Flow versus InterferenceWe’ve all heard the phrase “to go with the flow.” It generally refers to going along with whatever is happening around us. “Interfering,” on other hand, is not going along with it, typically because we have a better idea in mi...

Act Without Expectation?“The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.” (Lao Tzu) This suggests that whenever we seek and expect, we fail to be present. We are off som...

The Tao Is Like...This newsletter is going to be about words. We use them to distinguish things from each other, and they work very well. Calling different things by different names means we all know what we’re talking about. But what...

Need Approval From Others?“The Master does his job and then stops… Because he is content with himself, he doesn’t need others’ approval.” (Lao Tzu) We tend to do our job and then look over our shoulders. Who noticed? Are they impr...

Need Approval From Others?“The Master does his job and then stops… Because he is content with himself, he doesn’t need others’ approval.” (Lao Tzu) We tend to do our job and then look over our shoulders. Who noticed? Are they impr...

Mindfulness and the Tao Te Ching“Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment with openness and curiosity.” There are lots of definitions out there, and this...

Restoring the Balance“Be aware when things are out of balance. Stay centered within the Tao.” (Lao Tzu) What we do depends on where we’re coming from. Step back far enough, and we’re always centered in one of two places: our selve...

Four Principles of TaoismOur minds like lists, especially numbered ones – at least, my mind does. Many religions provide us with numbered lists. Christianity has its ten commandments, Buddhism has an Eightfold Path and its Four Noble Truths...

Guided by the Opinion of Others? “If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled.”(Lao Tzu) How often we look over our shoulders. What do others think of us? To take direction from what we think others th...

Good, evil, and the Tao Te ChingWhat does Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching have to say about good and evil? At first glance, we might think it’s pretty obvious everyone would be “for” the first and “against” the second. Many religious texts support t...