The Day a Tornado Hits You

Make no mistake about it - enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It's seeing through the facade of pretense. It's the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.

(Adyashanti)

At work, a tornado seems to sweep through my office ... a lot is changing in front of my astonished eyes. I know that the foundation is being set for yet another personal seven year growth spurt. In the past I always fought these changes; today I let them happen with a smile on my face. I go home, though, exhausted; I listen to some music to ease the pain, go to bed and try twice as hard to make everything work the next morning. 

I don't change a bit in this transformation, if anything my core shines through even stronger as these changes take place. Yet, just as the quote alluded to, I feel that something is being taken away. The ego screams murder while the True Self smiles knowingly. It would be a lie to say that I am happy as this transformation takes place, yet I know that the Source only has the best for me in mind. My lesson learned, stop looking for happiness, stop craving security and material success. The Way is about taking a step into the abyss with the perfect knowledge that somehow things will work out just fine.

Living with Courage

She was a young college student.  She had been together with her boyfriend for quite a while but it dawned on her that something wasn't quite right. She always had the urge to be on the look-out for other men although she never really took any action. Years went by and she felt stuck in this relationship until it came to this point when she felt that something inside her was dying.

With her back to the wall she decided to take a good look at herself and the situation she was in. She did not love this man. Instead she found that the only reason that she was still in this relationship was because she was afraid: afraid of being alone, afraid of telling him to take a hike and afraid of starting a new relationship. The moment she saw her fear, courage arose in her. Something came alive again and she was ready to take action and responsibility for her choice.

In our life we come across many situations like this one. It may be our jobs that we are clinging to; it may be our partners or our inadequate staff we are holding onto. We are afraid to let go of something even though we know from the bottom of our heart that it is not right for us.  This desperate hold-on-to something prevents us from experiencing what we really want.

What kind of fear holds you back? Which area of your life is stuck? Only you know it!  Whenever you experience big pain and struggle, there must be some hidden belief system behind it. Take your courage and take a deep a look. The Tao encourages you to lead an authentic life and be in tune with your heart. When you take the courage and go after your dreams you will feel peace every step of the Way. When you feel fear and interferences you know that something in your life needs adjustment. These little annoyances are encouragements really to start over again.

Trust, you deserve what you want and you can get what you want. Face your fears and submit to life. Changes will become automatic and they will be right for everyone involved. Along the Way everyone gets what works for them. Open up to unknown, and experience our life with courage and curiosity. Everything is possible along the Way.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Working with the Tao

 A Tao traveler learns how to work with the Tao and let things happen. She learns to center herself, observes and takes action as the situation requires. She trusts and works with the flow.

Before we walked the Tao, we worked hard but we didn't trust. We worked hard but we were anxious at the same time. We thought we were on our own. And indeed, when you don't connect with the Way, you often are on your own.

A Tao traveler works with the Tao and sees in amazement how the Tao moves things around. Occurrences that others would classify as interferences, the Tao traveler recognizes as a new branch in the road that invites you to change course. The Way will guide us along but all this can only unfold when we have trust and when we are patient.

When you feel like you come across difficulties, you somehow feel like an ant pushing a big cart. Stop everything at that moment and reconnect with your center - you are not in tune with the Tao at this moment. Actually, realizing the fact that you are not in tune in fact reconnects you with the Way. So when you observe that you are anxious, just let it be and keep observing. As you observe and wait, slowly, you can feel things settle down by themselves. Suddenly, you join the flow of the Tao again.

As you keep observing, you experience peace, joy and silence. Suddenly, an insight arises in you and you know exactly what action to take and what word to say. All this happens effortlessly with your awareness on high alert.

The Tao is watching over us with a pair of eternal eyes. And at this blessed moment, you and  the Tao are one. You experience this timeless observation with your own internal eyes; you watch all the unfolding events like an an outsider. Suddenly you know the secret of working with the Tao: just let it happen. When you join the flow of the Tao, your ego’s agenda is washed away. You stop interfering with the Way and suddenly theTao’s plan unfolds in front of you. You experience the Tao’s force, Her timelessness and you can taste Her sweetness.

Trust, let go of your agenda and work with the Way. You know things are going to happen just the way they are supposed to. Step back and let Her rush to the fore. Lovingly, peacefully and slowly, the Tao’s magic unfolds in front of you and through you.

