Stillpoint

Without a centre, there is no circle. No perimeter, no wheel, nothing manifest. Lao Tzu: “Hold fast to the centre.”

Counterculture

The way of Tao: Less, not more. Fewness, not many. The path of under-stimulation.

Eros

Spanning the iconography of world religions, angels are often depicted as having feminine forms but masculine names. The sage, wrote Lao Tzu, is two-spirited. He knows the male but keeps to the female.

Our first folly

The problem with resistance is that it consolidates and energizes the condition it seeks to eliminate. Inevitably and always, it makes things worse, not better. Therefore, resist nothing. “Hold fast to the center.”

The fool (2)

The Tao Te Ching is the fifth most-translated book in human history. Its enigmatic author, Lao Tzu, is often pictured riding an ox while facing backwards. Oh yes, he was a fool alright.