Many friends and acquaintances frequently ask why I do this… why do I write…. why the interest in Chinese history and philosophy? Why make over forty trips in China and even teaching at the school founded by the descendants of Confucius? Who cares… why should it matter? Some people see this passion for ancient Chinese history and philosophy as nothing more than a hobby. I’ve always known my writing carries a touch of grace and echoes of memories of many that could use a little refreshing.
It has always been a great deal more than that since December 1993 more than thirty years ago when I was reawakened by spirits who came looking for me and would become my “spirit guides”. No, it has never been just a hobby. For me it defines becoming whole and transcendental.
If you’ve followed even a little of my writing over the years, you might have concluded that beyond a vivid imagination, there’s something more to it. I often call it “suspending disbelief”, and there just seems to be too much here to write off as merely a hobby. Just because something is beyond our understanding doesn’t mean it isn’t real. It’s fascinating, and in a way, it perfectly sums up Taoism. Trees release oxygen into the air we can’t see, yet without it, life on this planet wouldn’t exist. We often confuse comfort with what our soul or spirit is truly craving, especially when trying to define what a seasoned writer might call their “body of work” that captures what makes us eternal.
I often call the ancient Chinese sage—Chuang, Lao, and Lieh Tzu—dragons, because dragons serve as a metaphor for how truly learned individuals could transcend accepted knowledge and transform it into wisdom worthy of being followed. It was that simple.
These “spirit guides” came to me through my writing all those years ago and they have served as mentors I have anxiously followed ever since. Over the years I have often thought my best friends and mentors lived more than two thousand years ago.
So much of what I have written and places I’ve traveled in China, especially Chengdu and Qufu, have been for the purpose of refreshing my memories of places I’ve seen and been before. Going to Qufu in October 1999 was the final call or epiphany that erased all doubt.
Finally, at the end of my last trip to China and Tibet, in October 2018 before covid, on my last day waiting to go to the airport in Beijing I was sitting in a Starbucks and wrote the following words below that just flowed though me. The sketch above was done by an artist sitting nearby. He said that my beard wasn’t that long but that I appeared to be “full of myself”, and that there was more to me than what could be seen, so he wanted to show it in my beard.
It is as if all I need to know I already knew and I am simply to be reminded of my own origins and why I am here. Our home is everywhere we’ve ever been and/or will be. It is not a physical place, except as we can define as what we create as our sanctuary. It is the place where our body, heart, and mind reside only as spirit.
Our role is simply how we have influenced what we have ever touched or will touch, as we go forth from the past, present, and future with compassion, virtue, and wisdom. That journey continues… and I have far yet to go.
Why do you not live in the realm of who you are yet to become? Toshi did not leave his pen with you by mistake. It was so that you would take him with you – he is your guide from Lhasa – your gift from the universe. He is not only a tour guide, but also one of your mentors here to show you the way forward.
The one you need is always present just wanting to be asked. You have a gift – fine-tune it to become your ultimate self. The way is clear – open your heart and mind to those who are here to help you. (This was apparent on my way back from Lhasa on the plane going through Xi’an and on to Beijing). But it took me to act in my own best interest first.
Become one with the change that fits naturally within your highest image and become one with it. Become the light of your own universe – it flows from within you; Dan. Find the joy and use its energy to guide you.
Create the sanctuary that your mentors find appealing and want to reside in themselves making it easier for them to make an appearance. Focus on continually restoring your energy. Your longevity counts on it. Be guided by and from the light within. Toshi from Lhasa is an example of the key – don’t let him go. Share your energy with him and he will stay in its comfort. By example, this energy has always resided as your enthusiasm. Your passion is what gives you the courage and way to see within yourself – you are not to be the Buddha – you are to be yourself.
Create the flow of energy you want the world to follow, and they will do so – you are not Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, a Confucian, the Buddha – but the convergence of all these. It was Lao Tzu and use of I Ching that got your attention. You are a child of the universe – once found – you are to manifest this as yourself. Be yourself. You have been given a gift beyond life and death. Your job is to simply stay in the flow as who you have been, are now, and are yet to become. The world is your sanctuary. Live within your highest endeavor and you will always be ready for the next step to come.
For now, complete the update of Lao Tzu you have been working on for over a year. The “account” of your journey is far from complete. Filling in the details is essential. (I was updating Lao Tzu even then).
Become the joy as one who knows the way forward and the next step will always be readily apparent. Continually develop structure and using your innate planning talent to focus on the next three steps that show the way. Three keys to sanctuary are 1) family, 2) your surroundings, and 3) your writing.
Let others live in the light that you possess – don’t keep it to yourself. Show compassion and love and you in turn will be loved. Show forgiveness and you will be forgiven. Replace regret with showing the way forward with compassion and energy directed by your heart and mindfulness. That is all. Know the ways of your garden and know the world. You have created your own mantra – just learning to live by and through grace and what you have written.
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