By Christian and Su Zhen

The Tao of Change

Holding onto things that vanished
into the air
left me in pieces.
But now I’m rising from the ashes,
finding my wings,
and all that I needed
was there all along,
within my reach,
as close as the beat of my heart.
(Time of My Life, David Cook)


Have you ever observed how you respond to a big change in your life? Perhaps a move to a new job or city, a big transition at work or an end of a relationship; maybe a disease? We tend to do better with a change that is initiated by us and stand ready to take action and responsibility.  However, if the change is imposed on us, we tend to feel more like victims of life.

Change is not something we need to be afraid of. The Tao traveler learns sooner rather than later that change always works to your advantage. Change is here to break us out of familiar patterns that no longer work to our advantage. Maybe it will feel a bit uncomfortable for a few days to adjust to the fact that you are thrown out of your comfort zone, but soon we can adjust and run with it.

When you stand ready to engage with your new life and participate you always realize that a door has swung wide open for you. You smile when it occurs to you that the agents of change that you were weary of only yesterday are in fact here to propel you to a better and happier way of living. When you adjust to the Way, help is always at your disposal.

The Tao wants to expand our opportunities and take us to a path to unconditional love.  It is natural that we will experience a period of denial and struggle, but soon the adjustment becomes the new way of thinking. As we go with His plan we realize that every step is just perfect as is. The Tap makes you realize your strength, unleash your potential, and gives you a perfect opportunity to express yourself. Don't be afraid, the Tao is with you every step of the Way.

By Christian and Su Zhen

You are the Creator of your Destiny

New experience gives us the chance to observe how open we are to life. We may claim that we are very open, only to find that we are holding on tightly to our old habits and opinions of how things should be done. Alas, when we move to a new place or start a new job, life tells us otherwise. We may think that we are friendly, loving and positive, but then we turn out to be unfriendly, hateful, and negative when things don’t meet our expectation. All these new experiences give us the opportunity to realize how closed-minded we still can be. Life is there to show us how to discover the mind-patterns that still run us. There is a reason that we are thrown in these new situations because we haven’t learned our lessons yet.

I have observed in myself that I tend to be quite negative whenever I move to a new place.  There is always something that doesn't quite meets my expectation: the house is too old, the school doesn't communicate as well as the previous did, the air quality is not as good as in the previous neighborhood, the food is not quite as good. Instead of telling others nicely about my needs and expectations, I find myself acting rude and doubting nearly everyone I encounter. I am a Tao traveler, yet I radiate the energy of pain.

 Whenever I am caught in a negative energy field, I actually create a vicious cycle around me, which in turn attracts more negative feed-back loops. Luckily, mindfulness always liberates me from these negatives cycles and allows me to work on creating a positive experience for myself and the people who are in my life.

We live in a responsive world.  Our thoughts and actions interact with the environment we operate in. Whenever we have a loving, creative, and positive attitude towards the people and environment we are interacting with, they receive this energy and respond to us in kind; on the opposite side, whenever, we lose our trust, being destructive rather than creative, we experience hell.

What do you want to experience in your life?  Be creative!  You decide what environment you want to operate in and you will attract the people in your life who are happy to play with you. You are the creator of your destiny so please use your creative powers well.

By Su Zhen

The World as a Mirror (Revised)

It's like you're my mirror,
my mirror staring back at me.
I couldn't get any bigger,
with anyone else beside of me.
And now it's clear as this promise,
that we're making two reflections into one.
'Cause it's like you're my mirror,
my mirror staring back at me, staring back at me.
(Justin Timberlake, Mirrors)

Our friends love and accept us, they rarely give us advice or remind us of our shortcomings, but when they do, we better listen. Unfortunately it is hard to embrace this philosophy; how much easier would it be to just decide that our friends are just temporarily deluded. Yet, when discover that with every encounter someone in fact holds up a mirror for us, we get a priceless chance to break out of our old patterns.

And if we struggle with the friendly advice of people we care for, how much harder it is to react to our so-called enemies. Yet, people who are angry at us often reflect something about ourselves that we hide inside. Their anger fit in fact gives us a shot at getting it out of our system. The same is true if we are mad at someone; most likely we overlook something about them; a new perspective, an alternative story of who we are and who they are. When we feel anger inside, we should always know that we are violating our  spiritual nature at this moment. Chances are we could choose love by adjusting our perspective just a little. Unfortunately, change is hard to come by. How much easier it is to just be angry instead!

