Max started us off with #19 and Susan came up and and we covered #67. Lo joined me for #65 and Melissa for #46. Mayvel hasn't been up since last year but that ended today with us reading #40 together.
#19 "Real Education"
Don't aspire to be holy or smart,
You will finally find happiness.
Don't inquire about morality or justice,
You will finally be perfect.
Don't create things in order to profit,
You will finally be secure.
If all that fails to inspire you
Stay as humble and simple as possible
And at least you won't be selfish.
#40 "The Movement of Tao"
Tao is always returning
It is also always yielding.
In the manifestation all things are born into existence,
Yet surrender and are renewed every moment within Tao.
#46 "Knowing When to Stop"
When Tao is followed shelter, food, and water are prioritized.
Going counter to Tao war, excess, and hoarding are praised.
He who believes there isn't enough, is cursed to never have enough.
He who believes he must acquire, will acquire nothing that lasts.
There is no greater waste of time or energy than being discontent.
Therefore the Master knows what is enough and is content to stop there.
#65 "Simple Awareness"
Masters aren't interested in educating people
They would rather them be yielding and kind.
When people put their faith in knowledge
They lack faith in their own awareness.
When they are happy to not know
They have no choice but to put faith in themselves.
When Governing a Country, Family, or Self,
Avoid being clever and using knowledge to guide you.
People are not naturally stupid or submissive.
When not leaning on knowledge
All things are guided by awareness.
#67 "The Three Lessons"
Caught in manifestation some people say Tao is stupid.
Others say it is a beautiful idea, but it cannot be achieved.
They cannot see it is neither an idea nor something to be achieved,
Lost in a world of endless solutions they cannot recognize truth.
Tao asks us to live with only 3 things
Compassion, moderation, and humility
With compassion you will be able to care for all things
Without having to ask if they deserve it.
With moderation you will be able to be generous,
Without them needing to prove they are worthy of it.
With humility you know you are going to die like all things,
Thus you treat all things with dignity and respect.
Abandoning these will only lead to trouble.