Rock Light

To see
light in
a rock
is to see
light in
anything.

Even in
our enemies.

Even in
each other.

Even in
ourselves.

Thread

Threading our way through life
from birth to death is both
a solitary and a communal weaving.

Separateness. Individuality.
Cooperation. Community.
Fibers woven into every thread.

Many strands. One cloth.

No Barrier

No barrier will hold
nature at bay forever.

No fear will keep
love out in the end.

Above

We put ourselves above others
as if such a thing were possible.

It is not.

Arrogance is rooted in fear.
Humility is rooted in Tao.

Being Awake

Being awake
is more than
being aware
of what is
going on
around me.

Being awake
also means
being aware
of what is
going on
inside me.

This is why
true wakefulness
is so rare.

Flowers in Heaven?

Why would flowers
need to go to heaven?

Isn't their earthly life of
transient glory enough?

Apparently not so
for my ego.

Enter Heaven

More connects us
than divides us.

We are never as alone
as we think we are.

Our fears keep us
from seeing this.

Our pride keeps us
from admitting this.

Give up fear and self
and enter heaven.

Each Boundary

Each boundary connects.
Each bridge divides.

It is a matter of perception
that makes us think otherwise.

Metanoia

No spiritual journey
is a straight road.

Every turn brings us
closer to our true selves.

If we travel far enough,
we discover home again.

Big Bang Flower

Every flower
bursting
in the sunlight
is a Big Bang
spewing
another universe
into our eyes.

Mountains Cleave

Mountains cleave
and break apart.

Flesh is just as weak.
Even families fall apart.

Find joy in the holding on.
Find peace in the letting go.

In the Way

God is not an angry eye.
Tao is not a jealous god.

God doesn't need emotions.
Tao doesn't need to feel.

Those would only get
in the way of the nurturing.

Tree Wisdom

Why would a tree care
whether it reaches the sky?

Isn't growing toward it enough?

New Life

Decay allows
for new life.

It's how we
are resurrected.

While It Lasts

Life is so brief,
yet feels so long.

At least until
it feels too brief.

But that doesn't
come until later.

Brief or long.
Neither matters.

Only to be awake
while it lasts.

Lecher

Every year,
the planet
strips itself
to bare skin,
part by part.

Every year,
the earth
dresses itself
with green
all over again.

And every year,
I devour all
of this stripping
and dressing
like an old lecher.

All We See

Is it possible
to see the Divine?

Only if we allow it.

Otherwise, all we see
is a universe.

My Own Freedom

Wherever I turn,
I see edges.
I see limits.
I see boundaries.

But my greatest hindrances
are the blinders I wear
to keep me from seeing
my own freedom.

Appearances

Beauty and ugliness
surround us at every turn.

But it isn't always clear
which one is which.

This says more about our minds
than about our eyes.

When we change how we think,
we see beauty everywhere.

Small Mind

Something else
I've learned.

A small mind
always seems
so much bigger
from the inside.

Banquet

Feed the eye with light.
Feed the ear with music.
Feed the mind with wisdom.
Feed the heart with soul.
Feed the body with food.

Leaves of Life

We are the leaves
of the tree of life.

It sprouts us into being
for mutual nourishment.

Tribes Thrive

Flowers are tribal.
Gardens are communal.

All tribes thrive
better in community.

Naked Tao

Above the surface.
Below the surface.

One contains sky.
One contains depth.

Is it the surface
that cradles the sky?

Is it the surface
that reflects the depth?

Look beyond surfaces
and see Tao naked.

Boundary of Evolution

That we came to be
is a miracle of evolution.

That we cease to be
is a boundary of evolution.

No Window

No matter how many times
I notice the flowing of Tao,
it's always as if through a window.

And yet, I know there is
no window, no wall, no door.

Just Tao.

Help

Who we help.
How we help.
Why we help.

None of these
really matters
when it comes
to helping
others in need.

What matters
is that we help.

Which Are Reaching

Which are reaching?

Branches to the sky?
Or roots to the earth?

Power Source

What powers the upheaval
of mountains?

What powers the filling
of the oceans?

What powers the spinning
of the seasons?

What powers the breath
of my own body?

What powers the Tao
but the Tao?

Myths of Growing Old

The myth of irrelevance.
The myth of relevance.

The myth of decay.
The myth of permanence.

The myth of wisdom.
The myth of ignorance.

The myth of apathy.
The myth of fear.

Reaching and Grasping

Reaching beyond what is mine.
Grasping for what is not mine.

These pull me away from my true self.

Reaching accord with what is.
Grasping where Tao is leading.

These guide me into my true self.