Ordinary Mind Zen School Taoist Roots of Zen 2
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Jan 24, 2026 A discussion of how native Taoist ideas shaped Chan (Zen) in China. Exploration of wu-wei and the water metaphor alongside impermanence. Consideration of attachment, identity-centres, and abstract thinking. Guidance on meditation as returning to the body and leaving the self-centred dream. Reflections on the fleeting, insubstantial nature of moments and consciousness.
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Zen Originates From Taoist Grounding
- Zen (Chan) is fundamentally rooted in Taoism, with Buddhism forming a later layer on top of native Chinese Taoist sensibility.
- David Hinton argues we often overlook Taoism's shaping of Zen, including concepts like wu-wei and water metaphors that align with impermanence.
Wu Wei And The Water Metaphor Explain Impermanence
- Taoist metaphors like wu-wei and the watercourse illustrate living with impermanence and effortless action.
- Geoff links the water stream metaphor to Buddhist impermanence: everything flows and resisting that stream causes suffering.
Abstract Mind Created The Identity Center
- Human abstract thinking created an identity-centered self that separates us from embodied, moment-to-moment life.
- Geoff traces this to an evolutionary leap in hunter-gatherer times that enabled planning but introduced the abstract disembodied self.