The crooked become straight
The empty become full
The worn become new
Have little and gain much
Have much and be confused
So the Sage embraces the One and becomes a model for the world
—Verse 22, Tao Te Ching
Yesterday, I woke up from a nap at four in the afternoon. Usually, when I wake up from a long nap, I feel groggy and uneasy, but this time I was bright and rested.
When I went outside, the rain had stopped. It washed the bird poop off my windshield, it filled the air with the lingering scent of cleanliness. In my car, Becky started singing in the stereo.
I had You Broke My Heart by Lavender Diamond playing here
And every time she hit me with the words “cavalry of light” in her wavering vibrato, I had to sing at the top of my lungs along with her, my voice cracking, my dignity left behind me.
This morning, I was running late for work. But by the time I got to the car, the sun had been out long enough to warm the breeze. I could roll the windows down and let the air in. The traffic made me even more late, but it let me take my time too. It gave me the chance to enjoy Lenny crooning to me about how true love leaves no traces.
It’s like I’m waiting for something to go wrong, because I’m not used to things going this well. But nothing’s going wrong. Things are be working out. Everything has a reason, no matter how small or trivial.
Taoist theory says that surrender brings perfection. Don’t force anything. Allow things to happen, and they’ll naturally balance out. Perhaps I’m finally believing this, instead of simply understanding it.
When things are going badly, you’re not really behind.
You’re just waiting for the good that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
“But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?”
Perhaps you are getting closer to finding that harmony.….
Congrats! You’re almost there.
“Surrender” sounds a bit negative. Maybe it really means making peace with whatever comes along.
glad to see you happy again:)
A nice song too!
@Lucy — I like that quote because it doesn’t suggest changing what you have, but changing how happiness is found.
Sometimes I think I shouldn’t be focused on getting closer to harmony, because I do experience it every now and then, but should be focused on making it last longer instead.
@Uncle Joe — “Surrender” does have a slight negative connotation in general. There are many other translations of “surrender brings perfection”, some of which feel more technically correct, but none of them are as poetic. A couple other takes on the same words:
“To yield is to be preserved whole” —Chan
“Yield and overcome.” — Feng-English
“Partial means whole” —Red Pine
“What is bowed, becomes whole” —Duyvendak
“Be humble and you will remain entire” —Ta-Kao
I’m partial to the Feng-English one as well.
@Darren — Thanks…glad you like the song. Becky Stark’s voice really captivates with it’s rawness and simplicity. I’d recommend looking up more Lavender Diamond.