Birds and butterflies migrate according to the seasons.
The seasons fluctuate according to the position of the sun and moon. The tides are high and low, in and out in accord with the moon’s orbit.

There is a right way and a wrong way, a right time and a wrong time, with the grain, against the grain, with the current, against the current, with the wind, against the wind… A time and a place for everything.

How does everything know what time it is and what time it is for? This is the mystery of Tao. Not only is there a right time and a wrong time, but everything knows what time it is for and what time it is not for.

The rhythms and harmonies of life are in tune with the times and places of life. Birds find themselves building nests for no apparent reason, and mating, and hatching, and migrating… How does word get around? Trees produce leaves that grow, mature, die, and fall, synchronized with all of the other trees in the forest. Who, what is conducting the leaf orchestra? How do they know what to do when?

The Tao is doing its thing. How might we enter into the rhythm and harmony of the Tao. How might we align ourselves with the Tao? Move in accord with the Tao? Know what is called for here, now? Abide by the drift of the current of life day to day, throughout the day? Eating when hungry, resting when tired? Being present with the Tao, open to the Tao, aware of the Tao, here, now, around the clock?

We speak of “jet lag,” and of “island time.” Is that a way of knowing when we are in and out of sync with the Tao? When Stella gets her groove back is Stella aligning herself with Tao?

We live with and around Tao all our life long. We come and go with Tao day by day. We can be conscious and unconscious of Tao every day. At one with and in opposition to Tao all the time. What difference will awareness of Tao make in the quality of our life over time? There is one way of finding out: Paying attention. Living with our eyes open to the way we are living. That could change everything.