The Tao Te Ching and The Divine Love Within

My new friend Tom Siravo writes beautiful essays about the Tao Te Ching philosophy. Both Follow the Way and Divine Love Within touch me to my core, as this treasure of wisdom, so inspiring, encourages so deeply. They are the first essays in a series; he only has the two so far. Tom explains that the Tao is difficult to write about but, I feel, he has done a great job to convey the main idea of its philosophy in these two writings. 

Much of the writing to me is focused on awareness of the ego and to not allow the ego to be in charge. It is a philosophy that encourages one to not be reactive in our judgments of others or of things we do not understand. “Stay flexible in your thoughts when conversing with others whose opinions may differ from yours.” “Look for knowledge not ego in a conversation.” “If you are practicing goodness, you will not be looking for faults.” (from Follow The Way) “Only ego can keep you from returning to divine love, so choose your thoughts carefully and learn to forgive others.” (from Divine Love Within) There are too many great quotes that it made it difficult for me to just pick a few to reference here.

Tom is all about doing some good each day. His will to do a good deed is how we met. Tom believes that goodness gains momentum so eventually one finds like-minded friends to learn and grow with. For Tom, it all begins with a thought, which produces a feeling and then an action. Tom is aware that when he is thinking, feeling, and acting in the light, then darkness stays sound asleep, stating he is careful, not to wake her.

Tom grew up having eight years in Catholic grade school. Oddly enough, he explains he never read much of the bible but was taught the basics of Christianity, which has stayed with him all this time — the golden rule of sharing, caring, kindness, and compassion is the philosophy contributing to his attraction to the Tao Te Ching.  

Tom tells me how he also relates to some of my journey, as I also have Christian roots and worked in real estate sales. We also both struggled with anxiety. In 2007 he suffered physical and mental exhaustion. That is when he found the Tao and slowed his life back down. He explains he never experienced anxiety at that level ever since.

Tom says that Lao-Tzu advises, “Bold action in harmony with the Tao leads to life.” By simplifying our lives we find contentment.

Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself. [Verse 57] To return to root is to find peace, to find peace is to fulfill one’s destiny. [Verse 16]

Follow the Way

In the Divine Love Within, Tom explains how we all come from goodness. When we return to our root we can experience the divine love from which we were created. When we return to our root we end our old self and learn our new, “all endings become beginnings.”

One must quiet their mind as much as possible to begin living the Tao. One way to is to find a mantra to reflect on throughout your day. Tom admits his mantra — peace, love, joy, compassion, and kindness helps him focused while enduring the unsavory, negative situations in life.

I liked this thought: “Divine love is like water. It promotes good and nourishes all without trying to. Do not go against the way of things, rather live in accordance with nature. Live low like the ocean and put yourself last, you will end up ahead. Stay a witness to life and observe how the rivers flow back to you in your favor.” (Divine Love Within)

I awoke on the shore
in half closed eyes
dancing upon the water
was her delicate form
w/ nowhere to run
in my mind
I would be afraid of
this mystical mirage 
if not for the endless
echo of her voice,
holding me still
in moonglade.
~ Tom Siravo

In addition to real estate sales and writing, Tom also volunteers with a non-profit organization called Acoustic for a Change. Tom is a “Instrument Miner” who collects donated musical instruments. The goal is to have instruments stop collecting dust and start making music again by placing them in the hands of underprivileged children or organizations that work with them.

Instrument miners can mine anywhere in the nation, so if anyone is interested in volunteering, they can check out the website here: Acoustic for a Change. Any instrument donors in the state of Florida can contact Tom directly through his email here.