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September 25 - December 9, 2020
Why not simply stay quiet? Enjoy Tao as you will. Let others think you are dumb. Inside yourself, you will know the joy of Tao’s mysteries. If you meet someone who can profit by your experience, you should share. But if you are merely a wanderer in a crowd of strangers, it is wisdom to be silent.
Importance of being silent
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery; ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations. And the mystery itself is the doorway to all understanding.
Bring happiness to every encounter in life, instead of expecting external events to produce joy. By staying in harmony on the path of the Tao, all the contentment you could ever dream of will begin to flow into your life—the right people, the means to finance where you’re headed, and the necessary factors will come together. “Stop pushing yourself,” Lao-tzu would say, “and feel gratitude and awe for what is. Your life is controlled by something far bigger and more significant than the petty details of your lofty aspirations.” Trust the perfection of the eternal Tao, for it is the ultimate
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“His disciples said to him, ‘When will the Kingdom come?’ Jesus said, ‘It will not come by looking outward. It will not say “Behold, this side” or “Behold, that one.” Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it.’” Today, know that practicing oneness thinking will help you see that Kingdom.
Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub; it is on the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges. Shape clay into a vessel; it is the space within that makes it useful. Carve fine doors and windows, but the room is useful in its emptiness. The usefulness of what is depends on what is not.
The ancient masters were profound and subtle. Their wisdom was unfathomable. There is no way to describe it. One can only describe them vaguely by their appearance. Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream. Alert, like men aware of danger. Simple as uncarved wood. Hollow like caves. Yielding, like ice about to melt. Amorphous, like muddy water. But the muddiest water clears as it is stilled. And out of that stillness life arises. He who keeps the Tao does not want to be full. But precisely because he is never full, he can remain like a hidden sprout and does not rush to early ripening.
