The Chant for Self Discovery
Namaste to the Golden
Flower dwelling in this bag of skin and bone and bundled nerves.
There is nowhere to
be, nowhere to go.
Nothing to do nothing
to get,
Nothing to want, make
or take,
Nothing to gain,
seek, or win,
Only to Follow Nature
and Allow the Tao to shape me.
Not to gain power and
strength but to dismiss fear and aversion.
Not to gain mastery
but to enjoy the endeavor.
Not to gain riches,
but attend to the richness within.
Not to seek wisdom
but to take refuge in the common and ordinary and comprehend their oneness
Not to seek
perfection but to realize that imperfection is perfect within itself as Am I.
Not to seek pleasure
but to sense how my illusions and misperceptions stir desire.
Not to seek emptiness
but to watch the illusions and misperceptions that fill my psyche.
Not to seek peace and
calm but to follow to their source my countless clever rationalizations to
affirm my desires.
Not to gain perfect
health but to notice tension and anxiety and breathe.
Not to gain
creativity but to see through the illusions and misperceptions of society.
Not to gain perfect
balance but to work through imbalance.
Not to seek lover and
admiration but to dispel hatred and prejudice.
And give love and
admiration to the Tao for shaping me and for all creation.
To my parents and
ancestors for this special life and this brand new day.
To the Universe for
its sustenance.
To Nature for her
beauty, abundance and many paths to the Tao.
To my gurus and
spiritual ancestors for revealing the Tao Paths of Nature.
To all those in my
life for their lives, experiences and the oneness that makes us all.
May the integrity of
my thoughts and actions this day contribute to the goodwill, joy and comfort of
all, and an appreciation of the oneness that makes us all as I follow Nature
and allow the Tao to shape me.
There is nothing to
become only to be.
Be humble, thrifty,
patient and forgiving,
And, above all,
compassionate.
May the lives of
those with especially heavy burdens be eased.
May my mind learn to
live with my heart in integrity, joy, love and compassion as I follow Nature
and allow the Tao to dhape me, dying to the past and the future. Not to endure forever but to cease this day
and live every moment at peace and in tai chi.
