Discussions of the Tao

Please join us for a "Discussions of the Tao" with Pattie Mercado and Gene Stone Tuesday Oct 10 6:30 to 8 pm, Oct 17 and Oct 24. This free discussion group will take place at Center for Spiritual Living San Clemente 1201 Puerta Del Sol, Suite 100 San Clemente, CA 92673.

Our handout for this discussion:

Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Tsu 2600 years ago. The Tao is the complete explanation of space and time. Te is the use of Tao by all living things. The purpose of the Tao Te Ching is to teach the world to live harmoniously can open us you a higher wisdom and happiness.  This is because understanding of Tao bring us closer to our innermost source a place of balance and peace within and without.

Taoism's roots, like much of its visible manifestations, are buried in shamanic prehistoric China. Sometime around 500 B.C.E., a shadowy figure who is called Lao Tsu set down the philosophical principles of a Taoist way of life in a collection of teachings we know as the "Tao Te Ching." It has been pondered, studied and used as a guide for living ever since. Gradually, some of the trappings of religion grew around the essential philosophy. There are Taoist priests who perform the complex prayer rituals, temple protocol and scripture memorization, which functions as a kind of prayer. But Taoists do not pray in the way Christians do, for example. They regard gods as embodiments of the principles of the Tao. The essence of the Tao is a personal journey to "Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place."

The four cardinal virtues are found in the Tao.

1.  Gentleness

2.  Natural Sincerity

3.  Reverence for all Life

4.  Supportiveness

Tao will answer 8 questions:

1.  Where do we come from and where are we going?

2.  Can the opposite of a profound truth also be true?

3.  What is the invisible action of Tao or the Way?

4.  What happens when we reach total silence?

5.  Are we born as enlightened beings?

6.  Is there Cosmic Justice?

7.  What is enough?

8.  Are we altruistic in nature?

Tao can be grouped into 8 principles:

1. Tao

2. Oneness

3. Action

4. Silence

5. Life

6. Peace

7. Contentment

8. Love

Tao can be universally applied to: Religion, science, politics, commence, medicine, education, arts and Kung fu just to name a few. To be a warrior in the inner-outer life you have to be a warrior on the inner life.

Religious Wars! Is that really what's going on?

Religious Wars! Is that really what's going on?

It is extremely difficult to think that in the year 2015 we are still having to fight religious wars between the different faiths. 90% of the world's population believe in one form or another that there is a God or something greater than ourselves!  I do not believe that this is truly a war between the religions. I believe it is a war for power on many levels,  but a war nonetheless. One that we need to deal with quickly and effectively.

When I first heard of the psychopathic terrorist attacks in France on Friday, the warrior in me rose up immediately even at the age of 70. I'm happy to say that quickly my Spiritual Warrior overtook my human instinct for revenge.  As Mahatma Gandhi once said an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.   It seems to me we are on the brink of going blind.   Do I believe that all Muslims are terrorists? I do not!  I do not believe a majority of people of any religious faith are terrorists.  I do believe there are a few confused and dangerous people in all of the world's religions today, as it has always been.   What seems to be worse to me are the people that "hijack religious beliefs of any faith" for their own purposes to gain power.  This I consider "EVIL."

We have from the beginning of time dealt with threats and war, with more threats and more war in return.  That approach has always taken us deeper into the darkness of this world. Just look at our history to understand this.  All life is precious!   We all have the right to protect themselves in the times of trouble.  The question is what is the best way to protect ourselves?  It is my belief that we should all stand together as human beings and protect the rights of all of us to search and develop our understanding of the Creator God and how we wish to live our lives.  So it is the obligation and responsibility of all good people to protect these rights for all.  This means as all good people around our world, we must act together to stop those who would deny us the sacred right of understanding and living our own faith.  I am talking here to every believer and non believer.  Will we really let a few thousand psychopaths divide the majority of us from making the world a better place for all?

