The "Mastering" of Life

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It is a real and gentle pleasure to report that, after all these years, I am a "full-fledged" Taoist! But, despite my very strong Buddhist leanings, I have never given up Christianity, and a very great Love and admiration for Jesus.:)

A wise person cannot easily or accurately be "pigeon-holed." So, although I belong to no organized, orthodox, historical variety of what is called, loosely, "Christianity," I am very happy to report that spirituality is the most important Center of this life.

I can put the principles of Taoism (taken from the sages Lao Tzu and his disciple Chuang Tzu) into actual operation. I might never "master" Kung Fu in its "martial arts" sense. But I have discovered that this Chinese phrase is by no means limited to fighting or conflict. I was delighted to find out that "Kung Fu" means only "excellence." So, a good mother could be a "Kung Fu mother," and a good, fine carpenter a "Kung Fu carpenter." So, contrary to popular opinion, a "Kung Fu master" was not an expert at martial arts. He or she was a master at living-- in regulating personal desires, temper, and the "lower nature" generally. Now, that is a goal worth striving for!

You are right: The [Jehovah's Witness] cult pretends to cultivate the arts of gentleness, but its leaders are so very insecure that they are always trying to out-shout each other-- if not literally, then symbolically. Silence, especially in public, demands a rather high level of self-certainty and self-acceptance. It can never be managed by the "average" person.

Please tell your friend to contact me directly. Please tell her that I have sufficient copies [of Jehovah Lives in Brooklyn] in stock here, that if she needs more than one, that is fine.

I close with dreams of the pisces mind, dreams of a better world and happier hearts for all living creatures.
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