Finding the truth.

Having worked long and hard on making my own translation of the Tao Te Ching I asked myself if in the process had I learned what was, in fact, the truth?  Strangely enough, while talking about this very thing with friends last night I was asked exactly the same question. Have you then discovered that wonderful gem of truth to share with me?

I smiled and gave my honest reply, "I wish life was that simple."

The truth that I have searched for over the largest part of my life has come to me in little drops of understanding that only when put together bring me something worthy of calling the meaning and purpose of my lives.

I have also discovered that most of those little gems of wisdom have not come to me while sitting working on books but when I found myself in difficult situations like the tree in my painting hanging to the edge of a cliff or at the point of needing to decide.

I suppose the bottom line is this if you wish to find anything meaningful in life it never comes easily. it takes many steps of faith and many challenges to finding those little gems of understanding falling into place.

Has my study over the past year or more brought a blinding flash of light like a Damascus Road experience? No. But it has helped me to shuffle into place all the little precious moments into something that begins to make sense.

Understanding does not come easily it takes a few cliff edge moments but every single one is worthy of that step of faith.

Here is an interesting little thought to go with this thought of mine.

Once the Devil was walking along with one of his cohorts. They saw a man ahead of them pick up something shiny. "What did he find?" asked the cohort. "A piece of the truth," the Devil replied. "Doesn't it bother you that he found a piece of the truth?" asked the cohort. "No," said the Devil, "I will see to it that he makes a religion out of it." 

Have a marvellous day.