The Secret of Effortless Action

By Owen Waters If at first you don’t succeed, there is a reason for it. The ancient philosopher Lao Tse (“Lay-OTE-say”) gave teachings that were designed to confuse the conscious mind. The idea was that, when the conscious mind tires and gets out of the way, the seeker could discover the deeper truths within. He is credited with the 2,500-year-old work, the Tao Te Ching, which is full of apparent contradictions or paradoxes. For example, he refers to the Tao (the “Dow”) as that which is everything and yet nothing. What he means is that the Tao—the Absolute, the Is-ness, or Infinite Being—is the transcendent consciousness behind all manifestation. It is not the active manifestation of the created universe, but the original consciousness behind it. It is that which, in silence and unchanging perfection, always was and always will be. And yet, so the paradox goes, all of manifestation came from it and therefore is it. Similarly, he uses paradox to promote the philosophy of Wu Wei (“Woo Way”) as the way of “action without action.” Sounds impossible? That’s the point. He wanted people to give up making logical sense of the idea and, instead, go within to find the truth behind the paradox. The principle of Wu Wei really means effortless action. The secret to achieving effortless action is to realize that there is a natural flow of influences at work in all parts of the universe. You sense the natural flow of the moment and act within that flow. If the moment is not right for a certain type of action, then the attuned person delays the task. When they sense that the right moment has arrived, then they act and easily accomplish the task. It can also mean not forcing a situation to be what it isn’t. If a situation comes about which is beyond your control, then making the best of it is often the elegant solution. The saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” is attributed to the 14th century Scottish King Robert the Bruce. According to legend, he once took refuge in a cave, where he watched a spider trying to spin a web. It failed several times to make a connection from one area of the cave’s roof to another, but each time it started all over again until it finally succeeded. People today take that saying to mean that, if something doesn’t work, you need to be obstinate and keep trying harder until you overcome all obstacles and eventually make it happen by sheer force of will. The Wu Wei approach to life is quite the opposite. It suggests that, if at first you don’t succeed, there is a reason for it. It means that you are not acting with the natural flow of energy within that place and time and it may also mean that you need to discover a more suitable solution. First, take a deep breath, relax and step back from the situation. After that, you’ll be able to judge it objectively and in a state of balance. Then: A) decide if you’re trying to force something into existence that shouldn’t be, or B) look for a better solution to achieve your objective, and/or C) wait for your innate sense of timing to feel right. One of the benefits of the spiritual consciousness emerging in our New Reality is the ability to sense the natural flow of universal influences and know when the time is right for certain types of action. Editor’s Note: To open the way to realizing more timeless truths, see Owen Waters’ book, Higher Consciousness: Finding Peace and Joy Above the Noise. https://www.infinitebeing.com/ebooks/higher.htm Owen Water is a cofounder of the Spiritual Dynamics Academy and InfiniteBeing.com, where a where a free spiritual growth newsletter awaits you at https://www.InfiniteBeing.com. He is an international spiritual teacher who has helped hundreds of thousands of spiritual seekers to understand better the nature of their spiritual potential. Owen’s life has been focused upon gaining spiritual insights through extensive research and the development of his inner vision. He has written a spiritual metaphysics newsletter since 2004 which empowers people to discover their own new vistas of inspiration, love and creativity. Spiritual seekers enjoy his writings for their clarity and deep insights. Contact Owen via email News@InfiniteBeing.com.