The Tao, Thermodynamics, and this Blog

Lao Tzu wrote of the TAO and balance at a personal, spiritual, political, and societal level. Sir Isaac Newton wrote of physics and physical/ mathematical balance.

Balance is opposing forces- the Yin/Yang, the universal see-saw, the perfect pendulum.

True equilibrium, in a thermodynamic closed system, the teeter-totter that never moves, is death. A can of cola at room temperature is in “equilibrium”. It does not change. It is dead.

Dorian Sagan, among other brilliant minds, wrote of thermodynamics and the  balance of energy in the universe as a gradient. On a miniscule scale, our solar system is not a closed system like the cola can. A gradient exists between the high quality energy of our sun and the cold of the edge of the universe. Energy flows Into the Cool.

Life exists far from the thermodynamic equilibrium of a cola can. We live in an energy gradient and participate by processing energy to make the gradient efficient. Life results.

This is my interpretation of the balance Lao Tsu understood, thermodynamic balance, and life as I understand it.

LIFE IS . . . 1) An Emergent Property

Life is an emergent property of autopoietic, dissipative systems.

Emergent property:  Imagine an automobile engine, completely dissembled on the shop floor.  You look at each piece, each wire, each connector.  It makes no sense and you can't imagine the purpose of the assembled unit.

Sir Isaac Newton imagined the Universe and life as a giant mechanical system that could be understood if completely dissembled and examined.  He was wrong.

Life self organizes with increasing complexity for only one purpose- obeying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

LIFE IS . . . 2) Autopoesis.

Life is an emergent property of autopoietic, dissipative systems.

There is no such thing as a perpetual motion machine.  Without energy input, all activity comes to equilibrium and stops.  Death.

Autopoesis is a self-regulating, self-perpetuating system.  Think metabolism.  Photosynthesis is a series of chemical reactions that converts sunlight into stored chemical energy- sugar from plants.   The Krebs Cycle converts stored energy in sugar into chemical energy that powers life's activities- leaving heat as waste.  

They are both regenerating, cyclic systems that obey the Second Law of Thermodynamics.  They convert high quality sunlight into chemical energy we know as sugar, into life's various activities.

Autopoesis is the machine that converts sunlight into heat, allowing life in between the extremes of the gradient.

LIFE IS . . . 3) Dissipative Systems

Life is an emergent property of autopoietic, dissipative systems.

According to Wikipedia: A dissipative system is a thermodynamically open system which is operating out of, and often far from, thermodynamic equilibrium in an environment with which it exchanges energy and matter.

The purpose and driving force for life, evolution, and creation is the efficient conversion of high quality energy into low quality heat.  Creation is the self-organizing, increasingly complex process necessary to achieve that single goal.

TAO 1- The Indescribable

The Tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be spoken is not the eternal Name.
The nameless is the boundary of Heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of creation.
Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery.
By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real.
Yet mystery and reality emerge from the same source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness born from darkness.
The beginning of all understanding.

I certainly don’t understand Newton's law of Thermodynamics. 

Just as Robert Heinlein’s character Michael in Stranger in a Strange Land would “grok” it at a deep spiritual level, we grok the concept of a creative force but can’t explain it.

Thermodynamics is that drive, the border between entropy and enthalpy. 

It is mystery and reality.

In the beginning there was darkness, 

then the big bang collided p- and m- branes

- fired by the force of Thermodynamics.

TAO 2- Balance

When people see things as beautiful,

ugliness is created.

When people see things as good,

evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

Therefore the Master

can act without doing anything

and teach without saying a word.

Things come her way and she does not stop them;

things leave and she lets them go.

She has without possessing,

and acts without any expectations.

When her work is done, she take no credit.

That is why it will last forever.

Begin a journey into the Yin and Yang- balancing creative forces. 

When one force occurs, the balancing force happens. 

Beauty balances Ugly. Light v. Dark. Good v. Bad.

Thermodynamics is the balance of entropy (Yin) and enthalpy (Yang)

As a part of the universe is organized, increasing enthalpy, another region must balance with an increase in disorder- entropy. 

One creates the other without cause and effect.

TAO 3- Enthaly and Ehtropy

If you overly esteem talented individuals,
people will become overly competitive.
If you overvalue possessions,
people will begin to steal.

Do not display your treasures
or people will become envious.

The Master leads by
emptying people's minds,
filling their bellies,
weakening their ambitions,
and making them become strong.
Preferring simplicity and freedom from desires,
avoiding the pitfalls of knowledge and wrong action.

