Healing Metaphysics Home > Archive> The Tao, the Flow and Determinism

Article by Michael Finn
Copyright Michael Finn

'So if life is your table,
and fate is the wheel,
then let the chips fall where they may.'
(‘Editions of You’, Roxy Music, 2000. ‘The Early Years’)

The Tao that can be expressed,
Is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
“ Non-existence,” I call the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
Existence I call the mother of individual beings.
Therefore does the direction towards non-existence lead
To the sight of the miraculous essence.

From Lao Tzu’s, Tao Te Ching: the Book of Meaning and Life, translated by Richard Wilhelm (New York: Arkana – Penguin, 1986)

What cannot be seen is called evanescent;
What cannot be heard is called rarified;
What cannot be touched is called minute.
These three cannot be fathomed
And so they are confused and looked upon as one.
Its upper part is not dazzling;
Its lower part is not obscure.
Dimly visible, it cannot be named
And returns to that which is without substance.
This is called the shape that has no shape,
The image that is without substance.
This is called indistinct and shadowy.
Go up to it and you will not see its head;
Follow behind it and you will not see its rear. D.C. Lau, tr, Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching XIV:70
(Quote taken from “Chasing the Dragon’s Tail” Manaka, K. Itaya and S. Birch, Paradigm Publications 1995)

Put most simply and concisely, the Tao represents the ‘unfolding present’ the flow of events. In the context of one’s life, the Tao encompasses and provides the entire passage and gamut of experiences and events. Sounds mysterious; seems paradoxical.

Should one feel lost, disoriented or confused about this ‘scheme of things’ then the oracle called the ‘I Ching’ (Book of Changes) is consulted. This divination of ‘how things be’ in the present, is akin to taking a snapshot and obtaining a momentary comment on the immediate landscape/timescape and one’s place within it; personal context within the collective and universal environs. For inspiration and guidance the ‘Tao Te Ching’ can be referenced, reflected upon and pondered.

If we regard the Tao as the instigator of event occurrences, the ‘river of change’, a creative flow, then we need surrender to its content, the arising moment.

Ostensibly then, we are continually submitted to the unraveling, unknown, the next moment. To truly know exactly what will occur in the next five minutes would require precognitive knowledge. Precious few seem to have access to ‘what is about to occur’. Most of us have slipped into a ‘mind-groove’, which presumes, anticipates, hopes, and expects certain events to transpire, daily, weekly, monthly, and over a projected lifetime. We model the day and in fact our lives, along prescribed lines, and by and large, quite often, it looks as if we are in control.

But alas, death, disease, accidents, incidents, acts of nature, unusual occurrences or bad luck for instance, occur. These tend to come with some degree of shock or surprise. These events arise and challenge the ‘time, space and event reverie’ we are immersed in.

My personal endeavour is to attempt to rein in the habit of framing reality which involves expecting the course of events to run according to my needs, plans, desires, bias, and expectations. This I call, the Disney Version of life.

I practice perceiving the ‘actual manifestation’ of the arising moment sans distractions. Knowing that if there is some predestined background design to my fate, it also includes the possibility of chaos (i.e. experience of forces and influences impervious to my conscious notions of control, order, fairness, justice, reason and so on.) In other words, I necessarily relinquish the desire and effort to ‘understand’ completely the flow of events.

Preconceptions beyond this moment, inevitably set us up to swim against the tide, to (in all probability) encounter much resistance to our intentions; to be disappointed that the course of our lives seems to be determined by some other blueprint. Habitual behaviours and consequent decision making processes are an attempt to lead ‘formulaic lives’.

The real challenge, I believe, is to embrace the idea that we live ‘inside a mystery’ without necessarily having to understand its dimensions. (You may have noticed that a ‘complete understanding’ of situations, does not ensure our passage through them will be any easier – often times, understanding gets in our way.)

I reckon, I live within a dream which nestles and moves within a bigger-dimension dream. I bump up against this larger fate, sometimes gently and comfortably, sometimes with shocking impact. These bumps denote ‘good’ and ‘bad’ so-called experiences.

Whatever, I do believe that each experience offers me something useful, the very last of which, but importantly, the realization that I am not the centre of the universe, not exceptionally special, and, at day’s end, I have to rely ultimately on myself to see out the journey.

No false notions of the Tao being personal. It’s obviously an impersonal event unfolder. The job is to see the ‘wood for the trees’.

TAOIST MEDITATION

Close your eyes and you will see the truth.
Be still and you will move forward on the tide of the spirit.
Be gentle and you will need no strength.
Be patient and you will achieve all things.
Be humble and you will remain entire.

Healing Metaphysics Home > Archive> The Tao, the Flow and Determinism