One more meditation and then I’m done
I like to keep my Tao te Ching beside my bed and pull it out on nights when I am discomforted. I was attempting a meditation on the Tao before Portugal and found that Portugal had the marvelous effect of renewal – just what my soul needed. But before I bring the Tao back to my bedside which I’ve now cleared to only the stack of books I know I will read rather than desire to read, I’ll leave off my meditation with one entry.
#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 Tao,
you can deal with whatever life brings you,
and when death comes, you are ready.