Tangential

The Tao is a religion as well. The literal meaning of religion is to hold onto. The traditional believer holds on to the notion that there is a Force that one can appeal to and get guided by. The Tao traveler holds on the now as a holy institution. You completely embrace and accept the moment and all the symbols that come your way; all the conversation and all the people you interact with. So you are holding on to the fleeting now which is a strange notion in itself.

When I thought about this concept I came up with the image of a tangent. A tangent of an object describes the underlying figure for only an  infinitesimal stretch and then adjusts to the new point of reference. Just in case if this concept is too intellectual for you, perhaps you can imagine Tarzan swinging from vine to vine. At each moment he has to hold on tight, but before you know it he grabs the adjacent vine if he likes to get anywhere. So you have the religion of a believer and the flexibility of an agnostic. I think this combination describes the Tao traveler quite well.