The Tao of wonder Woman — Richard Kightlinger

Chapter Thirty-Three, Perseverance

“Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is enlightened. Conquering others takes force. Conquering yourself is true strength. Knowing what is enough is wealth. Forging ahead shows inner resolve. Hold your ground and you will last long. Die without perishing and your life will endure.” *

The Tao often reminds us to look inward first. Looking inward takes true perseverance. When we spend more time trying to control the outside world around us, we forget to look inward and find the faith or strength within ourselves. We are keen strategists, and we can figure out what other people desire and need we can find ways to control them. To let that go and control oneself is much more difficult. Taking control of addiction and finding recovery is an excellent example of the truest inner strength. There is never time to stop working on oneself and growing spiritually.

We often find ways to settle. “I’m making enough money to live on and take care of my family.” But to continue to strive for generosity, to give to others or to chase those dreams shows the world and the universe that we are willing to grow some more. This is also an inner strength. It is an inner resolve to continue moving forward on the spiritual path. Why stay in the drudgery when you have the physical strength? Practice spiritual strength and stamina and move forward spiritually. Continue to move along the spiritual path.

Which is more powerful? The lasting soldier that held his ground the longest and acquired victory, fame and glory or the cancer victim that struggled and fought against the disease to find remission but remains unknown to the world in happy joyous freedom.

Diana’s inner struggle is always present. Diana has strength and power. She was trained to be a warrior – to win every battle. To be victorious. But her mission is truth, peace, and love. There is times Diana has got to go against her training and become a peacemaker showing love to the enemy. This is when her inner resolve is important to her sense of strength.

“With my Gods dead…I search for identity. If I was created by them to bring peace to earth…,who am I without them?” *

She also has the gifts of gods. Gods that toy with their followers and believers. Diana does not want to be a tool of the gods. Diana struggles with being her own person, making her own decisions – facing her own challenges. Using her gifts to end a conflict then to continue to move spiritually.

“Sometimes a path suddenly becomes clear…” *

Diana will continue to follow her path, moving along spiritually to find her answers. Finding the ways to reach her mission. To give Love, to bring Peace and to show the Truth. To reach her goals she is on that spiritual journey. Finding the answers to go deeper. To move forward, to give more and to love harder.

“I have just been given the most wonderful gift in the world! I now know…I am truly alive! … But I am my own person! Free to make choices about what’s right and wrong…To follow my beliefs! …I was never sure if it was me, or the Gods putting thoughts and feelings in my mind… Then come my friend! I’ll tell you of victories and defeats! Of heroes and villains! Of the battle to which I devote my life anew! Together we will fight…to bring peace to the world!” *

*Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo, Shambhala Publications, Boston & London, 2007

* “Godwar: Conquest!”, Wonder Woman #150, page 3, November 1999, DC Comics

* “Godwar: Conquest!”, Wonder Woman #150, page 12, November 1999, DC Comics

* “Godwar: Conquest!”, Wonder Woman #150, page 37-38, November 1999, DC Comics

Chapter Thirty-Four, Greatness

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else.” Judy Garland

Diana is great! She is an original. No other amazon is like her. But she is equal to her sisters. They are the same. They make her great and she makes them great. She has power, strength, stamina, and the ability. Diana has a mission. Love, truth, and peace drive her mission. But what makes Diana, Wonder Woman, truly great is her humility. The world sees her as great. Some reject her because while others accept her for her greatness. She sees good in all people. She will protect all people. To her it does not matter if they are good or bad, rich, or poor people need to be protected and cared for equally.

“I’ve encountered many noble souls…sisters …and brothers whose hearts are as fierce and beautiful as those of the most noble amazons.” *

Being great Diana shows us exactly how great the Tao can be also. The path we follow is everywhere. We can find it anywhere and all we must do is look for virtue. If we look for greatness, we will find greatness. When we look at a spectacular landscape or sunrise. It does not matter which way we turn there is the greatness we seek. All that we need can be found – look for it, ask for it and it can be found.

The Tao follows its own way. Heaven and Earth follow the Tao. Living on the Earth, people follow the way simply by living. The Tao nourishes and feeds. All that is needed is provided. This is the way of the Tao. We may think the world is little. We may think the spiritual life is little. We may think humans are little. The Tao is great; therefore, the world is great. This logic makes humans great as well. It is when we turn away from a spiritual life that confusion sets in, and we become lost and lose our way. It is when we let fear, jealousy and desires cloud our thinking that we lose our greatness. If we seek a spiritual life and follow the path laid out in front of us, then we will find the greatness of the Tao.

