the tao
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things. (1)
The essence of Taoism is this: the universe, also known as the Tao, functions perfectly without me having to orchestrate anything. Whether or not I am a good person has no bearing on whether the dawn will arrive tomorrow. I am a part of the universe/Tao, just like the sun. If I understand the principles and forces that govern the Tao and let those principles and forces guide my life, my life will run as it should without me striving to control anything. Taoism is about listening and letting go. It's about following the path of nature rather than your own limited and socially conditioned understanding. Rather than living life, it's about letting life live through you.
Quotes
“Although it has no taste, shape, or sound with which to please people, those who use it can never exhaust it.”
Su Che
“If you hear the wordless sutra once, the heavens will become sutras filled with golden words,
clear and obvious before you.”
Bassui Tokusho
“The cutting edge of this instant right here and now is always nothing less than the totality of everything there is.”
Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Questions
Affirmations