For those who practice not-doing,
everything will fall into place.

 

In a universe balanced by enthalpy- an increase of order and complexity, and entropy- an increase in disorder, when one creative force occurs, by necessity the other must as well.

Increasing the complexity on Earth, bacteria evolving into humans, has resulted in a more efficient method of processing high quality energy from the sun into low quality heat.

Any attempt to manipulate one results in a balancing manipulation of the other.

TAO 4- The Source of Everything

The Tao is like an empty container:
it can never be emptied and can never be filled.
Infinitely deep, it is the source of all things.
It dulls the sharp, unties the knotted,
shades the lighted, and unites all of creation with dust.

It is hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than the concept of God.

The thermodynamic drive is a law, not an object, thing, or measurable quantity.  It was the initial creative force at the beginning of the “time arrow” or Big Bang.  It has been present forever and will remain unchanged forever.  You can’t touch it, describe it, or change it.

If you choose an anthropomorphic god, all it had to do was invent the law for our universe to exist.

TAO 5- Straw Dogs

Heaven and Earth are impartial;
they treat all of creation as straw dogs.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she treats everyone like a straw dog.

The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows;
it is empty, yet has not lost its power.
The more it is used, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you comprehend.

It is better not to speak of things you do not understand.

The law of thermodynamics stands on its own.  Religious rules, man-made laws, or silly beliefs have no effect- they are straw dogs.  Thermodynamics acts on the energy of the universe without regard to straw dogs.  The law doesn’t care if man wants to change it- that’s not possible.

Lao Tse’s concept of the bellows dates to a time before the realization that air consists of matter.  But matter and energy, being interchangeable, provide the power or engine that drives life.

This is a concept that can be described mathematically, but nearly impossible to understand beyond an emotional response.

TAO 6- Time Arrow

The spirit of emptiness is immortal.
It is called the Great Mother
because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.

It is like a vapor,
barely seen but always present.
Use it effortlessly.

The arrow of time moves from total pure energy to total chaos- from the big bang to thermal death of the universe.  Thermodynamics defines the direction of time and demands that energy runs from high quality to heat in the most efficient manner possible. 

It is automatic, always driving, unseen.

TAO 7- Taodynamics

The Tao of Heaven is eternal,
and the earth is long enduring.
Why are they long enduring?
They do not live for themselves;
thus they are present for all beings.

The Master puts herself last;
And finds herself in the place of authority.
She detaches herself from all things;
Therefore she is united with all things.
She gives no thought to self.
She is perfectly fulfilled.

Thermodynamics has always been and will always be.  The organization we know to be Earth and life has been here for a long time, but not forever.  Life on our planet is not unique, but required by the law of thermodynamics.  Life exists because it is the most efficient way to dissipate high quality energy.

Thermodynamics doesn’t give a damn about anything man can imagine.  It just is.  It just does.

TAO 8- TAO and Thermodynamics

The supreme good is like water,
which benefits all of creation
without trying to compete with it.
It gathers in unpopular places.
Thus it is like the Tao.

The location makes the dwelling good.
Depth of understanding makes the mind good.
A kind heart makes the giving good.
Integrity makes the government good.
Accomplishment makes your labors good.
Proper timing makes a decision good.

Only when there is no competition
will we all live in peace.

Lao Tsu describes the Tao as water- a common metaphor he uses.  He also continues to emphasize the concept of non-work, non-competition as creative.

The Law of Thermodynamics is the reason and means for creation.  It does not interfere with anything else- everything else is a result of this law.  Any attempt to alter or manipulate the actions of this law result in a balancing action.

The purpose of humanity or any life is to process high quality energy into low quality heat- we can be aware of this simple concept and use it to obey the law- doing the next right thing- or the law will counter balance the negative.

Only when we understand that the universe is in perfect balance, accept and live by that rule will we have peace.

TAO 9- Carry an Empty Cup

It is easier to carry an empty cup

than one that is filled to the brim.

The sharper the knife

the easier it is to dull.

The more wealth you possess

the harder it is to protect.

Pride brings its own trouble.

When you have accomplished your goal

simply walk away.

This is the path way to Heaven.

As humans we have evolved to the point of unbelievable arrogance. This will be our downfall and the cause of our extinction.

We somehow believe we can mindlessly ignore thermodynamics, create energy rather than process energy, ignore the consequences of our arrogance, and speed up enthalpy without consequence.

We are proud of seeming to overwhelm the natural physiologic processes of GAIA and produce endless carbon dioxide.

