"The great Tao floods and flows in
every direction.
Everything in existence depends on it,
and it doesn't deny them.
It accomplishes its work without naming or
making claims for itself.
Everything in existence is clothed and
nourished by it, but it doesn't lord
over anything.
Aimless, ambitionless, it might be called 'small.'
Everything in existence returns to it, and
still it doesn't lord over anything.
Thus it might also be called 'great.'
Because it has no desire to be great,
it can achieve greatness."
In my writing, as in my life, I've been inspired often by the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." In the context of this blog, especially, I think it's fair to say that Lao Tzu's wisdom is similar, "To see things in the seed, that is genius." Either way, I am reminded of why we say one, "can't see the forest for the trees." At times one's vision becomes clouded by an unhelpful, unhealthy attitude, or crowded by distractions and trivialities. When that happens to me, my faith reminds me in turn that to see each seed from which the forest has sprung would be wondrous, indeed.
every direction.
Everything in existence depends on it,
and it doesn't deny them.
It accomplishes its work without naming or
making claims for itself.
Everything in existence is clothed and
nourished by it, but it doesn't lord
over anything.
Aimless, ambitionless, it might be called 'small.'
Everything in existence returns to it, and
still it doesn't lord over anything.
Thus it might also be called 'great.'
Because it has no desire to be great,
it can achieve greatness."
In my writing, as in my life, I've been inspired often by the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." In the context of this blog, especially, I think it's fair to say that Lao Tzu's wisdom is similar, "To see things in the seed, that is genius." Either way, I am reminded of why we say one, "can't see the forest for the trees." At times one's vision becomes clouded by an unhelpful, unhealthy attitude, or crowded by distractions and trivialities. When that happens to me, my faith reminds me in turn that to see each seed from which the forest has sprung would be wondrous, indeed.
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