image link The five colors can blind, The five tones deafen, The five tastes cloy. The race, the hunt, can drive men mad And their booty leave them no peace. Therefore a sensible man Prefers the inner to the outer eye: He has his yes, – he has his no. --Witter Bynner rendition of Lao… Continue reading Tao Te Ching/Dao De Jing V 12
Category: Daoism
The Dao of Starting and Burning a Fire in a Wood Burner
For those of you who already are experts at starting and maintaining fires in wood burners, you may choose to skip this post; or read it and compare it to your style of starting and maintaining fires in wood burners. Ideal environment and materials: --The wood burner has an excellent, clear stove pipe that vents… Continue reading The Dao of Starting and Burning a Fire in a Wood Burner
Depot
image link You’ve heard fake it 'til you make it? Where you pretend you’re caring Human, empathetic, a good listener, Monogamous, drug-free, eating single portions. It’s practice, they say, try on the role, And one day you’ll get the golden trophy. It takes time, they say, things worth having Are worth working for. Time… Continue reading Depot
Empty Cubicle
image link I'm retiring from my current place of employment in June 2018, after having served 25 years. Yes, served as in a sentence. It hasn't been all bad. Every year we do an office Secret Santa. It is a week of gifts that you give and receive, each gift in the $2-$5 range. So… Continue reading Empty Cubicle
A Prayer
image link Across the skies Across the land A pall Grey above and below With patches of white above and below Not enough to allow Spirits more than a millimeter Away from zero. --- Souls across the planet Of warm-blooded, plants, Stones, and water, and the Rest of the 10,000 things, In earnest, heart-beaming to… Continue reading A Prayer
Manson and The Lair of Song Mountain
image link Just last evening, after drinking A special blend of tea, Lifelike dreams visited. Twisting Chinese folklore To suit its needs, Came the following: ~ ~ ~ After half a century, a great scaly Kun, Who had been writhing in dark waters, sprouted wings, and transformed into Three-Headed Peng. Despised Trinity, It manifested abhorrent… Continue reading Manson and The Lair of Song Mountain
Specks and Loops
image link A mere speck, Absorbing light And other nutrients From its surroundings Glowing, growing Larger, stronger. Once easily wiped away Or washed down the drain, Now bright and pulsing, Now entrenched and radiating Matter approaches and feels heat Sharp pain, then vaporization if touched. The inevitability of yin and yang Compels blinding light and… Continue reading Specks and Loops
The Daily Prompt — Resonance
image link Faint as a butterfly's pulse Light as a snowflake's touch Sweet as a drop of warm honey Rare as the perfect pie crust Precious as a baby's first smile Engaging as a cat watching a bird feeder Mindful as counting inhales and exhales Where yin meets yang Resonance the daily prompt --… Continue reading The Daily Prompt — Resonance
Happy Fishes
image link I've been a student of philosophical taoism/daoism for several years now. Two of the main texts studied are The Tao Te Ching/Dao De Jing and the Chuang Tzu/Zhuang Zi. The Dao De Jing (DDJ)'s main speaker is an old guy named Lao Tzu/Lao Zi, and the Zhuang Zi (ZZ)'s main character in the… Continue reading Happy Fishes
