To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
So the unwanting soul
sees what's hidden,
and the ever-wanting soul
sees only what it wants.
- Ursula K. Le Guin, Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching. A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way.
. . .
Ursula Le Guin's translation of this passage from the Tao Te Ching sits at the heart of both Taoist and Zen practice — the recognition that wanting narrows the eye. The unwanting soul does not achieve stillness through discipline; it simply ceases to place itself at the center of what it sees. The world, no longer filtered through the mesh of desire, becomes visible as it is.
Life is suffering
The root of all suffering is desire.
- from the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
When the mind is stilled from its obsession with itself, and observant of the reality around us, we are see it for what it is, and are capable of only then of understanding it and the true nature of life.
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
- Lao Tzu
The Tao Te Ching Journal: A Path To Inner Quiet
Zen Mountain Journal blends Taoist hermit poetry, contemplative art, and reflections drawn from a lifetime shaped by wilderness, solitude, and decades doing creative work on the outer boundaries of our culture. These journals are companions for seekers — guides in the reconnection with inner quiet, beauty, and the “soundless music” of a life lived with simplicity and meaning.
• Size: 9.25 × 8.5 inches — convenient size for desk or lap.
• Hardcover — the book can be written in without a table or desk.
• Double wire-o bound to lay flat.
• Printed on Mohawk Superfine, a premium uncoated paper for a beautiful writing surface.
• 160 pages.
