In case you were wondering...

The title of my blog refers to one of my favorite passages from the Tao Te Ching, specifically the 1989 translation by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English. I first read the text for a course in Japanese religion in the spring of 1992, and it's one of the very few books that's accompanied me during the ensuing 17 years of peregrination.

While I don't subscribe to any particular religion, Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism in particular, holds a lot of appeal for me as a source of wisdom and comfort in navigating life's challenges. One of these days/weeks/months/years I need to make time and space to study it in greater depth.

I've come back to this chapter again because, as I try to adapt to the Nicaraguan lifestyle for the second time, I find myself constantly having to revise my expectations and stopping myself from reacting to situations in the manner I might if I were in the U.S. One of the things that has always struck me about Nicaraguans is that the majority seem to believe that they have very little control over their own lives. Either God, some other higher power, or simply "fate" is running the show. This is comforting in some ways, because it makes it easier for people to accept the many, many obstacles they face here; however, I think this mindset also holds them back from achieving a higher, more sustainable standard of living. On the flip side, the majority of U.S.-ians probably feel that they have 100% control of their lives. In my opinion, neither viewpoint is entirely correct.

All this to say that I am trying to be a bit more flexible and relaxed when things don't go the way I anticipate. I am trying to yield, to bend, and let things happen as they will, all the while keeping some semblance of a smile on my face. This is often far easier said than done...

Yield and overcome;
Bend and be straight;
Empty and be full;
Wear out and be new;
Have little and gain;
Have much and be confused.
Therefore the wise embrace the one
And set an example to all.
Not putting on a display,
They shine forth.
Not justifying themselves,
They are distinguished.
Not boasting,
They receive recognition.
Not bragging,
They never falter.
They do not quarrel,
So no one quarrels with them.
Therefore the ancients say, "Yield and overcome."
Is that an empty saying?
Be really whole,
And all things will come to you.