Friday, February 28, 2014

Wall Fence Gate Door


Wall. Fence. Gate. Door.

The first keeps others out.
The second keeps us in.
The third lets us out.
The fourth lets others in.

Good houses have all four.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Four Guides


A traditional guide
guides from in front.

A clever guide
guides from behind.

A loving guide
guides by example.

An enlightened guide
guides by not guiding.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Old Names


Grace is an old name
for encounters with Tao.

Wisdom is an old name
for encounters with God.

Humility is an old name
for encounters with myself.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Perfect


Perfection is not about
fighting our flaws and dark sides.

Perfection is about being
fully and completely who we are.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

No Word


Names split one
into many.

Words break one
into ten thousand things.

This is why there is
no name for Tao.

This is why there is
no word for God.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

The Poverty of Too Much


Too much wealth
is its own form of poverty.
It takes away our humanity
and robs us of compassion.

The cure for poverty is not
more of what we don't have.
The cure for poverty
is a balancing of the scales.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Carrying Light


We all live in darkness,
but we carry our own light.

We won't realize this, though,
if we don't look within.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Easy and Hard


Cling to what is easy,
and it becomes easier.

Avoid what is hard,
and it becomes harder.

Easy and hard
create each other.

Avoid avoiding.
Cling to non-clinging.

Hard becomes easy again.
Easy becomes hard again.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

That One


What we do with the one
who is not like the rest of us
depends on how long it's been
since we were that one.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Family Tree


Every twig follows
its own path to the sun.
And yet, even branches
tell each other what to do.
This is how a tree is formed.

Communities grow this way, too.
We each want our share of the light,
but when we block the way for others,
we stunt the growth of all.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Actions Last


Happiness is a feeling.
Kindness is an action.

Anger is a feeling.
Violence is an action.

Feelings are transient.
Actions are not.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Illiterate


Every stone is a word
the earth writes to me.

Every cloud is a sentence
the sky writes to me.

Every wave is a note
the ocean writes to me.

Yet here I sit, illiterate.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Bare Patience


How much patience
does a bare tree need
to wait for spring
before leafing out?

Why is it so hard to allow
the right moment to arise?

When I remember
that this moment
is the right moment
for what's happening now,
patience rises like sap
into every limb.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Loved


Our lives are shaped
by those who love us
as much as by our own will.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Transient


Moods ripple across
the surface of our lives
like waves across an ocean.

We are more than
churning seas, though.

Dive deep enough,
and there are no storms.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Inside Out


Forgiveness works
from the inside out.

First we feel our own pain.

Then we feel the pain
of the one who generated it.

Then we feel the pain
of our own ability to inflict it.

Then we feel the pain
of our own unforgiving heart.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Seasonal Disorders


Too hot, and I don't
want to hurry.

Too cold, and I don't
want to venture out.

Too wet, and I don't
want to travel.

Too dry, and I don't
want to move.

No wonder I never
get anything done.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Mutual Interest


What isolates us
also connects us.

What separates us
also unites us.

Diversity
makes us stronger.

Community
makes us more secure.

Mutual interest turns
diversity into community.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Followers


Everyone has followers.

When we follow Tao,
we lead those who follow us
to find their own way.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Seven Traps


Perpetual childhood.
Inerrant scriptures.
Mirrored beauty.
Inferior luxury.
Superior power.
Apathetic brilliance.
One right way.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Intimate


God does not live
in a hole in the sky.

Tao does not dwell
in a crack in the sea.

Split yourself open,
and God is within.

Search your enemy,
and Tao is there, too.

When you understand this,
fear has no place to hide.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Perspective


A flat road is not
always the easiest course.

A straight path is not
always the best way through.

Storms and rough places
add depth to the journey.

Mountains and turns
offer a different point of view.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Through the Chaos


The universe of
ten thousand things
is full of confusion,
yet every branch,
every twig follows Tao
through the chaos.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Deeper Look


The surface of a pond reveals
the universe above and beyond,
but nothing of what lies below.

One must look deeper for that.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Sunday, February 2, 2014