Below is the final entry of the first chapter of My travels with Lieh Tzu before continuing with the next chapter entitled “The Yellow Emperor”. A significant portion of the chapter “Heaven’s Gift” emphasizes the importance of nurturing our spirit for the long term, highlighting the value of strong beginnings while ensuring that the path remains open for our continuing enfoldment, or journey. How do we attain peace in both life and death, understanding that by following the Tao and the Way of Virtue, our evolution is always continuing and eternal?
Too often, we appear guided by what is termed as the insignificance of humanity within a vast universe. To a so-called human Tao, wherein all things find their place with indifference to human needs, and by the impermanence inherent in nature, calling on us to be the first to change the only prevailing constant. What has been written over the centuries for thousands of years requires a sense of a clear link with comes next today. Why acknowledging history is so important.
There is a benefit to finding yourself in history. To seeing us as the link to nature’s best interests. To discovering our ultimate role as Heaven’s Gift…
There becomes what we could call the transience of life. Where we take advantage of what may be called the benefits of both heaven and earth, looking to take advantage of harmonious proportions of both. When observing how our perspective can lead to either benefit or harm, we can understand how our role may be evaluated through the lens of cause and effect. With nothing ever staying the same, we are to put things into their right order so that the benefit becomes both ours and others. When complimentary opposites learn to work in tandem the benefit or harm becomes ours simply to choose.
My travels with Lieh Tzu / Interpolations along the Way
Chapter One – Heaven’s Gift
20. Traveling Companions
Possessing the Way is like knowing the unknown. It cannot be done.
Being your body is not possible. As it is the possession of heaven and earth. Simple harmony granted a time to be spent in the world as you come to know it.
Your nature and destiny do not belong to you. Only the course of events laid out only for you to follow. Constantly in ebb and flow. Belonging only to them. Everything everywhere simply belongs to them. Families and friends but a gift. Not in your possession, but heaven and earth casting off others only as they see fit.
Therefore, you travel without knowing where you are going, stay without clinging and are made secure without knowing how. You are simply the breath of heaven and earth. Nothing more and nothing less. 1/14/95
Number twenty of one hundred fifty-eight entries.
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