“The Way stretches everywhere; It can go to the left as well as to the right. All beings rely on It for their life, and It fails them not. When Its works are accomplished, it does not attribute them to Itself. It loves and nourishes all beings but does not seek to constrain them. Ever free from desires, it may be called little. All beings are subject to It, it constrains them not. It may be called great. Therefore, to the end of his life, the holy man does not regard himself as great. This is why he can accomplish great things.” *

* “Three Hearts” Part 1 of 2, Wonder Woman #154 March 2000, DC Comics

*The Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu’s Book of The Way and of Righteousness, Lao Tzu (author), Translation & Commentary by Charles Johnston, Serialized in Theosophical Quarterly, 1921-23, Kshetra Books, By Jon w. Fergus, 2016

Chapter Thirty-Five, Stay Close

“He who holds the Great Symbol will attract all things to him. They flock to him and receive no harm, for in him they find peace, security and happiness. Music and dainty dishes can only make a passing guest pause. But the words of Tao possess lasting effects, though they are mild and flavorless, though they appeal neither to the eye nor to the ear.” *

The “Great Symbol” is the image of the Tao, the path. The idea of virtue. Practicing virtue will naturally attract people or events and positive solutions. Everything positive can happen when practicing the spiritual life. Even with the sudden change that wrecks destruction the spiritual person can find answers and peace in the chaos. What the truly spiritual person finds is most people do not what to listen to the ideas of a spiritual life. The conversations may be great and lovely but when it is time to move on the path most people will follow their own way, not willing to give the spiritual a chance.

The spiritual life may not be like a celebration with music and dancing or a feast with every flavor more exciting than the next. The spiritual life is nurturing and nourishing. Practicing a spiritual life can bring balance (physical, spiritual, and emotional) to daily living. Practicing a spiritual life can bring peace to a hectic day and permeate into the different lives surrounding the spiritual person. They will feel the long-lasting effects of just knowing that spiritual person.

The effects of a spiritual life are the same for Diana. She practices and is steadfast on her spiritual path and mission. When caught in turmoil she will find the solution to solve the issue or find the strength to defeat the foe. She will find Hope. She surrounds herself with truth, peace, and love. Her friends and comrades feel the effects of knowing Wonder Woman. What she gives to others she will find for herself.

“This might not be the right time…but… you’ve always been an inspiration to me…. Seriously Diana when someone brings hope to another person it’s a gift.” - Big Barda *

What we bring to the table is what we will feast upon. If we bring Hope, Peace, Joy and Steadfast this is what we will receive.

*Tao The Ching, Lao Tzu, Translated by John C.H. Wu, Shambhala Publications, Boston & London 2003

* “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” DVD September 28, 2010 (actress Julianne Grossman)

Chapter Thirty-Six, Paradox

“We rise by lifting others.” Robert Ingersoll

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” Carl Rogers

Changes in life are a paradox. Our parents build us up and tell us how wonderful and exciting we are to them. Then when we go to school, we think everyone will feel the same about us only to find everyone else has been told the same thing by their parents. Very quickly we start to learn life’s lessons. Things get built up to get torn down. The changes in life follow the same pattern.

Things are going well – we hit the right marks, we are making long strides, we find success in many areas. We are living in Balance (PSE). Physically we are healthy. Spiritual practices are easy and comfortable. The emotional connections are easy and meaningful. Then of course we come to a crossroads, or some disaster occurs, and we are forced to put to true use the practices we have in place. The practices become difficult again; we may have to find our way out of a labyrinth of worries and self-doubt. But with continued practice we begin to grow and rebuild what was torn down. We become strong with new insights and meaningful connections. We can help others grow as well because we now know the pain that they will feel.

Through all these changes the people that are malleable and teachable are the ones that seem to flow through the cycles of life easily. The stiff and ridged will find it difficult. Closed off spiritually and emotionally will never feel satisfied.

We all are who we are and that is never going to change. Our bodies will change. Certain aspects of our emotional connections will change. Spiritual connections and practices can change but who we are deep in our hearts will never change. We are the people we are meant to be for the world to see and love. Part of all the changes we go through is to be able to help those around us that will go through the same things.

Here is the will paradox – We go through trauma to be a comfort for those in need.

“What should be shrunken must first be stretched. What should be weakened must first be strengthened. What should be abolished must first be cherished. What should be deprived must first be enriched. This is called understanding the hidden. The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. The fish cannot leave the deep waters. The state’s weaponry should not be displayed.” *

Diana, wonder Woman, has seen her trauma. She has lived through many disasters, but she continues her mission. Her goal is Love, Peace and Truth. Like the fish that cannot leave the ocean she will always be on this mission. Can she learn lessons? She has had many teachers from gods to villains. And she has become a teacher as well.

“One of Artemis’s lessons comes back… there’s a big problem with saving a flying vehicle. How do you stop it …without killing the people inside? The answer is simple… Very…Carefully.” *

As the teacher Diana has had many students. Donna Troy (the original Wonder Girl now Troia), Cassandra “Cassie” Sandsmark (the current Wonder Girl) even Manhunter (Kate Spencer) Batgirl (Barbra Gordon) and Black Canary (Dinah Lance) have benefited from Diana’s lessons. The villains learn the lessons Wonder Woman offers. Some even come back for more re-teaching.

