the wonder & mystery

Thanks to my friend Mike Rock I've been reading the tao te ching english version by Stephen Mitchell. The simplicity, power, poetry and depth of Lao-tzu's words written 551-479 BCE are amazingly relivant to my life today. The journey of the soul meanders like a river as we face each of life's experiences. At times our integrity is tested, other moments we coast, others we stare up at the stars and wonder at the mystery. One of my many favorite passages from this version of the tao te ching is verse 16:

Empty your mind of all thoughts,
Let your heart be at peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.

If you don't realize the source,
you stumble in confusion and sorrow.
When you realize where you come from,
you naturally become tolerant,
disinterested, amused,
kindhearted as a grandmother,
dignified as a king.
Immersed in the wonder of the Toa,
you can deal with whaterver life brings you,
and when death comes, you are ready.