Water

The best of men is like water;
   Water benefits all things
   And does not compete with them.
It dwells in (the lowly) places that all disdain –
   Wherein it comes near to the Tao.

In his dwelling, (the Sage) loves the (lowly) earth;
In his heart, he loves what is profound;
In his relations with others, he loves kindness;
In his words, he loves sincerity;
In government, he loves peace;
In business affairs, he loves ability;
In his actions, he loves choosing the right time.
   It is because he does not contend
   That he is without reproach. (Tao Te Ching, chapter 8, Lin Yu Tan trans.)

In earlier posts, I discussed why we are here and about acting in accord with Wu Wei and explained that there is a difference between that and acting from the mind/ego.

In this post, I want to explore in more detail how one can tell if one is in accord with the Tao.

As I explained in these blog posts and my book Break Through To Your True Self, we are immortal consciousnesses that come to the physical plane. I call these consciousnesses “true selves.” When we come here, we take on bodies that include minds and egos.

This raises an interesting point: The only people who can ask whether they are following the Tao or Wu Wei are those who are aware that something is within them, such as a higher consciousness or true self that knows of the Tao.

I see the mind as a supercomputer that begins learning in the womb. Over the first few years of life, the mind absorbs much information. A typical child has developed a strong sense of ego by age four. By age five, they “know” they are their egos. They have forgotten their true selves.

Most people remain that way for their entire lives, living “normal” lives, perhaps going to church, perhaps not, working, and living without ever sensing there is a secret true self hidden within.

Despite that, these people can act according to the Tao and Wu Wei because, as I explained before, the true selves have a will that can subconsciously feed directions to the mind.

These directions often happen at pivotal points in our lives. For example, the true self may direct the mind to enter a particular field of work or perhaps join the military. It may suggest the college a person is supposed to attend. It may work with other true selves to find mates. And so on.

As long as these people live their lives as purely as they can. Doing their work diligently and with a simple purpose, they are acting in accord with the Tao. They don’t think or have to consider whether they follow the Tao. They just do.

Acting in accord with the Tao is a mindless thing. Going about your life simply and purely is the essence of Wu Wei.

On the other hand, some people sense that something “out there” is more significant than themselves (i.e., their minds/egos). Of course, nothing is “out there” because the true self is within. The Tao flows through everything, so it is not “out there.”

Once they focus on this higher consciousness, the mind/ego takes over. It creates all sorts of games and traps for students of higher learning. One such trap is the “Am I following the Tao?”  trap.

They worry endlessly about finding the truth and learning the secrets of the Tao. They read numerous books and practice many things to help move them along. Gradually, over a long time, they become aware that the secret is within them and that it has always been within them.

The only way to “lose” Tao is to forget that it is always present. The only way to do that is to know it. This is different from someone (a mind) unaware of the true self. That person is living in the Tao without awareness of it.

Of course, they can suffer anxiety, hate, sadness, bitterness, and other emotions, but the mind produces these. However, the fact that they suffer does not mean they do not follow Tao.

Meditation leads to awakening their true selves and experiencing the Tao, which can lead to enlightenment.

Once they find their true selves and get past their minds, they discover they have lived according to the Tao all along.

I also want to add that the only way to know the Tao is to experience it. Intellectual knowledge of the Tao is not actual knowledge of the Tao.

Let me stress that since the Tao contains everything, it is impossible to live outside of it. Remember that the Tao contains good and evil, love and hate, and everything else. However, love, hate, and all the rest arise only in the manifestation. They arise because our minds distinguish between things (dark and light, for example). The Tao does not see them like that at all. To the Tao, it is all one, all part of the eternal energy.

I want to touch on a critical point here. One may ask, if that is true, why be good? Why not just do what you want? There are three explanations for that.

First, your true self may have come here to be “bad.” Remember, it can experience anything. True, your life may be cut short. Or you may end up in prison for a long time, but if that is what your true self wants to experience, so be it. An immortal consciousness is not bothered by “long” prison sentences or early deaths.

Second, the societies in this plane have created laws restricting and controlling one’s ability to be “bad.” If our true selves have come here for other reasons than to be “bad,” then we will follow the rules and act accordingly, not because we have to, but because we came here not to be bad.

Finally, there is the law of Karma. Being bad may inhibit how the true self can return in the next life. Not that it matters to the true self, but there is a universal movement towards the higher planes of existence, so doing things that inhibit the true self’s ability to advance is not something that prevails.

Ironically, only the people on a path to knowledge ask such questions. As I said, that’s because their minds are working to keep them distracted. The mind may even think it is helping. But, the more one wonders whether they are following the Tao and Wu Wei, the more they forget that they always are.

Namaste,

Michael Tavella, author of

“Break Through To Your True Self”

Yourtrueself.blog