Tao of the Day

On the Day of the National General Strike I started to talk abou t#49 when Terrilyn joine me for the first time and we talked about #54. Loyce popped up and we addressed #30 and Melissa and I went ofver #55 again.
#30 "Tao Does Not Dominate"
Governing, in any capacity, when led by Tao
Doesn't use force to gain power.
Every force applied will suffer equal counterforce.
So violence, however it is intended,
Will always rebound upon itself.
Where armies march briers grow
And in their wake follows hunger and villainy.
Skillful in what she does
The Master achieves her goal and stops;
Neither forcing nor manipulating further.
She knows that dominating
Goes counter to Tao
And whoever opposes Tao
Will certainly die early.
#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.
#54 "Observing Virtue"
Tend to Tao in your life and it will never be uprooted.
Hold fast to Tao and it will never slip away.
Filled with Tao, respect the children and they will respect the children
That simple virtue will continue for every generation.
This can only start with an individual and when her virtue can be realized
She will cultivate it in her family and it will become great.
They will cultivate this virtue in their community and it will continue to grow,
Naturally spreading across the nation and becoming abundant.
Because it is abundant it will touch every part of the Universe.
How do I know this is the way?
By quietly observing myself.
#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.

I kicked us off with #77 then Jay K joined and we selected #54 and covered that after which Melissa chose #4 and Mayvel came up and we talke all about #52.
#4 "The Void"
Tao is the void
And the void is within everything.
As it relates to what is perceptible (cells)
Everything is mostly void.
As the origin of everything
It is hidden within every particular thing.
The Master knows it is even the source of God,
And yet others still go on searching.
#52 "Like Tao so too You"
All things issue from Tao, it is their mother
Then, in their own time, they return to Tao.
Like Tao, so too you act in the world of manifestation.
When you recognize you are the mother of your experience
You can identify the children your actions birth,
Loving them as your children you free yourself of sorrow.
Choose to not recognize your motherhood,
A victim, filled with desire and judgment,
There will be no end to your turmoil.
Look into the darkness and learn how to yield,
Not allowing your senses to guide you,
You will find peace in ever crevasse.
#54 "Observing Virtue"
Tend to Tao in your life and it will never be uprooted.
Hold fast to Tao and it will never slip away.
Filled with Tao, respect the children and they will respect the children
That simple virtue will continue for every generation.
This can only start with an individual and when her virtue can be realized
She will cultivate it in her family and it will become great.
They will cultivate this virtue in their community and it will continue to grow,
Naturally spreading across the nation and becoming abundant.
Because it is abundant it will touch every part of the Universe.
How do I know this is the way?
By quietly observing myself.
#77 "The Bending of a Bow"
Tao acts on the world as the bending of a bow.
The top is forced down when the bottom is moved up.
It is impossible for the one to act
Without the other responding.
Unlike man, Tao is patient and neutral
Quietly adjusting excesses and deficiencies,
Taking from what is too much and giving to what isn't enough.
Ordinary men go against Tao,
Taking resources from the areas that are deficient,
Giving resources to the areas that compulsively consume.
The Master knows all things are being adjusted.
Although she cannot always see it in action
She has faith it is working through her.
In this way, she allows her actions to unfold
Neither dwelling on them nor taking credit.
Aligned with Tao they complement all things.

Today I have a couple new callers starting with Mary and she chose #40. Linda E came up and we talked all about how her mother would walk to church every day and how #41 addressed that. Ronald joined me for #23 as well.
#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.
#40 "The Movement of Tao"
Tao is always returning
It is also always yielding.
In the manifestation all things are born into existence,
Yet surrender and are renewed every moment within Tao.
#41 "Laughing at Tao is Perfectly Reasonable"
Those who live with sincerity, when they hear of Tao, immediately begin to embody it.
Those who live casually, may trust it at times, but aren't quite sure what do with it.
Those who embrace the manifestation completely laugh and scoff at the very idea.
If they didn't laugh and scoff, it wouldn't be Tao.
Therefore, you may have noticed:
Progress doesn't always seem to advance.
Beauty oft times can come off as obscene.
The powerful can tend to seem weak.
True love can appear tough or indifferent.
Wisdom can be mistaken as childish.
Great art can appear unsophisticated.
Tao is hidden in all of these,
Imparting what is needed,
Completing everything.

Today I started out reading #61, Lo joined me for #80 because her mom woud have been 80. Melissa and Linda then came up and chose #16 and #17 respectively.
#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.
#17 "Of Masters and Leaders"
In the time of the great Masters there were no leaders.
Then, those whom the people loved, led the way.
After having created the position
The people feared their leaders,
Then they despised them.
Having created leaders, their faith in Tao was diminished.
Having become a leader, his trust in the people was diminished.
When there are great Masters there are no leaders
She works day and night and says nothing about it,
When the work is done the people say
"Amazing! We did it all by ourselves!"
#61 "Being Great"
Being great requires the ability to be humble
So as to receive that which is attracted with tranquility.
Attraction is the most primal of expressions
To receive that which is attracted is to know oneself.
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.
All great beings realize when they error, having realized it
They admit it and correct it to the best of their ability.
The greatest beings seek out those who can help identify their faults,
They consider their enemy a part of themselves that requires attention.
To be centered in Tao is to nourish all related things,
To not interfere or meddle in the errors of others.
#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 I had Kizzy join for her first visit and we talked about #7 Melissa then came up and we unpacked #22. Linda E and I then talked about #62.
#7 "The Wisdom of Not Having Preference"
Tao is infinite
It doesn't grow old or tired.
Because it has no preference for itself
It can always persist.
The Master puts herself last
And always finds herself first.
By being detached from preference
She can give herself to what is
And find fulfillment there.
#22 "Looking Away from What You Want"
To become complete
Know that you're partial.
To become straight
Know that you're crooked.
To become full
Know that you're empty.
To be new
Know that you're worn out.
He who wants it all
Must know what all includes.
Thus, the Master stays centered in Tao
And becomes an example for the world.
Because she knows her light is forfeit
People can see it.
Because she has no point to prove
People can trust her words.
Because she has no identity
She becomes a mirror for others.
Because she has nothing to attain
Nothing can be kept from her.
Thus, when it is said
"To become complete know that you're partial."
It is wise to heed and surrender to it.
Only by living in collaboration with Tao
Can one find completion.
#62 "Everybody's Treasure"
Tao benefits all things
A treasure for those who know
An opportunity for those who don't.
To witness one act or speak to gain position
Know they are under the influence of manifestation,
Be like Tao and do not abandon them,
For knowing Tao is learned by example.
Therefore, when a new leader takes office
Don't offer words, gifts, or actions
Offer instead to teach them Tao.
Why is Tao so universally loved?
Because if you acknowledge it or not
Tao is your treasure,
Always in harmony
Every mistake forgiven.