The image that comes to mind here

is a jam session

of bluegrass musicians,

at one with the music,

playing under a street light,

or on a front porch,

going where the music takes them,

with each musician at one

with their instrument

and with the other musicians

at the same time,

for the simple joy and wonder

of participating in the music,

and being graced and blessed

by the music.

This is living in accord with the Tao.

In accord with the intuition of each

individual member of the group,

and in accord with the intuition

of the group as a whole.

We can do this with our life

by practicing the skills of being attuned to our life.

We do that by way of emptiness, stillness, silence,

and being aware of the present moment

on all levels

without being hooked, possessed,

owned by anything.

This is done by being aware,

without judgment or opinion,

of all that is with us in the moment.

Seeing what we look at,

hearing what is being said

and how it is being said,

and how we are responding…

Seeing, hearing, understanding here, now.

Knowing what’s what,

just sitting,

just seeing,

just hearing,

just knowing,

and watching what arises unbidden

within us as impulse,

as urgency,

as calling,

as invitation

to do what needs to be done

without having anything invested

in the outcome, with nothing to gain or to lose,

just doing what needs to be done,

because it needs to be done,

doing it and being done with it

for the joy of doing it,

and the satisfaction of having done it.

So, we rise and do what is called for,

where, when and how it is called for,

then move back into sitting

and seeing,

and hearing…

Rising and doing

in each situation as it unfolds before us.

This is the practice that allows us

to resonate with our life,

entering the dance,

being danced by the music of life

for the wonder of it all,

in tune and in time with the flow

of life and being, here, now.

In every situation,

there is a tipping point

where the responses

of the people in the situation

can influence the outcome

of the situation for better or for worse.

Or, a different way of saying it:

The image that comes to mind

is a bluegrass jam session—

musicians gathered under a streetlight

or on a front porch,

each one at one with the music,

with their instrument,

and with one another.

They go where the music takes them,

playing for the simple joy

of participating in the music,

and being graced by it.

This is living in accord with the Tao.

In accord with the intuition of each musician,

and with the intuition of the group as a whole.

We can live this way

by practicing the skills

of being attuned to our life.

We do this through emptiness, stillness, silence—

through awareness of the present moment

on every level,

without being hooked, possessed,

or owned by anything.

It is awareness without judgment,

without opinion,

of all that is with us in the moment.

Seeing what we see.

Hearing what is said

and how it is said,

and noticing how we respond.

Seeing, hearing, understanding—here, now.

Just sitting.

Just seeing.

Just hearing.

Just knowing.

Watching what arises unbidden within us

as impulse, urgency, calling, invitation—

to do what needs to be done

with nothing invested in the outcome,

nothing to gain or lose.

Doing what needs to be done

because it needs to be done.

Doing it, and being done with it—

for the joy of doing it,

and the satisfaction of having done it.

So we rise and do what is called for,

where, when, and how it is called for.

Then we return to sitting,

seeing,

hearing.

Rising and doing

in each situation

as it arises throughout our life.

And a third way:

The image that rises is a bluegrass jam at dusk—

musicians gathered under a streetlamp

or on a front porch,

leaning into the music as it leans into them.

Each one listening,

each one offering,

each one carried by the same current.

No one in charge.

No one following.

Just the music moving through them

as they move through the music.

This is life in accord with the Tao—

each person attuned to their own intuition,

and all of them attuned to the intuition

that belongs to the group as a whole.

We learn to live this way

by practicing attunement to our own life.

Through emptiness.

Through stillness.

Through silence.

Through awareness of the present moment

on every level—

without being captured by anything

that arises within it.

Awareness without judgment.

Presence without preference.

Attention without grasping.

Seeing what is here to be seen.

Hearing what is here to be heard.

Noticing how we respond.

Letting the moment reveal itself

without our interference.

Just sitting.

Just seeing.

Just hearing.

Just knowing.

Watching what arises unbidden—

the impulse, the urgency, the calling,

the quiet invitation

to do what needs to be done

with nothing to gain

and nothing to lose.

Doing what needs to be done

because it needs to be done.

Doing it for the joy of doing it,

and the peace of having done it.

We rise when the moment calls.

We act where, when, and how

the moment asks.

Then we return to stillness—

to seeing,

to hearing,

to being.

This is the practice

that lets us resonate with our life,

entering the dance,

and being danced

by the music of existence.

In tune,

in time,

with the flow of life

here, now.

Every situation contains a tipping point—

a moment where the responses

of those present

can shift the outcome

toward harmony

or toward harm.

And a fourth option:

Picture a bluegrass jam session:

musicians on a porch or under a streetlight,

each one tuned into their instrument,

each one tuned into the others,

all of them following the music

as it unfolds in real time.

No plan.

No script.

Just responsiveness, joy, and flow.

That’s what it looks like

to live in accord with the Tao.

Each musician follows their own intuition,

and at the same time

they follow the intuition of the group.

Life can be lived the same way.

We learn this through practice—

through stillness, silence, and presence.

By paying attention to the moment

without judgment,

without getting hooked,

without being owned

by our reactions or desires.

It’s simple awareness:

seeing what’s in front of us,

hearing what’s being said,

noticing how we respond,

and letting the moment be what it is.

From that awareness,

something arises on its own—

an impulse, a nudge, a sense

of what needs to be done.

We follow it

without worrying about the outcome.

We do what needs doing

because it needs doing.

Then we let it go.

We rise when the moment calls,

act where and how the moment asks,

and return to stillness

until the next moment arrives.

This is how we learn to resonate with our life—

to move with it,

to be moved by it,

to participate in the dance

of what is happening right now.

Every situation has a tipping point,

a moment when the way people respond

can shift everything

for better or for worse.