Teri shared a post today about Derek Lin. Derek is Taiwanese-American author who has written several books based on the Taoist philosophy. Teri's post very helpful to me tonight. I wanted to ask everyone to focus on this today, along with the concept of Wu-Wei. Here's what Teri posted:
"I think it was Derek Lin who likened the Tao "being like water" idea to surfing. It is not that we necessarily "go with the flow" like a river, with it taking us wherever it will (at least not always). But it can be more like surfing, where you have a goal to get to a certain area of the beach, more or less, and you ride the power of the waves to get there. If you fight the waves, you will fall. But if you accept them, you have a great time getting to where you are going. Of course, if your goal is to go in the complete opposite direction of the waves, you are in for some strife;)"
Wu-Wei is one of the leading concepts in Taoism. Wei
refers to any intentional or deliberated action, while wu carries the
meaning of "there is no ..." or "lacking, without". Common
translations include "effortless action".
What a great vibration to align to "effortless action"!
Derek Lin has also shared that the concept of Wu Wei is often misinterpreted. Imagine what you would do if you were surfing. You wouldn't want to fight the wave - that would be foolish and futile. This may be the part where people get the idea that wu wei means going with the flow. They may not understand the other equally important part, that you also wouldn't want to stand motionless and let the wave wipe you out. That wouldn't be smart either.
What you really want to do is ride the wave. Move with it, not against it. Make use of its tremendous power. Exercise skillful control of your body and the surfboard...It is the same with life. You don't want to waste your energy in a useless struggle against the way things already are. At the same time, you also don't want to be a couch potato. People who are apathetic and indifferent won't stay on the surfboard for long.
Anticipate and take advantage of changes. It takes practice, but eventually you get good at it. To other people, your actions and progress in life seem natural, graceful, and almost effortless.
The art of surfing is no different from the Tao of living. This is the true meaning of wu wei. To view Derek's full excerpt on this topic please visit: Derek Lin - Understanding We Wei.
Letting go of control is a challenge for me. When I was growing up, controlling the situation as much as I could literally saved me. Today, it's foreign to me to let go of control and yet I know it will benefit me immensely. I can relate to effortless action and the idea of surfing or riding the wave of life. Thanks Teri and Derek Lin for today's lesson.
I think I have often gone back and forth between trying to control things that I couldn't and doing nothing at all (while the waves crash over me and I feel like I'm drowning - gee, I wonder why I have struggled with depression). Artfully riding the wave has often eluded me, i think because i have not seen it as a spiritual practice. Even that, i cannot fully control with my will. Wanting it is only a start. I need to plug into the spirit of "the waves" - to feel it and move with it. I can't analyze it. It is not mental. It is spiritual.
ReplyDeleteThat's right on Teri! It is spiritual. I love the idea of plugging into the spirit of "the waves"! We are going to work with that my friend :)
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