The Three Treasures

I reread Verse 67 of the Tao today to prepare for tomorrow's T'ai Chi Chih class. Wayne Dyer titles this verse, "Living by the Three Treasures" which he articulates as: mercy (compassion, kindness, love), frugality (moderation or simplicity), and humility (not presuming to be above nature or ahead of others). As a longtime practitioner of TCC I believe that this practice opens a doorway and invites us to incorporate these treasures into our souls as we embody them through our practice of TCC.

Today, in fact, I was presented with the opportunity to model humility at the beginning of my practice. I positioned myself near the geese as they grazed along the driveway. Soon Lucy crossed the drive to stand close to me. Almost immediately her mate, Ander, walked over to intervene since he holds the position of male protector. Evidentally I was too close to Lucy and Ander made that fact evident through his body language; he started moving toward me with his beak extended and his neck shaking (a clear sign of aggression and his intent to nip).

Yes, it was intimidating! Still, I focused on my practice, on maintaining my sense of inner peace, and on not getting into a power struggle with this goose of ours. I ignored Ander even as I continued to be aware of his position and state of mind. Ander did eventually bend his head and lightly nip at my tennis shoe and ankle. I stepped calmly backward one complete step as I continued my practice.

Ander was satisfied. He'd succeeded in forcing me to move away slightly and that was all that was required. He returned to Lucy, turned his back to me, lay down in the grass, and settled himself. His eyes--just like Lucy's--closed gently and both geese rested as I continued on through my practice.

The geese are usually standoffish. It felt like a special moment to be able to observe Ander and Lucy close up as their lower eyelids closed and occasionally reopened. Soon I slowed down, let go, and joined my feathered friends in a shared state of deep relaxation. It was ducky (or should I say, goosey?)!