Global climate change is the inevitable result of such hubris. The Law of Thermodynamics (the Tao) demands that there is a balance and that the residual energy of CO2 be processed efficiently into heat. We are powerless to resist.

When we realize that our purpose, life’s purpose, is the efficient processing of energy, and we stop trying to do otherwise, we will fulfill our destiny.

TAO 10- Thermodynamics Gives and Takes

Nurture the darkness of your soul
until you become whole.
Can you do this and not fail?
Can you focus your life-breath until you become
supple as a newborn child?
While you cleanse your inner vision
will you be found without fault?
Can you love people and lead them
without forcing your will on them?
When Heaven gives and takes away
can you be content with the outcome?
When you understand all things
can you step back from your own understanding?
Giving birth and nourishing,
making without possessing,
expecting nothing in return.
To grow, yet not to control:
This is the mysterious virtue.

Wow- heavy warning from the time of Confucius.

Lao Tsu’s challenge is whether we can understand and change our behaviors to live within the confines and rules of thermodynamics.  Can we learn to be in balance with what we call nature and in harmony with GAIA?

When Heaven gives and takes away
can you be content with the outcome?

Can we, knowing as a life form, that we are capable of incredible destruction and chaos be willing to accept the consequences?

Destruction of our speck of sand in the endless beach of the universe means nothing, except to us. 

Thermodynamics demands that energy and complexity both move to chaos and heat.  If we speed up that process are we not following this simple rule?

It will happen- that is given.  But we have the opportunity to delay the certain and enjoy the process if we are wise.

TAO 11- TAO, Energy, and Life

Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that allows the wheel to function.

We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.

We fashion wood for a house,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes it livable.

We work with the substantial,
but the emptiness is what we use.

Although the purpose of life is to efficiently process energy, we miss the point on complexity.  Complexity is efficiency.

Energy from our Sun, our closest source of high quality energy, radiates into space.  That energy continues to radiate until it interacts with something- a hydrogen atom or a celestial body with complex life forms.  Very little energy is changed with the interaction of a hydrogen atom, or a dead rock in space- some minimal absorption and re-radiation as light and heat.  Complex life forms are the most efficient dissipaters of the energy.

Growing a tree uses energy as high quality sunlight.  Cutting it down burns calories from food sources, chopping it into lumber, turning the stump into a bowl on a lathe, burning the scrap in the fireplace- each is a step from sunlight to heat.  It is not the tree or the bowl that is important.  It is the process of energy dissipation that has meaning.  We can’t see the process.

Life is driven by energy dissipation, which is the Tao of Thermodynamics.

TAO 12- Five Colors

Five colors blind the eye.
Five notes deafen the ear.
Five flavors make the palate go stale.
Too much activity deranges the mind.
Too much wealth causes crime.

The Master acts on what she feels and not what she sees.
She shuns the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

We shouldn’t over-think complexity and energy.  We can only understand so much, write so many equations on the chalkboard, pass so many laws to control behavior before we lose sight of how simple this is.

We know that Gaia is ill- we don’t need a planetary temperature or pundits to tell us.  Pay attention to what we know is real.

TAO 13- We're Our Own Worst Enemy

Success is as dangerous as failure,
and we are often our own worst enemy.

What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure?
He who is superior is also someone's subordinate.
Receiving favor and losing it both cause alarm.
That is what is meant by success is as dangerous as failure.
What does it mean that we are often our own worst enemy?
The reason I have an enemy is because I have a "self".
If I no longer had a "self", I would no longer have an enemy.

Love the whole world as if it were your self;
then you will truly care for all things.

We have successfully become so complex that we have “tamed” GAIA.  Humans, as control freaks, have succeeded in curing infant mortality and disease to the point of overpopulation, hunted the buffalo to near extinction, and created so much stuff that we polluted our water and air with the excess.

We are our own worst enemy, and once we realize that our purpose in life is not to make stuff, but to love life itself and live within the bounds of thermodynamics; only then will be truly successful.

TAO 14- We Can See Energy

Look for it, and it can't be seen.
Listen for it, and it can't be heard.
Grasp for it, and it can't be caught.
These three cannot be further described,
so we treat them as The One.

Its highest is not bright.
Its depths are not dark.
Unending, unnameable, it returns to nothingness.
Formless forms, and imageless images,
subtle, beyond all understanding.

Approach it and you will not see a beginning;
follow it and there will be no end.
When we grasp the Tao of the ancient ones,
we can use it to direct our life today.
To know the ancient origin of Tao:
this is the beginning of wisdom. 