We spiritual folks need to remind ourselves that we are on a demolition course to advance. We aim to break down our artificial self-image, which is an inconvenient and tiresome job. In fact, we never could do it on our own. The ordinary folks down the street will always tell a story of black and white, in and out, friend and foe just because that's the easy way to do. We - faced with identical struggles - have made it a mission to be more flexible that that. We are not saying that this journey is always easy, but we always have Justin Timberlake's promise that we are going to be big with our sister walking next to us.

So let our brother take off the mask we are wearing. Yes, it may feel a little uncomfortable first, but our beautiful face will radiate so much brighter afterwards. Let's be grateful for every interaction today. Every encounter is meaningful independent of whether the feedback is positive or negative. Brother, thank you for holding a mirror up for us!

By Christian and Su Zhen

The Story of You

You change for two reasons. Either you learn enough that you want to, or you have been hurt enough that you have to.
(Unknown)

I read Steve Chandler's book, "The Story of You: And How to Create One", and I quite liked it. Yes, you are that powerful. Everything about you is your implicit belief system and who says it can't be changed! "Success" is always yours to choose; your so-called failure is just there to help you discover what true success is all about. You choose the story of your life - don't let some subconscious programs tell you what this story is all about.

"The Story of You" is a self-help book, so if you think there are areas in your life that need to be reinvigorated, you might get a tip or two from it and learn how to re-tell 'the story of you'. This learning process is all about dropping a few limitations in the process. It is quite subtle though; while limitations are always self-imposed, living your dream is always a joint creative process with a higher Force.  A Tao traveler would tell you that 'the story of you' is read out to you along the Way. Actually, I was intrigued by the ending of the book; a Tao traveler could have written it:

As a man's real power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower: until at last he chooses nothing, but does only and wholly what he must do.
(Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea)

Safe and Sound

I could lift you up
I could show you what you wanna see
And take you where you wanna be

You could be my luck
Even if the sky is falling down
I know that we'll be safe and sound

I could fill your cup
You know my river won't evaporate
This world we still appreciate

You could be my luck
Even in a hurricane of frowns
I know that we'll be safe and sound
(Capital City, Safe and Sound)

How do you feel when the storm of life is sweeping over you?  I have noticed that I tend to shut down, soaked in bitterness, asking " Why me?" But if you really observe what is going on, we are just afraid of an upcoming change. We fear that your lives get uprooted and that we can't handle it. Well, how do we know how exactly what we will experience in the new situation? Isn't it always the case that every transition is soon enough absorbed and considered normal again?

We want to hold onto something; we want someone to make us feel  safe and grounded.  The Tao sometimes shakes us a little to encourage us to let go of all kind if insurances. Ironically, we are always grounded and safe as long as we are open to change. If we hold Her hand we need no external protection. When we open up to life we can always manage to walk in the middle of the Way.

When the flood of life comes, we tend to be carried away when we are not mentally grounded in the Tao.  We feel lost and start to panic.  We want to grab something just to feel safe.  Like in the movie “Inception”, as soon as you recognize that you are well grounded, the feeling of panic and the desire to grab something disappears. Why do we need to hold onto something if we know that we are centered in the force that drives the change? Like an experienced wind-surfer, we can use the changing winds and waves to our advantage by constantly adjusting to them.

Let the Tao make you fall in love with the ever-changing sceneries, the arrival and departure of scenes and friends. Soon you get the hang of it, and whenever you see Her smile you know that you are safe and sound.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Enjoy the Game

Perhaps you can think of your life as a big interactive video game. We have our goals in mind; we try, we err and learn from the feedback mechanism we receive. Along the way we probably bang our head into a wall a few times just because we think the way to advance is forward despite all the obstacles. We also find it hard to retrain what we have been doing all our life even though it may no longer work for us. Yet sooner or later everyone learns that there must be a better way, so we practice our skill to readjust and to jump out of the hole that we dug for ourselves.

