Non-Doing in Action
Non-doing can arise within action as well as in
stillness. The inward stillness of the doer merges with
the outward activity to such an extent that the action
does itself. Effortless activity. Nothing is forced. There
is no exertion of the will, no small-minded "I," "me," or
"mine" to lay claim to a result, yet nothing is left
undone. Non-doing is a cornerstone of mastery in any
realm of activity. Here's a classic statement of it from
third-century China:
Prince Wen Hui's cook
Was cutting up an ox.
Out went a hand,
Down went a shoulder,
He planted a foot,
He pressed with a knee,
The ox fell apart
With a whisper,
The bright cleaver murmured
Like a gentle wind.
Rhythm! Timing!
Like a sacred dance,
Like "The Mulberry Grove,"