pebble in the pond

What is planted right is not uprooted
what is held right is not ripped away
future generations worship it forever
cultivated in the self virtue becomes real
cultivated in the family virtue multiplies
cultivated in the village virtue increases
cultivated in the state virtue prospers
cultivated in the world virtue abounds
thus view the self through the self
view the family through the family
view the village through the village
view the state through the state
view the world through the world
how do we know what the world is like
through this
-- Red Pine, Chapter 54, Tao Te Ching

The surface of the pond was smooth.

"Drop a pebble in," said Jesus.

I did.

"What happened?" asked Jesus.

"The pebble sank," I said.

"Naturally," said Lao Tzu. "That's 'weight underside.'"

"What else?" asked Jesus.

"It made a splash," I said.

"That's fame, boy," said Lao Tzu. "Notice it and let it go."

"Something else happened," said Jesus. "Something still happening."

"Ripples went out and are going out in all directions," I said.

"That's what happened to us," said Jesus, pointing to himself and Lao Tzu.

"Still happening," said Lao Tzu.

"No end to it," said Jesus.

"Same with you," said Lao Tzu."Virtue is a name for the energy of the Tao."

"Creative and transformative," said Jesus. "Healing."

"When you move in accord with the Tao," said Lao Tzu. "creative energy flows in all directions.

"How do I move in accord with the Tao?" I asked.

"Like this," said Jesus.

I looked at him. He wasn't doing anything.

Lao Tzu laughed. "Through being, dummy!"

sounds familiar

The great Way is easy,
yet people prefer the side paths.
Be aware when things are out of balance.
Stay centered within the Tao.

When rich speculators prosper
while farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn--
all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in keeping with the Tao.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 53, Tao Te Ching

"Enough said," said Lao Tzu.

"The eye of the needle and all that," said Jesus.

"Some things just don't change," I said.

the light of awareness

In the beginning was the Tao.
All things issue from it;
all things return to it.

To find the origin,
trace back the manifestations.
When you recognize the children
and find the mother,
you will be free of sorrow.

If you close your mind in judgments
and traffic with desires,
your heart will be troubled.
If you keep your mind from judging
and aren't led by the senses,
your heart will find peace.

Seeing into darkness is clarity.
Knowing how to yield is strength.
Use your own light
and return to the source of light.
This is called practicing eternity.
--  Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 52,Tao Te Ching

We climbed the mountain and sat in a grove of aspen.

"Close your eyes," said Lao Tzu.

I sat quietly with eyes closed.

"What do you see?" he asked.

"Light."

"Take your jacket and put it over your head," he said.

I put my jacket over my head.

"What do you see now?" he asked.

"Light," I said.

"No movies of your mind?"

"No."

"You are seeing the past," he said. "The past which is present now. The light you are seeing is the light of the origin of all things."

"That light is you," said Jesus. "You are the light of the world."

"Do you also see the darkness?" asked Lao Tzu.

"Yes."

"That is Dark Energy from which all light arises," he said.

"You are like a tree," said Jesus. "Your roots are in the Ground of all existence. Your trunk and branches are in the Sky of being."

"Take that jacket off your head," said Lao Tzu.

I removed the jacket.

The day was beautiful and bright.

We three trees got up and moved through the grove.

circum stances

Every being in the universe

"Did you get that?" said Lao Tzu.

"EVERY being," I said.

is an expression of the Tao.

"We are all sons and daughters, offspring, of the Father," said Jesus.

"And the Mother," said Lao Tzu.

"And It," I said.

It springs into existence,
unconscious, perfect, free,
takes on a physical body,
lets circumstances complete it.

"Did you hear that, boy?" said Lao Tzu. "Your circumstances!"

"What about them?" I asked.

"You are the Tao taoing, then the stance you take to what is around you, your circum, shapes you," he said.

"If you are a limp noodle, you stay a limp noodle," said Jesus.

"If you take a righteous angry stance, you are a match asking to be struck," said Lao Tzu.

