The Art of Effortless Doing

Western culture covets hard work and the harder it is the more we seem to appreciate it. If we find we aren’t achieving the results we want, we try harder and if that doesn’t work, we try even harder. It is almost as though we think if there isn’t struggle and sacrifice involved, the work isn’t worthwhile. However, the most fundamental functions of life are so effortless they don’t even require thought. Breathing, sleeping, eating, drinking, cell replication, heart rate, body temperature, oxygen exchange, and digestion are all things we literally can’t live without but when was the last time you struggled to do any of them?

The Chinese have a belief system called Taoism that holds a very different philosophy from the Western one. The Taoists follow a principle known as Wei Wu Wei or effortless doing. By observing nature, Taoist monks realized that it thrives without struggle. The trees, grass and flowers grow without strain, the rivers flow without trying, the sun rises and sets without effort, and the planets revolve without forcing themselves to. All of nature does without doing. It acts naturally, easily and always in the correct way. Put simply, nature does the natural thing.

It is when people push against nature that difficulties arise. A tree is a tree and a squirrel is a squirrel and as long as they each act the part, everything is in balance. However, if the tree tries to become a squirrel or the squirrel a tree, they will find their new identity rather hard to maintain. Likewise, if a natural artist spends his time in the role of an accountant, he will quickly find his job to be tedious and dull. He is acting against his nature as an artist. When he paints, sculpts or draws, however, his spirit is lifted and energized because he is flowing with his nature.

Effortless doing doesn’t mean doing nothing, however. To breathe, you must draw the breath. For blood to circulate, the heart must contract. For the artist to create a masterpiece, he must paint, draw or sculpt. However, all of these actions are so natural they occur automatically. Just try to keep an artist from creating! The art of effortless doing requires doing what is natural for you at all times. If you find yourself in a conflicting situation, you know you are not in your natural flow. Ask yourself, “What would I rather be doing instead of this?” to get an idea of the direction you should be moving in. Trust your nature and allow it to flow. As the Taoists say, “Do nothing and everything gets done”.

Blessings,

Jason Hundley

Dr. Wayne Dyer's book Living the Wisdom of the Tao is an excellent tool for understanding and integrating the wonderful philosophical gems of Taoism.