Saturday, October 1, 2011

Dialoguing with Nature, The Nuts and Bolts 4

Habits of perception and thought can be useful shortcuts on the one hand, chains of delusion on the other.

To truly meet natural/physical/biological intelligence, be prepared to change your habits... regularly

The attitude required for success is beautifully described in this passage from the Tao Te Ching:


Human beings are
     soft and supple when alive,
     stiff and straight when dead.


The myriad creatures, the grasses and trees are
     soft and fragile when alive,
     dry and withered when dead.


Therefore, it is said:
     The rigid person is a disciple of death;
     The soft, supple, and delicate are lovers of life.


An army that is inflexible will not conquer;
A tree that is inflexible will snap.


The unyielding and mighty shall be brought low;
The soft, supple, and delicate will be set above.


—Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and The Way by Lao Tzu, in a new translation by Victor H. Mair, Bantam Books, 1990

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