Main image
17th April
2008
written by trevor

So I’m a nerd.  We know this.  I sent out the first chapter of the Tao Te Ching today to people at work.  Why?  I’m not sure, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

My email:

<<So on this last day of drops, how about a little Tao Te Ching?

1. The Way
The Way that can be experienced is not true;
The world that can be constructed is not true.
The Way manifests all that happens and may happen;
The world represents all that exists and may exist.

To experience without intention is to sense the world;
To experience with intention is to anticipate the world.
These two experiences are indistinguishable;
Their construction differs but their effect is the same.

Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way,
Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world.

More confounding wisdom here:  http://www.chinapage.com/gnl.html>>

The response I got from our office manager, and for the record I really like her:

<<Ok.  That requires too much thought.  Not good for me this a.m.  Maybe some time when I’ve had a Dr. Pepper (ha-ha).
But, I do know one Way, and one Truth, and one who is greater….

John 14:6 of the King James Bible says:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.>>

Heaven forbid we need to think about our belief structure/faith, alas.

4 Comments

  1. jb
    18/04/2008

    I’m not going to comment on you sending out the some Lao-Tzu to the office email group, but I do like where your head’s at.

    Understand that I say this with love, but with all things Eastern you have to cut people some slack. The Way is not a religion or belief structure (although it can be and has often been bastardized into one), but rather a philosophical concept or naming scheme. We can’t always fault people for their ignorance/blindness to a philosophy over religion, especially because for so many people the two are not synonymous.

    But if this was her version of the Hail Mary/Holy Water routine, then all you can do is throw your hands in the air and start leaving small satanic symbols on her desk :)

  2. trevor
    18/04/2008

    I certainly understand that, and I know that “way” can be a loaded word for some people.

    I had it coming. I wasn’t prepared for that response however.

  3. trevor
    18/04/2008

    And, as I think about is more, I agree with you whole-heartedly, but that is why I said it about sums it up. Not necessarily her thinking is bad, but more ignorant.

    Perhaps I took a cheap shot at the end, but the intent was also along what you were saying.

  4. cpolonchek
    25/04/2008

    I don’t understand the Tao posting, but nevertheless I agree with it. How’s that for shallow?

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Recent Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Categories