Fetching wisdom...
Long before meditation apps, Taoism had a radical answer to presence: stop doing, stop wanting, stop trying to be present. Just be. Lao Tzu, Zhuangzi, Liezi, Matsuo Basho, Wang Wei.
“The spring sea rises and falls all day, rising and falling.
“Perfect action leaves no trace, perfect words leave no sign, perfect wisdom leaves no deed.
“The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.
“If your mind is quiet, then your heart will naturally be pure.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
“People these days don't know the truth, they merely follow the world's dusty tracks.
“Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.
“An old silent pond. A frog jumps into the pond. Splash! Silence again.
“Yield and overcome; Bend and be straight.
“Once you have the fish, you can forget the trap.
“In the silence of the village, I hear the universe breathing.
“To be truly free is to be free from concern for outcomes.
“Silence, too, is a language. Sometimes, it speaks truths too profound for words.
“O snail, climb Mount Fuji, but slowly, slowly.
“The world is an ocean, and you are a fish within it. Don't be afraid.
“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
“Be water, my friend.
“In old age, one desires tranquility and finds it in nothingness.
“Empty your mind. Be formless. Shapeless, like water.