"The stance you take is equal to the trance you make," said Jesus.

"I think he's getting it," said Lao Tzu.

The Tao gives birth to all beings,
nourishes them, maintains them,
cares for them, comforts them, protects them,
takes them back to itself,
creating without possessing,
acting without expecting,
guiding without interfering.
That is why love of the Tao
is in the very nature of things.

"I love It!" I said.

My stancing became dancing.

The three of us danced on down the road.

-- Chapter 51, Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching (interwoven with our conversation)

walking by the lake

The Master gives himself up
to whatever the moment brings.
He knows that he is going to die,
and he has nothing left to hold on to:
no illusions in his mind,
no resistances in his body.
He doesn't think about his actions;
they flow from the core of his being.
He holds nothing back from life;
therefore he is ready for death,
as a man is ready for sleep
after a good day's work.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 50, Tao Te Ching

We were walking by the lake.

"I love you guys," I said.

"We love you too," said Jesus.

"You are not always plotting and planning and scheming," I said.

"There is no place but here," said Lao Tzu.

"Here is no place for there," said Jesus.

Lao Tzu bumped Jesus with his shoulder.

Jesus grinned.

"Forgive me," said Lao Tzu.

"Can't do it," said Jesus. "I hold nothing against you."

Lao Tzu picked up a small rock and held it against Jesus' arm.

We kept walking.

"Tired yet?" Jesus asked Lao Tzu.

"Dang right!" said Lao Tzu and dropped the rock.

"Now you are forgiven," said Jesus.

We walked on holding nothing against anyone.

tschhh...

The Master has no mind of her own.
She works with the mind of the people.

She is good to people who are good.
She is also good to people who aren't good.
This is true goodness.

She trusts people who are trustworthy.
She also trusts people who aren't trustworthy.
This is true trust.

The Master's mind is like space.
People don't understand her.
They look to her and wait.
She treats them like her own children.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 49, Tao Te Ching

We sat on the early morning beach.

The gentle waves rolled in, rolled out.

Tschhh... tschhhh... tschhh...

A sea bird cried...

nekkid

In the pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.

True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 48, Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu asked Jesus, "Are you a Christian?"

Jesus replied, "Are you a Taoist?"

They laughed.

They looked at me.

"I keep being reborn," I said.

"How are you doing with being flesh?" asked Jesus.

"I remember when I was a meat head," said Lao Tzu.

"I appreciate my body," I said.

"To go through the next birth canal, you have to take off your clothes," said Jesus.

"Nekkid you came into this world and nekkid you go out," said Lao Tzu.

"That includes doctrinal clothes, too," said Jesus.

"Get shed of them," said Lao Tzu.

"I don't even know nothing," I said.

dung beetle

Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.

The more you know,
the less you understand.

The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 47, Tao Te Ching

We were lying on our stomachs watching a dung beetle roll its ball of shit.

"What do you think it would say if we asked it what is the meaning of life?" asked Lao Tzu.

"To get all this shit done," I said.

Jesus laughed.

"It cannot see what we see," he said. "Nor can anyone in that frame of mind."

We sat up.

Lao Tzu looked at me.

"What is worth seeing?" he asked.

I sat silently, opening.

"The essence of all being and its expansion," I said.

"Not Disney World?" he asked.

I laughed.

"Where is it to be found?" asked Jesus.

"To quote a dear friend," I said. "The kingdom of heaven is within."

"The portal to the essence of all being is at your core," said Lao Tzu.

"What I said," said Jesus.

fear

When a country is in harmony with the Tao,
the factories make trucks and tractors.
When a country goes counter to the Tao,
warheads are stockpiled outside the cities.

There is no greater illusion than fear,
no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself,
no greater misfortune than having an enemy.

Whoever can see through all fear
will always be safe.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 46, Tao Te Ching


"Fear is a condom on the heart," said Lao Tzu.

"It thinks it is protection," I said.

"All it is doing is preventing new birth," said Jesus.

"When the heart wears a condom over its head, it cannot see well," said Lao Tzu.