Thermodynamics is a concept that at best can be vaguely described with mathematics.  But scribbles on a chalkboard are meaningless without deeper feelings- imageless images.  We can’t see energy- only its effect.  We can’t touch, taste or hear it- only its effect.

Great intellects have tired to describe energy at the very beginning of the time arrow and failed.  We don’t understand what happened before the first 10^-30 second.  We don’t need to- not every mystery requires a solution.

Each mystery that is “solved” only leads to a new one.

Wisdom knows that there are forces we may never describe, touch or see, but can grasp with our minds.  Belief is based on acceptance of this wisdom.

TAO 15- The Ancients Knew Better

The Sages of old were profound
and knew the ways of subtlety and discernment.
Their wisdom is beyond our comprehension.
Because their knowledge was so far superior
I can only give a poor description.

They were careful
as someone crossing a frozen stream in winter.
Alert as if surrounded on all sides by the enemy.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Whole as an uncarved block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Turbid as muddied water.

Who can be still
until their mud settles
and the water is cleared by itself?
Can you remain tranquil until right action occurs by itself?

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
For only those who are not full are able to be used
which brings the feeling of completeness.

We live in a very complex society.  We can’t wait to develop the next great technology, build the next biggest car or factory or convert the last rain forest into cattle grazing land.

We no longer process energy in a balanced fashion.  Instead we rush to build a dead rock in space that will continue to dissipate energy long after we are gone.

As a species we have forgotten the need for balance.  Our ancestors understood.  We need to re-learn not to kill the last buffalo so we’ll have meat next year.  We need to learn that energy will flow regardless of what we think we need.

TAO 16- Letting Go, Letting Thermodynamics

If you can empty your mind of all thoughts
your heart will embrace the tranquility of peace.
Watch the workings of all of creation,
but contemplate their return to the source.

All creatures in the universe
return to the point where they began.
Returning to the source is tranquility
because we submit to Heaven's mandate.

Returning to Heaven's mandate is called being constant.
Knowing the constant is called 'enlightenment'.
Not knowing the constant is the source of evil deeds
because we have no roots.
By knowing the constant we can accept things as they are.
By accepting things as they are, we become impartial.
By being impartial, we become one with Heaven.
By being one with Heaven, we become one with Tao.
Being one with Tao, we are no longer concerned about
losing our life because we know the Tao is constant
and we are one with Tao.

The more I study creation, the more questions I have and the less I understand.  I have faith, not of religion, but of thermodynamics.  It is the source and reason for creation.  Accepting that provides spiritual peace.  Living with an eye to entropy and enthalpy is what is right.  Ignoring the balance is killing Gaia to no purpose.

When I accept that there is a purpose in this universe, and that purpose is for life to dissipate energy efficiently, I will be doing my conscious part toward that goal.

TAO 17- Who Will Lead Us?

The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist.
The next best is a leader who is loved and praised.
Next comes the one who is feared.
The worst one is the leader that is despised.

If you don't trust the people,
they will become untrustworthy.

The best leaders value their words, and use them sparingly.
When she has accomplished her task,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!"

If we, as a race of hominids, are to change the race to destruction, we need to quietly and quickly educate others to our peril.  Politics, cap and trade, media hysteria, red/blue BS, and debate over scientific research won’t accomplish anything.  Only those who understand can lead the rest of the herd back from the cliff edge.  The greatest good is done one-on-one behind the scene in quiet.

The mentor in your life won’t be known to the masses.

TAO 18- Politics and Thermodynamics

When the great Tao is abandoned,
charity and righteousness appear.
When intellectualism arises,
hypocrisy is close behind.

When there is strife in the family unit,
people talk about 'brotherly love'.

When the country falls into chaos,
politicians talk about 'patriotism'.

We have arrived at a sad future.  Thermodynamics is unknown to the masses. The idea that our world, Gaia, is a living, energy dissipating entity has been forgotten and abandoned.

The extremists pound their fists:  “God will answer our prayers and save mankind.”  “God said that the righteous will be taken up- now is the time to abandon reality.”  The little man with the sign that says ‘The end is near’ stands on the street corner.  Politicians pass laws.

The smartest of the smart tell me that to save the world I need to cap something and trade something.  They assure me that to do so will prove my love of mankind and our ailing world.

It is clear that many corporations need to destroy for production and profits.  The political lackeys chide us if we don’t lock-step with their patriotic plans to save America and thereby the world.

