“The Tao”

WHAT IS THE TAO?

“The Tao that can be understood is not the eternal, cosmic Tao,

just as an idea that can be expressed in words is not the infinite idea.

And yet this ineffable Tao

is the source of all spirit and matter; expressing itself,

it is the mother of all created things.

Not to desire material things

is to know the freedom of spirituality; and to desire them is to suffer the limitations of matter.

Yet these two things, matter and spirit, so different in nature, have the same origin.

This unity is the mystery of mysteries, and the gateway to spirituality.” -Tao Te Ching

This ancient text, written over 2400 years ago, was given to me by my brother during my thruhike of the Appalachian Trail in 2022. For 2194.3 miles, I carried this book in my backpack, but didn’t read it. Since my thruhike, I’d had a lot of exposure to ancient Chinese philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I worked for and had the opportunity to be mentored by an acupuncturist and body worker, both who taught me a wealth of wisdom in their individual practices. Knowing that this book had lessons to teach me, I brought it on the Pilgrimage.

Fast forward to a few months into the Pilgrimage, the book lay nestled in the plywood shelves, untouched. At this time of the Pilgrimage, I was feeling the impending intensity of some sort of transition. January and February taught me how to be comfortable and confident in the lifestyle on the road. I’d had a strong sense of self-assurance in what I was doing because the rapid evolution of my internal state. These beginning months had been tentatively planned, cities and friends that I’d outlined prior to leaving that made for a rough itinerary of what I’d wanted to start out experiencing. March was different. Familiar faces and wholesome embraces, all of which were from the people who knew me best. These moments were a gift, a reprieve from the constant change and uncertainty that I’d adapted to while traveling alone. My time around these individuals was ticking away though. They each had their own plans, their own goals, and their own lives to pursue. Me? I knew that I did as well. The only issue was that I was unsure of what it would look like, because moving forward I didn’t have a plan. During the blissful time with my loved ones, I dropped the thoughts of needing to figure these details out. But now? I couldn’t ignore it. The open road of possibility, the next chapter of the Pilgrimage, was whispering my name.

Direction has been my compass. My life, though it has twisted and turned to many different avenues, always had a purpose. I knew my purpose, in a general sense, but I didn’t know what next steps to take or how to make the tangible dreams come true. In my business, I felt stagnant. In love with the career I created for myself but lacking the amount of clientele necessary to pay all the bills, I didn’t know what to do. In my art, I’d awoken to the creative within and felt so inspired to make it a revenue generating venture, but I didn’t know how. I was feeling stuck. I’d had many ideas written down, but none of them were invigorating enough for me to pull the trigger and get to work.

“Objects in motion, stay in motion. Those at rest, stay at rest.” - Newton’s First Law: Inertia

This inertia and feeling blocked felt like it carried to almost every area of my life. It even creeped in on my desire to continue traveling solo, especially after a few magical weeks of traveling with a partner.

As I was feeling the weight of all this impending change, I was given a sign. Rummaging through my car one day, randomly the Tao Te Ching book fell and displayed itself right in front of my face. I do not believe in coincidences, so I took it as an indicator that it was time to read the book. After 4 years of keeping it with me wherever I went, the time was now.

After it fell, but before I took the initiative to begin reading it, I had a vision…

Now, let’s get one thing straight. I’m an artist, but I struggle to picture images and scenes in my mind. Most of the art I’d created on the Pilgrimage up until that point were profound scenes that came to me. This one though, was not only visual, but auditory and visceral as well…

3.18.26- The Vision

“With Chinese flutes seranading in the background, I felt a wise teacher’s presence guiding me through city streets somewhere in Asia. I could not see him, but I could feel that he was gentle, calm, but assertively instructive. Before me was a vibrant neon cloud, a stream dancing through the streets around the buildings with precision. The spirit winding in front of me had colors as vivid as the brightest flowers, ranging in all hues of the rainbow.

I somehow knew that each glimmer held a key of knowledge collected since the beginning of time. I could tap into that ancient wisdom by just selecting a piece, reading it, and learning it for myself. In that moment I knew, the flow felt like The Way, The Tao, the natural power of consciousness. Being led by this masculine, wise guidance, I knew which direction to go: the Tao Te Ching, nature, my connection to healing modalities, and what resonates with my soul.”