Tao of the Day

Today I had to get a little stern with a few people, (as stern as I get) as Lo joined me with #28, Marianne with #68 and Dayo with #14.
#14 "Hidden in Plain Sight"
Look and there is nothing to see.
Listen and there is nothing to hear.
Reach and there is nothing to grasp.
These three nothings, come together,
They combine and are one.
This is a mystery and cannot be named.
It is present within all manifestation
And is forever retuning to nothing.
So subtle it cannot be identified,
So conspicuous it is never hidden.
Consider a time before history
To show you how to yield.
You cannot know (if you're doing) it
You cannot prove (that you're doing) it,
But still you can be (doing) it.
You are using it now, but for what?
#28 "Knowing There's Depth in the Shallow"
Know the world through the masculine
But access your power through the feminine:
In this way, you will be open to receive.
If you can receive then your actions will support,
They will never be forced, and you will be innocent.
Know the world through the light
But connect to it within the dark:
In this way, you will be open to the truth.
If you can see truth, manifestation will not fool you,
It will fall away, and nothing will elude you.
Know the world through the particular
But know there is no particular here:
In this way, you will accept all things.
If you can accept all things, you will be a beacon
That will guide you, and all beings, back to source.
The manifestation was formed from the void.
The Master knows the manifestation
Yet stays focused on the void within it.
That is how she uses all things.
#68 "Do What you Love to Do"
Great athletes love to play, not win
Great fighters love to fight, not be angry
Great generals love to strategize, not destroy
Great employers love to employ, not be a boss.
Great musicians love to play, not perform.
They are not attached to identities or outcomes,
They simply dance with what they love to do.
This is in harmony with Tao.

I had a great conversation with Juan on his first time up about #79, and then a solomn Melissa joined me for #55.
#55 "Inner Strength and Harmony"
One who has inner strength is like a baby boy,
Unspoiled, flexible, and empty with no judgment.
Bees, wild beasts, birds of prey cannot harm him.
With no knowledge of the world
His penis can stand erect,
He has no shame or questions of why.
Caught in manifestation, the myriad scream for a time, he hardly notices.
His harmony is so aligned he can scream forever without getting horse.
He is powered by his harmony, and thus all fear is kept at bay.
The Master never speaks of possessing anything, life is the blessing.
Those who pursue power and excitement find themselves confused,
They allow their emotions to guide them, and they become exhausted.
It is not from Tao, and whatever is not from Tao arrives dead.
#79 "Conflict Resolution"
Every conflict creates an "Other"
Even after a resolution, animosity remains.
Is that good enough for you?
Therefore, the Master always does her part
Keeping the peace, not placing blame,
Correcting her own actions,
Without requiring the same from others.
Tao doesn't care who's right
If you do, you'll find it difficult.

What a great episode today! I started out wiht Melissa and talked abotu #47 after discussing how she created a template to interact with parents whating to confrence wiht her. Sandy and I always have great conversations this one revolved around #50. Marianne joined me with a randome selection of #72 and then Terry and I went on our reguar tangent settleing in on #6 for his retirement celebration.
#6 "The Great Feminine"
Everything is born from the feminine,
Even Heaven and Earth.
The Feminine that births is a Mother,
She nourishes and supports without possessing.
Despite your awareness of it
You are using it right now.
#47 "Engaging with Manifestation"
You can understand all things touched by Tao
Without leaving your room.
You can see all things touched by Tao
Without opening your eyes.
The more you trust the manifestation
The less you trust yourself.
Thus, the Master never engages manifestation
Without first having engaged herself.
In so doing she achieves everything
Without ever having considered it.
#50 "Awareness of Death"
Every being is entrusted with life for a time
However, it is only a prelude to death.
Some live as optimists, embracing life,
Others live as pessimists, embracing death,
Some even live in preservation,
Passively living, advancing toward death.
The Master lives aware of her appointment with death,
This brings her to knowing Real Life.
She cannot be harmed by rhinoceros or man
Her movements flow from her being.
She cannot be fooled by illusion or hallucination
Her actions flow from her being.
She has freed herself of all separateness
Even the distinction between life and death.
#72 "With Nothing to Teach"
The knowledgeable, having lost their sense of awe, seek to be entertained.
Losing themselves in that process, they turn to more knowledgeable authorities.
Do not make light of what is important to people, and they will respect you.
Therefore, The Master, although she knows herself, she is not arrogant.
She loves herself as she is, but she also loves others as they are.
She has nothing to teach, and the knowledgeable have nothing to learn.

Today I started with, and was then joined by Dayo for, #50 and it was a great conversation. Julie then cameup and joined for #45.
#45 "Beware of Words with Meaning"
To not define your accomplishments
You will always have patience to spare.
To not acknowledge your fullness
You will always have space to spare.
When we define something as straight, we see how crooked it is.
When we define someone as skilled, we focus on how clumsy they are.
When we call a speech eloquent, we notice the stammering therein.
The Master needn't define things,
What they are will arise naturally.
By removing herself, and her need to know,
She can see Tao express itself fully.
#50 "Awareness of Death"
Every being is entrusted with life for a time
However, it is only a prelude to death.
Some live as optimists, embracing life,
Others live as pessimists, embracing death,
Some even live in preservation,
Passively living, advancing toward death.
The Master lives aware of her appointment with death,
This brings her to knowing Real Life.
She cannot be harmed by rhinoceros or man
Her movements flow from her being.
She cannot be fooled by illusion or hallucination
Her actions flow from her being.
She has freed herself of all separateness
Even the distinction between life and death.

Today we had a lot of guests starting wiht Marianne and #49, Julie and #74, Meilissa's #8 Jay K's #34 and finally Kathy came up and we talked about #5
#5 "Impartial"
Nature doesn't care,
It knows everything is more than it seems.
The Master doesn't care,
She knows that as well.
It is good to be empty
Thus the Master embraces the void.
Like a bellows, she produces from emptiness.
Stay centered.
#8 "Be Like Water"
Water is humble,
Always traveling to the lowest place,
Nourishing, without taxing
Everything along the way.
In so doing, it is like Tao.
The Master aims to resemble water:
In thinking, she is simple.
In conflict, she is yielding.
In governing, she doesn't need control.
In work, she does the obvious thing.
In family life, she is continually present.
When one can be content with being,
And not require comparison or praise,
It is said they invest in their life
By making of it a donation.
#34 "Tao is in Everything"
Tao flows in every direction
And is received by all things
Regardless of their awareness.
Beings are born from it
Yet it doesn't create them.
It's work is every action taken
Providing for everything
Yet it makes no claim.
Being at the root of all things
It is hidden within action.
It has no motive, no desire
It promotes the greatness of beings
Thus its greatness is humble and pure.
#49 "Illusion of Separateness"
The Master has freed herself from separateness
She opens herself to receive from all beings.
When she encounters sincerity, she responds in kind,
In the face of duplicity, her sincerity remains.
When she encounters goodness, she responds in kind,
In the face of evil, her goodness remains.
Why should she change for the manifestation?
She knows the manifestation is an illusion of separateness
Beyond that, there is only one.
#74 "Don't Cut Yourself"
People are not naturally afraid to die
It is what we are born to do.
Fear of death is important if you want to rule over the people
However, you must artificially instill this fear into their hearts.
To accomplish this you kill as an example to control the masses.
Since the beginning of time there has been one executioner,
Trying to take its place will lead to nothing good.
As a novice with a master carpenter's tools
You're going to cut yourself.