THE TAO
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
When everyone recognizes beauty as beautiful, there is already ugliness;
When everyone recognizes goodness as good, there is already evil;
"To be" and "not to be" arise mutually;
Difficult and easy are mutually realized;
Long and short are mutually contrasted;
High and low are mutually posited;
Before and after are in mutual sequence.
-Lao Tzu
The origins of "mindfulness" have its roots in Eastern thought. The Chinese term it
"Taoism". The Japanese term it "Zen". Some have associated it with the practice of
yoga, and others have associated it with the religion of Buddhism. However, Tao in its
purest sense is not religion or philosophy; nor is it psychology or a type of science.
Simply put, Tao is a way and view of life. Then what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is part
of that way of life to reduce suffering.
All things in the world come from being. And being comes from non-being. -Lao Tzu
This is the essence of what we have come to know today as mindfulness. Learning to
let go and be without thought, without judgment, without mind. So, the word
"mindfulness" actually contradicts, in its literal sense, the essence of The Way.
Moreover, the English word "mindlessness" isn't any better. This of course is a topic for
a completely different article.
How do you let go? By being in the present moment. For many of us, that is easier said
than done. Instead, we waste our time either ruminating over past mistakes or worrying
about future catastrophes. We can't change the past. So why live in it? There are no
guarantees for the future. So why jump to conclusions? Of course it is intelligent to plan
for the future. It is also smart to learn from our past mistakes. However, it is irrational to
worry about that which we have no control - e.g., the past and the future. Living in the
"now" allows us to be present, mindful, and experience the passing of time. Whatever
emotion or thought you are experiencing, whether positive or negative, over time, has to
pass. The moment you read these words has just passed. Try to hold onto it... You
can't. The moment you read THESE words has passed again. And so on and so forth.
