Isn’t that a great title? I enjoyed Colum McCann’s novel very much — Let the Great World Spin — and recommend it. I happened to see it while looking for something else: my copy of Steven Mitchell’s translation of the Tao te Ching. I own a pocket-sized edition and carry it in my work bag and wanted to remember some exact phrasing. When I picked up the book, the pages opened to this:

16

“Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Let your heart be at peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.”

It’s no mystery the pages opened here. This is one of my favorite parts of the Tao, so the book usually opens near or on this passage. Every time I read this, no matter the circumstances, I feel a bit better, provided I also take a deep breath or two. Pretty quick, simple fix.