The Importance of Slowing Down

The story tells us that the king's daughter, facing the glass mountain, took the three needles given to her by the toads and put them first behind her feet, and then before them. This is the same wisdom as that found in the Tao to Qing: A journey of a thousand miles starts under one's feet. Now contrast the tiny needles in this section of the story with the next barrier, the large piercing swords. Swords, traditionally, are images of thought. They stand then for that power of discrimination that helps us to see each thing individually. The sword of thought, analysis, must give way to synthesis. And there's a lot that could be said about just what this means

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