"Then it wants to be armed with a weapon," said Jesus.

"Partially blind and armed, it will fire at will, at anyone's will but its own," I said.

"The heart without a condom of fear will not be angry," said Lao Tzu,

"The naked heart is both male and female and neither," said Jesus.

"All opposites collapse," I said.

Lao Tzu looked at me.

"Oh no!" he said. "That means we are each other."

"Jesus," I said. "He is messing with me again."

Jesus laughed.

With hearts distinctly different, our hearts became the same.

right here

The greatest thing seems incomplete
yet it never wears out
the fullest thing seems empty
yet it never runs dry
the straightest thing seems crooked
the cleverest thing seems clumsy
the richest thing seems poor
activity overcomes cold
stillness overcomes heat
who can be perfectly still
is able to govern the world
-- Red Pine, Chapter 45, Tao Te Ching

"Look at him," said Lao Tzu. "He's all sad because you didn't show up."

"He wanted you to come with blazing light and sounding trumpets," said Lao Tzu.

"His bottom lip is poked out," he said. "He's in a sulk."

 "I'm right here," said Jesus.

"So am I," said Buddha.

"So am I," said Krishna.

"So am I," said Yahweh.

"So am I," said Allah.

"So am I," said Ganesha.

"So am I" said Moses.

"So am I," said God.

"So am I," said Muhammad.

"So am I," said Solstice Light.

And all the many forms of our Source proclaimed one by one and in unison, "So am I."

 "So am I," I said.

We formed into a circle and we laughed and danced and sang.

the cosmic bug zapper

Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never be truly fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 44, Tao Te Ching

We sat in Macy's Coffee House at a corner table.

The place was buzzing and packed with northern Arizona exotic life forms.

"Everyone is headed toward the Cosmic Bug Zapper," said Lao Tzu.

I looked at Jesus.

"Humor him," said Jesus.

"When you reach the Place of Zap, only your essence will go through," said Lao Tzu.

A holographic vision of the Place of Zap hung in the air between us.

On one side was a large assortment of Zapped bodies, back packs, autobiographies, self portraits of people kissing the backs of their own hands.

On the other side were light beings with varying expressions on their faces: relief, amazement, pleasure, amusement, and shock.

They continued journeying on their way.

"What's in the backpacks?" I asked.

"Those were the monkeys on their backs," said Lao Tzu.

"Attachments," said Jesus.

 "They did not feel whole, so they looked to fill the hole," said Lao Tzu.

"With what?" I asked.

"With everything that won't fill it," said Jesus.

We watched as others approached the Cosmic Bug Zapper.

Some went through with almost no zap sound at all.

"Their attachments and treasures were already on the other side," said Jesus.

The Place of Zap disappeared and we looked around the coffee shop.

Many looked as if they were carrying some burden.

Others sat beaming.

the weak and the strong

The gentlest thing in the world
overcomes the hardest thing in the world.
That which has no substance
enters where there is no space.
This shows the value of non-action.

Teaching without words,
performing without actions:
that is the Master's way.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 43, Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu showed me a cup of water.
 
"Which is the strongest?" he asked.

"The cup," I said. "It is hard and holds the water."

He produced a hammer.

"Which will break if I hit it?"

"The cup," I said.

"Hard is overcome by hard without end," he said.

"The soft continues moving on its way."

"The fox created a man of tar to catch a rabbit," I said.

"The rabbit came along and said hello."

"The tar man said nothing."

"The rabbit kept talking and stuck himself to the tar man with his words."

"He should have just kept on hopping down the bunny trail," said Lao Tzu.

"2000 years ago my body was whacked," said Jesus.

"My spirit is as strong as it ever was."

"The body is dense spirit."

"The appearance dies, the essence continues."

We sat quietly.

the kingdom of heaven

The Tao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to all things.

All things have their backs to the female
and stand facing the male.
When male and female combine,
all things achieve harmony.

