dao utilization

utilization Kites harness the force of the wind. They express our intent, But they cannot change the wind. A person with a kite can make it dip, turn, and flutter at will. An expert can even use a fighting kite and engage another’s until one is cut loose. It’s fun flying a kite, feeling the gigantic tug on the end of your line. Sometimes the wind is so strong that it will nearly lift you off the ground. When you harness the forces of nature, you harness something quite powerful. This is an example of the proper utilization of Tao. It is taking advantage of natural forces. It means accepting the way they work, and then finding a way to borrow their power. It does not mean trying to change or circumscribe things. If the wind is not blowing our kite the way we want, we cannot change it. We can only borrow its energy. When initiative and natural forces are combined, there is true harmony. utilization 365 Tao daily meditations Deng Ming-Dao (author) ISBN 0-06-250223-9 Wine ewer decorated with flowers and fruits Ming dynasty, Yongle period, 1403 — 1425 Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration height 26.1 cm, diameter of mouth 6.4 cm This wine ewer was made in Jingdezhen, the center of porcelain manufacture. It is based on an Islamic metal prototype. During the Mongol Yuan dynasty, Islamic traders settled in China's coastal cities, and Muslim officials wielded considerable influence at the imperial court. Their fine metalwork spurred Chinese potters to copy many of these shapes in blue and white porcelain, sometimes decorated with Koranic texts. Ewers such as these are depicted on Persian miniatures as precious objects. Chinese Muslims going on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca would take along these blue and white porcelain wares to use as highly desirable objects of barter. National Museum of Chinese History, Beijing T A O t e C H I N G f o u r The Way is a limitless vessel; Used by the self, it is not filled by the world; It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled; Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal; I do not know where it comes from; It comes before nature. literature on daoism purchased from Amazon.com through our Associates program will assist the work of duckdaotsu. To help, start your search from the many resources at http://www.duckdaotsu.org/dao_books.html receive a full HTML copy of the daily meditation sent directly to your inbox, please send a note with the words “subscribe tao” in the subject line to duckdaotsu