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SEASONAL NOTES - The Tao of Spring
The notes on these pages (a regular seasonal
feature of this web-site) are based on the age-old teachings
of oriental medicine, philosophy and culture, blended with a
few of my own observations. The aim is to help place this traditional
way of looking at things in the context of modern living.
The symbolism of spring is one most people can appreciate. In
all cultural traditions, the world over, it is a time of re-birth
and new beginnings. Whether it is the antics of the numerous
fertility gods of rural communities, the Green Man festivities
of pagan cultures or the Christian resurrection of Easter, Springtime
itself has never been a season to go unmarked.
Taoism teaches continuity, that all things progress and evolve and, to some extent, recur - both in nature and in the affairs of humankind. We can see this in things as diverse as the cycles of the seasons, the rise and fall of empires, personal and political, and in the birth of our offspring. The old is replaced by the new and life is continually re-born in an endless dance of evolution and cyclical change.
"Stand before it and
there is no beginning. Follow it and there is no end. "
Tao Te Ching
Taoism urges us to remain as much as possible in harmony with the seasons and with the forces of our environment - seen in metaphors such as heaven and earth, fire and water, and the five elements. Spring has always been considered as a time for change and personal evolution, therefore. And the element most associated with this time of the year, the Wood element, is related to the kinds of energy that expands and grows. It is concerned with boundaries, therefore, and in allowing these to dissolve to some extent - not only so that we may move forward, but so that fresh experiences and ideas are able to get through and help us in the process of growth and change.
"The Tao is an empty
vessel; it is used but never filled."
From the Tao Te Ching
In this way, we can gradually learn and develop. We can enrich our knowledge of ourselves and our place in the world and so cultivate humility and wisdom. This humility and wisdom is the natural outcome of genuine experience tempered by self-observation and by an understanding of the vastness of reality and our small place within it. This is no easy task, and requires a lifetime sometimes even just to ask the right questions, let alone find the answers. It is perhaps the most difficult thing we can ever aspire to as individuals or communities - knowing who we are. The great Chinese classic, the Tao Te Ching tells us that mastering and understanding the self are the really difficult tasks in life, far more difficult than mastering other people.
"Knowing others is
wisdom. Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires
force; Mastering the self needs strength."
Tao Te Ching
Ultimately Spring, is all about opportunity - a time for cultivating the qualities of courage and optimism, of strengthening the belief in ourselves and our powers to achieve and overcome obstacles - the greatest of which is perhaps our own selfish ego, the distorted need to keep hold of a small gain rather than to risk taking a bigger step into the unknown - the need to hang on to a little prestige and reputation rather than starting anew with nothing.
'Did you exchange a walk-on
part in a war, for a leading role in a cage?
Pink Floyd
The philosophy of Taoism sees life and evolution as a journey. Change is at the heart of all things - and without it there is only ever stagnation and decay. To travel, as they say, is better than to arrive. And no matter how long or formidable that journey may seem, the first step has to be taken.
"There was a time
when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than
the risk it took to blossom."
Anais Nin
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