As I write this, it is the birthday of Paul Tillich, the German/American theologian (b. 1886 - d. October 22, 1965)

In his writing titled "The Courage to Be", Paul wrote "The courage to be is rooted in the God who appears when God has disappeared in the anxiety of doubt."

I can then trust and relax into my very being. (Shen Sung) .  I can silence my mind and trust a greater power.

 The Tao Te Ching contains these words: (You can find them). 

THE FORGIVING PERSON CARRIES NO BURDENS

            AND WALKS WITH A LIGHT STEP.

ONE WHO HAS NO ATTACHMENTS (OR NOT MANY / BUT FEW)

            PERCEIVES PERFECTION -

                  EVEN IN THE BURNING OF HER OWN HOUSE.

"SEE THE SMOKE ?"

            EVERYTHING MOVES TOWARD THE CREATOR / GOD.

THOSE WHO LIVE WITHOUT JUDGMENT

HAVE UNSHACKLED THEIR SOULS

AND KNOW THE UNMEASURED TALLY OF ETERNAL SUNS

THE COMPASISONATE PERSON LOVES SELF:

EACH DEED A GRACEFUL ACT OF UNTHINKING KINDNESS.

THE LOVER NATURALLY SEES EACH PERSON AS LOVABLE

AND THE UNTOUCHABLE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE.

THE FEARFUL JUDGE HEALER AND WOUNDED ALIKE,

BUT EACH ONE WOUNDED HAS THE HEART OF A HEALER.

            AND EACH HEALER HAS KNOWN A WOUNDED HEART.

THE LIBERATED SOUL SEES DISEASE AS ANOTHER REMARKABLE JOURNEY.

FEAR NOT, FRIEND.

THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE GAINED FROM EVERY ILLUSION."

Today, or any day, perhaps as we ourselves heal deeper and become, we can claim this / today as

                                   "WORLD-WIDE JUDGE-NOT DAY"

We say we want peace, but refuse to cut ourselves any slack, no less others.  We say we want peace of mind, but doesn't judgment create the very turbulence our minds eschew?  When Judgements arise , so does turbulence, interference and inner turmoil...

What does  incessant judging ever get us?  It doesn't increase our peace, it doesn't increase our well-being, or even our creativity. It does however upset our inner calm...

"If it is peace we really want within, we will need to ‘Let go'of our need to classify things,"  said the Ancient Taoist Sage.  "The need to label, analyze, describe and define...SIMPLY ‘LET GO', " entreats the OLD SAGE.

"Just for today," said the Sage, "release your need to be judgmental.  For this day, be free - just for today, Fred, and then maybe tomorrow..."

When we label someone, anyone, we trap them in their yesterdays, and when we judge them, we make them wrong!  They are wrong for voting for "what's-his-name", wrong to feel the way they do (but of course, we aren't ?), or wrong for even looking the way they look, dressing the way they dress. 

These same walls that thus cause us to pull away also cut off other people, and even cut ourselves off from our very selves, as well as the flow of the Spirit. We find ourselves imprisoned, behind bars of our very making, be they bars of Gold, or bars of Iron, or bars of Chocolate...our spirit still cannot fly !

On WORLD-WIDE JUDGE-NOT DAY, let us deeply learn NOT to judge.  Let us all be willing to let anything in without needing to decide if it's good or bad. Let us simply Let It Be !

Let us practice true openness - placing our full attention on our heart's center.  Throughout this special day, let us repeat to ourselves this positive self-talk:

"Today I will judge nothing" -

            And by letting go of my judgments today, I will experience silence in my mind.

By shedding the burden of judgment, just for today, I will experience peace in my mind.  In this peace, I will uncover joy.  So, just for today, I will not classify, label, define or re-define, describe, evaluate or analyze - and I will know the peace of the STILLPOINT - AND perhaps unshackle my heart / mind...

AND THEN AGAIN, PERHAPS TOMORROW...!

Side Note : "Mindfulness" ... Non-judgemental present-moment awareness.

                     "Spirituality"  ...  Meaning and Peace and Faith...

                      "Stillness" ...     That place of deepness and depth within my

                                                   Heart of hearts, where the "Work" is

                                                   Accomplished.

To answer the question: "Why does not Fred employ Chapter / Verse designations when citing the "Tao Te Ching ?

Well they aren't original; but more-so, I have always entreated readers to get into the Writings personally, and the Book is not that large. The verses I cite are easily recognized by anyone who simply has read the Tao Te Ching a few times.

I have entreated over and over that people "write their own "Tao Te Ching", by gathering a few translations and reading them over and over, and then penning your own personal "Tao Te Ching", thus making these ancient vital / vibrating  words of wisdom come alive for you !

Shen Sung

P'eng Tsu