Tao of the Day

Today we have a lot of heavy things go down Jay K chose #80 and we talked abou ther kid traveling, Melissa chose #23 and have a pain in her neck, Stephanie was having the onset of a serious migrain and chose #33. Then Sandy was talking about the health of her sister with #53.
#23 "Speaking from Tao"
When you speak, say what is to be said but no more.
Neither wind, nor storms last all day
nature expresses itself completely,
no matter how wild it may get,
Then it returns to stillness.
When you open yourself to Tao
You say what is to be said.
Everyone will agree because
When you speak from Tao only Tao can be heard.
He who aligns with Tao will only hear Tao.
He who aligns with manifestation will only hear manifestation.
He who aligns with failure will only hear failure.
How it is heard is not your concern.
Trust what is to be said
And everything will fall into place
#33 "You are Not Manifestation"
Study others and gain some knowledge.
Study yourself and gain deep wisdom.
Controlling others takes strength.
But controlling your ego and desires
Takes power and perseverance.
Knowing that you have enough gives you wealth,
Grasping for money and love forces you to conform.
Embrace who you are and stay centered in that
And although you will die you will not perish.
#53 "Tao is Easy"
There is nothing simpler than to walk the way of Tao
The only thing you'd fear is getting sidetracked
And yet many people think there is an easier way.
They pacify themselves with possessions and entertainment
Distracting themselves enough to never see their bankrupt lives.
They continue to acquire and convince others to join them in struggle.
Everyone eating and drinking yet consumed by starvation and thirst.
Excess is a thief, and the victim is the true self.
This is not easy, this is not Tao.
#80 "What's Important"
Any state wishing to align with Tao remains small.
Too many people bring about too many options and opinions.
In a small State its inhabitants are skilled and wise
However there is never a need to put their skills on display
They will be happy to humbly use their skills and work together.
They never dwell on anything too long
The next thing to do is always making itself known.
They love their surroundings so have no desire to travel.
Although they have a few trucks and boats
None are inspired to use them.
They love their lives and their simple food,
They make their own clothes,
Spend time in their gardens while speaking to neighbors
They take the greatest pleasure being with family.
Even though there is a bus to the city that travels through every week
Everyone here will be content without ever having made the trip.

Today Jay K chose to go with #3 which I was talking about and Dayo came up to talk about her older car and how possessions can inspire through #32. Lo has been going through a lot with #23 and Sandy may have gottne bumped again.
#3 "Inspiring Strong People"
Praising the status one can achieve
Will chastise those who don't achieve it.
Praising a possession that can be owned
Will condemn those who don't own it.
When nothing arouses competition
People will be at peace.
The Master leads by not defining status or possession.
She weakens the ambition of those around her
Which toughens their resolve to be as they are.
By individuals releasing their ambition,
Everything falls into place.
#32 "It is Not What You Can See"
So subtle is Tao it has never been seen
And yet nothing that can be seen is without it.
When beings can remain centered in Tao
All that they perceive is in harmony.
As that harmony inspires actions,
Those actions will have names,
Know that those names are provisional.
If those actions inspire institutions to form,
Know where their reach should end.
Inspired actions, although they may have names,
Those names needn't be taken too seriously.
Tao is behind it all
Even if you cannot see it.
#23 "Speaking from Tao"
When you speak, say what is to be said but no more.
Neither wind, nor storms last all day
nature expresses itself completely,
no matter how wild it may get,
Then it returns to stillness.
When you open yourself to Tao
You say what is to be said.
Everyone will agree because
When you speak from Tao only Tao can be heard.
He who aligns with Tao will only hear Tao.
He who aligns with manifestation will only hear manifestation.
He who aligns with failure will only hear failure.
How it is heard is not your concern.
Trust what is to be said
And everything will fall into place.

