Saturday, October 31, 2015

Herd Instinct


I don't really care
where the herd is heading.

I just want to know
why it's heading there.

Then I'll decide
whether to join in.


Friday, October 30, 2015

Judgment Enough


Does salvation always look
like salvation in the beginning?

Does disaster always appear
as disaster when it first arrives?

Judging the future begins
in judging this present moment.

Discerning the current of Tao
should be judgment enough.


Thursday, October 29, 2015

What You Want


If harmony is
what you want,
seek justice.

If wisdom is
what you want,
ask questions.

If power is
what you want,
conquer yourself.

If peace is
what you want,
go inside.


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Middle Class


To create a middle class,
one group has to pay for it,
and the other group has to build it.

Without a middle class,
nobody has to do anything.

At least for awhile.


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

No Separation


Cutting myself off from others
doesn't cut me off from Tao.

Protecting myself from others
doesn't protect me from God.


Sunday, October 25, 2015

Borderless


If every river is a boundary,
every bridge is a challenge.

If every shore is a limit,
every boat is a confrontation.


Saturday, October 24, 2015

Not Alone


I'm alone because
I'm not like you.

We're alone because
we're not like them.

You're alone because
you're not like us.

No one is alone in this:
isolation kills over time.


Friday, October 23, 2015

Into Nothing


Solitude rests the spirit.
Isolation bruises the spirit.

Compassion heals the spirit.
Apathy poisons the spirit.

Gratitude enlarges the spirit.
Greed thins the spirit into nothing.


Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Wrong Way


The wrong way
takes us into fear.

The wrong way
leads us to distrust.

The wrong way
scatters us like weeds.

The wrong way
points us away from Tao.


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Curious


Curiosity allows us
to live a full life
every day of our lives.

Without curiosity,
we live the same day
over and over again.


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Dominion


Dominion over the earth
doesn't mean destroy the earth.

Delight in creation
doesn't mean exploit creation.

We are stewards, not sovereigns.
We are caretakers, not corporations.


Monday, October 19, 2015

Hard Life


Life is hard for those
who seek to care.

Life is harder for those
who seek to exploit.

Life is hardest for those
who seek to trust.


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Exuberance


Release expectations.
Accept what won't change.
Live firmly in this moment.
Discover Tao everywhere.
Be grateful for everything.


Friday, October 16, 2015

God in Us


When we were young,
God had to reach down to us
because we were too little
to know God was in us.

When we were older,
God had to hide from us
because we were too busy
to know God was in us.

When we were old,
God had to call us by name
because we were too blind
to know God was in us.

When we died,
God had to wake us,
because we couldn't believe
God has always been in us.



Thursday, October 15, 2015

Making Room


If we can't make room
for the weak among us,
we don't deserve them.

They have more to offer
than we want to believe.


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

A Mindless Sleep


To be mindful
is to be awake,
to be aware of
what's going on
in this moment.

To be mindless
is to be asleep.

There is pleasure
in sleeping,
but nothing
happens until
we wake up.


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Only One


When there is
only one right way,
many will suffer.

When there is
only one right mind,
many will die.

When there is
only one right faith,
many will disappear.

When there is
only one right answer,
nobody will be safe.


Monday, October 12, 2015

Not Listening


Be still,
my mind says.

Be calm,
my mind repeats.

Be empty,
my mind tells me.

Be present,
my mind reminds.

But listen
my mind does not.


Sunday, October 11, 2015

Not Every Adversary


Not every adversary is my enemy.
Not every sage is my teacher.
Not every friend is my ally.
Not every mentor is my guide.

Fear creates enemies.
Ignorance creates teachers.
Trust creates allies.
Wisdom creates guides.


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Sign of Salvation


Caring what happens to others,
whether we know them or not,
is one of the signs of salvation.


Friday, October 9, 2015

Eternal Ocean


Clouds return to the sea 
what the sea gave to the sky.

We are rain flowing
back to the eternal ocean.


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Beyond Joy and Fear


What separates us
is our uniqueness.

What connects us
is the ground of being.

Uniqueness leads
to both joy and fear.

The ground of being
rests beyond joy and fear.


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Imitation


Everything I see,
everything I hear,
everything I smell
and taste and touch
is my mind's imitation
of what I see and hear
and smell and taste and touch.

But an imitation
is not the real thing.
Only the real thing
can truly be itself.



Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Three Diseases


Greed
is a disease of the heart.
It eats away from inside
until there's nothing left.

Violence
is a disease of the mind.
It kills thoughtful reflection
and leaves blood and pain.

Injustice
is a disease of the spirit.
It rots the body politic
and leaves us defenseless.


Monday, October 5, 2015

Something More


Heaven shows our need
for something better.

Hell shows our need
for something worse.

Give up heaven and hell,
and we have enough.


Sunday, October 4, 2015

Intersection


Each intersection marks
a connection and a boundary.

Both marks matter.


Saturday, October 3, 2015

No Sacrifice


No sacrifice is necessary
for God's acceptance.

No perfection is required
for God's pleasure.


Friday, October 2, 2015

Living with Others


Security doesn't come
from building walls.

Security comes from
building community.

Freedom doesn't come
from destroying enemies.

Freedom comes from
learning to live with others.


Thursday, October 1, 2015

Six Deaths


The death of our innocence.
The death of our trust.
The death of our empathy.
The death of our compassion.
The death of our connectedness.
The deaths of our victims.