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Changing our mind about what is important is the path to finding what is important. Nothing happens until we change our mind. The way to changing our mind is to ask all of the questions that beg to be asked about our current frame of mind-- and to say all of the things that cry out to be said about it. We investigate/explore what we currently think is important, asking all of the questions, saying all of the things that need to be said, over time. We explore our sense of values, wondering what is so valuable about the things we hold to be valuable. How good is the good we call good? Good for whom? Bad for whom? We achieve what we call good at the expense of whom? We think we are right about all of the things we hold to be right and good. What makes us think so? Who says so? What do they know? What is the ground of their authority? How does that qualify them to be right about what they say is right. And good? Question everything. Take no one's word for anything. Investigate. Examine. Explore. What is good? What is valuable? What is right? Under what conditions and circumstances? What would have to change for it to be bad? Valueless? Wrong? In order to be able to change our mind, we have to know what our mind is, and how it came to be the way it is, and what makes it (us) think that the way it is is the way it must always and forever be? Nothing is going to change without us changing our mind about what is important. In what ways does our mind need to change? Where would a change of mind be beneficial? Ask all the questions. Say all that needs to be said. Know what's what. And what needs to be done about it. The road winds on from there.
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02
"Wu-wei" is a Chinese (Taoist) term that means "Nothing worth knowing can be taught." Actually, it means "Nothing worth doing can be forced into being." Being right about what needs to be done is to let the doing be called forth by the moment, like going to the Lu. And not forced on the moment because it's 7:30 AM and we are supposed to go to the Lu at 7:30 AM whether we need to or not. We go to the Lu when it is time to go to the Lu and not before, and, hopefully, not too long after. It matters how we live, and it doesn't matter at all how we live. It matters how we live in the sense of "letting one book open another." In the sense of listening for what needs to be done and doing it the way it needs to be done, when it needs to be done, where it needs to be done, but who is to decide? Who knows? We know--like we know when to go to the Lu. But It doesn't matter what we do in the sense of not forcing what is done on the moment whether it is appropriate to the moment or not. We allow the moment to unfold according to its own needs and purposes, and assist the moment in doing what it needs to be done, but, how do we know? When "nothing worth knowing can be taught, or told." We have to learn to listen to the moment, to read the moment, to know what is being called for by the moment, in the moment, here and now. How do we do that? By living a long time with our eyes open. We learn to make good soup by making a lot of bad soup. We learn to hit a forehand in tennis by hitting a lot of forehands. How do we "tune into the moment"? By living through a lot of moments being aware of and attentive to the moment. What does that mean? We have to figure it out on our own. The people who know how to read moments are like Obi-wan Kenobi or Yoda. The people who do not know how to read moments are like Luke Skywalker with the helmet on. What's the difference between knowing and not knowing? Knowing when we don't know, and being aware and attentive. But, that's asking too much of people who just want somebody to tell them what time it is for without having to figure it out on their own. Obi-wan and Yoda figure it out on their own. Darth Vader just forces what he wants to happen NOW on the moment whether it is appropriate to the moment or not. How do we know what the moment needs? Ask the moment. And listen for what is called for. Keeping an eye on your presumptions, assumptions, inferences and attitudes. Maybe in time we will learn to dance with the music. Wu-wei is dancing with the music. Living in sync with our life is dancing with the music. Doing what needs to be done is dancing with the music (And not doing what your mother says needs to be done, unless it actually needs to be done).
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Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy 