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Trading with the Tao

“The Tao” means different things to different people. It’s generally thought to have been introduced to the world sometime around 500 B.C. in China.  Since then, millions of interpretations have been contemplated. In modern times, everyone from the Dali Lama to Willie Nelson has offered their take on it.

What exactly is “The Tao?”

It’s usually translated directly as “the way” or “the path.”  But most who have studied it agree that it also refers to “the Source” behind everything.  The unseen force in the universe that essentially makes things happen.

A Christian theologian would probably see similarities between the Tao and the “Holy Spirit.”  Physicists likely see it represented as “energy.”  Self-help gurus often compare the Tao to “consciousness.”  Luke Skywalker called it “the Force.”  Had Michael Jordan delved into the world of metaphysics, he probably would have referred to the Tao as “the zone.”

The overriding message of the Tao is that you’re either flowing with it or against it.  You’re either in the zone or out of the zone, using the Force or blocking the Force. However you want to describe it, the point is that you feel good and peaceful when you’re flowing with the Tao and you feel bad and fearful when you’re trying to fight against it. (more…)