"Doing nothing" is sometimes the best course of "action"black_shireMay 5 2006, 10:06:11 UTC
Hello Avanti,
I think your inner horse is giving you a hint (or setting an example for you to follow) by remaining silent and inactive. I'll explain how this can help you in your current situation below.
We horses are natural taoists. That is not to say that taoism is our religion or philosophy. Taoism isn't really a religion, but rather a system of thought among humans. For example, there are christian taoists (C.S. Lewis was one). To us horses, it isn't a system of thought; taoism, as humans call it, is simply a description of the way we horses function.
One of the principles of taoism is "wu wei," which means "doing nothing." A trainer riding a "green" horse will often use this principle. S/he will patiently work to teach the horse the correct response to a single cue. When the horse responds correctly, s/he will often stop the horse and sit quietly on the horse, allowing the stillness and silence to work to make the lesson "sink in."
To discover what you're trying to remember, "do nothing." That is, don't devote any thought to it at all. Don't try to *consciously* "not think about it," because that will have the opposite effect. (If you said to yourself, "Don't think about pink unicorns!" that is *all* you would think about.) Instead, occupy your mind with other thoughts (mundane everyday tasks, errands you need to run, etc.). At some point when you're least expecting it, what you're trying to remember will spontaneously pop into your mind.
Regarding your farewell to your grandmother, the dead can see and hear us even though we (usually) can't see or hear them. If you go into a quiet room and fill your mind with thoughts of her and tell her what you wanted to say before, she will hear you. You will likely not get a recognizable response from her, although if you ask her for a sign you may very well get one--such things *do* happen.
I think your inner horse is giving you a hint (or setting an example for you to follow) by remaining silent and inactive. I'll explain how this can help you in your current situation below.
We horses are natural taoists. That is not to say that taoism is our religion or philosophy. Taoism isn't really a religion, but rather a system of thought among humans. For example, there are christian taoists (C.S. Lewis was one). To us horses, it isn't a system of thought; taoism, as humans call it, is simply a description of the way we horses function.
One of the principles of taoism is "wu wei," which means "doing nothing." A trainer riding a "green" horse will often use this principle. S/he will patiently work to teach the horse the correct response to a single cue. When the horse responds correctly, s/he will often stop the horse and sit quietly on the horse, allowing the stillness and silence to work to make the lesson "sink in."
To discover what you're trying to remember, "do nothing." That is, don't devote any thought to it at all. Don't try to *consciously* "not think about it," because that will have the opposite effect. (If you said to yourself, "Don't think about pink unicorns!" that is *all* you would think about.) Instead, occupy your mind with other thoughts (mundane everyday tasks, errands you need to run, etc.). At some point when you're least expecting it, what you're trying to remember will spontaneously pop into your mind.
Regarding your farewell to your grandmother, the dead can see and hear us even though we (usually) can't see or hear them. If you go into a quiet room and fill your mind with thoughts of her and tell her what you wanted to say before, she will hear you. You will likely not get a recognizable response from her, although if you ask her for a sign you may very well get one--such things *do* happen.
-- Black_Shire
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