Forces Of Nature

“Be like the forces of nature: when it blows, there is only wind; when it rains, there is only rain; when the clouds pass, the sun shines through.” (Lao Tzu)

Nature is a great role model because it is always in the present moment. None of it is anywhere else, as it were. Nature doesn’t spend time in the past or the future. The Tao Te Ching (chapter 23) reminds us there is “only wind,” there is “only rain.” No desires or expectations. No judgments or opinions. Just being. Try putting yourself in natural surroundings. Allow yourself to be there, and nowhere else. See what happens.

Does nature regret the passing of summer or look forward to the coming of springtime? No, of course not. We might do so—but nature doesn't. Okay, what does it do then? Well, nature just is, isn’t it? Yes, that’s precisely the point. So why does Lao Tzu say “be like the forces of nature”? This newsletter explores an answer.

We experience time like an arrow going forwards. Yesterday is the past; we can’t do anything about it. Today is present; it’s here and now. Tomorrow hasn’t come yet; so we can’t do anything about that either. The only thing we can do anything about is the present. There you go. Is there any more to it than that?

Well, no—but then again yes. And here’s why I say yes. Regarding the past, while we can’t do anything about altering yesterday, we can still think about it. We may even do so a lot. What’s more, we may experience feelings of fondness or regret. If the latter, we may wish the events of yesterday had been otherwise. “If only I (or he or she or they) had said or done something different, then everything would have turned out better.” Yep, that’s what regret (when it’s me) or blame (when it’s them) looks like.

Regarding the future, it’s a little different. Like with the past, we can’t actually do anything about it. But what’s different is the reason—it's because it hasn’t arrived yet. However, we can still run possible scenarios in our head. “If we were to do A then B would likely happen. If C then we’d likely get D. Hmm, which do we want? Let’s go for C.” Yep, that’s what planning looks like.

The difference is that the future can be influenced whereas the past is a done deal. It’s over. It’s only because the future hasn’t arrived yet that different possibilities exist (even if they’re all hypothetical). For example, “What if we did B and we got P? Or what if Q suddenly came at us out of the blue?” Aha, when will we stop? If we don’t know, that’s what worry or stress looks like.

Now, in fairness, we can also look back on the past with something other than fondness or regret. For example, we can be a little more dispassionate and choose to learn from it. So that’s not time wasted. And, if we know when to stop, running different alternative future scenarios is not time wasted either. After all, that’s how we plan. It’s all a matter of balance—and knowing when to stop.

That’s where nature comes in.                          

If you think about it, nature is always in balance. We may talk from time to time about “upsetting the balance of nature” but what we mean is that something in the natural world is no longer as it used to be. To say the balance is “upset” suggests it’s upset for the worse.

Now I’m not suggesting that a shipwrecked tanker spilling crude oil into the ocean is a good thing, or even a neutral thing. Of course not. In this case, the current balance of nature is certain to be upset—and not in a good way. But here’s where we need to slow down because we’re throwing around some loaded words.

Where did the words “worse” and “good” come from? Well, for better or worse (haha), we introduced them, didn’t we? Just the same way we introduced regret, blame, and worry. Hmm, so now what?

Let’s try this again. As we were saying… that’s where nature comes in. “…when it blows, there is only wind; when it rains, there is only rain; when the clouds pass, the sun shines through.”

What’s the key word in this quote? I think the key word is “only.” When it rains there is no regret that it's no longer sunny; there is only rain. Nor is there any worry that the sun may never shine again. Simply the observation that things change. In this case, the clouds pass and the sun shines through. That’s just the way it is. End of story.

So why does Lao Tzu say “Be like the forces of nature”? I think he says it because we have a hard time with “end of story.” We seem to like stories. We’re fond of time-travelling to the past and the future. (After all, that’s where the best stories are to be found.) If we’re well and truly in the present moment then there is actually no “story,” is there? There is really nothing to say.

Now, in all fairness, learning from the past and planning for the future are not exactly “stories.” But they can easily become so, especially when we don’t know when to stop. I think to “be like the forces of nature” is to be fully in the present and thus nowhere near “stories” at all (at least for a bit).

An example that’s true for me is whenever I slip from thinking into overthinking. For example, anything to do with looking to the past for longer than it takes to learn from it. Anything to do with looking to the future and running an excessive number of possible future scenarios.

Can you see the common denominator? It’s not knowing when to stop, isn’t it? Yes, I can learn a bit and I can plan a bit—but then it’s time to stop. Why? Because things change. Clouds will come and go regardless of whatever I may think or do. So knowing when to stop would be a really good idea, wouldn’t it?

For me, a good way to “be like the forces of nature” is to put myself in natural surroundings, preferably in solitude. Why? So there’s no temptation to make a comment or express an opinion (assuming I don’t talk to myself). When I do this, it’s much easier to be aware that the only thing is the present moment. Nothing else. No possible scenarios. Just the forces of nature doing their thing. Here and now. Everything simply being what it is. Including me. End of story.

What’s your experience? Do you find yourself wandering into the past or the future and not knowing when to stop, as it were? Are you aware of when you do it? Do you do it a little or a lot? What do you think Lao Tzu means when he says “be like the forces of nature”?

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Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share this newsletter.

Francis

IN OTHER NEWS...

Past newsletters are here: www.francispringmill.com/newsletter-archive

In Harmony with the Tao: A Guided Journey into the Tao Te Ching is available here. There Is No Somewhere Else: Insights from the Tao Te Ching is available here.

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