The Sisters of the Integral Way is an informal network of women who support the re-emergence and spiritual leadership of feminine virtue, as guided by the teachings and practices of the Way. The Sisters encourage and support all women to reconnect to the wholeness of universal nature, and nurture their positive feminine virtue.

The nurturing, receptive energy of the feminine naturally complements and balances the more physical, creative energy of the masculine. When these forces work together in harmony they create and sustain life, but when either of them forsakes the other and moves to its extreme, the balance breaks down and trouble ensues. We see this in today’s masculine-dominated world where the extreme energies of aggression and competition are out-of-control and threaten our world.

We know that life only prospers and grows in a healthy, whole way through cooperation, and the support of nurturing care. Therefore, we need to re-establish the softening power of feminine virtue if we are to restore the balance in life. Both men and women can be guided by the feminine principle to increase their appreciation of the interconnectedness of all lives and things, and to live respectfully, cooperatively and in harmony with each other and with the deep rhythms of universal life.

All Sisters are encouraged to live the Path of Constructive Life as guided by the teachings and self-cultivation practices of the Integral Way, such as tai chi, meditation, invocations and quiet reflection. The Sister’s group creates a receptive atmosphere where women can recognize and nurture the way of universal life, and radiate this to others in their everyday lives. The universal nurturing power of feminine virtue enables women to educate their children, family and friends to respect the peaceful coexistence of yin and yang that is at the heart of a healthy life. Like Lao Tzu, we can then see “how the soft can truly overcome the hard.”

Sisters groups have formed both nationally, in the United States, and internationally in Switzerland and Australia. These groups are open to all women. In the spirit of Hua-Ching Ni’s mother and all achieved women of the past, we encourage women to be a part of the Sisters’ vision by participating in the gatherings of current groups and/or forming their own gathering. The following books will be a helpful start: The Heavenly Way booklet, Moonlight in the Dark Night, The Centermost Way, Enrich Your Life with Virtue, The Power of the Feminine, The Mystical Universal Mother, Love of Mother Universe, The Foundation of a Happy Life, and The Complete Works of Lao Tzu. These books, and more, can be found in the book section on this website. You can also go directly to the bookstore at Tao EShop.

If you would like more information or would like to join the Sisters yahoo group and participate in the group reflections, contact Kumiko at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Bita at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

When the Universal Mother Speaks to Me

When the Universal Mother speaks to me,
she speaks through the sky, sun, moon and stars.
She speaks through the Earth, oceans, rivers, lakes and streams.
And she speaks through the mountains, trees and meadows.
She speaks to me through all her natural creations.
They all carry her voice.

All of Nature is her utterance.
Each time I stop my busy mind,
my heart overflows with love for her,
like water from a mountain spring, pure and clean.

Without a mother’s love,
a child cannot smile and an adult cannot mature.

Mothers are the first to teach love to the lives of the young.
A mother’s unconditional love is the foundation of all love.
A mother is the gentle, sweet spirit that
makes unhappiness and worries disappear.

The world is full of suffering
because people do not see the true nature of a mother’s love.
They lack insight into the interconnectedness of all beings and things.
The all-pervading love of Nature is the inter-beingness that
connects through and with all.

The beauty of the Hue River embraces and deeply inspires me.
The water of the river, running forever, is
like my love for the world and its people.

Though this river may live outside of me,
I have a life river inside of me.

Though all beautiful waters impress me,
they are but the semblance of the river inside of me.

The river that impresses me most deeply is the river of life.
It has no beginning and it will have no end.
It is always there.

So many streams have entered it,
nourishing and supporting the flow of life.
The river of life is always transforming.
Although its face may change from time to time,
its original purpose is always there,
providing continuous support to all forms of life to grow and thrive.
It is the stream of my life to be more than alive.

When I allow my life to be with Nature’s vastness,
I touch deeply each life and each thing I encounter.
I walk mindfully along the path of life and
understand the need to help others who are but
parts of the one, whole being that is inside and outside of me.

There is deep compassion and kind love that
runs forever like the continuous flow of rivers.

My life speaks from the range of its own being
through the deep support of the Mother Universe.

— Hua-Ching Ni and Maoshing Ni, Love of Mother Universe, page 202