Hello,
And welcome to Methods of Contemplation.
Today's method is about the Tao.
To begin,
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And slowly exhale out through your mouth.
Repeat this a few times,
And allow yourself to fully and completely relax,
And let go of any held tension in your body.
As you continue to breathe,
Focus your attention on your breath,
And allow your mind to become still and quiet.
Imagine yourself standing at the edge of a vast and expansive ocean.
Not one from this planet,
But a limitless one.
One where there is no edge,
Where the water goes on forever,
And the water is calm and still,
And the sun is shining brightly overhead.
As you look out at that ocean,
All of a sudden you notice a small boat approaching.
The boat is simple and unadorned,
And it's being propelled by just a gentle breeze.
As the boat comes closer,
You see that it's being steered by a wise old sage.
The kindly man invites you to join him on the boat,
And you step aboard.
He takes the oars,
And you begin to drift out to sea.
The waves are gentle,
And there's a deep sense of peace and tranquility as you float along.
As you look out at the horizon,
You begin to sense a deeper presence within the ocean itself.
You feel an intimate connection with something vast and expansive.
Something greater than what can be put into words.
Something beyond explanation.
Something only recognizable by a direct and inner knowing.
This is the Tao,
The all-encompassing force that permeates and animates all of existence.
As you continue to drift,
Allow yourself to become more acutely aware of this presence,
More enveloped by it.
It is everywhere and in everything.
It is the source of all life and creation.
Feel yourself merging with the Tao,
Slipping out of the tightness and exhaustion of maintaining your small identity,
Like taking off a tight shoe,
And you become one with this infinite reality.
Allow yourself to completely let go of any resistance,
Of any attachment,
And simply surrender to the flow of the Tao.
As you surrender to the Tao,
Allow the feeling of peace and contentment to flood your being even more,
And you realize that everything,
The good and the bad,
Is all unfolding as it should,
And that there's a natural order to the universe,
One that you're not separate from.
Take a few moments to simply float and be present in the Tao.
Allow yourself to bask in the coolness and the tranquility of this energy.
When you're ready,
The sage steers the boat back to shore.
As you step off the boat,
You carry with yourself a sense of calm and connectedness.
You know that the Tao is always with you,
That you are always with the Tao,
And that you can rest into this movement and this stillness whenever you need.