The law of thermodynamics was not man-made and cannot be controlled by edict or earmark.  Obeying the law has nothing to do with patriotism until we become citizens of Gaia.

TAO 19- Thermodynamics is Not Society

Forget about knowledge and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times better off.
Throw away charity and righteousness,
and people will return to brotherly love.
Throw away profit and greed,
and there won't be any thieves.
These three are superficial and aren't enough
to keep us at the center of the circle, so we must also:
Embrace simplicity.
Put others first.
Desire little.

We can’t out-think the law of thermodynamics.  Thermodynamics is not an anthropomorphic, all seeing, all knowing, version of ourselves that responds to petitions for change based on personal desire.

Entropy and Enthalpy don’t care about us.  Dissipation of energy and chaos theory is not related to our concept of the universe or the social demands we determine to be right.  There are no stock options on Entropy, INC.  

Even if we cap and trade or legislate our way into a sense of wellbeing, we fail.

Thermodynamics is simple, intuitive, and demanding.

TAO 20- Swimming Upstream

Renounce knowledge and your problems will end.
What is the difference between yes and no?
What is the difference between good and evil?
Must you fear what others fear?
Nonsense, look how far you have missed the mark!

Other people are joyous,
as though they were at a spring festival.
I alone am unconcerned and expressionless,
like an infant before it has learned to smile.

Other people have more than they need;
I alone seem to possess nothing.
I am lost and drift about with no place to go.
I am like a fool, my mind is in chaos.

Ordinary people are bright;
I alone am dark.
Ordinary people are clever;
I alone am dull.
Ordinary people seem discriminating;
I alone am muddled and confused.
I drift on the waves on the ocean,
blown at the mercy of the wind.
Other people have their goals,
I alone am dull and uncouth.

I am different from ordinary people.
I nurse from the Great Mother's breasts.

How far we have come from the concept that we are only an insignificant sidebar in the universe.  We revel in the arrogance that the Sun and stars revolve around us and that we have dominion over Gaia.  We have perceived needs and apply the concept of inalienable, god given rights as justification.

Lao Tsu challenges us to be true individuals and in tune with the energy flow surrounding us.  Move with that flow and quit swimming upstream in futility.

TAO 21- Tao = Thermodynamics

The greatest virtue you can have
comes from following only the Tao (Law of Thermodynamics);
which takes a form that is intangible and evasive.

Even though the Tao (Law of Thermodynamic) is intangible and evasive,
we are able to know it exists. 
Intangible and evasive, yet it has a manifestation.
Secluded and dark, yet there is a vitality within it.
Its vitality is very genuine.
Within it we can find order.

Since the beginning of time, the Tao (Law of Thermodynamics) has always existed.
It is beyond existing and not existing.
How do I know where creation comes from?
I look inside myself and see it.

Lao Tsu refers to the Tao.  I refer to the Law of Thermodynamics -- Same thing.

 You can’t see, touch, taste or feel energy dissipation, yet we know intuitively it exists.

It explains our deepest questions of Why? relating to Life and the Universe.  There is purpose in understanding, at the depth of our being, that energy must dissipate.

Steven Hawkings elegantly argues that we may live in one of an infinity of parallel universes--  Doesn’t matter; they all live by the Law.

TAO 22- Become Whole

If you want to become whole,
first let yourself become broken.
If you want to become straight,
first let yourself become twisted.
If you want to become full,
first let yourself become empty.
If you want to become new,
first let yourself become old.
Those whose desires are few get them,
those whose desires are great go astray.

For this reason the Master embraces the Tao,
as an example for the world to follow.
Because she isn't self centered,
people can see the light in her.
Because she does not boast of herself,
she becomes a shining example.
Because she does not glorify herself,
she becomes a person of merit.
Because she wants nothing from the world,
the world can not overcome her.

When the ancient Masters said,
"If you want to become whole,
then first let yourself be broken,"
they weren't using empty words.
All who do this will be made complete.

I hate: ‘Think outside the box; paradigm shift, and just have faith.’

If we are to have a chance to avoid species annihilation we must individually learn, intuit, and teach the concept of Gaia and Thermodynamics.  Old school thinking no longer works.  Greed and arrogance no longer work.  Religion no longer works.

The new intellegencia has to let go of the old ways, become broken, rebuild and provide an example through words and deeds.  We can’t enforce, legislate, bully, or browbeat ourselves into what is right.

Be an example- it’s that simple.