Ordinary men hate solitude.
But the Master makes use of it,
embracing his aloneness, realizing
he is one with the whole universe.
--  Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 42, Tao Te Ching

Suspended in infinite space, I gazed at the warm glow of Earth.

My body was Dark Infinity and my face was Earth Light.

I condensed to human form.

"They have names for that these days, you know," said Lao Tzu.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Some call it an OBE, an out of the body experience," he said.

"Others call it Cosmic Consciousness," said Jesus.

"What do you call it?" I asked.

"I call it the kingdom of heaven," said Jesus.

"I call it reality," said Lao Tzu.

They looked at each other and smiled.

"Why do not others experience this?" I asked.

"Many do," said Jesus.

"Others fall into the illusion that they are inside their body," said Lao Tzu.

"Ugh!" I said. "They think they are meat walking."

"Or meat dreaming," said Lao Tzu.

"They are drunk," said Jesus. "One day they will sober up."

I began laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Lao Tzu.

"That the drunkest people on earth think they are the most sober and sane," I said.

"They are the most dangerous," said Lao Tzu.

"Yes," said Jesus. "It makes one want to both laugh and cry."

"That reminds me, Jesus," I said. "Do you know the shortest verse in the Bible?"

He grinned and said, "Tell me."

I said, "Jesus wept."

spiritual power

When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao.

Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.

The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 41, Tao Te Ching

"What do you think of weapons and the use of weapons?" I asked Jesus and Lao Tzu.

"I stick by what I wrote so long ago," said Lao Tzu.

"Weapons are the tools of violence. All decent men detest them."

Jesus said, "Physical power always fails. Spiritual power is the path to follow."

"The Marine Corps Manual agrees with you," I said to Jesus.

"What does it say?" asked Lao Tzu.

"Unless you conquer the spirit of people, you have not won the war," I said.

"You can never conquer the spirit of people," said Jesus.

"The Way and its power seems weak to the foolish," said Lao Tzu.

"But it always wins. And why? Because it does not play the win- lose game."

"Embodying the spirit of the Life Force means you have no death to die," I said.

"When you have no death to die, you have no fear," said Jesus.

"No fear, no need for a weapon," said Lao Tzu.

"Many laugh at this as a way to live," I said.

"They see this as unsophisticated, childish, and weak."

"They create their own hell," said Jesus.

"A baby is more powerful," said Lao Tzu. "It can cry all day and not be hoarse, can grab your finger and not let go. How does it do this? It is in harmony with the Tao."

"Aiki," I said.

"Yes," said Jesus. "Spiritual power.

"Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force," said Lao Tzu.

"They feel no wear, they feel no tear, they need no mending, no repair," I said.

He looked at me with surprise.

Jesus grinned.

knock knock

Return is the movement of the Tao.
Yielding is the way of the Tao.

All things are born of being.
Being is born of non-being.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 40, Tao Te Ching

"Knock, knock!" said Lao Tzu.

"The door is open," said Jesus.

"The door is not-hinged," said Lao Tzu.

"Yes, it is no-thing-ed," said Jesus.

"It is the gateless gate," said Lao Tzu.

"Nothing stands in your way," said Jesus.

"A serious obstacle," said Lao Tzu.

I stood there.

The door was opening and closing, yielding and returning.

"You are the door," said Jesus.

"Become unhinged," said Lao Tzu.

"Become no thing," said Jesus.

The door and my framing of it all fell away.

"Knock, knock," I said.

"Here we go again," said Lao Tzu.

"Your knocking creates the door," said Jesus.

"Who's there?" I asked.

They laughed and spun me round and round until I did not know whether I was coming or going.

"How do you step into a revolving door?" asked Lao Tzu.

"The same way you step out," said Jesus.

an advance

In harmony with the Tao,
the sky is clear and spacious,
the earth is solid and full,
all creatures flourish together,
content with the way they are,
endlessly repeating themselves,
endlessly renewed.

When man interferes with the Tao,
the sky becomes filthy,
the earth becomes depleted,
the equilibrium crumbles,
creatures become extinct.

