Friday, June 26, 2015

The River Called Tao

Our struggles always arise when we fight what is. We have our goals of what should be and somehow life decides otherwise, so we end up being disappointed. It could be anything really, disease, failure, aging, or our spouse and children don't live up to our expectations. Some outcomes we can still influence, like getting into shape or recovering from a career slump, while others we may just have to live with, like our rebellious children, or a relationship that ends up in divorce. 

We do our best to recover from the disappointment, but it is a process. Again, what really bothers us is that this uphill struggle is slow. Learning to deal with this uneasiness is something we need to get used to. We have to exert will-power to keep going which requires energy. There must be another way though. Why does it all have to be work, and where is the fun? Could perhaps a simple change in perspective make it a dance instead? When we acquire this ability to lead a life flexibly, peacefully and with joy, we suddenly discover that little can face us, even when we are in the eye of the storm. 

We simply just become indifferent to whatever is happening to us and just do whatever this moment requires of us. This indifference may seem cold to you, but it is not. It is not an insensitivity to what is, it is the knowledge that along the Way every development is meaningful, fascinating, and will make perfect sense in time. Along the river called Tao the ego is too busy to complain, while the soul floats happily to its predestined Home. Just as they say, "It is as it is", but what we would add, "It is as it is, and as it is, is good!" Enjoy your dive into the river of life.

By Christian and Su Zhen 

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