Return

When I get to the bottom

I go back to the top of the slide

Where I stop and turn

and I go for a ride

Till I get to the bottom and I see you again

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Every generation produces men and woman who seek to make the world a better place. Some work within the science of medicine and invention. Others work for civil change.; for peace, love and understanding. For justice, and equality, to feed the hungry.

Every generation produces those that seek wealth, status and power. Some work within the science of religion. Others work within the halls of political change; for influence, war chests and dominion. The powerful ruling the masses for their own good - as the masses are looked upon like sheep that have all gone astray; each one to his own way and God has laid the iniquity of us all upon them. For our own good they rule over us and guide us.

Sheep need shepherds.

This has always been the way.

The history of the world tells the tale of men that have sought power and of their continuing quest to hold onto that power even unto their own deaths, leaving a legacy passing the crown to the "rightful heir". The end often justifies the means, they believe. History also tells of those that have sought freedom and fairness; to be heard. Fighting not to be silenced by their oppressors for what their oppressors can gain from them believing that each man is his own and needs no shepherd.

The haves and the have-nots.

The powerful and the weak.

The struggle for survival. The powerful to retain their power. The powerless to gain power.

And yet, Taoism teaches none of these.

We live in a world constructed of belief and of ambition, of superstition and of greed, of fear and of violence. A continuing clash and clawing. The ongoing struggle to keep our heads above the proverbial water line.

Life is suffering.

There is a somewhat perverted comfort in falling in with the mix. We work, we talk shop and we talk politics. We numb our minds with the endless stream of news media. We join the crowd and look for an identity that we can grasp onto to help define for ourselves just who we think we are. It is easy to do. We seek to identify with a country, a team, a religion. Something bigger than ourselves. It happens so easily and so often. Even in (and sometimes especially so) among the religious; the spiritual. The Christian wears the cross, the Pagan goes goth, the Buddhist sports a meditation T-shirt.

"This is me."

As Taoists, this is not our practice.

I began Tao1776 This being Human.....as a chronicle of my personal struggle with what it means to realize my own declaration of independence, as it were, through my introduction and practice into Taoist teachings, meditation, Qigong, and the quieting of the mind through mindfulness meditation as taught within the teachings of Buddhism. Health issues, job woes, family problems, and a general sense of angst draws me again and again away from stillness and leads me back again and again into the troubling Chaos of trying to get by in the world. And like returning to the breath once you realize that your mind has wandered during meditation practice, I eventually am made aware. I try to correct myself without judgement. Just noting my drawing away and my return.