54 Adversity

54 Adversity

"A tree hemmed in by giants

Requires tenacity to survive."

When I was 22 climbing the Hawaiian mountains on Oahu I didn't know what I was doing and fell frequently. I climbed all over the constantly gusting windward, and calm still leeward sides. On the windward side the tiniest weak looking shrub saved my life, holding strong as I grabbed for my life falling down the mountain. On the leeward side frantic but hopefully I grabbed at a big tree thinking I was saved but it just crumbled being very soft balsa wood and I could not get a hold. I was new to the Tao Te Ching and this lesson was powerful. Adversity builds strength. A favorite truth I often come back to is "Pain is the touchstone of all spiritual growth."

Brief commentary/review on the book 365 TAO Daily Meditations by Deng Ming Dao.