Verse Seven: Heaven and earth forever...

A paradoxical verse. Heaven and earth last forever because they are unborn so ever living. The sage (not to be confused with the meddling intellectual) stays behind so he is ahead. The last shall be first? "He is detached, thus at one with all." Make me one with everything, eh? The Tao as mind-controlling religion instead of as possibility-enhancing philosophy.

I ran this morning among the twig and branch and downed-tree lined streets thinking of endlessness. Of things that last forever and don't particularly care what kind of a mood you are in on any given day. I thought about platitudes that tell happiness is most effectively found contemplating what you have and not whining about what you don't have. I thought about letting go of everything in order to claim ownership of everything.

Oh the big things. Not the anxiety over next week's in-class performances. Not the worry about saving enough for college. Not the how am I going to keep myself fed all day long. Or what I am going to wear, or knit next. Heaven and earth could not care less, and perhaps I shouldn't either.

If I were detached from all, I wouldn't get so bent out of shape when I see things being done wrong. I know, wrong is in the eye of the beholder.

And I wouldn't, but then I wouldn't knit anything next, or plan another long race, or finish my degree, or would I?

I had hoped today's verse was the one about high winds not lasting all morning, but instead I get ever-living things that don't get born and so last forever.

The sky was light early this morning, the winds abated, and the air relatively warm. I ought to make myself more heaven and earth like, detached and not caring about the particulars of any given moment. That strikes me as somewhat of a loss. Not entirely, but missing out on something good. "Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment." Not just selflessness, but selfless action.

Running is a selfish action. Maybe I'll go give blood next week.