Momentum & Integration

I was thinking about how it is important to continually practice. Even if I don't have any sort of realization during my practice. Even if I am just going through the motions sometimes this will eventually allow me to reach a greater understanding. It's like adding a grain of sand to the ground each time I practice. Soon enough it will become a mound, then a hill, then a dune, then a beach. Gaining momentum is the hard part, maintaining it is easy.

I read the following in a book by Deng Ming-Dao called 365 Tao. The subject is about integration and I wanted to relay what it said here.

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Be still to know the absolute.
Be active to know the outer.
The two spring from the same source,
All of life is one whole.

In stillness, one seeks the absolute Tao. There is neither beauty nor ugliness in it. Because it has no opposites, it called absolute . By contrast , nothing in this world is absolute, because all things we experience are relative.

Seeking the absolute may be among the greatest goals, but you cannot remain on your meditation cushion forever. You must go out and explore life as well. This is the investigation of the outer Tao that flows through all existence. You must not fail to explore anything that interests you. Any skill you want to master should be learned. Any subject that arouses curiosity should be examined. Every question should be answered. If you do not do this, then you cannot freely flow with the outer Tao: Every one of your uncertainties will be an obstacle.

Initially, it will seem as if there is no connection between your time meditating and the outer things in your life. After all, the masters constantly stress the difference between the spiritual and the social. But eventually, you will reach a point where the quiescence of contemplation and the activeness of living are integrated. Then there is no anxiety about whether one is living a spiritual life or not. You realize that it is all part of the same seamless whole.
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Wow, I really like this. It so nicely sums up so many of the thoughts I've had floating around in my head awhile. I think this can be translated nicely into so many different aspects of life. I think we all would be better off if we tried to integrate this mode of thought into our lives.