The Tao de Jing presents a picture of reality as an ebb and flow of chaos and order. The ten thousand things are born and die, rise and fall. My life is no different from the star and the slug. I come onto the scene, not for a million brilliant years but for more than a few slimey days in the woodland dirt. I appear and disperse.
The practice of sauntering brings me into the eternal movement of the Tao. When I take my first step on a gravel path I assent unconsciously to the flow. To saunter is not a willful act, but more akin to wu wei, the “effortless action” of the daoist sage. When I saunter, I flow effortlessly within the reality of transformation. Each step says yes to nature’s eternal rising and falling.
When my saunter traverses a virtuous path (a path of “de”), I return to my original mind, the mind unclouded by the anxieties, fears and assaultive thoughts of the conscious mind. I settle into naturalness and plainness.
Sauntering the Tao, the three treasures come into focus. Each saunter brings me one step closer to kindness, simplicity and moderation. These are the jewels of my aboriginal life.