William Martin's Blog, page 4

Wandering Taoist Journal

Six years ago I published a weekly journal titled: The Journal of the Wandering Taoist. It was quite popular and brought me a year of the most creative and consistent writing I have ever done. The Journal was sent to subscribers once a week and contained daily reflections from the Tao Te Ching; essays, book … Continue reading "Wandering Taoist Journal"

Just a 2% Shift!

As the solstice arrives with a gentle falling of snow, I rejoice at the warmth of our little cabin home and send gratitude to the spirits of the Earth for their eons-long nurture of life. My thoughts turn to intentions for the coming seasons with a mixture of grief and hope. Grief is the reasonable … Continue reading "Just a 2% Shift!"

Which Flow?

My spouse, Nancy, recently shared an image that came to her in a shamanic meditation – that of conversing with Salmon, who shared wisdom about the “elder” stage of life. In a seeming contrast to popular interpretations of Taoist thinking, the later journey of the salmon is a concentrated, focused imperative to swim upstream in … Continue reading "Which Flow?"

Seeing Through the Holidays

This is a guest post from my spouse, Nancy’s blog: Earth Centered Living After 60   Our eyes, minds and nervous systems have been deeply trained to follow the surface patterns of our culture in an exaggerated way as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach. It is as though a switch is thrown and we … Continue reading "Seeing Through the Holidays"

Vulnerable Courage

Attempting to control external events will never keep us safe. Control is an illusion. Whatever we try to control, we separate from ourselves. Whatever we try to fix, we ruin. Life is sacred, and flows exactly as it should. From The Tao Te Ching – Chapter 29   To be alive is to be vulnerable. … Continue reading "Vulnerable Courage"

Facebook Mind

One of the reasons Lao-Tzu was able to be so clear and powerful in his wisdom poetry was the clarity of his vision – his focus of attention. He looked at the natural world with a mind that was open and reasonably free of the typical ego-centric self-talk. That is what provides his words with … Continue reading "Facebook Mind"

Rationing

I have written before about the climate crisis that humanity faces. The forces fighting for business as usual are so very powerful that I often despair our fate. Yet hope remains within my psyche and that hope lies with individual spiritual evolution. Climate activists tend to pooh-pooh such an approach as being a type of … Continue reading "Rationing"

Update From the Land

Again, it has been a while since I’ve written. The usual excuse: I’ve been busy. It has been an experience of busyness unlike any previous sense I have had of that word. I am waking each morning into a relationship with my surroundings that is more intimate than ever. The rustic cabin we are renovating … Continue reading "Update From the Land"

Been Awhile

My goodness. It’s been almost two months since my last post. I deliberately took some time off as Nancy and I settled into a new and challenging role as caretakers of 3 acres of family property, including a rustic cabin, here in Mt. Shasta. We still live in our motor home, but are able to … Continue reading "Been Awhile"

Waters of Justice

I have lived an wonderful life. I have experienced an almost perfect balance of adventure and comfort; risk and safety; and challenge and contentment. I have often been “outside my comfort zone” but not so far outside as to make learning and growing problematic. I have loved deeply and been loved deeply. It has been … Continue reading "Waters of Justice"