The Great Way

The great Way is easy,
yet people prefer the side paths.
Be aware when things are out of balance.
Stay centered within the Tao.

When rich speculators prosper
While farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn-
all this is robbery and chaos.

It is not in keeping with the Tao.

(Tao Te Ching translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995; Verse 53)

It began to mist just as I left the condo this morning. I turned the bicycle around and drove the car to the coffee shop, instead. No need for me to be damp, wet and uncomfortable. I’m glad I did as it’s been misting for the past three hours. A lot of things in our world are out of balance and not our checkbooks. I have come to appreciate how my time in nature, meditation, silence, and solitude help me stay centered and balanced at a deep level within me. The paradox, finding inner balance when the world around us is out of balance. Stay centered!