Brian’s Reflection: Thursday, June 11, 2009

When we are under stress, awareness of Tao is impossible … If we are fighting …..  in the office, or fighting in your home, or fighting in your mind, there is no such thing as being with Tao. If you are involved in this type of life, then you must content yourself to face your problems bravely - until you can do nothing other than renounce it. Every moment that you are with your problems, you are not with Tao. The best you can do is to remember that our stress is not absolute reality.

- Deng Ming-Dao (Taoist)

If I were trying to help “Westerners” to understand Tao, I would say that Tao is somewhat of an equivalent to “being in synch with the Flow of Life”. Or, to put it in a Christian context, I would say that it is “having one’s will in synch with “Gods will”. The Tao is like walking the Path of the Prince of Peace. Remember of course: there are many who claim to “know” what “God’s will” IS. To that I would say remember the words of Jesus. “No one knows the Father except the One who has come from Him”. In other words (I’m talking to myself too), don’t get cocky in this business of interpreting “God”.

Having said that, I shall proceed arrogantly to do just that, following in the way of many Christian mystics. Following the Tao, and following the Gospel, tells us that we cannot live in conflict at the same time. Oh God help me! I live in a LOT of conflict with what is going on in the World today – including the interpretation of Christianity, and especially the horrible strains of it in America. I’m working on it – but it ain’t easy! In my heart, I know that I need to renounce inner fighting and conflict.

Can I possibly believe that hatred, racism, sexism, homophobia, tribalism, xenophobia, greed, militarism, and a bunch of other nasty stuff is not “absolute reality”? More to the point, am I able to accept that most of these issues will never be solved in human life? Can I just get on with renouncing everything that wraps my Life in stress, and live my hopes and longings with integrity at least as my own puny Life is concerned?

Would this be like “being crucified with Christ”?? Letting the God of Unconditional Love and utter Compassion flow through every cell of my Being?

Yep. So now we know why Christianity is such an enormous surrender. What would my Life be like if I, or you, could manage it? Think about it. As Gandhi said once of Christianity, “It is a great idea; I hope someone tries it sometime”. Well, let’s just begin with trying not to live with our problems! And see what happens.

Brian+