How the Tao Surfers Moved (Tao Te Ching 15)

15.

The ancient Tao surfers were 

keen, deep and inexpressibly artful.

There is no way 

to fathom their wisdom.

All we can really do, 

is describe how they appeared.

They were careful, 

as when crossing an icy stream.

Conscientious, as if always being seen.

Respectful, as trekkers,

hiking through private land.

Elegant and yielding,

like a melting icicle

in the morning sun.

Natural, as unfinished wood.

Wide open, like a valley

which lets muddy floodwaters 

tousle its landscape, 

then lets the silt settle

in clarified streams.

Then it stirs up still pools once again, 

reawakening life.

Tao surfers don’t care about riches.

Since they don’t hoard wealth,

they stay low-key.

Thus, they’re reborn to the world,

and ease into maturity,

feeling younger than they’ve ever been.

Reflection

This is one of our favorite chapters, since it offers a beautiful and vivid picture of what it looks like to surf the Tao. This isn’t about mere appearances, façades, or false egos. It’s about the way in which a person of integrity acts as if he or she is being witnessed. And it doesn’t mean that they care what haters think! Rather, the way we treat a delicate flower, and helpless baby bird who’s fallen out of a nest, or our neighbor’s lawn when we walk our dog says something about our alignment with goodness, truth and beauty. It says something to ourselves, even when no one else can know.

 The image presented here is reminiscent of a wading bird, like a Great Blue Heron, slowly stepping through shallow waters, looking for little fish. It isn’t flailing about or splashing around through the water. Instead it waits for the opportune time to strike. Here’s a video of a Great Blue Heron fishing.

 We came up with the language about trekking through private land since we had been recently traveling through private and public wildlife areas (legally) in our 4x4 truck camper. It always put a smile on our faces when we came across fellow travelers who were improving the natural landscape. We were saddened when others tore it up, having cheap fun but leaving a legacy of destruction and brokenness. 

 The natural imagery of this chapter soothes the mind and heart. It reflects the beautiful minimalism of the many interesting folks we’ve encountered in our travels who live in their vehicles or who are on long bicycle or walking journeys. They are finding themselves as they become intimate with the landscape. In this, we ourselves have felt younger than we’ve ever been, and we’ve learned how to do this with many fine couples we’ve run into who were decades older than we are. 

 It’s easy to lose our focus and go back into our panicked, hectic ways. But chapters like this remind us to take a beat, recover our natural rhythms, and embrace life with all its natural gifts.