What under and rain at night.
Growth comes with a shock.
Expression and duration
Appear in the first moment.
Things cannot remaining in stillness forever. Winter storms may destroy some things, but they also prepare the way for life. If things are swept away, it is appropriate. There must be an opportunity for new living things to emerge and begin their own cycle.
All growth comes with a shock. When the sprout breaks its casing and forces its way to the surface of the earth, it is the climax to a long and deep accumulation of life force. We may think that it came up suddenly, that in actuality, it emerged as the product of unseen and subtle cycles.
When the seedling appears, it carries with it the complete pattern for its growth, perhaps even the makings of an enormous tree. Although time and the right conditions are necessary, neither of those factors adds anything to the inherent nature of the seedling. It completely embodies its destiny. Therefore, the growth and character of the plant – and it's very life – are all present at the moment of emerging.
Deng Ming-Dao
365 Tao, 6 Emerging
Harper San Francisco, ©1992 by Deng Ming-Dao