hourglass  Chinese characters for "hourglass"

lovely twilight on hill of snow, soft and fresh in the lavender light



Life is like an hourglass.
Consciousness is the sand.



Imagine an hourglass.

Its shape is like the symbol for infinity.  Its form recalls the double helix of DNA.  Its two sections represent polarity.  The material on one side, the immaterial on the other.  The male on one side, and the female on the other. Hot and cold, positive and negative, or any other duality.

The sand runs in a stream, the same stream as the course of energy that runs up your spine, the same stream that is the road of life.

The movement of that sand is what we call Tao.  Our consciousness alternates between the various states represented by the hourglass.  It is as difficult to grasp as a stream of sand.  Therefore, it is foolish to examine things minutely.  It is unwise to focus on the material.  It is wisdom to understand the movement.



hourglass
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9
duckdaotsu.org
duckdaotsu blog
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recommended reading**
email to friend
see last year’s archived at
http://www.duckdaotsu.org/hourglass12.html

dao-hourglass 
blog site     
        snow in pinetree sea
 Jungle Sea of Snowfield 1961
          by Fu Bao Shi
the truth is spoken, the world awaits, all eyes on Canada      
don't forget me!*** special note: (the gift of a duck)
Yesterday I sent many of you an email about matching donations to the heifer project.
Dear Diane explained to me that many people couldn't view the web page I added, so I
am sending the direct urls to you today.  Thank you in advance for all you can do to help.

dear friends,
I am sending a flock of ducks to a needy family.  If two of you send one as well, I will send a flock of geese.
 If two more of you send either ducks or geese or chicks, I will send a flock of chicks.

Let's see this grow, and make it a tradition for duckdaotsu and for all those who know and care about this silly duck, lisbeth!
xoxo  lisbeth west
ps.  just let me know by forwarding me an honor card,

http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm will get you to the main catalogue
http://catalog.heifer.org/ducks.cfm  is the duck spot!
and for the folks who would rather not send animals, there is a special gift of knitting basket or bees!


 **Suggested reading of daoist texts ancient poetry and contemporary Chinese literature is available at the site.
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