Nothing and Everything All at Once
Three self-identifying concepts.
A Beginner’s Guide to Taoism
Three self-identifying concepts.
“What I like best is just doing nothing,” said Christopher Robin.
“How do you do just nothing?” asked Pooh.
“Well, it’s when grown-ups ask, what are you going to do, and you say nothing. Then, you go out and do it.”
“I like that,” said Pooh. “Let’s do that all the time.”
I remember watching several movies as a kid, but my favorite was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. By the time I was born in 1982, the film was five years old and had become a staple of pop culture and an instant classic. Growing up, I loved Pooh for his silliness and fun adventures. However, around age 20, I impulse-bought the movie on DVD at Walmart and watched it later that day. While I was ready to relive all the jokes, I wasn’t prepared for the philosophy.
I wasn’t the only person who noticed, either. The year I was born, author Benjamin Hoff also realized the similarities between how Pooh thought about his life and Taoist philosophy. So, Hoff wrote The Tao of Pooh, which stayed on the New York Times bestseller’s list for 49 weeks.
朴 (pu)
In his book, Hoff explains how Winnie the Pooh represents the Taoist concept 朴 (pu), which means “unworked wood; inherent quality; simple.” As a child’s stuffed bear, Pooh is childlike in his demeanor, honest to a fault, and loving to everyone, regardless of race or gender. Yes, his favorite friend is the human child Christopher Robin, but most of his adventures occur without him. In other words, Pooh is a bear with very little brain. That doesn’t mean Pooh isn’t smart. Rather, it means he doesn’t concern himself with what he can’t control. He takes on each task as it comes and always moves on when he is naturally able. He doesn’t ponder much beyond what lies before him, and while he worries about his predicaments and feels sad for his friends when they hurt, Pooh allows those emotions to pass quickly and returns to his natural, simple life.
In Taoism, pu plays a particular part in living life with 自然 (zìrán), which means to live naturally, spontaneously, and freely. This concept directly leads you to perform your actions with 无为 (wúwéi), meaning without effort. Since I don’t want to confuse anyone, let’s stop and examine each concept.
自然 (zìrán)
While the meaning of zìrán has changed over time and can change slightly depending on your translation, my interpretation of zìrán is the spontaneity of life. It’s a word to describe the natural version of you. When you’re born, you are entirely, naturally you. Your mood, emotions, dreams, and actions are not influenced by your parents, society, or preconceived notions. As we grow, we lose this wholeness due to the nature of growing up in a world with rules and definitions.
While we can’t return to having a mind of a baby, we can let go of many distractions and regulations we placed on ourselves. For example, needing to sleep eight hours per night is a rule generally created for us to work nine-hour shifts. Your body might be different, and each night, depending on your schedule, will likely be different, too. Trying to force your body to stay awake or asleep can lead to anxiety and stress. However, when I allow myself to be naturally tired or awake, I find that I feel more restful and energetic.
Have you ever thought about who you really are inside? No one can know your mind like you do because no one can be in your head. Zìrán is the “you” that exists when no one else looks and you’re completely relaxed.
So, how do we practice returning to this version of ourselves?
无为 (wúwéi)
If you’ve ever played sports, studied for a test, or had fantastic sex, you’ve experienced wúwéi. It’s more common than you think, but we call it something different in the West. If you’re an athlete, you can call it “being in the zone.” Wúwéi is a state of mind you put yourself in to shut out everything else.
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, stated that when he was in the zone, he could make every shot and do anything he wanted on the court without trying. It happened effortlessly.
And there lies my favorite translation — effortless action. Action without action. We can perform highly accurate, detailed, complex tasks without stress or strain. Taoists believe you can stay calm, mindful, and peaceful through all your actions, but doing so takes practice.
Put it all together
Before you go to bed tonight, place an object by your bed or hang it on a wall so that it’s the first thing you see when you wake up. Let this object be a reminder to release any tension you had while you slept. I’m a poor sleeper, and my dreams are nearly always nightmares or anxiety-inducing. Having this practice immediately upon opening my eyes allows me to let go of my sleeping mind and return to my waking world refreshed and ready.
Remember that days are not inherently good or bad. Days are simply a passage of time as the Earth turns. The occurrences inside today that you have defined as good or bad cause the day to also take on positive and negative definitions. So, don’t tell yourself, “Today is going to be a great day!” Instead, thank the sun for coming back around and be grateful you’re a part of this moment. Others will not wake up today, but you did.
Next, take your tasks one at a time and try to be focused as you perform them. When you’re getting dressed, only think about getting dressed. When eating breakfast or making coffee, only think about those actions. Make the best cup of coffee you know how. Put on the clothes that speak the loudest to you.
Allow your mind to be simple and accepting as situations arise. You are not a robot, and you will feel anger, sadness, jealousy, and more throughout your life. Trying to live without these emotions is a fool’s errand. However, that doesn’t mean we cling to these emotional situations. You can be naturally you and still feel hurt.
As your day goes on, stop to breathe. Try to learn the queues your body gives when stressed or hurt. If you recognize when you are headed in that direction, you can accept those feelings, process them, and return. My Taoist coach, George, once told me that life is a highway. Generally, you stay on the road. But sometimes, you might find yourself in the ditch and need to turn around to get back on track. In Taoism, we want to practice recognizing when we are in the ditch to return to our journey.
Winnie the Pooh might be imaginary, and live only in books and films, but his actions, thoughts, and simple life can teach us to handle ourselves in more calm, relaxing methods through pu, wúwéi, and zìrán.
We are walking, talking, miracles of nature, and you are perfectly you. Sometimes, we need a little help remembering that. Because if I, a 40-year-old father of three, can use these three concepts to help myself return to who I naturally am, then so can you.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this newest chapter in my A Beginner’s Guide to Taoism series. You can find the rest of the entries below.
A Beginner's Guide to Taoism
Every chapter for Patrick Stewart's A Beginner's Guide to Taoism series of articles.medium.com
A special thank you to Nanie Hurley 🌿for inadvertently giving me the motivation to write this.