"Venerable Teacher, what is the relation between a soul and its physical life?"
"Kind prince, take this pine tree as an example. It has strong roots, a stout trunk, numerous branches, twigs, cones and needles, yet it started from a tiny seed. The original seed from that tree was formed from warmth, wind, water and earth; however, this combination alone does not make a tree. The most important components are the energy rays emanating from numerous sources. Even the energy of remote stars and the sun and the moon. The spontaneous integration of all these ingredients nurtures the chance of a new life and brings beauty and intelligence to life."
-Hua Hu Ching, Chapter 37
From The Complete Works of Lao Tzu, translation and elucidation by Hua-Ching Ni
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