being there

Hello Opus. There have been many translations of the Tao Te Ching. You may find Steven Mitchell's translation to be one of the more accessible entry points into Taoism. It includes footnotes, if I remember correctly.

"Zen mind, Beginner's Mind" would serve you well if you find yourself drawn to Zen Buddhism and sitting meditation, or zazen.


Reading the simple straightforward words of the Dali Lama is wonderful for getting a feel for Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism in general.

Finally, a friendly opinion. The books, teachings, and the traditions themselves exist to serve as no more than guideposts leading to personal experience. As is said in the first line of the first chapter of the Tao Te Ching, "The Tao that can be spoken of is not the real Tao." Be well.

"Don't get saucy with me, Bearnaise!" History of the World

"We all got it coming, kid." Unforgiven

Hope it was soft ground. If I'm having trouble playing things that I'm used to playing, I'll usually just start messing around with something new. It happens to everyone.

Hi folks,

I'm new here and want to say that I've really enjoyed wandering back through prior posts. I think of myself as more scribbler than writer, but I enjoy it and do have a few things that I've come up with lately. Here is one:

"Beach 1995"

I rise, urinate, splash water on my face, brush my teeth, step out of my little trailer and begin walking barefooted the hundred yards to the 7-11. The gravel is difficult. I'm groggy. The wind is still north-east and smells of sea water and frying fat. I clear the parking lot.

A crowd has gathered across the street on the beach. I know why.

Yesterday the ocean kicked up. A man in his thirties was riding waves on a body board in the shore-break. He lost his board and panicked. His brother saw his struggle and attempted to save him. They both drowned within 10 yards of the beach. Only one of the bodies was recovered; the other has washed up this morning.


I enter the 7-11. I pour coffee into a 20 ounce paper cup. I move to the counter and use tongs to pick up a cylindrical Jimmy Dean sausage. I put the sausage in a stale hot dog bun. The sausage and bun are placed in a small red coffin shaped paper box. I approach the register.

"They found the other brother," I inform the lady at the register.

"Dumb asses," she says, counting change from the cash drawer. "They shouldn't have been swimming with the red flags up."

... the hard way. repeatedly.

By searching for the lesson in the thing, which you are already doing. Good luck.

Howdy folks.

Hi Doug. I'm new here as well. Welcome.

been there as well. all things pass. be well.

New here. Hi folks. Kill Devil Hills, Outer Banks

Hi nicenurse. I just joined and, were you not on the other end of this extremely long state, I'd have coffee with ya. Life on the Outer Banks means being a long way from everything, alas.