“No one could swim in that water without being killed.” “Oh, no, it’s really very easy,” the old man tells them. “You just go up when the water goes up, and down when the water goes down.” The idea here is that when you relax the thinking mind, the rule-bound, anxiety-ridden social self, you are not simply stopping everything. Taoists believe that there is an immense benevolent force flowing through all reality, and that each of us—at least our essences—are a part of that force. Once you’re aligned with this force (the Tao, or “Way”), you’re like a surfer on the perfect wave; you move forward
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