The Best Taoist Ways to "Be Here Now"
Ziran - Mindfulness as a Path to a Meaningful Life
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A 2 - Minute Read
I’m a very proactive prepper. Rather than struggling or worrying about a SHTF (Shit Hitting the Fan) situation I just stay mindful and do what needs to be done, at a balanced and fulfilling pace. The term for this in Eastern Philosophy and Taoism is Ziran. It’s a combination of the Law of Attraction, The Secret, and Wu wei.
Ziran or tzu-jan is a key concept in Taoism that literally means "of its own; by itself" and thus "naturally; natural; spontaneously; freely; in the course of events; of course; doubtlessly". This Chinese word is a two-character compound of zi (自) "nose; self; oneself; from; since" and ran (然) "right; correct; so; yes", which is used as a -ran suffix marking adjectives or adverbs (roughly corresponding to English -ly). In Chinese culture, the nose (or zi) is a common metaphor for a person's point of view.
Origin
The word 'ziran' first occurs in the Tao te Ching (17, 23, 25, 51, 64) and refers to the structure of Tao, which cannot be referred back to anything else. It is generally accepted that the philosopher Lao Tzu author of the Tao te Ching, coined the term. Ziran is a central concept of Taoism, closely tied to the practice of wu wei, detached or effortless action.
Ziran refers to a state of "as-it-isness," or pure mindfulness, the most important quality for anyone following Taoist beliefs, and who seeks to live a meaningful life. To become nearer to a state of ziran, one must become separate from unnatural influences and return to an entirely natural, spontaneous state. Ziran is related to developing an "altered sense of human nature and of nature per se". When it comes to the sensibility of Taoism, and prepperism at its best, the moral import can be mostly found in ziran.
Contemporary Reinterpretation
Ziran has been interpreted and reinterpreted in a great number of ways over time. Most commonly it has been seen as a model that was followed by the Dao, Heaven, Earth, and Man in turn, based on the traditional translation and interpretation of Chapter 25 of the Tao te Ching. My more modern but highly accurate translation of the Tao te Ching - eliminates the logical flaw that arises when one considers that to model oneself after another entity may be to become less natural, to lose the 'as-it-isness' that ziran refers to. Wang reinterprets the words of Chapter 25 to be instructions to follow the model set by Earth's being Earth, by Heaven's being Heaven, and by the Tao being the Tao; each behaving perfectly in accordance with ziran. This interpretation reaffirms that the base nature of the Tao is one of complete naturalness.
Others have provided a translation of 'ziran' as, "It is so by virtue of its own". This brings up ziran's link to another Taoist belief, specifically that the myriad things exist because of the qualities that they possess, not because they were created by any being to fulfill a purpose or goal. The only thing that a being must be when it exists in accordance with ziran is ultimately natural, unaffected by artificial influences.
Ziran and Tianran are related concepts. Tianran refers to a thing created by nature that is ultimately untouched by human influence, a thing fully characterized by ziran. The two terms are sometimes interchangeably used. It can be said that by gaining ziran, a person grows nearer to a state of tianran.
Ziran can also be looked at from under Buddha's influence, "non-substantial". In Zen thought, Ziran as a thought process, is referred to as Beginner’s Mind. It is then believed to mean 'having no nature of its own'. In this aspect it is seen as a synonym of real emptiness, a state of mindfulness, the ”Now”.
D. T. Suzuki, in a brief article penned in 1959, makes the suggestion of ziran as an aesthetic of action: "Living is an act of creativity demonstrating itself. Creativity is objectively seen as necessity, but from the inner point of view of Emptiness it is 'just-so-ness,' (ziran). It literally means 'by itself-so-ness,' implying more inner meaning than 'spontaneity' or 'naturalness'".
The life hacker, prepper, and survivalist who understands this will be effective and content in every way.
….and remember, going with the flow in life is not a dress rehearsal!
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Author: Hey there. My name is Lewis Harrison, and I am a life strategies teacher. I am also a proponent of entrepreneurism. I am a writer, teacher, and results-oriented life and business coach.
The author of over twenty books, numerous self-improvement, business success, and personal development courses, and the former host of a talk show on NPR Affiliated WIOX91.3 FM, I can be contacted directly to learn about coaching personally with me or for signing up for my Life Strategies Playbook Courses. Email me at LewisCoaches@gmail.com
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Isn't that almost like an asthetist- denying oneself of pleasure?