Inaction vs. Passivity

[satsujin]

Last night I had a dream where Batman stops fighting criminals(I forget why) and while he is lying doing nothing police captain Gordon makes videos showing him fighting criminals to cover for him. When Batman finally realizes he has been inactive too long he starts getting ready to fight but finds out he has been lying in his socks too long that he has trouble walking now becuase he has foot fungus.

 

My interpretation of the dream is my subconscious fear that I will confuse passiveness with inaction in the path of Tao. In my current life, I am lucky that I don't need to do much to live a comfortable life since most of my needs are cared for. So, the way I understand it Tao for me will be accepting the life I have(easy because it is so simple, hard because of the conflict of pride on being dependent) and living passively while reacting to the problems that may crop up as I flow along with the current of my life without railing against it.

 

I am new to Tao so I am sure I am making mistakes. Any books you folks can recommend on this wu-wei aspect of Tao for the beginner?

Edited January 5, 2015 by satsujin

[Daeluin]

Ni Hua Ching, The Uncharted Voyage Toward the Subtle Light

[satsujin]

Ni Hua Ching, The Uncharted Voyage Toward the Subtle Light

 

Any free books that impart the same message?

[gendao]

Last night I had a dream where Batman stops fighting criminals(I forget why) and while he is lying doing nothing police captain Gordon makes videos showing him fighting criminals to cover for him. When Batman finally realizes he has been inactive too long he starts getting ready to fight but finds out he has been lying in his socks too long that he has trouble walking now becuase he has foot fungus.

 

My interpretation of the dream is my subconscious fear that I will confuse passiveness with inaction in the path of Tao. In my current life, I am lucky that I don't need to do much to live a comfortable life since most of my needs are cared for. So, the way I understand it Tao for me will be accepting the life I have(easy because it is so simple, hard because of the conflict of pride on being dependent) and living passively while reacting to the problems that may crop up as I flow along with the current of my life without railing against it.

 

I am new to Tao so I am sure I am making mistakes. Any books you folks can recommend on this wu-wei aspect of Tao for the beginner?

Wu Wei means spontaneously allowing/being your true Divine Nature...rather than acting/doing with your "Ego" (localized & limited consciousness).

 

This is not to be confused with physical inactivity vs activity.

 

Your Divine Nature might have you climb a mountain and till a field, for instance. Whereas your "Ego" might just tell you to lay in bed and play video games. The type of action is irrelevant, the difference lies in the motivation.

Edited January 5, 2015 by gendao

[satsujin]

Wu Wei means spontaneously allowing/being your true Divine Nature...rather than acting/doing with your "Ego" (localized & limited consciousness).

 

This is not to be confused with physical inactivity vs activity.

 

Your Divine Nature might have you climb a mountain and till a field, for instance. Whereas your "Ego" might just tell you to lay in bed and play video games. The type of action is irrelevant, the difference lies in the motivation.

 

What motivates me in life is simple: I wish to be content. Even though I live a good life I worry frequently about the future. I also wish to understand myself better.

[Marblehead]

What motivates me in life is simple: I wish to be content. Even though I live a good life I worry frequently about the future. I also wish to understand myself better.

The future is tough to prepare for because we have no idea what life will throw at us. I suppose the best we can do is establish a good state of physical and psychological security. Generally, if we take care of today we can start tomorrow fresh because we don't have any baggage to carry around with us.

[rldawson]

"The Essence Of Tao by Pamela Ball" is an interesting overall view of tao. Also, "the Tao of Pooh" and "The Te of Piglet", by Benjamin Hoff, are nice starter books about Tao.

[Wayfarer]

Hi Satsujin,

 

A great question! Imagine your life like this; what you are is not a person, you are the Tao appearing as a person, when we think something like...oh life isn't going how I wish it was so hurry up - this is our ego-sense coming to mind and being frustrated...yet in a way, the Tao is attempting to be expressed through us, as us and everything around us, is also IT manifesting as 'things' but they are not things, they are a single nameless IT.

 

This IT, is just doing nothing in particular, but how it appears to us seems different - so things come and go in our lives that we either like or dislike. To practise Wu Wei is really to step out of the way of what is coming naturally to fruition i.e. not to interfere with it or want for something else. And as this unfolding arises naturally of itself, if we get our ego out of the way, we see the fruits of that unfolding. If however, we grab for something else, or want something different, in a way, that unfolding becomes severed so we do not see the fruits of it.

 

Ultimately, there is no Tao or ego, they are just ideas, there is no Wu Wei, passivity or inaction; there is only the Nameless that is Being. You are That. As everything is That, nothing can be gained and nothing can be lost for all is IT itself. So the Taoist Sage would not even consider success or failure, action or inaction...he/she would simply be and respond to whatever arose / expressed itself in the moment. Then without thinking continued about their business.

 

Nice huh?

Edited January 5, 2015 by Wayfarer

[satsujin]

Hi Satsujin,

 

A great question! Imagine your life like this; what you are is not a person, you are the Tao appearing as a person, when we think something like...oh life isn't going how I wish it was so hurry up - this is our ego-sense coming to mind and being frustrated...yet in a way, the Tao is attempting to be expressed through us, as us and everything around us, is also IT manifesting as 'things' but they are not things, they are a single nameless IT.

 

This IT, is just doing nothing in particular, but how it appears to us seems different - so things come and go in our lives that we either like or dislike. To practise Wu Wei is really to step out of the way of what is coming naturally to fruition i.e. not to interfere with it or want for something else. And as this unfolding arises naturally of itself, if we get our ego out of the way, we see the fruits of that unfolding. If however, we grab for something else, or want something different, in a way, that unfolding becomes severed so we do not see the fruits of it.

 

Ultimately, there is no Tao or ego, they are just ideas, there is no Wu Wei, passivity or inaction; there is only the Nameless that is Being. You are That. As everything is That, nothing can be gained and nothing can be lost for all is IT itself. So the Taoist Sage would not even consider success or failure, action or inaction...he/she would simply be and respond to whatever arose / expressed itself in the moment. Then without thinking continued about their business.

 

Nice huh?

 

Thanks Wayfarer. I like how you explained that!

 

It reminds me of how I am content in my life currently but since I have no specific purpose in life except to BE content, from time to time, I get the worry that what if in the future I become bored with life and that leads to discontentment. Your piece makes me think that this worrying about the future when it has not happened yet and everything is fine now is just negative thinking. Makes me think that I should accept the goodness I have now and deal with any changes that may appear AS they happen.....if they do even happen!

[Rocky Lionmouth]

If potential boredom troubles you i suggest getting into an Art.

A way to experiment and develop your skill, breathing, relaxation and self-knowledge, something to get lost in, something that grows and develops together with you, in all turns of life.

I'd recommend that it should be something both physical and mental, that way you will have an outlet that recharges you also.

 

The concept of Gong Fu is what i'm thinking of. Not necessarily martial arts, i mean Gong Fu as translated into something along the lines of "refined skill acquired through diligent work". Should you begin to master one area with that method, then later you can master any area using the same process of learning. It sounds very cliche, but its true

 

You'll never be bored if you search for Gong Fu in yourself, and its a great way to implement and develop your connection to the Tao.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Rocky Lionmouth

[Bearded Dragon]

An example of not using wu wei would be accomplishing something.

An example of wu wei would be doing the same thing without accomplishment even entering your mind.

 

Holding back and being passive are not it. They're valid when applied at the right time but they aren't wu wei in and of themselves.