After two days of sitting with verse 71 in the Tao Te Ching, today I chose verse 15. With 81 seemingly irresistible choices in Wayne Dyer's table of contents, it was these words that jumped off the pages: Living an Unhurried Life.
It is important to note that there are a number of translations of this wise ancient text and that I am letting my current reading of it be colored, or illuminated if you will, by Dyer's lens. I own two popular translations of the Tao Te Ching and have used those in the past to gain insights into my spiritual life. By using Dyer's Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life book now, I am adding a layer of depth to the experience.
What so struck me about verse 15 (http://www.taoteching.org/chapters/15.htm) is that its message is the antithesis of how I live my life. It talks about the muddiest water needing stillness in order for it to become clear. So often I live at warp speed and I don't stop to let the "mud" settle. Instead I muddy it up with something else and keep moving.
Dyer writes, "Be an observer and receiver rather than the pushy director of your life. It is through this unhurried unfolding that you master your existence in the way of the Tao." All of this advice comes under the heading, "Stop Chasing Your Dreams." As one might imagine, my mind came to a screeching halt on that one.
But I am letting it seep in. Slowly.
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