Have you ever experienced a spiritual awakening? My first spiritual awakening happened in 2004. I grew up as a rational, materialistic atheist in the Bible Belt, and for the first 22 years of my life I had no conception whatsoever of spiritual consciousness. Something I was deeply passionate about (you might say obsessed with) from very early on was martial arts (I basically wanted to be a Ninja Turtle). So when I was 10 my parents signed me up for lessons at the local taekwondo chain school. It was the kind of place where I started at age 10, had a black belt at age 12, and a second degree black belt at age 14. After that I branched out into other martial arts, including Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian, and Filipino styles. What they all had in common was that they were all external styles, meaning that the emphasis was on athleticism and external results: lots of jumping around, kicking high, and doing various kinds of stunts. Something else that interested me from a very young age was ancient stories and mythology. I enjoyed reading the Greek myths, and I found and read copies of the Panchatantra and the Tao Te Ching. I thought the Panchatantra was really cool, but at the time the Tao Te Ching didn't make any sense to me and came across as a bunch of gobbledygook. In college I studied math and physics, but I went to a small, private liberal arts school where you had to learn a little bit of everything. The class I took for my religion elective was Buddhism. I learned about the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama sitting under the Bodhi Tree and experiencing satori, the “instantaneous awakening”, and arising as the Buddha, the “awakened one”. They were cool old stories, but at the time meant nothing to me beyond that. I also kept learning new martial arts, including Japanese, Chinese, and Brazilian styles, all still externally focused. I tried out a tai chi class, but found I didn't have the patience for it at the time. For graduate school I moved to the west coast, still studying math and physics, and still on the lookout for new martial arts to learn. One day I saw a flier for a place called the Kung Fu Academy and decided to check it out. It turned out this was a school that taught internal kung fu, largely rooted in the tai chi classics. If it had been called "the Tai Chi Academy" I probably wouldn't have gone, due to my earlier boredom when I tried a tai chi class, but I found the training to be very effective for where I was in my development.

At last week’s Kinship Cafe, we discussed a passage from Liezi, one of the key early writers who shaped Daoism. Here is another quote from chapter one that I find interesting: “The man who, when his actions go wrong, begins to play about with moral distinctions in order to put them right, cannot find the way back.” (Chapter 1, A.C. Graham) This is the story of justification. A man screwed up, and rather than admit his mistake, he seeks to justify it through clever moral distinctions. But in doing so, he gets himself so tangled up that he can’t find a way back out. Has this ever happened to you? I know I have found myself bound in my own trap many times. Why is it so hard to admit when we are wrong? I hate to admit it, but I often desire not to look like I made a mistake. Which is silly because we all do. In trying to hide it, we complicate relationships, and most people can see through the masquerade anyway. I find it interesting that the passage does not say he tries to come up with excuses, but instead he “begins to play about with moral distinctions”. Moral language is the most incendiary language we can use. It strives to create a division that goes beyond a disagreement, to “if you disagree with me, you are immoral.” Morality assumes itself to be objectively true, that it can’t be questioned. Stepping into moral justifications for one’s actions is an attempt to silence disagreement or discussion. Moral justifications cancel the possibility of compromise and create the strongest possible “us vs. them” mentality. Resorting to moral justifications is a clear indication that a person lacks valid reasons for their actions. Playing about with moral distinctions risks inciting hate or even violence. We can see how going down this road, we might find ourselves so lost we “cannot find our way back.” What do you think?

A sunrise is ephemeral. This one only lasted a few moments, but by noticing and savoring the moment, in being present, I can carry it with me all day. I struggled with the thought of taking a picture because I didn't want to shift from experience to observer. I think I was able to maintain my presence while taking a picture. Framing it was another way of noticing. I hope you like the images…

Loss can drive us to self-destructive behaviors and horrible actions towards others. Is the a better way? Is another way possible? Join us for our discussion this week at Kinship Cafe to see how the ancient wisdom of the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) addresses this question. Online: Friday 7am PDT. Link is in the community Calendar. In person: Sunday, 9am PDT at Hilltop Center in Fallbrook, CA. Details at https://kinship.cafe

For years, I’ve wrestled with a single question: How do we live well in a world that feels increasingly fragmented? Writing The Way of Kinship: The Art of Living from the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) has been my attempt to answer that question — not through doctrine or dogma, but through a return to the wisdom of nature, relationship, and simplicity. This book grew out of decades of study, reflection, and practice. It’s about rediscovering our belonging in the web of life, learning to live in harmony rather than control, and finding clarity and calm in the midst of complexity. If you’ve ever felt that the old frameworks no longer fit — that spirituality, philosophy, and science all have something to say about how to live meaningfully — this book is for you. 📖 The Way of Kinship is now available wherever books are sold. If you read the book and it resonates with you, I’d be deeply grateful if you’d leave a short review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews make a huge difference in helping new readers discover the work. 👉 https://www.amazon.com/Way-Kinship-Living-Daodejing-Ching/dp/B0FSNCP3FP