A good conversation around living resonably started with Jay K and #1 Sandy and #81 and melissa talked to her new room and wel talked #73.
#1 "Expressing Tao"
Words are particular,
They cannot express Tao.
To have a name is to be limited to manifestation
That which is nameless is the source of manifestation.
Self-referential, those who name, name themselves.
Want to experience the depth of the mystery? Stop identifying.
Want to experience the shallowness of the manifestation? Differentiate.
Either way no one can tell,
The difference is in your experience.
#73 "Nothing Falls Through"
There are men who love feeling, and to feel they kill.
There are men who love feeling, and to do so remain calm.
Who is to say which will experience more turmoil?
There is purpose in walking with death, as there is in walking with life.
The inner workings of Tao can never be understood;
It makes no commands, yet all things come on their own accord;
It never acts; but all things act on its behalf;
It is empty, yet within it lays all things and their Master Plans.
Tao is a net holding all things together, connected.
Its mesh is wide, but it holds so well nothing falls through.
#81 "Blossoming Leader"
True words may not sound comforting
Yet comfort those they are meant for,
However, comforting words are never true.
Connected to source there is no desire to prove
Desire to prove only exposes separation from source.
The Master's possessions are not part of the manifestation.
Giving away her possessions she only receives more.
Tao blesses everyone in this way.
When this blessing can be received,
Domination and power will yield
While all people will blossom as leaders.

Today was a good day, I talked a lot about surrender, the spirit of a room, and not changing who I am just because the situation changed. Melissa and I talked #66 and Marianne joined for #16 a classic about stillness and Jay K got #49.
#16 "Stillness and Integration"
Being empty of mind is of the utmost importance
And it is to be guarded with fervor.
We have all seen states of action arise,
And always beyond it returns stillness.
When any state of action is complete
It naturally returns to stillness.
This allows integration of what arose from action
Which is the natural cycle of maturation.
If stillness and integration cannot be achieved
Constant action will lead to anxiety and wild movements.
Yielding to stillness makes one impartial,
And all particular things fall away,
Then when it is time to die
One can be impartial to that as well.
#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.
#66 "Leading from Behind"
There are great benefits to humility
All rivers flow to the sea
Because its position is lower.
The Master emulates this by always being a servant,
Inspiring from below, leading from behind,
No one is oppressed, they find their own way.
Like rivers so too will the people flow to the Master,
Never feeling oppressed or as if they are in danger,
The whole world supports her and keeps her in their hearts.
Without a reason or a desire to compete
She is never met with competition.

Today I have a number of regular guests, Melissa #16, Jay K #27, and Stephanie #63, and had some wonderful exchanges around Tao a whole.
#16 "Stillness and Integration"
Being empty of mind is of the utmost importance
And it is to be guarded with fervor.
We have all seen states of action arise,
And always beyond it returns stillness.
When any state of action is complete
It naturally returns to stillness.
This allows integration of what arose from action
Which is the natural cycle of maturation.
If stillness and integration cannot be achieved
Constant action will lead to anxiety and wild movements.
Yielding to stillness makes one impartial,
And all particular things fall away,
Then when it is time to die
One can be impartial to that as well.
#27 "The Mystery of the Process"
Although a good traveler may have plans
They are not rigid, nor is the outcome.
Although a good artist creates,
The creations are arrived at through intuition.
Although a good scientist observes
It is done for the first time every time.
By embodying these strategies
The Master accepts everyone
And makes use of every situation,
Nothing is wasted and
Every moment is imbued with light.
What is the good if not a vision for the bad?
What is the bad if not a lesson for the good?
Accept this completely,
Or you will suffer in all you do.
It is the great secret.
#63"Problems are no Problem"
Be still and you will act without doing,
Be still and your work will happen regularly.
Be still and your senses will engage the subtle.
Similarly engage a stranger as the multitude.
See the majesty of mountains in a grain of sand.
The Master knows greatness cannot be grasped.
Remaining still, she allows greatness to flow through her.
With no desire to achieve it, her stillness guides her,
Making subtle movements the difficult seems easy.
She knows that all of life is not without its problems
So problems turn out to be no problem at all.