Around the Sun

In the solar system of our lives, that huge constant glowing orb is always selflessly present, inspiring awe. You will be burned to a crisp and engulfed if you approach it too closely, but the myriad living things could no longer exist without it. All of the planets, including our Earth, rotate around the sun, as if drawn to its fires. We can somehow sense the subtle beauty of this grand string of pearls. Each planet is named after one of the gods appearing in ancient myths, as if telling us of their fierce passions and differing personalities. While there is no sense of disharmony in the concerted movements of the planets, taken separately, each one is completely unique. The whole is separable into individuals, and the individuals comprise an complete whole. It is as Laozi said: "The Way gives rise to one, one gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, and three gives rise to the myriad things." Although our physical body seems insignificant in the vastness of the universe, our spirits are coexistent with and inseparable from the myriad things. During that moment when we lift our heads and gaze at the starry sky in rapt concentration, we have become the starry sky.