THE NATURE OF NATURE

The ancients observed nature and noticed the constant change. During the day, they looked up to the sky and saw an ever-shifting cloudscape. They could also feel the ever-shifting air currents as a breeze. At night, they observed the stars and noted the changing positions over time, orchestrated by some unknown design. After a while, they could tell that such changes were an ongoing, never-ending process.

They observed human affairs and saw that it was also an ever-shifting panorama. The buildings of a town seemed to remain the same at any moment, just as the stars of the nighttime sky seem unmoving initially, but if you were to visit the same town after years of absence, you would definitely notice things had changed. Such changes are also an ongoing, never-ending process, and in that respect, the celestial starscape and human society reflect one another.

This is the nature of nature. Everything changes and nothing is permanent. Human beings, as part of nature, are subject to the same Tao. Everything we see, touch and feel is undergoing transitions, just like the clouds in the sky and the stars at night. The nature of our lives is impermanence.

The Tao Today

Note the changes everywhere in your life. If you see something that seems to remain constant, it is only because you are looking at it in a small interval of time. Think in terms of years and decades and you will begin to see the difference.

The Tao of Joy Every Day

~ Derek Lin