9.14.26

A piece of silk, while it is in the dyeing vat, does not think of being anything other than a piece of silk. It absorbs the dye, and nothing can hasten the process. To deepen the color, the silk must again be immersed in the vats. We who seek Tao are like silk being dyed.

We immerse ourselves in Tao, and we absorb Tao. But our essential nature will not change, just as the substance of the silk is not changed by dyeing. Nor is our essential nature in need of any change. Like the silk that is brought out and presented, we are who we are, and there is no reason to be ashamed of that. That is why we can be immediate in everyday life: we know who we are, and we trust in the process of Tao.

―Deng Ming-Dao, Every Day Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony