear?

If you're lucky,
when you're ready
for it to appear.

Genesis

My spiritual journey
starts with a question.

Does anything lie beyond
what I can experience
through my senses?

If my answer is no,
my journey continues
deeper into time and space.

If my answer is yes,
my journey continues
deeper into the Divine.

If my answer is I don't know,
my journey continues
with another question.

We All Want to Matter

How long is
long enough to matter?

There is no long enough.
There is no end to mattering.

My problem isn't
that I don't matter.

My problem is that
so does everyone else.

When Light Enters

When light
enters a room,
everything changes
under its gaze.

When Tao
shows itself,
nothing stays
as it was.

Something to Keep in Mind

The earth
is always
in flower.

Somewhere.

Hard to See

It's no coincidence
that a city map mimics
the underside of a leaf.

Every house, every cell
connected to all the rest.

The great mystery is why
it's so hard to discover this.

Time Zone

Even the rock of the earth
becomes plastic and ephemeral
when its life is measured 
against the speed of geology.

Surrounded by Art

We are surrounded by art,
but that's only because
all art starts from within.

Four Callings

To live fully.
To ease suffering.
To scatter joy.
To trust enough.

Broken Stars

A star broken in two
shines half as bright.

A house divided
is nobody's home.

A nation split asunder
has no founding fathers.

A world fractured
is everyone's wound.

Bearers of Truth

Who are my trusted guides?
Who are my best mentors?
Who can I depend on for the truth?

Guides are only guides.
They keep to the same path.

Mentors are only mentors.
They can pass on only what they know.

The one I depend on for the truth --
that one can only be heard from within.

Progress Report

Progress is a story
the ego tells itself
to make its journey
bearable.

Progress is a myth
we tell our children
to give them something
to do.

Progress is a legend
I hold onto in my heart
because I'm not ready to
let it go.

Tao Words

The words
Tao writes
on the heart
are light and
easy to read.

Not always easy
to understand.

Teacup in a Storm

A teacup in a storm
can remain on a dining table
on a slab of concrete
or land in a field thirty miles away,
unbroken.

This is like Tao.
The standing still in chaos.
The sweeping through in a rage.
The blowing in without warning.

Becoming My God

If I think my wealth
is my greatest hedge
against destruction,
then what I possess
becomes my God.

If I think my faith
is my greatest barrier
against annihilation,
then what I believe
becomes my God.

If I think my life
is already safe enough,
then what I trust
becomes my God.

Repetition

The ten thousand things
repeat themselves endlessly
without repeating themselves.

This is how the universe lives.