The love of the Creator and the Creation is meant to unite us not divided us.

Some religions and people believe there is only one true religion, and that religion knows everything, is and has everything, and can do everything. I'm not one of the people that believes that. I believe that all the religions combined, all the people on earth combined, and all things in the universe combined, and more makeup the one true Creator or God. And even that statement is putting limitations on the Creator, which I believe in reality we cannot do. 


There is one thing that I am sure of and that is our concepts of religion and God should not separate human beings at all. It should in fact united us in the belief that God is alive and bigger than all of us, and we share that in common. Only by working together can our understanding of this Great Mystery become greater and more complete.


The love of the Creator and the Creation is meant to unite us not divided us. This I know!

Where will you stand in 2015

A small group of people gathered in the cool morning air as the Sun arose on Jan 1, 2015 to set their intentions for the new year with prayer and community.  Standing around the Fire of Life that was heating the Stone People that would help us all to speak our intentions into words that will come to be with our actions as this year moves through it’s life cycle and this day turns into the next. The words and prayers of that chilly morning were strong and meaningful to each of us in our own way, as it should be.

The first two weeks of this year is bearing witness to the message that came with the entering of the Stone People into the hoop of life that day.  I can only speak for myself of course.  It was evident that I would have to make clear where I stand as a man and human being without fear or hesitation. Knowing that I can fail or succeed at any moment in time, with words or deeds. It is my choice to make. Do I choose darkness or do I walk in my own good?

I choose to stand in prayer with love, unity and equality for all, women, children, men and all religious beliefs with honor and respect and also love and healing for the Earth Mother. It has been said that the Creator gave ceremonies and prayers to the spirits to take to all the peoples of the world, to help them understand how to live, sing and dance in the sacred way. All of them being equal and none of them better or more important than the others in anyway. The different races of the people of the earth all received these prayers and ceremonies each in their own way of understanding. These gifts from Spirit were not given to us to divide and separate us, but were meant to unite us in our knowledge of the Creator and the Creation.  

It is clear in 2015 that humankind has forgotten and have confused these gifts from the Creator with greed, power and the will to dominate others, especially women and the Earth itself which is our Mother. How did this happen?  It started long ago when one person in each of our communities chose to use these gifts against the others.  It started when we forgot we are all part of the Creator and the Creation, we are all one in Spirit. It happened when we begin thinking that tradition could not be wrong or change or advance as our understanding grows closer with the flow and energies that makes up the living Spirit in all things.

This year things will get better or worse as each of us choose for our own life, and this life is connected to all life.  WE ARE ALL ONE IN SPIRIT. My prayer is that we all choose wisely and put an end to the madness of hate, greed, separation and the will to dominate others which could destroy us all, that we once again find love and kindness and respect for one another.  AS IT WILL BE SPOKEN, IT WILL BE SO. -Three Trees Cloud

"One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in darktimes. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these – to be fierce and to show mercy toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity." Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Berlin House of One: The first church-mosque-synagogue? By Stephen Evans BBC News, Berlin

House of One  The first Church / Mosque / Synagogue is being built in Berlin !
Muslims, Jews and Christians join hands to build a place where they can all worship. The House of One, as it is being called, will be a synagogue, a church and a mosque under one roof. The location is highly significant, according to one of the three religious leaders involved, Rabbi Tovia Ben Chorin. "From my Jewish point of view the city where Jewish suffering was planned is now the city where a centre is being built by the three monotheistic religions which shaped European culture," he told the BBC.

Can they get on? "We can. That there are people within each group who can't is our problem but you have to start somewhere and that's what we are doing."

The imam involved, Kadir Sanci, sees the House of One as "a sign, a signal to the world that the great majority of Muslims are peaceful and not violent". It's also, he says, a place where different cultures can learn from each other.

Each of the three areas in the House will be the same size, but of a different shape, architect Wilfried Kuehn points out.

Link to article: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27872551