Tao is the road up your spine.
Tao is the road of your life.
Tao is the road of the cosmos.
People are often confused about Tao because there are references to it on so many different levels. After all, it permeates all existence. Indeed it might be said that Tao is existence itself. It might seem odd that we can talk about Tao on a level so mundane as physical exercise and on a level as exalted as holiness itself. Those who follow Tao do not think of divinity as something “up there.” They think of it as everywhere.
Tao can be tangible when it wants and intangible when it wants to. One tangible aspect of Tao is the road in the very center of our spines. That is the path of Tao in us. It is the spirit road connecting the various power centers of our bodies.
On a philosophical level, Tao is the road through life. It is the change from one stage to another, the dealing with circumstances, the expression of your inner character against the background of nature and society. On a metaphysical level, it is the evolution and movement of the cosmos itself.
Now take these three levels — the movement of energy up the spine, the philosophical understanding of one’s own path in life, and the very progression of the universe — and meld them all into one combined concept. Then you will have a glimpse of the genius of Tao.
Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where you backbone ought to be.” — Clementine Paddleford
“The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“To understand others you should get behind their eyes and walk down their spines” — Rod McKuen
“Most species do their own evolving, making it up as they go along, which is the way Nature intended. And this is all very natural and organic and in tune with mysterious cycles of the cosmos, which believes that there’s nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fiber and, in some cases, backbone.” — Terry Pratchett
Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.
— Tao Te Ching, 11
Usually if I’m thinking about my spine, it’s because I need a visit to the chiropractor. Hmm, not a bad idea, actually. My neck is hurting, and I’ve been missing my pilates and yoga classes lately, and even my strength training sessions. So perhaps I’ll get to the chiro today.
But the thought that struck me as I was putting this together is that while our spines are firm and help hold us up, they are also hollow, and it is the space inside that makes them truly useful, since that space is filled with our spinal cord that connects our nerves to our brains. This is where Tao flows, in the space between.
Our lives are defined not so much by the events that occur, what happens to us, but by how we choose to think about those events. It is what happens within us, between the events of our lives, that determines the kind of life we will have. Unplanned events occur, people around us pass on, things don’t go as we may hope — but still, we carry on. And we call this having backbone, having the strength to persevere. And yes, the strength is important, but the other great thing about our spine is that it is flexible, and allows us to change direction. It is when we become too inflexible that we have problems moving.
The world around us has to be flexible and open as well. Trees and plants are designed to sway in the wind yet must be strong enough to bear their weight, and have hollow space to let the sap move freely. If we build buildings that cannot sway with an earthquake or stand the force of a hurricane, they will fall. If we neglect our bodies and fail to stay flexible, we will eventually become injured or ill. If we fail to allow there to be space within ourselves, we can’t make room for spirituality.
Sure, Tao is “up there”. And down there, and outside, and inside, and everywhere. It’s interesting that if you ask someone in an Eastern religion to point to heaven, they will point within themselves. Try asking a Westerner to point to heaven, and it’s “up there”.
No wonder we’re confused all the time.
3 Responses
Wow, what a cool picture! And, a great post (as always with you!).
I hope you got to the chiropractor and feel better. I’ve not been in over a year and desperately need to go.
If you ask me where heaven is, I will point within myself — it’s also where I point when asked where/who God is.
Yes, I did go the chiropractor. It helped, but I’m still a bit stiff. I have arthritis in two disks in my neck, so my neck muscles really like to tighten up and protect it when it’s out of whack. Takes a few days for it to loosen up again. My chiro says it’s difficult to get inflamation in the neck like you would usually get around a damamged joint, so instead the muscles tighten.
And the last time I hadn’t gone in a year, I really got chewed out, so now I go every couple of months. He takes his work seriously!
When I was at Michigan State University, that Pink Floyd poster was on my bedroom wall. Very insightful post, Donna.
“If we fail to allow there to be space within ourselves, we can’t make room for spirituality.” – I think that’s absolutely true. I feel that many times we are bombarded with so many attitudes, values, and religious beliefs about what we should feel, think, and how we should act. Many times these aren’t even our own, as we uncritically accept things when we are children. This provides a great deal of internal clutter, in my opinion. A house cleaning is in order to free-up space, as you called it, and connect with our true inner selves.
By the way, I have noticed and asked the question to many Westerners about heaven. Sorry, but I don’t buy the man on the cloud way of thinking. Good post 🙂