Zuowang (Taoist Meditation Type), Wu-Wei and Yu-wei

[Mike]

One of my casual interests recently has been the "unlikely to be a coincidence" similarities between Dzogchen non-meditation, Zhang Zhaung (as taught by Master Lam) and the more "non-alchemical" strands/sects of Taoism.  Zuowang eg http://www.ehow.com/how_5536686_practice-zuowang-meditation.html

Zuowang is a Chinese Taoist form of meditation that translates as "sitting forgetting". It is a nondualist, nonconceptual form of meditation that has been practiced for centuries. In this article, you'll learn how to practice Zuowang meditation.

#1 Keep in mind that "Zuowang" refers to the state of mind that is reached during the meditation and not any specific method. Zuowang meditation is a state of open awareness of any thought or sensory input that may arise. You do not try to control thoughts, emotions or sensory feelings, just watch them come and go.

#2. Understand the difference between wu wei and yu wei. Wu wei is the absence of intentional action, whereas yu wei is action that is directed by intent. Ultimately, Zuowang is a state of effortless awareness, but you may need to practice yu wei to arrive at that state.
<continues>

http://www.dragongateqigong.com/daoist-zuowang-meditation/ (my bold):

Liu then discusses visualization and wuwei and youwei. Wuwei is the “natural way, and youwei is using “intention and control.” He says people who are starting out or have difficulty meditating can use youwei, especially if they are not able to “reach stillness to cultivate qi and shen.” He ends this discussion on meditation by saying, “But if you can do wuwei practice at the beginning it’s not necessary to use the other method.”

...

It reminds me of the Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen method of skygazing, looking into the open sky with no focus on the body, just a unifying of one’s whole experience into an open awareness.

Before proceeding, it’s time to further explore the meaning of wuwei. Daoist scholar Livia Kohn says in her book on the Daode Jing, Lao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching: “The Way, in its formlessness and nonaction, sustains and completes the ten thousand things. Therefore, those who follow the Way take nonaction as their master[ or, dwell in nonaction]…Then, things will obtain their true nature and become one with Tao.” In the pursuit of the Dao, there is daily “decrease” or loss until the state of nonaction is reached, and “nothing is left undone.” This means there is a return to emptiness and nonbeing. What is decreased, lost? The Daoist response is that desires and any false sense of self is decreased until “one reaches the tranquil depth of emptiness and nonbeing.” Thus the sage finds fulfillment by embodying nonaction as his/her own natural state. Living so, the sage harmonizes with nature-the natural way, “the ten thousand things assume their proper place or station, as if the Way had done nothing for them.” Contrasting to wuwei is youwei. This is the way of “taking action, the common way to govern a country, control people, pursuing goals, and the seeking of satisfying desires.” This is the goal directing behavior which supports the ego driven actions which keep one in the cycle of “aggression, greed, and violence.”[4]  In my own words, I would say that youwei is the behavior of trying to accomplish something, however, noble, but with too much effort, too much energy. And all this doing requires a lot of energy, and keeps us looking in a direction other than the truth. This last part was mine. Doesn’t that make sense! We use a lot of energy going after things that have no sense of truth to them. But if you turn all this around and stop the doing then we stop losing our energy, and start finding the truth deep within the stillness of our being.

and connecting this to ZZ 

Zuowang is Wuwei

This next section will explore what contemporary American Daoist teacher Liu Ming has said about zuowang. I first came across Liu Ming, who currently lives in the SF Bay Area, when he went by the name of Charles Belyea in his book, Dragon’s Play. More recently, he has been a regular contributor to the British Taoist Association’s Dragon Mouth magazine. In the Autumn, 2002 issue, he wrote “The view of Daoism is that we are already a part of a complete whole, a Oneness – Dao.” And how do we get to this realization, especially since it is something we cannot gain or attain. Ming says, “We don’t get there through effort or strength; we are simply ‘there’ by nature. The complete or constant experience of this is found in weakness – wuwei.” Ming expounds on this view in a CD recording I obtained from him. Some of his key points are: Zuowang is non-conceptual meditation. The View is the expression of our Original Nature. The practice is just sitting still, doing nothing. No preferences. Effort is not appropriate – wuwei. Final traces of effort yield to non-effort. Wuwei is relaxing the need to hold on to or sort out our thoughts

[Mike]

The above article continues with these "very identical to Dzogchen" perspectives: (my bold)

In this next section, I will present what three separate Daoist priests have said about zuowang. The material came out of the Dragon’s Mouth magazine, and they are all present day practitioners. ( Liu Xingdi has since died.) Liu Xingdi is a Daoist priest with many years of experience in Daoist cultivation practices. Eva Wong has written many books on Daoism and has been a Daoist most of her life. Shi Jing is the head of the British Taoist Association.

In the 2005, Issue 3 of the Dragon’s Mouth, Liu Xingdi when asked in an interview about the importance of zuowang meditation in Daoist cultivation, replied: “Zuowang is an ancient Daoist practice handed down within the Daoist traditions. Zuowang, or sitting and forgetting, is allowing everything to slip from the mind, not dwelling on thoughts, allowing them to come and go, simply being at rest.” Liu stresses a good body posture which helps to quiet the mind. Otherwise, he says “qi disperses, attention wanders, and the natural process is disturbed. Just remain empty and there is no separation from the Dao. Then wisdom will arise and bring forth light, which is the clear qi of a person.” Lastly, he adds “Don’t think too much about the theory … you are sure to disturb the heart-mind. Just trust in the inherent natural process.”

