Wen Tzu - Verse 72, Part IV

from Verse Seventy-Two

The original production of the Way has a beginning. It begins in weakness and develops into strength, begins in slightness and develops into greatness. A gigantic tree begins as a sprout, a huge building starts at the bottom. This is the Way of Nature.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Everything starts from nothing and grows into something. This is one way to recognize the connection and commonality of all things. We all start at the same place and, in death, we each end up in the same place. The big difference between the "ten thousand things" is the time between birth and death.

Everything starts off as formless. Take, for example, an idea. Initially, there is nothing but a spark. Something clicks in our mind and little by little a mental conception begins to take form. At the outset, the idea is rather vague and nebulous. After awhile, it gets some legs under it. In time, he may begin a grand plan. We put this idea into action and it blossoms beyond our wildest dreams. Eventually, the idea begins to fade and, at some point, dies. It is formless again.

All things in our scope of existence follow this same basic pattern; we each share the same mother.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.