Everyday Spirit

There's an excerpt from a book, Everyday Tao, that I'd like to share.

Human beings looked down at the earth when they tilled the fields. They looked up at the skies for the rain and weather that would sustain them. They also looked up for divine guidance.

Thus, considering the spirit in the midst of fields and rain is very comfortable for those who follow Tao. There is no division between the physical and the spiritual, between the natural and the divine. It is all of a whole. To embrace one is to embrace all. If the rain comes down, if the mud fills our shoes, or if we kneel down in the fields to light incense and pray—the very act of being fully present in our lives is spirituality enough, for being present is to acknowledge that everything is spiritual.

Those who follow Tao feel that our human society, and even each of us individually, is a microcosm of the universe. The same attitude that allows an acupuncturist to diagnose the entire body from taking the pulse or a diviner to see the entire universe in the cracks of a turtle shell also allows a student of Tao to search in daily life for Tao. Therefore, in these "nesting realities" the spirituality of heaven is reflected on every level.

Everything we do is Tao. Spirituality is not just "out there". It is also all around us and in us. If we understand that, no matter where we look, spiritual revelations abound.

—Deng Ming-Dao

Beautiful quote. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely be adding it to my many tao quotes.

I definitely recommend the entire book if you're interested in Taoism. It goes straight to the root in terms of understanding the Tao and it's more ancient concepts. What's great is that there's generally just one lesson per page, so it's easy to digest and simple to understand. Plus it throws in some interesting information on the calligraphy used by the ancient Chinese people. I personally like the visual aspect

PS Nice shirt, man! I'm a big Rush fan too