Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Tao of Distance Running - #15





The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.
                                                                            *


~

Who knows what the path may offer?
We measure only what is given
away in the wake of
our passing.
Nothing can be taken.
And only possibilities
exist.
  • We are fulfilled by running - the extras - races, medals and recognition are but by products of the purity of our action. Even training to win or do well in a race is not about an end result but the process of daily commitment to something larger than ourselves. In the beginning of any endeavor ego plays a role - it's often the spark to a spiritual fire. Yet in the end ego is left behind as we pursue a truth that only freedom from attachments and expectation will bring. The true worth of a runner is not measured in arbitrary numbers or an imagined finished line - but in the grace of steps that's offered to the world. 


Peace,
Eric



*Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell

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