TAO 23- Being a Gaian

Nature uses few words:
when the gale blows, it will not last long;
when it rains hard, it lasts but a little while;
What causes these to happen? Heaven and Earth.
Why do we humans go on endlessly about little
when nature does much in a little time?
If you open yourself to the Tao,
you and Tao become one.
If you open yourself to Virtue,
then you can become virtuous.
If you open yourself to loss,
then you will become lost.
If you open yourself to the Tao,
the Tao will eagerly welcome you.
If you open yourself to virtue,
virtue will become a part of you.
If you open yourself to loss,
the lost are glad to see you.
When you do not trust people,
people will become untrustworthy.

We have lived on Gaia but for a blink in cosmic time

We have no effect in the great scheme

Gaia and Thermodynamics will continue with or without us.

How we live is what counts.

Why we insist that we rule the world is beyond my comprehension.

Thermodynamics is all that is and has been.

When we accept that our purpose is to live in balance

To dissipate, not conquer, then we will be happy.

When we understand non-linear system dynamics

When we accept our place and purpose

When we trust science and reject superstition

We will live as Gaians.

TAO 24- Some Things Can't Be Changed

Those who stand on tiptoes
do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead
don't get very far.
Those who try to outshine others
dim their own light.
Those who call themselves righteous
can't know how wrong they are.
Those who boast of their accomplishments
diminish the things they have done.

Compared to the Tao, these actions are unworthy.
If we are to follow the Tao,
we must not do these things.

Lesson:  All the intellectual babbling, chest pounding, righteous legislating, bragging about saving the world one solar stove at a time, and political leadership makes no difference at all.

Unless and until we accept that 
Thermodynamics is the driving force of the Universe, oblivious to all human efforts to the contrary, we will continue to run blindly beyond Gaia’s ability to maintain homeostasis.  We do so at our own peril.

TAO 25- Genesis

Before the universe was born
there was something in the chaos of the heavens.
It stands alone and empty,
solitary and unchanging.
It is ever present and secure.
It may be regarded as the Mother of the universe.
Because I do not know its name,
I call it the Tao.
If forced to give it a name,
I would call it 'Great'.

Because it is Great means it is everywhere.
Being everywhere means it is eternal.
Being eternal means everything returns to it.

Tao is great.
Heaven is great.
Earth is great.
Humanity is great.
Within the universe, these are the four great things.

Humanity follows the earth.
Earth follows Heaven.
Heaven follows the Tao.
The Tao follows only itself.

Genesis:  In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.

Big Bang:  The universe began as a singularity, maybe.  We cannot describe the first 10^-30 second of this event, nor know what occurred before.  What is gravity; when did this force of nature begin to effect creation?  This is a wonderful and delicious mystery, comparable to the religious miracles of believers.

It is clear that at this moment time became directional as we understand it with our feeble ability. The concept of negative time running 90 degrees to the real time arrow is as incomprehensible as the imaginary square root of negative 1.

The universe began in chaos.  It did not then suddenly become mechanistic ala Newton- just to meet our expectations.

The only reality:  energy flows, complexity increases at the expense of enthalpy, life is the consequence, and we are insignificant in comparison.

TAO 26- Do Nothing- Let Thermodynamics.

Heaviness is the basis of lightness.
Stillness is the standard of activity.

Thus the Master travels all day
without ever leaving her wagon.
Even though she has much to see,
she is at peace in her indifference.

Why should the lord of a thousand chariots
be amused at the foolishness of the world?
If you abandon yourself to foolishness,
you lose touch with your beginnings.
If you let yourself become distracted,
you will lose the basis of your power.

Lao Tsu argues that to do nothing is action.  That flies in the face of everything our modern, educated, politicized society believes.  How can we possibly sit by and do nothing?  Should we not fight for what is right?  Should we not marshal the armies to save Gaia?  Where are the laws preventing carbon excess beyond the geophysiology of this speck of dust in the universe?

If you truly grok thermodynamics you won’t get lost in the foolishness of society.  You’ll sit by and not add to the problem, you’ll become a solution in harmony and balance.  Your only purpose is to dissipate energy.  If along the way you succeed in showing others this reality, you are truly powerful.

TAO 27- What is a Steward?

A good traveler leaves no tracks,
and a skillful speaker is well rehearsed.
A good bookkeeper has an excellent memory,
and a well made door is easy to open and needs no locks.
A good knot needs no rope and it can not come undone.

Thus the Master is willing to help everyone,
and doesn't know the meaning of rejection.
She is there to help all of creation,
and doesn't abandon even the smallest creature.
This is called embracing the light.