In the 2007 Issue 1 of the Dragon’s Mouth Eva Wong answered a question about zuowang in an interview: “So yes, in some sense the practice is about dissolving self. Dissolving self is dissolving the conceptual mind. When we drop conceptions, what we have is the natural emergence of the natural self, the natural celestial mind, which has been with us all the time. It is only because of our conceptions that we can’t experience it. So when we practice zuowang, we’re simply saying that here’s a method where we can begin to drop conceptions.”

And lastly, we have the comments of Shi Jing. He is one of the founders of the British Taoist Association and was ordained a Daoist priest in China in 1995. Shi Jing writes extensively about zuowang and leads retreats on it in England. Speaking at length about zuowang, he says “Zuowang is a formless meditation-it has no techniques or methods in it, but if I was to ask you to sit here and say there is nothing you need to do, then your mind would slip into the habitual pattern of thought and wander all over the place. There are ways of introducing this practice to you. There are techniques, but we must realize they are not zuowang; they are ways to help you discover zuowang. Really zuowang is resting in a choiceless awareness which is not dependent on self reference. This is a natural state, not some transcendental experience. Thoughts arise from emptiness and dissolve back into emptiness. Thoughts become self-liberating if we can recognize that their nature is emptiness. Thoughts are arising, but we are not doing it, they are appearing of themselves. They are not our enemy. It’s a natural process that is happening.When thoughts dissolve into emptiness, it means they have returned to the source, which is non-being. By becoming familiar with this experience, gradually our activities become an expression of non-being.” (Dragon’s Mouth, 2006, Issue 1)

In an earlier issue of Dragon’s Mouth, Shi Jing states very strongly about the place of zuowang in the Daoist tradition and then goes on to share important insights on the zuowang view: Shi Jing is asked what he feels is the main practice of Daoism that people can follow. His answer follows: “The original practice which is really the core of Daoism, regardless of what tradition, is zuowang, which means to sit and forget. When you sit you are actually freeing yourself up from the “baggage” that you carry. You forget about your persona, who you think you are. Things are gradually dissolved. Zuowang is the formless meditation, if you like. True zuowang has no form. It’s resting in the non-dual awareness, your original nature. There is actually no method or teaching or technique in this at all.” And then he talks about the view: “So how do we approach zuowang? The first step is the view. The view is that our dualistic state of being is a distorted reflection of the non-dual mind. We hold this view lightly in practice because in the beginning we apply it from a dualistic perspective. The view and the method [ eventually become one ] until they dissolve into emptiness and are forgotten. So zuowang is no more than resting in the non-dual awareness.” (Dragon’s Mouth, 2005, Issue 1)

Natural simplicity 'innit?  ... just don't try doing it as simplicity cant be done 

    

Mike

[Mike]

and if you'd rather "just have a cup of tea" it continues:

Pu-erh Tea and Zuowang

Make a cup of pu-erh tea, and as you mindfully drink it, sit in meditation, and assume a comfortable posture, back straight, eyes open or slightly open, and gently gazing. Briefly recite or think of the view. And then just rest in open awareness. From this point forward, whatever arises is just it. You don’t need to count breaths, make mental notes of the kinds of thoughts/perceptions you are having. No self-judging of how you are doing. Basically, whatever happens you bring open awareness to it. This is actually the easiest of all meditations because no matter what you experience, as long as you are aware of it, is part of the experience. I know, easier said than done! The Zuowanglun is your scripture text to study to nourish this practice. You can also go back to the early Daoist classic, the Zhuangzi and find in Chapter six, the story of Yen Hui and Confucius, talking about making progress and Yen Hui says, “I just sit and forget.” “I am not attached to the body and I give up any idea of knowing. By freeing myself from the body and mind, I become one with the infinite. This is what I mean by sitting and forgetting.” Shi Jing refers to this passage as the original teaching on zuowang: “The essence of Daoism.” (Dragon’s Mouth, 2005, Issue 1)

Not sure if it works with PG tips    ... well i guess unless you fancy watching thoughts of yuk for half an hour while you rest in forgetting 

[Mike]

Having thought about this one and had some useful conversations with many folks I think it all hangs together under a banner of "naturalness". 

Many (all?) traditions (one can add to my list above eg the "Cloud of Unknowing" [unknowing - cf forgetfulness in first post] from the medieval Christian tradition - and the modern revival of this as Christian Centered Prayer http://www.ttem.org/forum/index.php?topic=2116.0) have a thread of naturalness - although in all cases this gets complex-ified over the centuries.

From my understanding and experience of many things here (including Standing Meditation Burgs style and Ajahn Succitto style as well as ZZ), conversations with the odd person or two who has spontaneously found the same and as importantly personal experimentation - unless you are very highly developed physically/energetically then this is far (only?!) attainable in an easy position - so sitting in a chair, standing in wu-chi.  Otherwise the discomfort of trying to do lotus posture (or even sit on the floor for westerners) or tough ZZ position is faaaaaar too  much of a distraction.

One of those things that looks simple but is far more powerful than that...

Mike

[Mike]

I wonder whether Quaker silent prayer (thread here: http://www.ttem.org/forum/index.php?topic=2119.msg9446#msg9446) also counts in this category...