"Humans follow the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows Taoism, Taoism follows nature."  So say the followers of Lao-tzu, founder of ancient Chinese religion of Taoism.  In addition to being a call to the Chinese to invest more time and energy protecting the natural environment of the Chinese landscape, these words, and the growing popularity of Taoism's theses in an increasingly consumerist China, underscore the dilemma that China, and West, increasingly face:  in a world of affluence, how do we find spiritual wholeness?


     Although creature comfort is not in itself evil, using it to understand everything about our lives is foolish.  How can material things explain immaterial longings?  Rightly did Lao-tzu grasp that when we set aside our connection to that from which our earthly home and goods come, we miss the point of existence.  While not everyone will agree with Taoism's solution to meaning, no one can dispute its central thought:  do not abandon harmony, harmony between people and people, people and the planet, and people and the Tao.
     Or to frame it in a theistic perspective, do not let go of God.