What is a good person but a bad person's teacher?
What is a bad person but raw material for his teacher?
If you fail to honor your teacher or fail to enjoy your student,
you will become deluded no matter how smart you are.
It is the secret of prime importance.

If we are to be true stewards of our speck of dust in the universe, we need to be wise.  We need, above all else, to understand, to grok, to intuit our place in the homeostasis of this planet.

Gaians live without leaving tracks.  We have no carbon footprint.  We have no ownership. That idea is meaningless.  We are part of the process of dissipating high quality energy into heat- nothing more, nothing less.

To be a steward is to teach.  Just as thermodynamics demands that energy flows from high to low, so should information flow.  The Elders teach the Professors, who in turn teach the Willing.  The person beginning to understand has the responsibility to pass the knowledge to the neighbor.

There is energy.  There is matter.  They are the same.  There is information that determines and records the relationship.

TAO 28- Limitless Possibilities

Know the masculine,
but keep to the feminine:
and become a watershed to the world.
If you embrace the world,
the Tao will never leave you
and you become as a little child.

Know the white,
yet keep to the black:
be a model for the world.
If you are a model for the world,
the Tao inside you will strengthen
and you will return whole to your eternal beginning.

Know the honorable,
but do not shun the disgraced:
embracing the world as it is.
If you embrace the world with compassion,
then your virtue will return you to the uncarved block.

The block of wood is carved into utensils
by carving void into the wood.
The Master uses the utensils, yet prefers to keep to the block
because of its limitless possibilities.
Great works do not involve discarding substance.

Lao Tsu reiterates the balance, the Yin and Yang, necessary to participate in life.  To understand the balance is to live within the very simple law of thermodynamics.  Thermodynamics is the creative and balancing force in the universe.

We can alter and use it, as a tool.  We can burn coal, the dissipative end product of ancient life, to produce electricity to light the bulb that leaves heat as a residue.  But we should not forget the process from high to low energy.  Energy, governed by thermodynamics, is a limitless possibility. 

TAO 29- Gaia and the TAO

Do you want to rule the world and control it?
I don't think it can ever be done.

The world is a sacred vessel
and it can not be controlled.
You will only make it worse if you try.
It may slip through your fingers and disappear.

Some are meant to lead,
and others are meant to follow;
Some must always strain,
and others have an easy time;
Some are naturally big and strong,
and others will always be small;
Some will be protected and nurtured,
and others will meet with destruction.

The Master accepts things as they are,
and out of compassion avoids extravagance,
excess and the extremes.

Why do we as a species think we can control Gaia?

Our purpose in life is to dissipate energy as efficiently as possible.  That doesn’t mean sucking every last drop of oil from the crust and converting it to carbon dioxide, thereby reducing the stored energy from the sun, more rapidly than homeostasis allows..  It doesn’t mean micromanaging every aspect of the human economy at the peril of our resources.  It doesn’t mean that the excess of one group balances the poverty of another.

It means that we are an insignificant player in a bigger event.  Until we understand and participate, we lose.  Gaia doesn’t care.

TAO 30- The War Against Gaia

Those who lead people by following the Tao
don't use weapons to enforce their will.
Using force always leads to unseen troubles.

In the places where armies march,
thorns and briars bloom and grow.
After armies take to war,
bad years must always follow.
The skillful commander
strikes a decisive blow then stops.
When victory is won over the enemy through war
it is not a thing of great pride.
When the battle is over,
arrogance is the new enemy.
War can result when no other alternative is given,
so the one who overcomes an enemy should not dominate them.
The strong always weaken with time.

This is not the way of the Tao.
That which is not of the Tao will soon end.

We are already at war.  Not the military/ social/ religious conflicts we continually perpetrate.  We are not at war with terrorism, or poverty, or red states, or blue states.  We are not at war with our neighbor.

We are at war with Gaia.

Homo sapiens arrogantly think they can win this senseless war, but we are doomed to lose unless we find leadership that understands thermodynamics and homeostasis at a planetary level.

We are on the brink of winning the battle against the carbon cycle.  We have attacked the supply chain and nearly decimated the enemy.  Our victory leaves a wasteland that will never nourish the victors.  Gaia doesn’t care.  When we kill ourselves, She will establish her new balance.  Who wins?

We have ignored the alternative of living in balance with the law of thermodynamics, joyously participating in the gift of dissipation, and finding pride in ownership of our part of the process.

That which we foolishly treasure will perish.

