Work to Serve and Teach
by Alannah Fitzgerald

Serve As Heaven Serves

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As many of you are aware, as part of our outreach to our growing spiritual community, we are encouraging our serious Taoist cultivators to focus on expanding personal spiritual cultivation through practicing harmonious, virtuous service to others. As Master Ni has said, we complete our cultivation by way of selfless service to others.

 

One may wonder what virtuous service looks like? Very simply, it is to serve our fellow human beings selflessly, with a pure and kind heart. As I see it, there is no agenda to be sought. As an example, my personal experience so far has been to feel that the service I give to another is as I would give to myself. When there is no longer a sense of oneself as opposed to another, or my possessions versus theirs, I can care for all things in a sense as if they were my own. In this way, I can give with the fullness of a pure heart, with ease and grace. When I expect nothing in return, the purity expressed brings me closer to experiencing what Master Ni talks about when he says “Embody the Tao through service.” Another quote from Master Ni that is so beautiful and helpful to remember is, “Nature is long-lived because it does not live for itself.”

 

Many a time, however, I have exhausted myself through over doing it, but have since learned, as he says, “To be balanced is to be inexhaustible.”

 

So, as I write this, my heart knows that each of us, in our own way and in our own time, discovers a deepening fulfillment within, as the beauty, joy and grace of our cultivation shines out and blesses the lives we touch. Thus the title, Serve as Heaven Serves.

 

As a friendly reminder, should you be inspired to serve at our 2025 Annual Retreat, The Alchemy of Transformation, we have available opportunities. If you would like to arrive early and help us set up the retreat, please contact Ed Sullivan at esullivan8@mac.com. Lunch will be provided for early arrivals and registration at 2:00 pm. Thank you!