Contradictions, conflict, and The Way

In Freya’s mailbox this snowy Friday morning

In pursuit of learning,
Everyday something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao,
Every day something is dropped

Less and less is done,
Until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.

The world is ruled by letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering. – Lao Tzu, from the Tao Te Ching, Verse 48

. . . come January, more than 80% of Americans will live in states with governments entirely controlled by one of the two major parties . . . The result means Americans will see even more differences in their schools, workplaces and doctors’ offices as they cross state lines. . . Citizens’ right to carry a gun, get an abortion, join a union and their rate for a minimum wage job now depend almost entirely on whether their state is blue or red. Biology and American history texts offer different curriculums on slavery, Jim Crow and human sexuality. . . The result . . . has been widened inequity. – Noah Bierman (LA Times).

There is a larger movement laboring for the birth of . . . a spiritual movement that encompasses everything . . . larger than than any single religion. In fact, it is bigger than religion as a whole. Wherever you invest your life, I hope it will embrace the long view and find the deep current, the infinite flow. – adapted from a meditation by Brian McLaren.

“In this room, [the U.S. Capitol building] our colleagues across history have abolished slavery; granted women the right to vote; established Social Security and Medicare; offered a hand to the weak, care to the sick, education to the young, and hope to the many, . . .doing the People’s work.” Nancy Pelosi