Be the River
wu-wei, flow and letting go
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The stone in the river is ancient. It is massive, made of hard granite, immovable, and seemingly eternal. The water in the river is flexible, soft, and yielding. The water doesn't confront the stone. It simply flows over and around it, seeking the path of least resistance. Yet over time, it is the rock that yields. Eventually, the obstacle in the river's course disappears and ceases to exist. The river accomplished this not through special effort but by continually remaining precisely what it is, yielding and flexible. The water stays true to its essential nature, flows, and, without action, removes the stone that stood seemingly immovable in its path through the naturally unfolding pattern of the universe. The river remains the same before, during, and after encountering the stone. The river is what it is and behaves according to its nature and thus will achieve everything it must accomplish.
The story of the river and the stone is a prime example of the Taoist (often also spelled Daoist) philosophy of wu-wei, the way of non-action, non-interference, actionless action, and being in complete harmony with the Tao. If you are unfamiliar with the Tao, I offer this quote from Dr. Andrew M. Henry, a scholar of religious studies and host of the YouTube Channel Religion for Breakfast.
The Tao Te Ching says, 'the Tao does not act, and yet there is nothing it does not do'; thus, Scholars describe the Tao as an organic process that moves along naturally and spontaneously; in other words, it does not act, but at the same time, there is nothing it does not do is the process through which the entire universe unfolds.
You're not alone if this seems obtuse, contradictory, or confusing. Western philosophy, religion, cultural thought, and everyday life are very different than Eastern streams of philosophy, belief, and religion.
Different ways of viewing the world and reality are eye-opening because these unfamiliar viewpoints often highlight our blind spots. This is particularly true of philosophical thought from both China and Japan.
Driving and striving are two energies pervasive in the West. I am very familiar with both of these in my own life. You may also be familiar with them. They create a life beset with should, must, ought, and have to. They celebrate a person adept at confronting, controlling, and manipulating. Driving and striving values pushing through, workaholism, hustle, and the monumental task of dominating and controlling nature.
Wu-wei is about going with the flow.
Wu-wei embraces the yin (feminine) characteristics of flexibility, effortlessness, authenticity, spontaneity, and a state of being that is in harmony with the pattern of the universe. It has nothing to do with striving.
Yesterday I was working in the garden, creating a pathway. I live at the edge of a glacial moraine. Ten thousand years ago, the glacier melted and deposited immense amounts of boulders, rocks, and rubble across the landscape. The ground is filled with stones ranging from golf ball size to forty and fifty-pound chunks of granite. I was exerting relentless effort prying a huge rock from the earth using brute force. Then I remembered wu-wei and the power of water, soft, flexible, and gentle. I filled the hole I was digging with water and let it settle. In about ten minutes, I could easily use my spade to release the rock and lift it out of the hole.
While Westerners often struggle to fully understand the nuanced, deep, and complex insights conveyed in Eastern philosophies, they are valuable wells of wisdom to ponder and sometimes complement or complete concepts we are already familiar with.
I love the concept of wu-wei, especially when the emphasis is on the river analogy and the idea of being in total, natural harmony with the Tao/Dao, which is usually translated into English simply as The Way.
In 2021 my word for the year was flow. That's still an idea that I am exploring.
What does it mean to allow my life to flow?
What does it feel like to let go and allow life to unfold in its own way and time?
Most importantly, who or what do I believe to be the guiding principle, the Tao of my life?
Have you ever heard of wu-wei? Are you already a go-with-the-flow type of person? Do you have a story about how non-action or letting go allowed amazing things to happen in your life? Please share your experiences in the comments; I'd love to hear from you.
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Thank you for introducing me to this concept - it's just what I needed to hear!! Very well explained!!
Water is the element I am most drawn to in every way; living on the edge of Lake Erie (my freshwater ocean). Interestingly water is absent from my astrological chart; maybe that’s why I feel soooo drawn to it. I also almost drowned 3x as a child which created fear of water I had to heal from.
Your writing is very beautiful; Ty for bringing Wu-Wei alive into my life again today. I love Taoism 💗