Navigation

Homer’s view of a flat Earth in 900BC

Do you know
Where you are
On your journey?

Tao’s movement has been compared to the flow of rivers. Its vastness has been compared to that of oceans. Some people are content to float here and there with the tide, but for others, such passivity is impossible. We have to navigate.

Like early explorers on the high seas, we know where we want to go. That’s when studying precedence is important. The wisdom of those who went before us is like a map. The truths regarding Tao are like the stars. We determine our goals, and we set out according to what we know and what we learn. The future is always uncertain; that is why it is important to objectively evaluate where we are on our spiritual path.

If you are confronted with a pivotal decision and cannot think of any other way to act, write down all the good things and all the bad things about a given situation. Also include how much more you want to do. See if staying your course will give you what you want. If not, change, no matter how deeply that will disrupt your routines. Some people never know where they are in life, and that is one of the biggest reasons that they are unhappy.

Deng Ming Tao, 365 Tao

I’m content to float most of the time, but I am always ready to navigate and steer when need be. I used to try too hard to fight the currents that run through my life, and wore myself out trying to paddle upstream. I had to learn to sail instead of rowing, which was way too much work. So now, I go with the wind and current for the most part, and have learned how to tack when needed.

Hey, at least I know the earth isn’t flat.