In the olden days energy was scarce, and our brain capacity was limited, so evolution crafted us as habitual machines.  Habitual behavior is something you do over and over again until it finally forms an energy cycle. Once the cycle is established you outsource the activities into the subconscious and the robot inside of you takes over, while you can use your precious conscious energy for new tasks. The downside of course is that the robot runs by itself even when you have changed your mind about where you want to go. But once the robot bangs your head into a wall a few times you may want to consciously decide to override that energy cycle. It is initially hard to do but it can be done. Change can be painful but if you truly set your mind on it, the reinforcing positive change can also release enormous energy in you. And very much like you created your old habit before, once your subconscious has been overridden, the new direction will be as natural for you as the old routine once was before.

 Buddha left his kingdom and Eckhart Tolle left his academic career. There are many stories of people who experienced spiritual renaissance sometime in their middle age. We experienced this transformation as well and one may be in store for you.  We change directions when the old path has become meaningless for us. But once you are on a lookout for something new, we claim that you can suddenly perceive a red threat that connects everything:  a right job, the right family, meaningful friends and colleagues and limitless opportunities for creative outlets. You have the right to experience fun, love and meaning all at the same time. Let the Tao assist you in your change of plan.

If you find resistance in what you do currently, honor that constraint. Life has a habit of pushing you in the direction that works for you. Embrace change, don't fight it. Every habit can be overridden; start with a vision of your personal success and happiness and let the Tao implement it for you step by step. Our whole life is nothing but a big game, but the outcome is hardly random. You decide on where you want to go and the Tao will propel you in the right direction. So put on your game face and have fun along the Way.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Won't You Stand Up?

All the lonely people cryin'
It could change if we just get started
Lift the darkness, light a fire
For the silent and the broken hearted

There's a comfort
There's healing
High above the pain and sorrow
Change is coming
Can you feel it?
Calling us into a new tomorrow

When the walls fall all around you
When your hope has turned to dust
Let the sound of love surround you
Beat like a heart in each of us

Won't you stand up
Stand Up
Stand Up
You boys and girls

Won't you stand up
Stand up
Stand up
Won't you stand up and use your voice?
(Stand Up, Sugerland)

I remember a time when I was in my mid-twenties, this was a period when I was mad at my parents. They had set up all these expectations for me and up to this point I had just followed them like a robot. They wanted a life for me that I resented. I realized that if I followed in their footsteps, I not only would have resented my life, but I also would have resented them.  At this moment I grew up. I decided I would start being responsible for myself regardless of whatever happen.  It was like I took a knife and finally cut off the umbilical cord myself  and welcomed my new life. I still remember that feeling…totally liberating…totally free and totally powerful.

 When you agree on a new direction and decide to be responsible for yourself, see how your life changes right away.  If there is any objection, any old familiar voice or important persons who tries to hold you back, you must still have some internal struggle within yourself. Perhaps there is still some lingering confusion, some doubt, perhaps  you are still waiting for someone external to give your guidance and approval. No one can stop you and no one wants to hold you back if you have set your sails into a new direction.  Stand up for yourself, be responsible for yourself, know what you want and go for it.  This whole universe is here for you. This whole universe is here to manifest your dreams and support you along the way.

 In my case, after I had made that decision to be responsible for myself and listen to my own inner voice, my parents stopped trying to influence me.  Instead, they changed their mind and accepted my dreams. The tough part in this decision is to trust that you know better than the people who care for you and love you. Know that you have a Guide inside of you who knows who you truly are and what you really want. Be still and listen to Her guidance and  you can never go wrong with that. Never  blame the obstacles lying on your path, they are just reflection of your inner state. Face your own resistance and the road will clear up for you magically. Perhaps today is a good day to stand up for your true mission in life.

By Su Zhen

The Tao has a Perfect Plan for You

Have you ever had the experience that you are dreading upcoming changes only to find that once you embrace them whole-heartedly you realize that actually this is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

The presents from the Tao are often in disguise.  They have to be  because you have limiting belief sets in you that you need to drop by the wayside. Let the Tao help you tear down these self-imposed walls and as the rays of sunshine stream in, you will see the beauty of what lies in front of you. See for yourself that surrounded by the light the monsters of your mind fade into nothingness.

 The Tao has a perfect plan for us, but it requires us to be able to open up to life with a curious mind and a loving heart.  When you are able to be open to Her plan, you will be surprised by her wisdom, creation, and Grace. As they say, we only have fear itself to fear. Open up to the Way, a present is waiting for you!

