Human Beings Or Doings?

We spend a lot of our time doing things, don’t we? And we often identify with what we do. In fact, if we’re not careful, we can let ourselves be defined by it. Others expect this too. When we meet someone new, they will most likely ask us what we do and we will be expected to say something. Why is that?

I guess our answer lets us be categorized as a person who does what we do. Is that helpful? Is it a big category or a small one? Perhaps it’s all part of what we call “getting to know someone.” This newsletter asks: Why do we call ourselves human “beings” when we’re generally more fascinated by our “doings”? Let’s get started.

I’m going to jump right to a conclusion and suggest the reason we talk so much about our doings is that these distinguish us from each other. In contrast, “being” is something we all have in common. That’s not to say we can’t talk about what we have in common. After all, that’s what sympathy (feeling for someone) and empathy (feeling with someone) are all about. And these are a good chunk of what makes us human.

That said, however, we tend to think that the action lies in, well, action. In other words, in what we do. As a result, we spend a lot of time thinking, planning, doing, and course-correcting when our actions don’t have the desired result. Clearly these activities are all about either planning what to do or actually doing it – or, of course, talking about it.

However, this is not the only way to do things. Lao Tzu talks about another way. “The Master… doesn’t think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being” (chapter 50). Really? That’s interesting. Our actions tend to flow from our thinking. Here’s how it goes. Whatever our current reality is, we imagine a better version of it. We then measure the size of the gap between reality and our imaginings and let it determine how dissatisfied we feel with the way things are. We then develop a plan to close the gap by bringing reality into line with the way we desire it to be. And that calls for us to do certain things. At least, that’s the plan.

Of course, we may or may not succeed. Or we may succeed only partially. Or we may discover that what we thought we desired is not what we actually want after all. The solution? Back to the drawing board. More thinking, more planning, and more doing. What doesn’t seem to occur to us is to press the pause button and wonder whether we’re living in reality or in an illusion?

What does Lao Tzu have to say? “Therefore the Master concerns himself with the depths and not the surface… He dwells in reality, and lets all illusions go” (chapter 38). Hmm, it seems we just might be living on the surface and missing out on reality – not to mention creating a lot of confusion for ourselves (and others) as we do so. Alright then, suppose we press the pause button? Now what do we do?

What if the answer were to just be. At least, for some of the time. Huh? How can we just “be”? Nobody got anywhere by “just being.”

Okay, time to slow down. Where do we think we are going? If the answer is we think we’re on our way to a better version of reality, then perhaps it’s time to put the brakes on. Sounds like we're headed for the old Have-Do-Be trap.

This is the trap where we think we need to “have” certain things, so we need to “do” certain things to get them, so that then we will finally “be” happy. In short, we think doing is the way to get to a desired state of being. Yet, we may recall, this is to get it all backwards. When we start by being who we are and let our actions be expressions of that, then this leads to us having what we need without our striving for it. In short, Be-Do-Have rather than Have-Do-Be. Perhaps we call ourselves human “beings” to remind ourselves to get it the right way around.

Well, I’m glad we got that sorted out. But here’s a twist.

What we do also has the potential to transform the world around us. What’s more, when this happens, we become transformed as we do our thing. The two transformations happen at the same time. This means we are shaped by what we do; it’s through our actions that we become who we are. This is how we grow and change. Hmm, perhaps we should call ourselves “human becomings.” That would be more accurate.

An example that’s true for me is whenever I use my actions as a means to some end that I desire. When I let this happen, my actions are no longer the expression of my being, they are expressions of my desire for things to be other than the way they are. If I’m not careful, I’m about to try to force-fit my idea of reality onto the world. Lao Tzu politely calls this “interfering.” And what happens?

Desire creates expectation. At best, my expectations are fulfilled and I get fleeting satisfaction until some new desire springs up to send me off chasing in another direction. More likely I get some degree of disappointment. Lao Tzu tells us we can do that if we want, but there is another way. “The Master… lets all things come and go effortlessly, without desire. He never expects results; thus he is never disappointed. He is never disappointed; thus his spirit never grows old” (chapter 55).

So does the Master just set the bar really low to ensure he’s not disappointed? No. He doesn’t set the bar anywhere. He doesn’t have a bar. The bar is desire; it’s the illusion that there is a more desirable version of reality out there and that if we try hard enough, we can make it so. When the Master “lets all illusions go” this is the illusion he’s letting go of. As a result, instead of separating himself from reality he becomes one with it. The gap does not get closed; it disappears.

The difference is like night and day.

The Master starts by being at one with the way things are, and then uses his actions to contribute to the unfolding of what is happening naturally anyway. No forcing, no interfering, no desiring – just contributing to the flow. This is what’s going on when he “…doesn’t think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being” (chapter 50). And what happens? In short, he lives in the light. (And, by the way, his spirit never grows old.)

“The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; that is what gives her her radiance…” What’s more, Lao Tzu even tells us how she does it in the very next line. “How can her mind be at one with it? Because she doesn’t cling to ideas” (chapter 21). Not even ideas like Have-Do-Be or Be-Do-Have.

She’s all about being. She’s cool with whatever happens. “The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things” (chapter 15). When we cling to our desires, that’s all we’re interested in. As a result, we don’t “welcome all things” – we’re only open to welcoming our desired version of them. And that’s where the trouble starts.

Maybe “human beings” is the best label for us after all. At least it reminds us where to start from. “Human doings” is a bit superficial really. And while “human becomings” may be more accurate, it just doesn’t sound like it will slip easily into everyday language, does it? What do you think?

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Francis

IN OTHER NEWS...

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