The Master views the parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.
His constant practice is humility.
He doesn't glitter like a jewel
but lets himself be shaped by the Tao,
as rugged and common as a stone.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 39, Tao Te Ching

They walked into my room where I sat mourning.

"Wake me when the world is over," I said.

They looked at each other.

"He needs an advance," said Jesus.

"You mean a retreat," I said.

"All retreat is an advance," said Lao Tzu.

"Come with us," said Jesus.

We walked out into the starry night.

"Why is there evil in the world?" I asked.

"There are humans in the world," said Jesus.

"No humans, no evil," said Lao Tzu.

"Why are we so stupid?" I asked.

"Self-infatuation," said Jesus.

"The question is not why," said Lao Tzu. "The question is how."

"How what?" I asked.

"How to be wise," he said.

"Regard the whole world as yourself," said Jesus.

"Condense it, put it in your pocket, and walk the Path."

"Move from your heart."

A shooting star blazed the heavens.

dejection and resurrection

The Master doesn't try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.

The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls up his sleeves and uses force.

When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.

Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusion go.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 38, Tao Te Ching

I sat dejected.

"He's down in the dumps," said Lao Tzu.

"What's the matter?" asked Jesus.

"They say I am nothing but a pile of neurons yakking," I said.

"And that there is no meaning, no God, no Tao except what I invent," I continued.

"Who are 'they' except by 'their' own definition a pile of neurons yakking?" said Jesus.

Lao Tzu poked me. "Why would you believe a pile of neurons yakking instead of us?"

I sat up straighter. A smile began in my heart.

"It's snowing," said Jesus. "Let's go for a walk and listen to the snow fall."

"What is the sound of a snow flake falling?" asked Lao Tzu as we went out the door.

I looked at him.

"Joy," he said.

All around us was great beauty.

nameless simplicity

The way normally does nothing, yet there is nothing not done.
If kings and noblemen will abide by this,
Everything will self transform.
Transform yet desire rises,
Press it down using nameless simplicity.
Of nameless simplicity, man also supports without desire.
No desire, using stillness, all under heaven supports self calm.
-- Carl Abbott, Chapter 37, Tao Te Ching

We had climbed Elden and were sitting in a copse of trees off the trail.

"Are you ready for this?" asked Jesus.

"I don't know," I said.

"'Don't know' is always good," said Lao Tzu.

"I am closer to you than your very breath," said Jesus. "I am inside you and you are inside me."

"The Tao taos," said Lao Tzu. "Interflow."

"Do you know how and what I am inside you?" asked Jesus. "I am Imagination."

"All is created through Imagination," said Lao Tzu.

"Be still and know that you are Imagination," said Jesus.

"You are mage, you are magi, you are mage-ician," said Lao Tzu.

"The Christ Child you seek is born in and is Imagination," said Jesus.

"The Imagination does everything and yet nothing is done," said Lao Tzu.

"Imagination is the only Reality," said Jesus.

"Then who am I?" I asked.

"You are your imagination creating a side pocket in the ongoing flow of Imagination," said Jesus.

"Then you get all shook up, fearful and anxious, bold and demanding, seeking salvation." said Lao Tzu.

"When you start naming yourself, you get in trouble," said Jesus.

"That's called black magic," said Lao Tzu. "Loving the spin, loving the spin you are in."

"We are looking for 'nameless simplicity' here," said Lao Tzu.

"Let's start a new church," I said. "The Church of the Boundless Imagineers."

Lao Tzu groaned. He looked at Jesus and said, "I knew he was trouble from the start."

We got up, stretched, and continued walking the path of no path.

a drowning kitten

If you want to shrink something,
you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
you must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to take something,
you must first allow it to be given.
This is called the subtle perception
of the way things are.
The soft overcomes the hard.
The slow overcomes the fast.
Let your workings remain a mystery.
Just show people the results.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 36, Tao Te Ching

I sat struggling at the computer.

Lao Tzu and Jesus watched.

"He is trying to write this without us," said Jesus.

