Act Without Striving, Handling Things Without Interfering, Savor the Flavorless

Tao One

August 1, 2006

Extraordinary people must have extraordinary paths, and exceptional individuals must possess qualities that set them apart. Following in the footsteps of the masses leads to mediocrity; walking familiar roads inevitably repeats the fate of those who came before. If you wish to make your life stand out like a crane among chickens, to radiate wisdom, to reach the realm of ultimate bliss, and to cultivate the highest Buddhist practice, you must "act without striving, handle things without interfering, and savor the flavorless."

Act Without Striving means departing from habitual thinking and embracing unconventional thinking, stepping away from the crowd to blaze a new trail. If the masses plant watermelons, I’ll plant pumpkins; if they head north, I’ll go south; if they study scriptures, I’ll play music; if they focus on the practical, I’ll explore the abstract. Think about what others refuse to think, do what others are unwilling to do; while the masses go with the flow, I’ll swim against it. What I do is precisely what the masses avoid. "The common people are bright, yet I alone am dull. The common people are sharp, yet I alone am confused. The masses have plenty, yet I alone seem to lack. The masses have their purposes, yet I alone seem stubborn and foolish." Another layer of Act Without Striving is to place oneself in a state of holographic and emptiness, discarding personal experiences and wisdom. Do not rely on the mind’s processing; allow everything to naturally follow the Tao. Accept what comes without resistance, let go of what leaves without attachment, remain unshaken by honor or disgrace, and face death without fear. When events arise, respond with presence; when they pass, return to emptiness. Entrust everything to the Tao and be free and unburdened. Do not seek life, do not seek death, do not seek prosperity, and do not seek decline. Be at peace with circumstances, transform with fate, act according to your nature, and respond to situations as they come. "The highest goodness is like water," dwelling in places others avoid, benefiting all things without contention.

Handle Things Without Interfering means engaging in matters that others avoid and doing things never attempted by the masses. When the masses pursue movement, I seek stillness; when they chase short-term gains, I remain serene and indifferent. If they flock to cities, I retreat to the countryside. If they chase grand schemes, I hum lullabies. While they haggle over material gains, I focus on spiritual development, even if it means personal loss. When the masses work for family, party, nation, or religion, I work for none. They indulge in nature’s beauty, while I find joy in the soul. They care for their bodies, while I transcend mine. While the masses rush to temples in pursuit of immortality, I wander through fields, savoring the peace and joy of the present. They attend school for knowledge; I seek the awakening of spiritual consciousness and the mysteries of life. While they read books, I read the heavens, the earth, and humanity. While the masses pursue a brilliant and prominent life, I walk the path leading to the ultimate blissful realm of LIFE.

Savor the Flavorless means finding truth in simplicity, sensing the rhythms of the universe’s ebb and flow, discovering the extraordinary within the ordinary, and drawing conclusions from it. The revelations of heaven are not found through profound wisdom, nor in the teachings of sages or religious scriptures. It’s not about listening to others but quietly savoring and experiencing the ordinary, allowing it to inspire personal insight. All profound knowledge must be verified through one’s own experience. No matter how beautifully others describe their dreams, it remains their experience. To gain your own insights from dreams, you must enter the dream yourself. Truth is discovered through personal experience, not through words, writings, or specific forms. To taste the true natural flavor of fruit, you must avoid adding sugar or salt. To savor what the masses find tasteless—this is the essence of Savor the Flavorless.

Act Without Striving, Handle Things Without Interfering, and Savor the Flavorless represents a unique path in life, a way of acting contrary to convention. Walking this path is not easy. One must first set a clear, ultimate goal in life, enhance understanding, awaken to the truth of life, and establish unwavering faith. Only then can one remain constant in the face of change and adapt to change while remaining constant. This way, one can adapt to circumstances without losing oneself, and change without losing the essence, ultimately achieving a brilliant and magnificent life, and attaining the spiritual fruit of a celestial being and Buddhahood. The further one progresses in practice and cultivation, the more flexible, free, and boundless one should become, living unburdened by rules, rituals, and precepts. Otherwise, the path only becomes more constrained and difficult to walk.