“Cassie, this is up to you! Artemis and I can take you to the path, but you’re the one who has to walk it! …That’s why I’m here because I have faith in you…Because I love you.” *

“I may have a lot to learn, but one thing I KNOW, there’s only one person you have to prove yourself to…and that’s yourself.” *

*Tao Te Ching: The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained, Lao Tzu (author) Stefan Stenudd (author), Arriba (February 6, 2011)

* “Devastation Returns part 2 of 3: Redemption”, Wonder Woman #157 June 2000, DC Comics

* “Devastation Returns part 3 of 3: Initiation”, Wonder Woman #158 July 2000, DC Comics

Chapter Thirty-Seven, Non-Action

“The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done. If powerful men and women could center themselves in it, the whole world would be transformed by itself, in its natural rhythms. People would be content with their simple, everyday lives, in harmony, and free of desire. When there is no desire, all things are at peace.” *

Diana would be happy with a world at Peace. She would be free from battle and strife. She would be surrounded by Love and Truth and Peace. The unfortunate circumstance is that Diana desires Love, Truth and Peace for the world and so never seems to find an end to her goals. The people around her that she saves and fights for are not on the same path she is on, and they seem to get in to trouble often. The villains she fights also have lost their way and need to be reminded (often) of the truth. This does not mean she does not practice a spiritual life. Her spiritual life has led her to seek these goals – it is her mission. Like all humans Diana has desires. These desires cause her to push. She is ahead of us in that she is more aware and recognizes when her desires are causing more problems than good. Diana serves her mission, which also frees her from her other emotions that can also be driven by desire. Wonder Woman aligns her desires with her mission – with her spiritual journey, therefore she stays on her path. Her desires are kept in order.

We humans have desires. Desire more and more. Our desires can cause us to be jealous and untrusting. Our desires can cause resentments and anger. When we desire more than we need our goals and dreams become clouded. We are not aligned with the path, and we may stray. When we fight and push back with envious mistrust to reach desires, we lose our way and stray from the path. It is more natural for us to focus on simplicity than to focus on the grandiose goals. When we keep our desires simple and in check, we find peace. When we align our desires with our spiritual journey, reaching our goals is simpler and more peaceful.

When we fall into the natural rhythms of life the world around us is at peace. We struggle less with the daily worries. We have less confrontations. We are at peace. There is no need to fight and push. Desires are achieved.

“Aphrodite’s way is one of compassion and eternal hope! Without those, we are nothing! The humans you have hidden from have long resisted Ares’ ways! The invasion didn’t come from your being too trusting – it came from Mistrust! If you had been trusting – you would have dissolved the mystic barriers as a celebration – not tentatively, a part at a time! Then there would have been no war – the island would have been useless to those aliens as a secret base! You’ve been through a terrible ordeal, but it’s time to go on with life! Where is your strength? Where is your Amazon Courage? Well…?” *

* Tao Teh Ching, A New English Version, translated by Stephen Mitchell, Harperenial Modern Classics, Harper CollinsPublishers, 1988

* “Paradise Burning”, Wonder Woman: Forgotten Legends, published by DC Comics, 2018. Originally published in magazine form Wonder Woman #318, DC Comics, Aug 1984

Chapter Thirty-Eight, Truly Virtuous

“Power without self-control tears a girl to pieces.” *

The truly virtuous works toward others but do not seek glory, acknowledgement, or power. The needs of others are met without much effort. Goodness flocks to the virtuous and all seems well with them always. We are all not virtuous. Our virtue seems lacking. We stress and worry. We are always busy, and nothing seems complete. This is when spiritual practice is needed. The spiritual practice takes self-control. To build virtue we must let go of the desire. We must let go of the idea of being virtuous.

We do not need to be virtuous or righteous. We do not need underlying motives. We do not need to make people like us or shape the outcomes to our favors. If we are practicing a spiritual life. The virtue will happen naturally. We will see the goodness and the goodness will come to us. People will naturally flock to us. It is when we forget to seek a spiritual practice that problems arise. Our desires take control, and we seek to make things happen. We will fuss about things and outcomes. We will become benevolent, hoping people will notice. We will become overly moral about certain issues that aren’t important to the outcome. We will rely on ceremony that becomes trite and without meaning or feeling.

The neophyte to a spiritual practice will reach a pink cloud and feel the goodness and see the goodness. They will think all is well and possibly see in full vision what lies in front of them. As important as this is to a newly spiritual person these feelings are only fleeting. The pink cloud is but a beautiful flower along the path it is that the final stop. The path is important. Practice is very important. The joy of the pink cloud is real, and they can be very motivating. But when we reach a plateau and rest on our laurels our spiritual muscles become weak. It is important to use that pink cloud as a good motivator and continue to practice. Store those pink clouds in a safe place. Keep them close because sooner or later we all fall from glory. The path is more important than what we see along the way.

