This morning I woke up thinking of Taoism. In California, the first stirrings of movement toward opening society beyond lockdown are beginning. Californians are warned the door will be slowly cracked open, cautiously checked, and quickly shut again if/when the number of cases of Covid 19 rise. Less cautious states are lifting restrictions quickly with the pressure of growing social unrest and conflict. Over the coming weeks, we will be faced with new personal decisions and a collective responsibility for our choices as local areas try to reconstruct the economy and culture.
The I Ching, (The Book of Changes, tr. Richard Wilhelm), describes the Taoist concept of the time "Before Completion"as a time of caution that seems particularly relevant for the days ahead:
"The conditions are difficult. The task is great and full of responsibility. It is nothing less than that of leading the world out of confusion back to order. But it is a task that promises success, because there is a goal that can unite the forces now tending in different directions. At first, however, one must move warily, like an old fox walking over ice. The caution of a fox walking over ice is proverbial in China. His ears are constantly alert to the cracking of the ice, as he carefully and circumspectly searches out the safest spots. A young fox who as yet has not acquired this caution goes ahead boldly, and it may happen that he falls in and gets his tail wet when he is almost across the water. Then of course his effort has been all in vain. Accordingly, in times "before completion," deliberation and caution are the prerequisites of success."
Deliberation and caution are not just the result of conscious thinking and logical planning. They arise out of our inborn protective intelligence. The time spent in stillness with a deepening spiritual awareness and acceptance of life's interweaving, cultivates the intuitive wisdom needed to navigate our way. (Susan Nettleton)