.png)
Work to Serve and Teach
by Alannah Fitzgerald
April 2025
Deep and Sincere Gratitude
Opens Our Divine Heart
An amazing thing can happen when, with pure intention, we guide, focus and still our mind within our inherent Divine Heart of hearts and, with deepest gratitude, breathe in the expansive, boundless purity and joy that this process bestows in us. As we gently allow this energy to fill our Being, we can then calmly guide it through our willing hands and hearts to serve our fellow Beings with great love and integrity.
On a personal note, gradually, through many, many years of trials and tribulations, while in the midst of serving others without thoughts of personal reward, acknowledgment or spoken appreciation, I have come to experience the sheer joy it brings. As though bubbling up from a pure spring, into the conscious mind, this ease of flow sparked a warm remembrance of what I have read from OmNi many times before; that when "we help others, we are [through natural law] helping ourselves" and, likewise, "as we help ourselves [through exercising our personal cultivation], we are indeed helping others." As time has passed, the realization of this deep and subtle, wondrous miracle has borne fruit. I ask myself and you, my dear reader, is this not an energy of boundless joy we wish to carry within ourselves? Is this not vital to our own wellbeing?
I think by now, many of us have come to the awareness that the quality of energy we carry within is, in fact, the energy we express to the world. When we extend ourselves to others in this way, with purity, kindness and grace, we inevitably expand our being far beyond just ourselves. The goodness we cultivate within our own life-being thus expands as our field of energy ripples out, touching all lives - humans, plants and animals.
Hopefully, without repeating myself too often, the value of this precious aspect of cultivation will move us, more and more with each passing day, to offer ourselves in selfless service to others. One of my favorite ‘invocations’ to repeat while serving is, “Every worldly deed, whether for self or others, is dedicated as an offering to the Subtle Realm.”
Tomorrow can only be today. Shall we make this day a masterpiece?
March 2025
Events Update
The College of Tao Shrine and Retreat Center
Southern Oregon, USA
Mountain Springtime Immersion Work Session
Monday April 14, 6:00 pm – Sunday April 20, 6:00 pm.
This is a work session to continue the upkeep and improvement of the property, consisting of primarily outdoor work, forest, land, pruning, planting, etc., as well as indoor work for those interested. There will be early morning group, individual quiet sitting and movement practice. Evening cultivation optional.
“Rearrange your schedule” and settle into the Springtime rhythm of this remote and unique property. This Immersion is scheduled to follow the COT Retreat in April at Yo San University and can be attended separately.
Cooking, cleaning and all other chores are to be shared.
The closest airport is Medford, OR. There are flights on Alaska Airlines LAX to MFR and Avelo Airlines serves Burbank, CA to MFR on Mondays and Fridays.
Registration and info contact Peter Stege pstege@hotmail.com
Cost: $25/day to cover food expenses.
To participate, one must be either a COT Mentor or CHI Health certified instructor to attend this work/service opportunity. Three day minimum please.
October 3 - 5 Sisters Retreat
October 9 - 13 Harmony Tai Chi Level 3 (58 Step)
Registration begins at www.collegeoftao.org May 1.
To reserve a spot for the Sisters retreat, please contact Amira Kusala taoistmentorship@gmail.com
To reserve a spot for all other retreats and for any questions:
please contact Peter Stege pstege@hotmail.com
February 2025
Coming Together in Community
Master Ni says to us in the I Ching: “We extend ourselves to be a spiritual shelter and aid to all so that our cultivation and service are evidence of the Heavenly Law that realizes benefit to others from a pure heart. Thus, we can obtain the correct fruits of our cultivation. Make our Life Being a manifestation of the Great Path of One Truth."
"Because we sincerely cultivate ourselves and serve people, we can forever bathe in the joy of Heavenly blessings."
Something I heard recently that I liked, "The best ability is availability." To be able to avail oneself to serve.
January 2025
Serve As Heaven Serves
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!