“A man of the highest virtue does not keep to virtue and that is why he has virtue. A man of the lowest virtue never strays from virtue and that is why he is without virtue. The former never acts yet leaves nothing undone. A man of highest benevolence acts, but from no ulterior motive. A man most conversant in the rite’s acts, but when no one responds rolls up his sleeves and resorts to persuasion by force. Hence when the way was lost there was virtue; when the virtue was lost there was benevolence; when benevolence was lost there was rectitude; when rectitude was lost there were rites. The rites are the wearing thin of loyalty and good faith and the beginning of disorder; foreknowledge is the flowery embellishment of the way and the beginning of folly. Hence the man of large mind abides in the thick not in the thin, in the fruit not in the flower. Therefore, he discards the one and takes the other.” *

A spiritual person has great self-control. Diana has self-control. She must contain herself. With her power she could easily hurt the innocents she seeks to protect. What nourishes her self-control is her mission – Love, Peace, and Truth. These also give her the strength she needs. Love, Peace, and Truth also strengthens her self-control. Her mission, Love, Peace, and Truth is her path. Her mission is her spiritual practice. Her mission nourishes her virtue. Love, Peace, and Truth are her virtues.

The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons.” Aristotle

Diana seeks Love, Peace, and Truth in herself. She sees it in others but never forces it upon them. This is where her self-control comes into play. It would be so easy to force the world into her ideals – to force the world onto her path. That would go against everything she stands. It would lead her from her path, and away from her mission. She does not force the flower to grow. Instead, she lets the flower bloom and whither but one day in time it will become the fruit of her virtues. The fruit of Love, Peace, and Truth.

* “The Unbound Amazon” Wonder Woman #19 July 1943, Sensation Comics

*Lao Tzu, Tao Te, translated D.C. Lau, Penguin Books, 1963

Chapter Thirty-Nine, Attaining Unity

“In harmony with the Tao, the sky is clear and spacious, the earth is solid and full, all creatures flourish together, content with the way they are, endlessly repeating themselves, endlessly renewed.

When man interferes with the Tao, the sky becomes filthy, the earth becomes depleted, the equilibrium crumbles, creatures become extinct.

The Master views the parts with compassion because he understands the whole. His constant practice is humility. He doesn’t glitter like a jewel but let’s himself be shaped by the Tao, as rugged and common as a stone.” *

The Tao is quite clear. The heavens attained unity and the sky is clear and beautiful. The weather nourishes the earth. The earth attained unity and became strong and plentiful. Giving nourishment to the creatures. The creatures attained unity and became fertile. The spirits attained unity and became a lasting influence inspiring man to do great things. When man gets involved, this unity is broken.

Look at the world around us. The sky has lost its luster. The earth is losing its natural resources. The rainforests as being depleted. The polar icecaps are melting. Needed animals and insects are becoming extinct. The spirits that used to inspire are now silent and less informative.

Only those that truly understand a spiritual life can move through this world with the knowledge that all things and people are in unity. If the spirits are silent there will be no inspiration. With no inspiration there will be more wars and the need to use and use natural resources. Building more, tearing down the trees, creating more factories. The earth strikes back with more natural disasters. The sky becomes darker and less protective from the sun and other off-world forces.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir

“Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” James Baldwin

Diana has attained this unity. She was a raised in a paradise one with heaven, earth, animals her gods and her fellow sisters. Her home taught her well. It made her compassionate and passionate. Her home gave her the mission. Heaven, earth, animals, and spirits taught her well. Diana uses her compassion to protect the heavens and earth. She uses her compassion to protect the earth’s animals and people. Remembering her home and lessons teaches her humility. She was raised from clay, lived secluded where all were in unity. Now among the people who do not understand her she keeps her ideals, compassions, and humility. It is the lessons she learned on Paradise Island, Themyscira, that fuels her missions and journey.

Finding unity with the world Diana has become a master. Never force one person to think, believe or act the way she dictates. She is one with the unity of the world. Diana is humble enough to recognize there are lessons to learn. that the best way to teach is through actions. Let the world see her and justly in unity and others will follow naturally.

“Until then, a new role awaits me. That of an ordinary woman without title or trappings, who strives to do her best, armed with only a loving heart and a deep belief in the sometimes hidden, but always inherent, goodness of the people around her. The better to earn a place for myself in Man’s…in the Humans World.” *

* Tao Teh Ching, A New English Version, translated by Stephen Mitchell, Harperenial Modern Classics, Harper CollinsPublishers, 1988

“Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth”, November 2001, DC Comics