Li

by Zeteticus

There is a Taoist principle called Li, which means something like, "the watercourse," or "patterns of flow." It is the "order of flow." It is the amazing dancing pattern of liquid. Lao Tzu taught that water always seeks the lowest, most basic level. In this most basic state, lies a powerful energy.

The typical Westerner would find this state of being too passive. The Protestant work ethic, which helped to create the monstrosity of capitalism, considers this a lazy way of life. But passivity is a good thing. It is a compensation or corrective to our Western hyperactivity. It cools the heat of action. It quiesces our chattering minds.

It is like a leaf, which has fallen into the river on a fall day. It passively drifts along, riding atop the winding serpent as it gently seeks the lowest point through the land. It simply is as it is; it simply flows as it flows.

Enigmatic Nothingness