Today I had the old crew stop by starting with Julie and #42, then Loyce with #11. Kelly made time to chat with me about #18 and Dr. Rao followed her up to help us all digest it further. MoJoe was my final guest choosing #27, a classic.
#11 "Emptiness is Valuable"
Spokes, tire, rim, and hub all make a wheel,
Yet it is the space where the axel goes that makes it worthwhile.
Clay is formed into a vessel,
A vessel’s function is to hold things,
Thus its form includes emptiness.
A house can be built
But if it were solid, it would be useless.
It is easy to see structure,
But structure is there to expose the value of emptiness.
#18 "Out of Touch with Tao"
When out of touch with Tao
Etiquette is observed.
When etiquette cannot be abided
We find excuses to make it all right.
When excuses gut the family,
Chaos favors the hierarchy.
When all the neighbors are in chaos
Blind loyalty is demanded.
#27 "The Mystery of the Process"
Although a good traveler may have plans
They are not ridged, nor is the outcome.
Although a good artist creates,
Creations are arrived at through intuition.
Although a good scientist observes
It is done for the first time every time.
By embodying these strategies
The Master accepts everyone
And makes use of every situation,
Nothing is wasted and
Every moment is imbued with light.
What is the good if not a vision for the bad?
What is the bad if not a lesson for the good?
Accept this completely,
Or you will suffer in all you do.
It is the great secret.
#42 "Holding both Male and Female"
Tao gives birth to Universes.
Universes give birth to Planets.
Planets give birth to beings.
Beings give birth to everything else.
Tao is the great Mother
All else holds both Male and Female.
By all things embracing both
Harmony is achieved.
To feel alone is avoided by men
Yet that is where no identity resides.
The Master holds no identity
She embraces her aloneness,
Realizing when she is at one with herself
She is at one with all things.
