total abandon

Long ago the land was ruled with a wisdom
Too fine, too deep, to be fully understood
And, since it was beyond men's full understanding,
Only some of it has come down to us, as in these sayings:
'Alert as a winter-farer on an icy stream,'
'Wary as a man in ambush,'
'Considerate as a welcome guest,'
'Selfless as melting ice,'
'Green as an uncut tree,'
'Open as a valley,'
And this one also, 'Roiled as a torrent.'
Why roiled as a torrent?
Because when a man is in turmoil how shall he find peace
Save by staying patient till the stream clears?
How can a man's life keep its course
If he will not let it flow?
Those who flow as life flows know
They need no other force:
They feel no wear, they feel no tear,
They need no mending, no repair.
-- Witter Bynner, Chapter 15, Tao Te Ching

 "Come with me," said Jesus.

We climbed up to a meadow overlooking the town.

We sat quietly.

"How did you do it, Jesus?" I asked.

"Breath by breath," he said.

"When I breathed in, I breathed in God's love. When I breathed out,
I breathed out lovingkindness to the earth and all on earth."

"No matter the situation?" I asked.

Lao Tzu appeared, came over and sat down.

"What about when you couldn't feel God's love?" I asked.

"You mean when I was on the cross?"

I nodded.

"Then I breathed in all the poisons and evils on earth and breathed out lovingkindness and healing."

"Like this," said Lao Tzu.

We sat there breathing in love, breathing out love, breathing in the poisons from the town below, breathing out lovingkindness and healing.

All around us grew calm and still.