The moon mother resides in the hidden valley. Her cape made of the misty moon is a doorway between worlds. Only the wise may enter. (Tao Te Ching, Chapter Six Interpreted by Terry Chitwood) Writers filled with mist from the moon act as doorways between worlds. Words flow from the hidden world through the writer […]
Tao Te Ching for Writers: Soften the Sun
The Tao is an empty vessel, always full, the source of all. Still the storm. Soften the sun. Melt into the earth. The Tao’s beginnings are shrouded in mystery. (Tao Te Ching, Chapter Four, Interpreted by Terry Chitwood) Bright light blinds the eye, making focusing impossible. In order to see deeply into things, […]
Tao Te Ching for Writers: Peace Flows In
Not exalting oneself cultivates humility. Not accumulating possessions furthers nonattachment. Not being exposed to riches reduces temptation. Let go of the mind and strengthen the body. Let go of striving and strengthen compassion. Grasping nothing, peace arrives unbidden. (Tao Te Ching, Chapter Three, Interpreted by Terry Chitwood) Like peace, stories arrive unbidden. Characters emerge out […]
Tao Te Ching for Writers: Winds of Change
One begets two Opposites emerge Earth and sky The silence of a still lake The hiss of fire burning The sage teaches like the wind moving unseen through the mind Change happens effortlessly (Tao Te Ching, Chapter Two, Interpreted by Terry Chitwood) Observing the interplay of opposites, we discover that we are watching the […]