When You Forgive Me

When you forgive me,
you set down the pain
that I created for you
out of my own pain. 

The pain you
no longer wish
to carry for me.

This is why forgiveness
offers more to the forgiver
than to the forgiven.

New Layer

Tao carves me,
day in and day out,
like a block of wood.

And night after night,
I grow a new layer of bark
to protect me from the blade.

No Such Law

Marriage isn't about law.
Marriage is about love.

A law against marriage
is a law against love.

A law against love
is a law against God.

No such law can stand
forever.

What I Get

Do I get what I need?
Do I get what I earn?
Do I get what I deserve?

Do I need what I get?
Do I earn what I get?
Do I deserve what I get?

The answer depends on
how I phrase the question.

Follow the Roots

A religion rooted in fear
becomes a terror to the earth.

A religion rooted in love
becomes a balm to the earth.

A religion rooted in both
becomes a nuisance to us all.

When I Pay Attention

When I pay attention,
I see what I wouldn't see.
I hear what I wouldn't hear.
I find what I wouldn't find.

Paying attention guides me
into living a complete life.

To live completely.

This is the true meaning
of perfection.

Vulnerable

My isolation makes me
vulnerable to fear.

My fear makes me
vulnerable to hate.

My hatred makes me
vulnerable to violence.

My violence makes me
vulnerable to pain.

My pain makes me
vulnerable to wisdom.

My wisdom makes me
vulnerable to Tao.

There is nothing
vulnerable in Tao.

Trust the Way

Every journey
is one of a kind.

Trust that you can
know the Way 
even when
you don't know
where you're going.

The Possible

Community makes life possible.
Forgiveness makes community possible.
Wisdom makes forgiveness possible.
Tao makes wisdom possible.

Enter Here

Beauty enters us
through our senses.

Wisdom enters us
through our experiences.

Death enters us
through our fears.

But Mostly

We're connected
by sunlight,
by moonlight,
by shadows,
by roots and trees,
by the air itself,
by anxiety,
by selfish misery,
by birth and death,
by wisdom,
by faith,
by hope,
by fear.

But mostly,
we're connected
by love.

Hatred Can't Kill Enough

Hatred can't kill
enough people
to destroy kindness.

Hatred can't kill
enough people
to stop forgiveness.

Hatred can't kill
enough people
to escape its own fear.

Open Eyes

Where is the future?
Only in our minds.

What is the past?
Images and faith.

When is the present?
When we open our eyes.

Living in the Dark

Some blindness
is intentional.

If we don't
want to see,
we don't see.

This is how
we learn to live
in the dark.

Seeing Clearly

Where I sit
determines
what I see.

If I know this,
I'll see clearly.

If I don't,
I'll only think
I see clearly.

Dangerous Way

The middle way
is the broad way,
yet few follow it.

It isn't the common way.
It isn't the obvious way.
It isn't the easy way.

It's the dangerous way
of kindness.
This is why it lies unused.

Enough to Go Around

Flowering meadow.
Deep spring wood. 

In light of these,
what is wealth,
what is poverty?

Is there not enough
in Tao to go around?

What Do I Use

What do I use
to separate myself
from others?

Where I live.
What I own.
Who I know.
What I wear. 

What do I use
to separate myself
from God?

What I believe.

Stepping Stone

Stones across a pond.

Are they a bridge across?
Or two paths to the center?

Four Pillars

The first pillar is for strength.
It keeps us open to the Way.

The second pillar is for wisdom.
It keeps us from wandering too far.

The third pillar is for passion.
It keeps us moving forward.

The fourth pillar is for trust.
It keeps us safe from fear.

Freedom Road

When nothing else works,
call on the name of the Lord.

When God doesn't listen,
call on your family.

When your family says no,
call on your friends and neighbors.

When they all turn away,
call on your own spirit.

When even your spirit leaves,
accept the world as it is.

This is the path to freedom.

No Need to Knock

Every spiritual door
leads deeper within.

No need to knock.
They're already open.

Built In

Whenever we're with others,
we create a community. 

It may not be a community
we want to be a part of,
but that doesn't matter.
Community is built into us.

Being in community teaches us
who we are and who we are not.

This is its greatest spiritual value.

For the Children

What we cast out today will
become the fertilizer of tomorrow.

What our children's children
will grow from it is anybody's guess.

To live lightly on the earth is Tao.
To live mindlessly on the earth is not.

Withered

Violence serves
only violence.
It grows out of fear.

Banish fear and
violence withers.

First Step

I am asleep and unaware
of so much of who I am.

When I wake up to myself,
I wake up to the world around.

When compassion finally stirs,
I take the first step.

Nation Builder

We can find ways
to cooperate with others,
or we can find reasons
to cut ourselves off from them.

One is the impulse
toward community.
The other is the impulse
toward fear.

Cooperation builds nations.
Fear tears them down again.

The Right Moment

Knowing when to act
and when not to act
is a gift of experience.

Knowing when 
the right moment
has finally arrived
is a gift of faith.

Dance

The battle isn't between
freedom and security.

The battle is always and forever
the dance between love and fear.

Resting Places

Wisdom rests in silence.
Silence rests in stillness.
Stillness rests in mystery.
Mystery rests in God.