"He is full of himself," said Lao Tzu.

"He is head strong and heart weak," said Jesus.

"His balloon will eventually burst," said Lao Tzu.

"He is hard and fast on his way," said Jesus.

"Let's go even slower," said Lao Tzu. "Maybe he will eventually catch up."

"No chance," said Jesus. "He is in an entirely different dimension."

"Dementia," said Lao Tzu.

I sighed, kicked back from the computer, and gave up.

"Welcome to the world," said Jesus.

"Where have you two been?" I asked.

They looked at each other.

"Trying to rescue a drowning kitten," said Lao Tzu.

"Is the kitten okay?" I asked.

"He is one strange cat," said Jesus.

"What episode shall we write for today?" I asked.

They whooped with laughter.

a Tao sandwich

She who is centered in the Tao
can go where she wishes, without danger.
She perceives the universal harmony,
even amid great pain,
because she has found peace in her heart.
Music or the smell of good cooking
may make people stop and enjoy.
But words that point to the Tao
seem monotonous and without flavor.
When you look for it, there is nothing to see.
When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear.
When you use it, it is inexhaustible.
--  Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 35, Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu was in the kitchen singing.

"Tao and zen, there's a fool such as I," he sang.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I am making myself a Tao sandwich," he said.

"Are you making yourself or a sandwich?" Jesus asked.

"Precisely," said Lao Tzu.

He laid a slice of bread atop a slice of bread.

"Lao Tzu, there is nothing in the middle," I said.

"When there is nothing in the middle there is room for everything," he said.

"That is why I made myself of no reputation," said Jesus.

"If there was something in the middle, it would not be a Tao sandwich," said Lao Tzu.

"What would it be?" I asked.

"A hero," said Lao Tzu.

"A sub way," said Jesus.

"I have made myself both of those sandwiches," I said.

They looked at me.

"I like the Tao sandwich better," I said, eying Lao Tzu's sandwich.

"I cannot make you one," said Lao Tzu.

"You have to make yourself one," said Jesus.

"Or better still, nothing." said Lao Tzu.

one sun, three moons

The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from it,
yet it doesn't create them.
It pours itself into its work,
yet it makes no claim.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
yet it doesn't hold on to them.
Since it is merged with all things
and hidden in their hearts,
it can be called humble.
Since all things vanish into it
and it alone endures,
it can be called great.
It isn't aware of its greatness;
thus it is truly great.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 34, Tao Te Ching

"You dreamed of two full moons in the sky," said Lao Tzu.

"Yes," I said.

"One is the eastern way, the way of Tao," said Jesus.

"The other is the western way, the way of Christianity," said Lao Tzu.

"The two were in the sky with a dove of peace etched in the clouds between them," I said.

"Each one's light reflects the other," said Jesus.

"Some of your followers won't like that, Jesus. They want only one moon," I said.

"In my father's house are many mansions," said Jesus. "Besides, they should be looking at the Sun."

"There was a third full moon in the sky, forming an equal sided triangle with the other two," I said. "What is that about?"

"We will talk about that when the time comes," said Jesus.

"Is it Islam?" I asked.

"Now you are really going to be in trouble," smiled Jesus.

staying power

Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
If you realize you have enough,
you are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.
--Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 33, Tao Te Ching

We sat on our favorite bench downtown.

"How come you guys are still alive," I asked. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Jesus and Lao Tzu looked at each other.

"Define dead," said Jesus.

"No longer having a body," I said.

"He is saying that only a body matters," said Lao Tzu to Jesus.

"He is saying that the physical body is all that is mattering," said Jesus to Lao Tzu.

"Hey! Hey!" I said. "I'm right here. What is this 'he' stuff?"

They looked at me.

"Which is more alive?" Jesus asked. "You or your clothes?"

"Me," I said.

"Well, why aren't you naked?" said Jesus.

My mind stopped.

"There," said Lao Tzu.

