Strong Man

When you hire a strong man
to protect your possessions,
how do you protect yourself
from the strong man you've hired?

The more you possess,
the more possessed you become.

Rainy Weather

Rain drains into creeks.
Creeks rush into streams.
Streams flow into rivers. 
Rivers disappear into oceans.
Oceans cloud into rain.

Whatever we pass on to others
comes back to us over time.

No Savior

What is hell?

A place we create
to send those who
put us through hell.

No savior can save us
from that kind of pain.

The Line Between

A line runs between pure
and everything that is not pure.

Pure is without blemish,
without stain, without flaw.

Not pure is soiled, human,
foreshortened, hungry, dust.

The line between grows thinner
the closer we move toward it.

The Right Decision

How do I make
the right decision?

By guessing?
By seeking counsel?
By listening for Tao?

By trusting
the right answer
will arrive in time.

Engines

Competition
is the engine
of survival.

Insight
is the engine
of success.

Gifted

Contentment arises not
from getting what we want,
but from accepting as gifts
whatever we get.

Rescue

Worry divides
the mind against itself.

On one side is what we want.
On the other is what we fear.

A whole mind
rescues us from both.

Corners

Every crossroad
offers another way.

Turn one corner,
and another corner
comes into view.

The choices we make
matter less than
why we make them.

Planted

Where we grow depends
on where we're planted.

Whether we grow depends
on why we're planted.

One Blade

Like grass, we spring
from a common root,
but we split into blades
as soon as we're able.

Also like grass,
we will not last long
as a single blade
in a barren field.

Four Trees

First is the tree of light.
It grows in blindness.

Second is the tree of knowledge.
It grows in ignorance.

Third is the tree of discernment.
It grows in confusion.

Fourth is the tree of life.
It grows in darkness.

Looking for Tao

When I look for Tao,
all I see is darkness.

When I listen for Tao,
all I hear is silence.

No other darkness
blinds with such light.

No other silence
deafens with such quiet.

The Changeless Path

Just because night falls
and  shrouds our steps
doesn't mean the path
has reached its end.

The night is temporary.
The journey continues.
The way lasts forever.

Who We Are

We are separate.
We are one.

Our separateness
is seductive.

Our oneness
runs deeper.

It takes both
to show us who we are.

Holy Ground

Sacredness is all around us.
Burning bushes litter our paths.
Holiness seeps in through every pore.

These are easy to see.

Discerning the Divine within
requires more experience.

The Free Life

To live a life free
of pain and suffering
is not a blessing.

To live a life free
of doubt and questioning
is not a blessing.

To live a life free
of interference from others
is not a blessing.

To live a live full
of these things
is not a curse, either.

More Proof

It's not enough to accept
something as true.

It's not enough to believe
something is true.

It's not enough to experience
something as true.

Our doubt is perpetually wide.
We always want more proof.

Another Way

Jesus is another way of seeing God.
God is another way of seeing Allah.
Allah is another way of seeing Tao.
Tao is another way of seeing Krishna.
Krishna is another way of seeing Buddha.
Buddha is another way of seeing us.
We are another way of seeing Jesus.

Power Source

Religion is about power.
The power of groups.

Spirituality is also about power.
Interior power.

Both of these can heal.
Both of these can kill.

Shallow power is transient.
Deeper power lasts forever.

Focus

What we see depends
on what we focus on.

Background.
Foreground.
Middle ground.

What we don't see
doesn't cease to exist.

A path.
A road.
An open door.

Six Turns

The first time you're betrayed.
The first time you feel utterly lost.
The first time you cannot pay your way.
The first time you think you're in love.
The first time you experience death.
The first time you truly wake up.

Driver

Limbs, branches, twigs.

What is it that drives us
away from each other,
yet keeps us from letting go?

Window Work

We are windows
through which
Tao watches Tao.

Or Not

Growth requires
us to change,
but we will change
whether we grow 
 or not.

Living Without

To carry a weapon is
a grave responsibility.

To live without one is
a better goal overall.

Crazy Happy

Some say it's easier
to believe in a devil
than to believe in a god.

These are the sober
reflective ones.

Some say it's easier
to believe in a god
than to believe in a devil.

These are the crazy
happy ones.

Universal

When a baby is born,
the universe begins again.

When a person dies,
another universe comes to an end.

Three Creation Myths

Tao says nothing,
and the universe
begins its unfolding.

God speaks not a word,
and the ten thousand things
grow into self awareness.

Allah remains silent,
and all of creation
bursts into being.

Seasonal Lessons

In the middle of summer,
winter is already on its way.

In the dead of winter,
summer is already coming back.

I've learned I can't stop pain.
All I can do is learn from it.

No Trust

Weapons are a symptom
of our inability to trust one another.