We Learn to Float (Tao Te Ching 26)
26
Since our bodies feel gravity,
we are elated when we learn to float.
In stillness, we channel passion.
The Sage explores all day,
without forgetting where
her base camp is.
When she travels past the world’s marvels,
she doesn’t frantically run about,
taking selfies.
When a leader with heavy responsibilities
lacks gravitas, they soon become unmoored.
When we become flighty, we lose our grip
on the momentous tasks at hand.
If we let impatience reign in our lives,
we will surely lose the reins of our lives.
Reflection
Some falsely assume that the Taosurfer is free from all material attachments. While it is true that Lao Tzu’s philosophy embraces the value of minimalism and is uninterested in accumulating excessive stuff, it remains aware of bodily needs and the essential tools necessary for life in this world.
For this chapter, we put ourselves into the world of outdoor adventure, since that’s where when we first rendered it: we were living in our truck camper “St. George” during a sabbatical, just outside Leadville Colorado, in dispersed camping. As any adventurer knows, failure to have the right supplies for an expedition is a rookie mistake that can prove fatal. Water, navigational aids, and shelter from the elements are all important. So is proximity to and awareness of base camp.
The Tao Te Ching has a lot to say about travel and exploration, here and in other chapters. It is typically critical of the desire to use travel as a way to decorate one’s ego. In other words, the point of travel isn’t to prove one’s sophistication, status, or fitness. Understanding others and deeply connecting with the world are worthwhile goals.
In our society, we too often treat vacations and travel like we treat work. We tick off a list of sight-seeing destinations when we hit a destination, rent jet-skis to have a rad week off from our day jobs, and we get the t-shirt to prove we went on this excursion. As the vacation nears its conclusion, we start to panic that we aren’t enjoying ourselves as much as we should.
Travel isn’t condemned here; rather, Lao Tzu teaches that the way we travel can be counter-productive. We ourselves realize how important this lesson is, but also how often we fail to listen to this advice. Yet, once we settle down into a place and let ourselves find stillness, either alone by ourselves, or around a fire with new friends, or in conversation with folks from an unfamiliar culture, we realize that patience is good for us. What’s more, it’s not an eat your Brussel sprouts or you won’t get dessert sort of good for you; it’s more like a why not take off that backpack filled with stones sort of good for you.
The connection to patience here brings us back to the concept of being prepared. Jeff is especially susceptible to the false idea that leaving most supplies at home is what Taosurfing looks like. For instance, the other day we were working in our truck in state beach parking, for which we have an annual pass. Since we don’t have air conditioning in our apartment, we wanted to enjoy the marine layer, during a record-breaking heat wave. At one point, Jeff wanted to run into the water, do a little body surfing, and then head back to finish his work. As he sometimes does, he went out only with his fins and a hand plane, instead of setting up a little base camp, which whould consist of sunscreen, a shirt, a towel, and sandals. All that stuff seemed unnecessary until 75% of the way down to the water, at which point Jeff realized that the 103-degree day and blazing sun had made the sand burning hot. By the time he got to the water, his feet were blistered and in intense pain. The point is, while paring down our supplies is often helpful, ignoring the most essential supplies of life only causes more hassle, in the long run.
And so it is with our daily lives. We do well to live patiently and without frantic effort, but we do ourselves no favors when we ignore basic preparedness. Patience, in the end, is not idleness. She rests best who rests wisely, and with a water bottle close at hand.