I recently learned about this great book that documented the lives of Chinese Hermits: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Heaven-Encounters-Chinese-Hermits/dp/1562790412

Two philosophers meet at an academic conference. The first one says "So, do you believe in free will?" The second one says "Yes, I feel like I have no choice. How about you?" The first one says "No, I choose not to."

Many of us think of being centered as finding balance, staying calm, or focusing on ourselves. But what if that is just scratching the surface? The Daodejing offers a surprising perspective. It suggests that every person, every tree, every animal, and every part of the universe is a unique center, not because it stands above everything else, but because it exists within a vast web of interconnected relationships. If every point in the web is a center, then no single perspective is absolute. We each see only part of the whole. Wisdom begins when we recognize both the value and the limits of our own point of view. Join us at Kinship Cafe this week as we explore chapter 5 of the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) to see what it means to live from our natural center while recognizing that everyone else has one too. It’s a conversation that has the power to change how we see ourselves, one another, and the world we share. This is an open, discussion-based gathering. No prior knowledge needed. Just curiosity. 📍 Drop in anytime 🗣️ All perspectives welcome ☕ Thoughtful conversation, grounded in a naturalistic reading of the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) There are 3 ways to participate. With your account at Kinship Cafe, you can: 1. Join the live online sessions on Fridays at 7am PT. The link is in the community's Calendar section. 2. Watch the past session recordings at your own time. The videos will be in the community's Classroom section. 3. If you happen to live near Fallbrook, CA, you can join our in-person session on Sundays at 9am. Hilltop Spiritual Center, 331 E Elder St., Fallbrook, CA 92028 I look forward to seeing you there!

I believe so. Certainly at the individual level, but also at the societal level. This is not about adopting a new religion. It is about seeing the nature of reality more clearly. So often, while trying to solve a personal or community problem, we struggle because we have not identified the actual problem. If we are trying to solve for the wrong problem, we will get the wrong answer. Understanding the Dao (Tao) is one way we can learn to see the underlying problem (individually and collectively) more clearly. Join us at Kinship Cafe this week as we look at chapter 4 of the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching), in which we see the core concept of the Dao (Tao). This is an open, discussion-based gathering. No prior knowledge needed. Just curiosity. 📍 Drop in anytime 🗣️ All perspectives welcome ☕ Thoughtful conversation, grounded in a naturalistic reading of the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) There are 3 ways to participate. With your account at Kinship Cafe, you can: 1. Join the live online sessions on Fridays at 7am PT. The link is in the community's Calendar section. 2. Watch the past session recordings at your own time. The videos will be in the community's Classroom section. 3. If you happen to live near Fallbrook, CA, you can join our in-person session on Sundays at 9am. Hilltop Spiritual Center, 331 E Elder St., Fallbrook, CA 92028 I look forward to seeing you there!

Here's a chat I had with Notion AI about the relative information density of written English and Chinese, specifically touching on the Daodejing, inspired by one of Claude Shannon's papers, for the nerds in the house: https://app.notion.com/share/d5d458df9bc84f0ca5969786b7817761/38704771655d817abc0700a9546d24b7