It is too facile to say that the way to follow Tao is to simply go along with the flow of life. Sometimes, like the carp, we must know when to go it alone.

It is said that if one chooses to pray to a rock with enough devotion, even that rock will come alive.

We may be floating on Tao, but there is nothing wrong with steering. If Tao is like a river, it is certainly good to know where the rocks are.

Self-discipline leads to higher spiritual states only if practiced with under- standing. The clearer the goal, the greater the result.

By being receptive, we can avail ourselves of the spiritual wealth available to us. By being open, we can receive things beyond what we ourselves might imagine.

An ancient gnarled tree: Too fibrous for a logger's saw, Too twisted to fit a carpenter's square, Outlasts the whole forest.

Do you want to know how spirituality works? Breathe.