The Tao Te Ching

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"Flourishing as they do, each of them will return to it's root."

In this excerpt of the Tao Te Ching, the master poetically and succinctly gives us the concentrated essence of the Tao - fearlessness, compassion, peace, and the shaking off of death.
The Tao is a perfect handbook for daily prompts for contemplation, but like many ancient text is usually most effective when read under the guidance of a teacher in the tradition.

Transcript

The Tao Te Ching,

Translation by John Wu.

Attain to utmost emptiness.

Cling single-heartedly to interior peace.

Though all things are stirring together,

I only contemplate the return.

For flourishing as they do,

Each of them will return to its root.

To return to the root is to find peace.

To find peace is to fulfill one's destiny.

To fulfill one's destiny is to be constant.

And to know the constant is called insight.

If one does not know the constant,

One runs blindly into disasters.

If one knows the constant,

One can understand and embrace all.

If one understands and embraces all,

One is capable of doing justice.

To be just is to be kingly.

To be kingly is to be heavenly.

To be heavenly is to be one with the Tao.

To be one with the Tao is to abide forever.

Such a one will be safe and whole,

Even after the dissolution of their body.

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