From Wonder Into Wonder

Back in 1979, I was sitting in the cramped private library of a friend (who happened to be an Episcopal priest) chatting about all manner of things (although what, specifically, I do not recall). When I got up to leave, he, too, arose and said, "Wait a minute, there is something I would like to give you." He then walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a copy of Witter Bynner's somewhat loose renderings from the Tao-te-ching (pictured). I was a little perplexed by the gift as I had never heard of the book or of its purported author, Lao-tzu. Nevertheless, despite my evident perplexity, I thanked my friend and promised to read it when I had the chance.

A few weeks later, I picked up his little gift and started to read the opening poem. About halfway through, I had to close both the book and my eyes--for my mind was reeling. After a few moments passed, I re-opened both and began again from the beginning:

Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens.

Who was this Lao-tzu, I marveled, and where did he get his profundity? My fascination turned quickly into agitation, however, because, at the tender age of 19, I had pretty much decided that the "Wisdom of the West" was unrivaled (a conclusion reached without having considered a shred of evidence from "Eastern" sources). Looking back, I surmise that this prejudice of mine was all too apparent to my priest-friend (then a man in his sixties) and so he decided to gently awaken me to some of the wonders of the wider world (he was an unusual priest).

Though I later thanked him profusely for the gift, I doubt that either one of us ever quite comprehended the impact that reading Lao-tzu had on me (then or now).

From wonder into wonder/Existence opens...