Today’s Tao will make you stark rav­ing nuts if you think about it too much. Which is pretty much what it’s saying:

Stop think­ing, and end your prob­lems.
What dif­fer­ence between yes and no?
What dif­fer­ence between suc­cess and fail­ure?
Must you value what oth­ers value,
avoid what oth­ers avoid?
How ridiculous!

Other peo­ple are excited,
as though they were at a parade.
I alone don’t care,
I alone am expres­sion­less,
like an infant before it can smile.

Other peo­ple have what they need;
I alone pos­sess noth­ing.
I alone drift about,
like some­one with­out a home.
I am like an idiot, my mind is so empty.

Other peo­ple are bright;
I alone am dark.
Other peo­ple are sharper;
I alone am dull.
Other peo­ple have a pur­pose;
I alone don’t know.
I drift like a wave on the ocean,
I blow as aim­less as the wind.

I am dif­fer­ent from ordi­nary peo­ple.
I drink from the Great Mother’s breasts.

So does John Prine. Did you know the first three songs he ever sang in pub­lic were “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There” and “Par­adise?” This is what he says:

“If you’re look­ing for the big pic­ture, some­times you’ve got to get a really small frame.” John Prine drinks from the Great Mother’s breasts.