By Su Zhen and Christian

The Tao has a Perfect Plan for You

Have you ever had the experience that you are dreading upcoming changes only to find that once you embrace them whole-heartedly you realize that actually this is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

The presents from the Tao are often in disguise.  They have to be  because you have limiting belief sets in you that you need to drop by the wayside. Let the Tao help you tear down these self-imposed walls and as the rays of sunshine stream in, you will see the beauty of what lies in front of you. See for yourself that surrounded by the light the monsters of your mind fade into nothingness.

 The Tao has a perfect plan for us, but it requires us to be able to open up to life with a curious mind and a loving heart.  When you are able to be open to Her plan, you will be surprised by her wisdom, creation, and Grace. As they say, we only have fear itself to fear. Open up to the Way, a present is waiting for you!

By Su Zhen and Christian

Growing Out of It

I remember a conversation with my roommate who said that one of her male friends complained that he no longer gets the looks from women on the street the way he used to get. So he seemed to be loosing his sex appeal as he was getting older. Yes, looks and our body are certainly things that we all identify with. As as we get older we find that we are losing something. You may call that yet another ego indulgence which we should just ignore, but it doesn't quite work that way. The ego is us; we have to accept the way we feel.

Or take another example. A woman feels threatened at work. Some very good people have been laid off recently and she wonders whether she will be next. Her husband reminds her how good she is at what she does. He reminds her that he is fully employed so she would have time to look for a new job even if she got fired. But no avail, her worries continue. It is as if all the assurance from her spouse just doesn't register.

We spiritual path travelers reflect on our ego. That's what we do because we want to find out what lies beyond. Just don't mistake 'reflecting on' with judging. "Thou shall not be vain" is the voice of the spiritual super ego of our middle-aged guy in the example before. No, you can't just decide that you shouldn't be vain. Many in our spiritual community make that mistake because we think that this is what our 'True Self' wants us to do. Don't presume anything. Embrace the events that are coming your way. Let life - the Tao - take you on a ride to help you let go. Life will peel your ego like an onion if you let it.

 When we feel fear we mostly keep going nevertheless, right? Just as the woman with the murky job employment prospects will probably go back to work the next day and will put her best foot forward. So she "feels the fear and does it anyway" as Susan Jeffers demands in her excellent same-titled book. In the same way, just feel and experience the so-called vanity, the greed, the lust or whatever it is you think interferes with your spiritual path. Just accept whatever it is that is going inside of you without judgement. That way you actually have a shot of growing out of it.

On Change

Have you ever had the experience of making a big move either location-wise or professionally?  I found the experience of moving quite interesting.  It is very much like peeling an onion in the way that you discover layers of resistance that you need to overcome. A part within you dies and it creates the space to let in the new.  Every time when I come across resistance inside of me, I always experience pain.  I always feel that something is off. But when I sit down and listen to myself, I suddenly can understand the resistance and then I can let go.  Most of times this resistance is related to some life patterns which I am not yet willing to let go.  And when you are going to have a big move, whenever you are going to have a big change in your life, there are so many things, habits, people, which you need to say good- by to. Change can be scary.

 When you stay with your old life, you have no idea how many habits that you have accumulated; how many people have helped knit the web of your life.  And suddenly, these things all need to go.  And you have to be willing to let them go, or the resistance will disturb your soul. It is actually more than that. The change is presented to you by the Tao to help you letting go. Welcome change, welcome everything that comes your way, even if it feels awkward in the beginning,  it is yet another step on your way Home.

I still remember how attached I was to my old house last time when I moved.  I was quite sad for a long time and had no idea what was going on until one day I realized it was the house I was not willing to let go.  There are usually some wonderful memories that are attached to our homes.  As soon I as I had that realization, I felt happy right away.  Why should I let a house that I no longer own bother me even it was a wonderful house?  Isn’t it amazing how resistance can cause our suffering?  This is why Tao has no differentiation between good and bad.  It is always how you experience everything that comes your way and what attitude you have towards it.  You can always create suffering or joy for yourself regardless of what you are going to experience.

So let go of your resistance and let the Tao take you for a ride. Trust that the change is exactly what your soul needs. All the people, things and memories will always be with you. It is ok to be sad when it is time to go but then let go. Trust and realize the Tao always knows best and takes good care of you.

By Su Zhen

The Tao is Change

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

(Lao-Tzu)