Flow with whatever may happen
and let your mind be free;
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. –– Chuang Tsu
My first reaction to these words of wisdom is to think, “Easy for you to say.”
But that reaction is glib and ignores how Tsu’s writings are transcendental while at the same time are deeply immersed within everyday life. He is at peace while at the same time moving through the world. There is a deep vein of mysticism within what he writes, and his style of writing with its parables and conversations are both accessible while at the same time pointing to deeper issues.
Let’s get back to the specific words above, and realize that achieving “the ultimate” requires years of work, and that being accepting and centered is not a goal often achieved but worthy of working toward.
Imagine in modern terminology a person who is unflappable, who never lets what is going on to get to him or her. Imagine someone who goes about their day immune to worldly pressures and demands. Isn’t such an goal worthy of our energy?
A good start is finding that time in your day to be quiet in prayer and meditation. My friend Ginger finds it in her “centering prayer,” others find it in yoga, and some find it in a slow walk in the woods. However you begin don’t lose sight of the ultimate. It is obtainable in each and every one of us.
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