"Here," said Jesus.

wings

The Tao has never had a name
simple and though small
no one can command it
if a lord upheld it
the world would be his guest
when Heaven joins with Earth
they bestow sweet dew
no one gives the order
it comes down to all
the first distinction gives us names
after we have names
we should know restraint
who knows restraint knows no trouble
to picture the Tao in the world
imagine rivers and the sea
-- Red Pine, Chapter 32, Tao Te Ching

We were sitting on a bench at the pond.

We watched the birds: raven, osprey, heron, red-winged blackbird, swallow, duck.

"What would a one-winged bird do?" said Lao Tzu.

"Flutter helpless on the ground," I said.

"And if a two-winged bird chooses one wing over another?" he asked.

"Fly round and round," I said.

Jesus pulled out of his pocket a small silver crucifix someone had given him.

"And if both your wings are nailed to the spot?" he asked.

"Immobilized suffering," said Lao Tzu.

"I much prefer the empty tomb," said Jesus. "One's wings are in perfect flying order."

At that, we ascended into the heavens, dropped down as rain, became a river, flowed into the ocean, evaporated into the sky, and dropped down again, this time in the form of three men sitting on a bench.

"You guys are so much fun," I said.

rung three

Weapons are the tools of violence;
all decent men detest them.
Weapons are the tools of fear;
a decent man will avoid them
except in the direst necessity
and, if compelled, will use them
only with the utmost restraint.
Peace is his highest value.
If the peace has been shattered,
how can he be content?
His enemies are not demons,
but human beings like himself.
He doesn't wish them personal harm.
Nor does he rejoice in victory.
How could he rejoice in victory
and delight in the slaughter of men?
He enters a battle gravely,
with sorrow and with great compassion,
as if he were attending a funeral.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 31, Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu walked up to me with a pistol.

"I have come to kill you," he said.

"What!?" I said.

He said, "I will not rejoice in it."

"A lot of good that does me," I said.

"I will be sad as if at a funeral," he said.

"So happy that you have taken a step up on the evolutionary ladder," I said.

"Go to rung three," said Jesus to Lao Tzu.

"Rung one is killing and rejoicing in the killing, rung two is killing and being sad about it."

"And rung three?" asked Lao Tzu.

"Rung three is not killing."

"I can do that," said Lao Tzu. "But most humans won't."

"They are drunk," said Jesus. "One day they will sober up."

Lao Tzu's pistol vanished.

They woke me from my dream.

rebound

Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
doesn't try to force issues
or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force there is a counterforce.
Violence, even well intentioned,
always rebounds upon oneself.
The Master does his job
and then stops.
He understands that the universe
is forever out of control,
and that trying to dominate events
goes against the current of the Tao.
Because he believes in himself,
he doesn't try to convince others.
Because he is content with himself,
he doesn't need others approval.
Because he accepts himself,
the whole world accepts him.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 30, Tao Te Ching

We walked along the banks of a river.

A hefty stick the size and arced shape of a samurai sword lay on the ground.

I picked it up.

Jesus looked at me with compassion.

Lao Tzu had a glint in his eye.

Looking to test its strength, I swung it with all my might at a horizontal tree limb in front of me.

It rebounded with equal force and struck me in my forehead.

I staggered around.

Lao Tzu was whooping with laughter.

"All chi... all chi...all chi..." He said, gasping for breath.

"All chickens come home to roost!" He finally exclaimed.

I put the stick back where I found it.

We walked on, bursting into laughter as we went.

forcing my hand

Trying to govern the world with force
I see this not succeeding
the world is a spiritual thing
it can't be forced
to force it is to harm it
to control it is to lose it
sometimes things lead
sometimes they follow
sometimes blow hot
sometimes blow cold
sometimes expand
sometimes collapse
therefore the sage avoids extremes
avoids extravagance
avoids excess
-- Red Pine, Chapter 29, Tao Te Ching

We were walking by the lake.

"Be in the world but not of the world," said Jesus.

"What is the world?" I asked.

"All that is under the sky," said Lao Tzu.

I let that sink in.

"I don't like the world," I said. "I want to change it."