TAO 31- The War Against Gaia Continues

Weapons are the bearers of bad news;
all people should detest them.
The wise man values the left side, and in time of war he values the right.
Weapons are meant for destruction, and thus are avoided by the wise.
Only as a last resort will a wise person use a deadly weapon.

If peace is her true objective how can she rejoice in the victory of war?
Those who rejoice in victory delight in the slaughter of humanity.
Those who resort to violence will never bring peace to the world.
The left side is a place of honor on happy occasions.
The right side is reserved for mourning at a funeral.
When the lieutenants take the left side to prepare for war,
the general should be on the right side, because he knows the outcome will be death.

The death of many should be greeted with great sorrow,
and the victory celebration should honor those who have died.

As we fight the War with Gaia, we need to understand our weapons: the Humvee, the coal fired electrical generators, the mountains of Styrofoam, the excess necessary for economic growth, and the ignorance of the foot soldier to the rules of engagement.  The enemy has no weapons, no grudge, and no agenda.  She has the immutable Law of Thermodynamics: the uberweapon.

Until we fight for peace, we are doomed to a planet knowing only death.  We will not have a victory celebration.

TAO 32- Naming the Nameless

The Tao is nameless and unchanging.
Although it appears insignificant,
nothing in the world can contain it.

If a ruler abides by its principles,
then her people will willingly follow.
Heaven would then reign on earth,
like sweet rain falling on paradise.
People would have no need for laws,
because the law would be written on their hearts.

Naming is a necessity for order,
but naming can not order all things.
Naming often makes things impersonal,
so we should know when naming should end.
Knowing when to stop naming,
you can avoid the pitfall it brings.

All things end in the Tao
just as the small streams and the largest rivers
flow through valleys to the sea.

The concept of Thermodynamics, Entropy, and Enthalpy is a mystery, yet the driving force for life as we understand it.  We name it and strive to understand it, but philosophy and mathematics fail to explain how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Those who begin to grasp it at a deep spiritual level, begin to live in harmony with Gaia, Nature, God, Tao or whatever term you choose.

What we call it and how we describe it is insignificant and only a crutch to participation in the process.  Participation in the process is called harmony.  You can’t describe Thermodynamics.  You can’t write ‘rules to live’ by for Thermodynamics.  You can’t take a photo of it and post on the internet for the world to see.  There are no slick Madison Avenue advertisements to sell it.

You either get it or you don’t.

TAO 33- Knowledge and the Second Law

Those who know others are intelligent;
those who know themselves are truly wise.
Those who master others are strong;
those who master themselves have true power.

Those who know they have enough are truly wealthy.

Those who persist will reach their goal.

Those who keep their course have a strong will.
Those who embrace death will not perish,
but have life everlasting.

Peace, serenity, and harmony come with understanding and living within this knowledge.  Our greatest understanding is that we do not control the universe; the universe controls us.

When we understand the purpose and nature of life- the dissipation of energy according the Law of Thermodynamics- only then will we reach our goal as conscious beings.  Only then will we be true stewards of Gaia.

Maybe there was “life” on Mars, maybe not.  Even a “dead” rock absorbs sunlight and radiates heat.

TAO 34- Creation Exists

The great Tao flows unobstructed in every direction.
All things rely on it to conceive and be born,
and it does not deny even the smallest of creation.

When it has accomplished great wonders,
it does not claim them for itself.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
yet it doesn't seek to master the smallest creature.

Since it is without wants and desires,
it can be considered humble.
All of creation seeks it for refuge
yet it does not seek to master or control.

Because it does not seek greatness;
it is able to accomplish truly great things.

Many believe that their anthropomorphic god, after separating light from dark, touched the mud and created man in man’s image.  Some believe that life evolved from simple chemicals in the primordial ooze to single celled prokaryotes, to eukaryotes, to complex life forms without any outside influence.  Some believe that “an intelligence” designed the complexity of dissipative features.  They are all wrong.

We seek an explanation to the wonders of complexity we observe, yet we already have it within our intellectual grasp.  It is simple.  It doesn’t require an outside magical being, or faith without experience, or something beyond our ability to understand.  It doesn’t require human sacrifice on the alter of science, politics, or religion.  It doesn’t require giving up the joy of myth, culture, or mysticism. 

Creation is the result of the law.  Life is the result of the law. 

The Law of Thermodynamics, the Tao, God, or any other label for the creative process does not demand.  Thermodynamics is humble and uncaring.  It is unchanging, indescribable, has existed since time, and explains all.  It does not seek.  It does not need.  It just is.