Tao Te Ching, Verse IV: Become Completely Empty

"The Tao is an empty vessel, ☯

It is used but never filled." ☯ ☯

I go on meditation retreats to become completely empty.

I go on meditation retreats to let go of everything I am not. I go on meditation retreats to rest as that which I truly am. Love, peace, and joy. 

Which by the way we can all do at any time.

There is no need to go on a meditation retreat to find your true nature or to rest as Being, as peace, as yourself. But they are sure lovely.

They blast open my heart every time and every day.

Meditation Retreats and Software Engineering

My first ever retreat I was obsessed with software engineering (lies! my first one was several years before and in a school that didn't quite feel quite right for me so I didn't go back). But my first proper one, my real one, the one that I go on now - was a week before my first engineering job started. I had thought about and worked on software engineering all the time for the previous 5-6 months or so.

It was after my crazy learning phase.

So I spent the whole time running around and talking to everyone about software engineering.

My second retreat was really about consolidating my love for utilities.

I was more quiet, more withdrawn. 

I thought about the wind farms a lot and how much I loved them.

Following this retreat, I did crazy amounts of research on AI in renewable energy.

But my third retreat I was willing to let everything go.

One of the hardest things for us all to do is to let go

"If you truly love something, let it go." Have you ever heard of that one before? Really, in reality, there is nothing to let go of. There is no one who lets go and nothing to be let go of. I tried to let go of software engineering but it just came back to me.

It just comes back to me.

The more I let go of it - the more it just comes back.

This last retreat I let go of it and then on the last day I was mysteriously given this mysterious and magical computer science bag.

And as I said goodbye to my teacher I could only thank him for how he helped me to get to my passion

Because I found my happiness, and then I found coding.

I found my self, and then I found my passion.

And now my passion just takes me deeper and deeper every day - and I am so lucky - and I love it - and I am so, so lucky to have it!!

The legit most beautiful music in the world

If you are ready for this... here is some of the most beautiful music you will have ever heard. Like ever ever ever ever ever. It's a Buddhist heart sutra in Sanskrit. Are you ready for this? Of course you are.

Here we go! 

How do you feel after listening to it - isn't it just the most beautiful healing music and thing in the world? It just gets better - as the track goes on!!

Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu - chapter 4

The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled.
Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things!
Blunt the sharpness,
Untangle the knot,
Soften the glare,
Merge with dust.
Oh, hidden deep but ever present!
I do not know from whence it comes.
It is the forefather of the emperors.