The supreme good is like water,
which benefits all of creation
without trying to compete with it.
It gathers in unpopular places.
Thus it is like the Tao.
The location makes the dwelling good.
Depth of understanding makes the mind good.
A kind heart makes the giving good.
Integrity makes the government good.
Accomplishment makes your labors good.
Proper timing makes a decision good.
Only when there is no competition
will we all live in peace.
I love water. Drinking it, watching it, swimming in it. Bodies of water are always changing and moving. Water flows, it goes around rocks, over blockages. It doesn’t cling, attach, or fight. When you find yourself feeling “rigid” or “blocked”, bring the image of water to your mind and explore options that would allow you to flow through the situation rather than pushing or pulling.
The verse also talks about ways to live a good life. Be gentle and kind, to speak the truth, to be just, to be competent, and to understand the timing of all our actions. Begin to sense the timing of events in your life, trusting life to flow with you at the perfect time and place for all your good to manifest. Once again letting go and trusting, a common theme in the Tao.
I found these ideas online - Reflect on the following questions:
1. Where is your life flowing? Where is it stuck? How can you keep flowing?
2. How could you handle daily activities more like water?
Thank you for doing this Fiona. I love taking a moment and reading this stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, because right now, it seems like there is a lot of life changing events are presenting themselves to me this past couple of weeks. Another friend of mine is experiencing the same thing. Also, weird things are happening to people around us. It feels like there's an energy in the air that's moving us all around. I am going with it and trying to detach from the fear around it. I think it's all good stuff happening, but it's so much easier to stay where I am. I really liked reading this verse this morning.