The Great Way is Smooth — Rest in the Ordinary

Xuefeng

August 5, 2013

The most marvelous, grand, and beautiful phenomena in the universe are all accomplished naturally. Nature flows freely and spontaneously — plain yet profound, familiar yet wondrous, quiet and subtle, unfolding without effort, vast and orderly. Thus, "The Great Way is smooth."

The Great Way is the Way of the Greatest Creator — the supreme path of light, selflessness, compassion, justice, openness, vitality, brilliance, beauty, and eternal existence beneath all of heaven and earth.

Only an ordinary LIFE, an ordinary mindset, ordinary pursuits, and an ordinary lifestyle align with the Way of the Greatest Creator. Whatever is strange, cunning, shortcut-seeking, chaotic, flamboyant, dramatic, rebellious, domineering, extraordinary, miraculous, magical, ambitious for instant success, impatient for rapid results, arrogant, admired or envied by others, or striving to exceed the natural order — all such mindsets, pursuits, and lifestyles are not ordinary. They all deviate from the Great Way.

Ordinariness means being unremarkable, inconspicuous, of little worldly importance, quietly anonymous, with nothing extraordinary or special. It means accepting what is, moving smoothly, feeling content, living naturally and quietly — without noise or commotion.

It is drinking tea, eating meals, sleeping, tending vegetables, carrying manure, rising with the sun and resting at dusk, humming a tune, chatting idly, playing hide-and-seek or house, admiring the moon, watching crickets spar, listening to the wind, rain, and frogs, observing the insects, grass, and blooming flowers. It is wearing plain clothes, eating simple meals, living in modest homes, and walking the common paths.

“At its highest, writing reveals no cleverness; at its purest, character simply follows nature.” This "nature" means returning to ordinariness.

To live in ordinariness is among the hardest things. Only those with great wisdom, deep insight, and true courage can find peace in the ordinary. Only those who have walked difficult, winding, thorny, and muddy paths can find peace in the ordinary. Only those who understand the grand laws of the universe can find peace in the ordinary. Only those who approach the qualities of Celestial Beings and Buddhas can find peace in the ordinary. Only those who have truly entered the Way can dwell peacefully in ordinariness.

Ordinariness is a blessing. A person who can settle into a life of ordinariness is truly fortunate.

If you don’t believe this, take a look around — troubles, pain, anxiety, sorrow, misfortune, disasters, and all the struggles of life are caused by people who cannot be content with the ordinary.

I observe this vast world with its myriad sentient beings, and I see that very few people are at peace with the ordinary.

Most people want to stand out, to be above others. Most want to excel and bring honor to their families. Most crave admiration, envy, and even jealousy from others. Most want to be looked up to, to be impressive. Most dream of overnight wealth, instant enlightenment, or sudden fame. Most long for miraculous powers to stun the world. Most seek to show off, hoping for praise, flattery, and adoration. Most look down on labor, hoping to gain without effort, to catch fortune as it falls from the sky. Most chase shortcuts and tricks, obsessed with wealth and status — “anxious for riches, distressed by poverty.”

Everything might have been calm and smooth, but because of a restless heart that refuses the ordinary and craves the extraordinary, troubles arise. What should have been peaceful becomes chaotic — chickens flying, dogs barking, horses stumbling, cold winds howling, and complaints filling the air.

Have you ever seen a Celestial Being rushing around, burning with anxiety, scribbling frantically, toiling day and night, frowning with worry? Have you ever seen a Buddha shouting in public, scheming for eternal fame, displaying supernatural powers to deceive the masses and rally followers, hoarding wealth, wearing designer clothes, living in luxury mansions, driving fancy cars, and dining on exotic delicacies?

Great achievements begin with small steps. Hard things are accomplished by starting with what’s easy. Celestial Beings begin in ordinariness. Buddhas value ordinariness. Those who cultivate the Way must embrace ordinariness. Those who enter the Way live in ordinariness. Those who attain the Way appear ordinary. Those who uphold the Way remain steadfast in ordinariness.

Know strength, but guard gentleness. Know brightness, but keep to the shadows. Know firmness, but cherish softness. Know honor, but embrace disgrace. Know wealth, but live in poverty. Know exaltation, but walk in humility. Know yang and keep to yin; know the upper and keep to the lower. Know the extraordinary, but return to the ordinary. Know Celestial Beings and Buddhas, but uphold the path of humanity.

Keep an ordinary heart, be an ordinary person, do ordinary things, walk an ordinary road. Eat simple food, wear simple clothes, live in a plain home, speak plain words. Walk calmly, move gently, “Whether in movement or stillness, in urgency or ease, one remains in the Tao—free and unbound.”

Leisurely watch the clouds roll and flowers bloom and fade. Do not crave glory; do not gossip about others. "Ask for no favors and goodwill comes freely; drink not, and the price of wine no longer matters."

Ordinariness brings a vast sky and open sea. The pursuit of the extraordinary only leads to brambles and spears.