Tag Archives: Taoism

Society Has an Immune Disease That’s Killing Us

The systems designed to keep us safe, like police, military, and intelligence agencies, have gone rogue and cause far more harm than they prevent. Our answer to social problems is always to control people, lock them up, not heal them or integrate their perspectives. Meanwhile, our physical and social infrastructure, our caring for each other, grow weaker and millions of people fall into the system’s cracks. Continue reading

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Message from the Gods: You Can. Just Don’t!

Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it. More is not better. All spiritual traditions teach this, and nobody listens. Four stories of why we should. Continue reading

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Beautiful – or at least interesting – Thoughts

“Do not judge my story by the chapter you happened to walk in on.” – Linda Dilworth. When you see someone who is old, or disabled, or in poverty or crazy, that is not their whole story. Often, if we knew the whole story, we would be amazed and moved. Continue reading

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All is Well

A poor town in India had a night watchman. Every night he would walk through the streets singing “All is Well.”  People hearing him would feel reassured; he helped them sleep. The watchman went to bed before most people came … Continue reading

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Life and Death are Relative

As we do about once a year, Aisha and I were watching ducks in a small lake in Golden Gate Park, across the road from a stand of redwood trees. The mallards with their gorgeous green heads, the black and … Continue reading

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The Soft Survive

Lao-Tzu wrote: Living people are soft and tender Corpses are hard and stiff The living grass, the trees, are soft and pliant Dead they’re dry and brittle So hardness and stiffness go with death Tenderness, softness go with life And … Continue reading

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Is Heaven Just a Thought Away?

Ten years ago, my brother bought a bumper sticker: “Don’t believe everything you think.” I thought that was amusing. How can you not believe what you think?  Later on, I saw it as a reminder to lighten up. Admit you … Continue reading

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Help Without Helping

Lao Tzu says, “Teach without talking.”  I had a teacher like that once, who showed me the meaning of support.  This teacher was different from others I have had, in that it was green and didn’t move much, let alone … Continue reading

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