demanding nothing

Failure is an opportunity.
If you blame someone else,
there is no end to the blame.

Therefore the Master
fulfills her own obligations
and corrects her own mistakes.
She does what she needs to do
and demands nothing of others.
 -- Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 79, Tao Te Ching

We walked downtown and sat on a bench in the square.

The day was lovely.

A man was standing on the sidewalk shouting about everyone coming to Jesus.

I wanted to go tell him that Jesus is right here.

"Some of your followers really turn me off with their aggressiveness," I said to Jesus.

 "They think they are saving your soul from hell," said Lao Tzu.

"I wish they would lighten up," I said.

Jesus smiled.

"That's it," he said. "Become the Light that lights the world."

I lightened up and did not mind the man's shouting so much.

We sat quietly and watched a couple of little kids zooming around on tricycles.

The man was still shouting.

"He is the one in hell," I said. "His soul is writhing in anguish."

"I'll go speak with him," said Jesus.

Jesus walked over. The man's yelling stopped.

Lao Tzu and I sat quietly, watching the white clouds floating in the deep blue sky.

Jesus came back and sat down.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He wanted me to accept Jesus," said Jesus.

"What did you say?" asked Lao Tzu.

"I said I already knew him," said Jesus. "He got pretty happy."

"We're happy that we know you too," said Lao Tzu.

"And me you," said Jesus.

We got up and headed for the little pond hoping to see the eagle and the heron and the osprey.