We walk from Tábara to Santa Croya de Tera. We walk past the church, leaving early in the morning because it will get very hot in the afternoon.
I read Chapter 70 of the Tao te Ching:
“My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.”
There are many bugs flying around. They try to go into your nose! Some pilgrims pass us and we watch them walk in front of us. Most are French but one guy is Irish.
Lao tsu advocated meditation and the Taoist traditions that emerged during his era focused on chi energy awareness, breath meditation, and visualization meditation. I suggest that you practice a variety of methods to figure out which seems most suitable for you.
“Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them, you’ll fail.”
Meditation involves continual failure. You try to focus on your breath, for example, but thoughts keep coming into your mind.
“My teachings are older than the world.
How can you grasp their meaning?”
Lao tsu’s text is an early portrayal of what meditators have encountered during all eras.
Insects are attracted to the flowers. The flowers have evolved to attract them. No system is perfect or complete — all systems are continually evolving. Your minds has evolved to help you survive. It was not designed for looking inside.
“If you want to know me,
look inside your heart.”
Look inside your heart through meditation. Walking meditation can be done using a variety of methods. One way is to breath in harmony with your steps. You can also practice a mantra. When thoughts arise, let them go.
We see the town of Santa Croya de Tera and a sign for the albergue where we will stay.
When you look inside, you will discover thoughts, emotions, sensations arising — memories, plans, anger, sadness, happiness, boredom, pain, pleasure — take note and then return your awareness to your breath. By doing this, you will become more skillful at letting things go.
At the albergue, we eat dinner with the other pilgrims. They are Australian, French, Spanish, and Irish. When sitting, sit. When, walking, walk. When eating eat. Focus on the present moment.
Beinghere 