Recycling of Energy along the Way

The Tao doesn’t take sides;

it gives birth to both good and evil. 

The Master doesn’t take sides; 

she welcomes both saints and sinners.

Hold on to the center.

(Tao Te Ching)

The other day I was in a foul mood. Things had not been going my way for a while now, and I was lost in my dark thoughts. I switched lanes on the highway and suddenly saw a swerving car in my back mirror that tried its best to avoid a collision with me. Apparently it had been in my blind spot and I just hadn't seen it when I changed lanes. I thought the car would accelerate and expected the driver to show me the finger - that's what drivers tend do here in Boston - but to my surprise it just stayed behind me as if nothing had happened.

I had long forgotten about the incident when I was on my way home in the afternoon. I stopped to let a car from the intersecting traffic through, when a woman who was on her cell phone zoomed right through the intersection in the lane next to me; almost colliding with the car that was turning into our lane. Naturally I was mad at her aggressive behavior, and a couple of minutes later I would have had the opportunity to zoom past her to give her an angry look. It was then when I was reminded of the earlier incidence, so I decided to do nothing just as the friendly driver from the morning commute had done.

Everything that happens to us is recycled energy. It is hard to turn the other cheek when someone slaps us, yet it is easy to step out of the law of karma once we are able to look through life's karmic machine. Understand the circle of life and just let it do its thing without getting involved. Open your eyes and let life awake you from your robotic slumber. Life always offers you perfect opportunities to express your emotions without upsetting everyone. Face everything life throws at you, and experience how all your past actions are being recycled without incurring any new karma. Do that for a few years and all the karmic ties will slowly dissolve into nothingness.