Why are the people starving?
Because those above them are taxing them too heavily.
That is why they are starving.
Why are the people hard to manage?
Because those above them are fussy and have private ends to serve.
That is why they are hard to manage.
Why do the people make light of death?
Because those above them make too much of life.
That is why they make light of death.
The people have simply nothing to live upon!
They know better than to value such a life!
-- John C. H. Wu,Chapter 75, Tao Te Ching
We sat on a bench across the street from the Church of the Nativity,
the one where a likeness of Jesus sometimes wore a snowball on its head.
The San Francisco Peaks were visible in the distance.
Jesus read aloud Lao Tzu's Chapter 75, looked at Lao Tzu with compassion and nodded in agreement.
I said, "It is the same now as it was in Lao Tzu's time."
Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven."
"Why is that so?" I asked.
"Attachment," said Lao Tzu. "Attachment to what does not matter."
Jesus sighed. He said, "Which is the same as saying: attachment to matter."
"Ah!" I said. "Thinking that only matter matters."
They looked at me.
"Your jest speaks more wisdom than you know," said Lao Tzu. "The life force is what is mattering, is what is continuously emerging."
"Yes," said Jesus. "Matter does not matter. Only Spirit matters. Matter is the condensing, the solidifying of Spirit."
"Matter is Spirit dancing," said Lao Tzu.
I got up and began to make some moves. "You mean like this?" I asked.
"No. More like this!" said Lao Tzu, hopping up.
"And this!" said Jesus, moving with rhythmic flow.
The three of us danced and danced with happiness and laughter.
Because those above them are taxing them too heavily.
That is why they are starving.
Why are the people hard to manage?
Because those above them are fussy and have private ends to serve.
That is why they are hard to manage.
Why do the people make light of death?
Because those above them make too much of life.
That is why they make light of death.
The people have simply nothing to live upon!
They know better than to value such a life!
-- John C. H. Wu,Chapter 75, Tao Te Ching
We sat on a bench across the street from the Church of the Nativity,
the one where a likeness of Jesus sometimes wore a snowball on its head.
The San Francisco Peaks were visible in the distance.
Jesus read aloud Lao Tzu's Chapter 75, looked at Lao Tzu with compassion and nodded in agreement.
I said, "It is the same now as it was in Lao Tzu's time."
Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven."
"Why is that so?" I asked.
"Attachment," said Lao Tzu. "Attachment to what does not matter."
Jesus sighed. He said, "Which is the same as saying: attachment to matter."
"Ah!" I said. "Thinking that only matter matters."
They looked at me.
"Your jest speaks more wisdom than you know," said Lao Tzu. "The life force is what is mattering, is what is continuously emerging."
"Yes," said Jesus. "Matter does not matter. Only Spirit matters. Matter is the condensing, the solidifying of Spirit."
"Matter is Spirit dancing," said Lao Tzu.
I got up and began to make some moves. "You mean like this?" I asked.
"No. More like this!" said Lao Tzu, hopping up.
"And this!" said Jesus, moving with rhythmic flow.
The three of us danced and danced with happiness and laughter.
They know better than to value such a life, a life without something for them. Is that why the young men are lost to us in this day? --Steve
ReplyDeleteBut matter's pretty good for dancing....
ReplyDelete"Matter" from Latin"mater": origin,source, mother -- or from "dmateria" from Latin "domus": house.
Maybe that's what matter is meant for: the dance of the spirit into the world. I guess that's what the Old Guy just said, isn't it?
The matter/spirit thing: is it like light--is it a particle or a wave?
Anyway, NOT something to grab hold of and cling to. Something to be taken lightly, so we can dance....
Thank you, George, for getting my mind off all the matter in my life.
--Ellyn
THE BEST PART OF THE STORY FOR ME IS THE DANCING.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like this ??
ReplyDeleteOr you mean like that ??
Matter is condensing ..a tit or a tat ??
You mean it ain't like this ??
Or it ain't like that ??
It's what we are doin ??
Ratty Tat Tat.... HB
You are, I am, we are all the Dance. No-thing matter-s but Love. ♥
ReplyDelete