Illumination
52
52
realizing the interplay of the tao way of life
and the virtue of nurturing all things under heaven
will introduce you to the primal mother
the mother of the world
resting peacefully with the mother
will introduce you to her sons and daughters
the sons and daughters of the world
these children can be exhausting
and though they mean no harm
trying to follow or control them
will only bring great danger to you
to be safe
rest peacefully with the mother
gently close your eyes
and look inward
softly direct your ears
to listen within
lightly close your mouth
raise your tongue to its roof
and quietly savor the interior
gently lift your crown
sit firm with a relaxed hold
on your bodymind
and let her love
fill you up
you will never be empty
again
remember
chasing children
brings calamity
no matter
how hard
you try
to follow
or grasp
them
the whole universe is in the palm
of your hand
but without
illumination
you can not see it
the real world is not open
to the rational mind
the ancient child asks
when you have rested sufficiently
in the arms of the primal mother
and your vision begins to clear
what occurs
it is an unexpected sense of making
that first arises within the bodymind
then you are engulfed in a benevolent flame
that outlines rather than burns
and I do not know if I am
the source or the witness
the senses play
leaping to and fro
mischievously acting against their nature
emotions of satisfaction swell
so that even the harshest rain
feels like a lover's kiss
resting deeper
you feel as if an unseen enemy
has been vanquished
and life courses through your limbs
as the warrior's belt collects you
the connection to the tao source and way of life
becomes punctuated and definite
possessed of a wholly benevolent clarity
language leaves you
and a light of sensitive energy collects at your crown
visions cascade upon you so rapidly
that it becomes impossible
to divide or discern
what we normally regard as real
death becomes impossible
fire and force penetrate deeply
within your bodymind
and a new truth shapes you
into someone altogether different
you begin to breathe
the tao way of life
as true respiration
within a quickening
that shines out
for all to see
spinning out of the quickening
you understand the mother's children
you sing and dance
you paint and play
you look at the palm of your hand and
you see
you can still make mistakes
you can still be confused
you can still misstep
but you will always have the eyes of the tao
however
should you ever see yourself as separate from it
you will cease
to see
altogether
From the beautifully poetic John Bright-Fey's translation of the Tao Te Ching.
Due to my Christian roots, it has always been easier for me to embrace the masculine principle of God. I enjoy connecting with the Spirit of Mary and the feminine side of Christian mysticism, but it hasn't been the same as my familiar, youthful mainstream experience of resting in the arms of God. Part of why I try to incorporate more pagan and magical beliefs into my personal spirituality is because I wanted to deepen my connection to the Divine Feminine. This piece has truly aided me in this. I can just feel her in and through it every time I read it (over and over and over, lately). It feels like she is sitting next to me, or like we are cuddled up and she reads it to me as a Mother would read a bedtime story.
When I first read this, I felt like the spiritual haitus I had taken in order to reform my beliefs had ended, and it was now time to recapture my intimacy with the infinite, indescribable God of my heart.
I posted this from my old journal in ljbookofshadows quite some time ago, and felt like hunting it down and reposting it here for my reference.
52
realizing the interplay of the tao way of life
and the virtue of nurturing all things under heaven
will introduce you to the primal mother
the mother of the world
resting peacefully with the mother
will introduce you to her sons and daughters
the sons and daughters of the world
these children can be exhausting
and though they mean no harm
trying to follow or control them
will only bring great danger to you
to be safe
rest peacefully with the mother
gently close your eyes
and look inward
softly direct your ears
to listen within
lightly close your mouth
raise your tongue to its roof
and quietly savor the interior
gently lift your crown
sit firm with a relaxed hold
on your bodymind
and let her love
fill you up
you will never be empty
again
remember
chasing children
brings calamity
no matter
how hard
you try
to follow
or grasp
them
the whole universe is in the palm
of your hand
but without
illumination
you can not see it
the real world is not open
to the rational mind
the ancient child asks
when you have rested sufficiently
in the arms of the primal mother
and your vision begins to clear
what occurs
it is an unexpected sense of making
that first arises within the bodymind
then you are engulfed in a benevolent flame
that outlines rather than burns
and I do not know if I am
the source or the witness
the senses play
leaping to and fro
mischievously acting against their nature
emotions of satisfaction swell
so that even the harshest rain
feels like a lover's kiss
resting deeper
you feel as if an unseen enemy
has been vanquished
and life courses through your limbs
as the warrior's belt collects you
the connection to the tao source and way of life
becomes punctuated and definite
possessed of a wholly benevolent clarity
language leaves you
and a light of sensitive energy collects at your crown
visions cascade upon you so rapidly
that it becomes impossible
to divide or discern
what we normally regard as real
death becomes impossible
fire and force penetrate deeply
within your bodymind
and a new truth shapes you
into someone altogether different
you begin to breathe
the tao way of life
as true respiration
within a quickening
that shines out
for all to see
spinning out of the quickening
you understand the mother's children
you sing and dance
you paint and play
you look at the palm of your hand and
you see
you can still make mistakes
you can still be confused
you can still misstep
but you will always have the eyes of the tao
however
should you ever see yourself as separate from it
you will cease
to see
altogether
From the beautifully poetic John Bright-Fey's translation of the Tao Te Ching.
Due to my Christian roots, it has always been easier for me to embrace the masculine principle of God. I enjoy connecting with the Spirit of Mary and the feminine side of Christian mysticism, but it hasn't been the same as my familiar, youthful mainstream experience of resting in the arms of God. Part of why I try to incorporate more pagan and magical beliefs into my personal spirituality is because I wanted to deepen my connection to the Divine Feminine. This piece has truly aided me in this. I can just feel her in and through it every time I read it (over and over and over, lately). It feels like she is sitting next to me, or like we are cuddled up and she reads it to me as a Mother would read a bedtime story.
When I first read this, I felt like the spiritual haitus I had taken in order to reform my beliefs had ended, and it was now time to recapture my intimacy with the infinite, indescribable God of my heart.
I posted this from my old journal in ljbookofshadows quite some time ago, and felt like hunting it down and reposting it here for my reference.