Week 1, Day 3
Welcome to The Way.
Tao – or The Way – is, at its essence, the natural order of the universe. The word is Chinese in origin and means road, path, or way and Taoists say they are on their Path. They put nature and circumstance to work for them by maximizing their time and talents to live the life they are meant to live.
Like the universe itself, Tao has a myriad of meanings and interpretations for a multitude of people. Our focus here at Tao Power is the philosophical Tao, which provides structure and context and commands us to make our time serve us.
Tao’s founding is attributed to Laozi – also styled as Lao Tzu, among other ways – who is believed to have lived between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE in China. Not only is the founding of Tao attributed to him, but so is the authorship of Tao Te Ching . Due to the lack of specific biographical information, there are some who say Laozi didn’t exist and that Tao Te Ching is a collection of Taoist sayings and precepts that are merely attributed to him. Legend says he was last seen heading west on a water buffalo.
The matter is of no consequence. What matters is Tao has survived the centuries because adherents know it cuts right to the heart of our human experience. If you are not cutting to the heart of your human experience, if your time is not serving you, if you are fitting into slots not of your making, then you have found a home with The Way.
Thought for the Day
Who knows the limits of your capabilities?
These limits being unfathomable
You can possess the country.
Tao Te Ching #59
As we say here fairly often, all of us were born with assorted talents at birth, talents that vary from person to person. All of us can do something well and all of us have greatness in us and oftentimes the biggest barrier between us and the life we are meant to live looks us in the mirror every morning.
Now, not everyone can make the Olympic sprint team, and not every mountain you set to climb will be summited, but all of us can get the most out of our talents. Taoists are committed to doing just that. We make a lot of commitments in this life, but the most important one is the one to ourselves to maximize both our time and our talents.