FOREWORD

Shedding Skin to Liberate the Mind

Damo Mitchell

As a lifelong devotee of the Tao (道) only one thing has really ever held me back in my practice: a lack of trust. What is it that a true human should trust in?

We should give our trust to our unfolding path in life, which presents itself to us once we learn how to let go. This is both the simplest and most difficult of principles.

What stops a person from letting go and embracing trust in the unfoldment of the universe in their life is the interventions of the intellect. All those who walk the path of Tao will at some point or another realize that it is the machinations of their own minds that are preventing them from attaining the heightened states of consciousness alluded to by the ancient wisdom traditions. The nature of Tao is to flow and let life unfold in a harmonious manner. Those who can tap into this flow will be led toward a state of conscious elevation; those who cannot will generally be led down a path of trivial concerns. This was the underlying ethos of the teachings of the ancient Chinese master Lao-tzu (老子), and for generations since it has been this deceptively difficult challenge that has lain at the heart of the Taoist tradition.

If we look at the majority of modern interpretations of Taoism, we see the hallmarks of a tradition that has sadly lost its way. Obscuring the original tenets are layer upon layer of useless trappings: ritual, hierarchy, worship, and other things generally associated with organized religion. Certainly the contemporary format of Taoism does not follow the teachings of its founders, nor does it serve to do anything but drag its adherents into a mire of trappings.

Having invested a great deal of my time and energy into a study of Taoism, I can see that my early years were concerned with learning as much as I could. I would study with any teacher I could find, spare no expense to travel to distant parts of Asia, and run myself ragged accumulating more and more information. The intellectual part of my mind thrived on my actions, but one day the realization dawned upon me that I was still no closer to really experiencing the Tao. I could perform no end of exercises, movements, and practices. I could quote classics and speak for hours on the theory of Taoism according to others, but I had no direct knowledge of what Tao meant. It was at this stage in my personal development that I understood that I needed to begin shedding. I needed to unclutter myself from the various trappings of Tao that I had accumulated, as it was these that were holding me back on my journey.

It is interesting for me to see how the majority of travelers within the internal arts go through a similar process. Those that move diligently enough along their path come to similar conclusions, so the process of unloading that which is unnecessary becomes the path itself. Those who never fully come to terms with the nature of Taoism unfortunately miss this important point and instead continue to accumulate.

As this uncluttering takes place, it begins an unfolding process within the mind so that the most sincere practitioners begin to realize the nature of wu-wei (無為). Here, within the (non)act of nondoing, lies the heart of the Taoist tradition. Through noninterference in the natural flow of the cosmos, spontaneous truth is realized from within. As the great Taoist teacher Wang Chong (王充) said: “The Way to Heaven is to take no action.”

Within Effortless Living Jason Gregory eloquently explores the nature of Taoism and the concept of wu-wei from the position of somebody who has truly walked the path. This is a great relief to me, as I have grown tired of reading book after book written by pure Taoist theorists who butcher the tradition and in particular the nature of wu-wei through analysis from a position of pure intellect. It was like a breath of fresh air to spend time reading a text written by a true follower of the Way. As each chapter unfolds, you can see how Jason Gregory has been through the process of learning how to trust, let go, and manifest wu-wei through his very being. It is only when the majority of books on the nature of Tao are once again written by followers of the Way that Taoist literature will stop being so poor!

It also interested me greatly to see how Jason expertly brings the teachings of Taoism through into the modern age. An exploration of the nature of society and how it has developed in direct opposition to the way of Tao is by no means a mere modernism: a discomfort with societal structure has always been present within Taoism throughout history, but few writers seem to pick up on this. When I engage with the writings of Lao-tzu, Chuang-tzu (莊子), or indeed the vast majority of spiritual teachers around the world, I am confronted with radicals, misfits, and rebels. These are not prophets advocating the status quo; these are people who understood that stepping out of the structured nature of religion, society, and government was the only way to find some kind of personal liberation. What I learn from this is that only those who recognize the inherent sickness that pervades our societal structure will ever really be able to free themselves from the shackles of our societal paradigm. We are encouraged to live according to a narrative generated by a group of people who most certainly do not understand the concept of wu-wei, nor do they flow with the force of Tao. Rebellion is the natural inclination of many people who come to these conclusions, but in truth rebellion itself is against the flow of Taoism, because it too is a form of governance based within the acquired aspect of human mind. The real answer lies once again in the simplicity of wu-wei, the act of letting go and the trust that a new and spontaneous way of living will emerge.

Effortless Living is an important book, one that demands a place within anyone’s mind, and especially any follower of the Way’s library of resources. In putting it together Jason Gregory has undertaken a challenging task. One key reason that writing anything about Taoism is difficult is that the very tradition itself tells us right from early on in its key texts that it is practically impossible to discuss the nature of Taoism! It is a tradition that essentially transcends the limited language of words, and yet at the same time the medium of language is required if the tradition is to be passed on. This is a difficulty I have encountered when writing my own books. Often I am left scratching my head at the problem of putting into the written language a feeling or realization that comes from deep within the center of consciousness—an abstract sense of “knowing” that people have to reach themselves to truly connect with. Despite these difficulties and the experiential nature of the tradition, it is the language of words that points the way and sets a person’s intention on the correct path. If I were to sit and consider how I would clearly and accurately put together a text describing the philosophical principle of wu-wei, I would certainly struggle, and yet with this book Jason Gregory has done an outstanding job of doing just that.

In conclusion, I would like to add that I truly believe it is important that any author or teacher within an internal tradition be a sincere adherent of the philosophy. If such a person does not embody the teachings in his own life, then he is simply adding to the watering-down of a timeless tradition as well as leading readers and students into the proverbial wilderness. As my role as head of an internal arts school has developed, I have found myself in many situations where I am mixing with other teachers and writers. The first thing I am curious about is the level of authenticity I find within these people. In many cases I am saddened to discover that they do not walk the path they are purporting to. Hypocrisy is an ugly human trait, and one that I have come to realize is rife throughout too many walks of life. In Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, I had the opportunity to spend time with Jason Gregory and his wife, Gayoung. Over the course of our conversations it was clear that Jason had explored the meaning and practices within many different systems, and that his journey has truly enabled the teachings of the Eastern traditions to guide his life and release his xing (性), his nature. By letting go and putting trust in the nature of wu-wei, Jason has reached a state of being untethered to the restricting state of the world. As such, he has achieved a liberation of spirit that makes him more than qualified to write such a book. I believe that in this book, Jason’s study, as well as his ability to put his conclusions into writing, has created an instant classic within the Taoist tradition.

DAMO MITCHELL is a teacher of the internal arts of China and follows the classical threefold path of martial arts, medicine, and meditation. His teachings are based on the philosophy that Dao is to be found when these three areas of study come into harmony with one another. His studies began at the age of four years old and have developed full-time throughout his life to include in-depth cultivation within several traditional lineages. He runs the Lotus Nei Gong International School of Daoist Arts, which has branches across Europe and America, as well as the Xian Tian College of Chinese Medicine, which focuses on both contemporary and classical therapeutic methods. He is the author of a number of books on the Daoist arts and continues to travel extensively and deepen his own studies between teaching events.