"Look," said Jesus, cupping his hand and putting it in the water.

"Is my hand in the water or the water in my hand?"

"Both," I said.

"Can my hand change the water?"

I looked for logical arguments.

Lao Tzu hit me in the head with a pebble.

 "Ow!" I said.

"Wake up!" he said. "Change the water in your own cup!"

"How do I do that?" I asked.

Jesus uncupped his hand.

last turtle standing

Know the male,
yet keep to the female:
receive the world in your arms.
If you receive the world,
the Tao will never leave you
and you will be like a little child.
Know the white,
yet keep to the black:
be a pattern for the world.
If you are a pattern for the world,
the Tao will be strong inside you
and there will be nothing you can't do.
Know the personal,
yet keep to the impersonal:
accept the world as it is.
If you accept the world,
the Tao will be luminous inside you
and you will return to your primal self.
The world is formed from the void,
like utensils from a block of wood.
The Master knows the utensils,
yet keeps to the block:
thus she can use all things.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 28, Tao Te Ching

We were in a classroom.

I sat in a student desk.

Jesus and Lao Tzu sat behind the teacher's desk.

Jesus wore a black mortarboard, tassel to the right.

Lao Tzu wore a white mortarboard, tassel to the left.

"You are wearing my hat," Lao Tzu said to Jesus.

"Oh!," said Jesus. They switched hats.

"Now for your first and last question," said Lao Tzu to me.

"They say it is turtles all the way down. On what does the last turtle stand?"

I thought for a moment.

Ringgggg!!! The bell rang for the end of the school day.

We got up to go.

"Don't forget to do your home work!" said Jesus.

"Where is home?" I asked.

"Congratulations!" said Lao Tzu. "You answered the question."

heliotrope

A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever he wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.
Thus the Master is available to all people
and doesn't reject anyone.
He is ready to use all situations
and doesn't waste anything.
This is called embodying the light.
What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 27, Tao Te Ching

I went looking for Jesus and Lao Tzu.

They were in a meadow looking at flowers.

Lao Tzu was lying on his belly, chin in hands.

Jesus sat beside him.

"These flowers move with the sun," said Lao Tzu.

"They keep their faces turned toward the light," said Jesus.

"They are flow-ers," said Lao Tzu.

"What is the flower of your heart?" asked Jesus.

"A petunia," I said.

"Great satellite dish!" said Lao Tzu.

"My heart flower is a rose," said Jesus.

I looked at Lao Tzu with a grin.

"Snap dragon!" he said, leaping up and wrestling me to the ground.

Jesus said, "I swear. Sometimes I think you are both 14."

"Just drunk on the light," said Lao Tzu.

We got up and headed into town.

doing the funk

The heavy is the root of the light.
The unmoved is the source of all movement.

Thus the Master travels all day
without leaving home.
However splendid the views,
she stays serenely in herself.

Why should the lord of the country
flit about like a fool?
If you let yourself be blown to and fro,
you lose touch with your root.
If you let restlessness move you,
you lose touch with who you are.
-- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 26, Tao Te Ching

I was giving Jesus and Lao Tzu a ride in my older model Funk.

Jesus was riding shotgun.

Lao Tzu, saying the best leader always followed behind, was in the back seat

My Funk was plunging us down this mountain road at ever increasing speed.

"What is at the core of you?" asked Jesus.

"A very heavy heart," I said.

"That's why we are in this Funk," said Lao Tzu.

Lao Tzu put a hand on my shoulder.

"Take some breaths and just be," he said.

I began to move out of my heart and into my breath.

The Funk began slowing.

Jesus told me a Jesus joke.

I groaned and began laughing.

"Jesus, that's awful!" I said.

The Funk became transparent, then disappeared.

"The next time you take us for a ride, maybe you'll give us a spin in your Tizzy," said Lao Tzu.

Jesus and I looked at each other. This time we both groaned.

Jesus gave Lao Tzu a soft punch on the shoulder.

We walked together, side by side, back up the mountain.