Reminder

Spring is a reminder
of the reckless exuberance of Tao.

So Fleeting

Satisfaction is
a state of mind,
not a circumstance.

It comes when
I am complete.

This is why I find it
so fleeting.

Unlikely

If I use nature to change nature,
will I end up with a better nature?

If I use you to change you,
will I end up with a better you?

If I use God to change God,
will I end up with a better God?

Unlikely.

Aspirations

Aspirations give us
something to do.
They are the children
of our drives and desires.

But why those drives?
Why those desires?
Where do they come from?
When did I choose them?

Maybe that's the work of life:
To mine the source of all
that we want and do
not think we have.

Fences

Fences are for the body.
Fields are for the mind.
Gates are for the spirit.

Three Doors

The door
to satisfaction.
Heavy and
hard to open.

The door
to fear.
Locks that
can't be locked.

The door
to wisdom.
Doorway
without a door.

Not So Clear

Half is filled with light.
Half is nothing but dark.

Which half is light?
Which half is dark?

Inside my own skin,
I can answer this just fine.

Outside, it's not so clear.

Signed by the Artist

We are each
a work of art
carved by Tao.

No Fear in Tao

Tao hates
nothing Tao brings
into being.

Hate is a property
of fear.

There is no fear
in Tao.

Nothing Can Make You

Nothing can make you
love someone you fear.

Nothing can make you
bless your enemies.

Nothing can make you
accept the darkness within.

Nothing does what it chooses,
whether you realize it or not.

What Fear Can Erase

Fear can erase history.
Fear can erase science.
Fear can erase knowledge.

Fear can erase cities.
Fear can erase cultures.
Fear can erase civilizations.

But fear cannot erase fear.
Only love can do that.

Heart of Stone

A heart of stone
is a heart
already broken.

Sometimes pain
is the path Tao takes
to reach us.

Narrow Passage

A narrow mind
is a stopping point,
not a destination.

Greatest Enemy

My greatest enemy
is the voice of my own fear.

My greatest weapon
is to love my enemy as myself.

To Be Free

To be free of fears about
the future brings confidence.

To be free of fears about
the past brings peace of mind.

To be free of fears about
the present brings serenity.

To be free of fears about
future, past, and present
brings true freedom.

Seeing the World

A pilgrim sees the world
as a foreigner sees it.
A traveler of unfamiliar lands.

A seeker sees the world
as an infant sees it.
Soft ground awaiting footprints.

A mystic sees the world
as one at home in it.
A regular guest of Tao.

Poverty of Too Much

The greatest poverty
is poverty of spirit.

It comes from the poverty
of too much wealth.

What This Moment Holds

The way to diminish
my fear of the future
is to trust the Divine
and love everything
this moment holds.

No Loss

Happiness can't be owned.
Contentment can't be bought.
Compassion can't be lost.

Reflection

All evidence of Tao
is a reflection.

Three Teachers

Responsibility teaches us to grow up.
Compassion teaches us to grow out.
Wisdom teaches us to grow in.

Underneath

When I clear away anger,
I discover pain underneath.

When I clear away the pain,
I discover fear underneath.

When I clear away the fear,
I discover Tao underneath.

Deep Calm

I think I'm separate from Tao,
but I can't be separated from Tao.

It's my reflection that makes me
think Tao and I are separate.

It's the deep, calm surface
that lets me know otherwise.

What It Is

Art is whatever
I choose to see as art.

Everything else is
science or mystery.

Two Minds

I am of two minds. 
One mind is awake.
One mind is asleep.

When I quiet
my wakeful mind,
my sleeping mind
usually wakes up.

Without Our Awareness

Tao moves among us
without our awareness.

Tao carves us like wood
without our awareness.

Tao hides within us
without our awareness.

To become aware is easy.
To allow it to happen is hard.

Observer

To look is not always to see.
To see is not always to know.
To know is not always to understand.

The observer sees.
The seeker experiences.

Potential

Potential always
points to the future,
but it can only be
realized here and now.

Hold back what is not ready.
Harvest what is ripe.

Religion and Paradise

If I need a religion
to get into paradise,
it isn't much of a paradise.

If I need paradise
to validate my religion,
it isn't much of a religion.

True paradise excludes no one.
True religion points within.

More or Less

The more people I know.
The more friends I have.
The more circles I move in.
The more cultures I embrace.
The more places I explore.
The more connections I make.
The more secure I become.

The fewer people I know.
The fewer friends I have.
The fewer circles I move in.
The fewer cultures I embrace.
The fewer places I explore.
The fewer connections I make.
The less secure I become.

Infinite Again

God can only be as big
as my imagination
will allow me to think.

God can only do as much
as my faith stretches me
to believe is possible.

When I quiet my mind,
God becomes infinite again.