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Body is the tabernacle.
Traveling one thousand miles,
The gods are still in place.
The body is the temple of the gods. It should be kept clean and pure, so the holiest of events can take place. Sacred, it should be kept undefiled. Consecrated, its interior is where the deepest questions are explored.
In olden times, the devout carried tabernacles so that they could keep up their devotions even when far from their homes. Their gods were inside these boxes, protected and treasured. Followers of Tao believe that the gods are within themselves. Therefore, wherever they go, they carry the gods within them.
During their travels, when they come to a resting place, they open not a receptacle but themselves. They carry their sense of "place" within themselves. Even while sojourning, they remain oriented to their inner sacredness. Perhaps they can even make breakthroughs more quickly, for the preoccupation of the mind are no longer present to interfere with the flow of the divine. Once people connect to their inner strength, there is no end to the wonders of travel.
travel
365 Tao
Deng Ming-Dao
Daily Meditations
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( '? note: I am a collector of strange objects
from the history of China, many are mundane to most folks, but one is special
to today's meditation. It is a "tabernacle" box, about 16 inches
wide, opening up with a brass clasp, and it is not flat at the top but
curved. My friend tells me that it is the "pillow" for their travels:
when through with the spiritual duties, the are able to keep their head
off the ground by sleeping on it. A wonderful story. Who knows?
( '?
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