Cook Ding
The master of Wu Wei
Zhuangzi tells of the cook Ding who butchered oxen for the emperor. His knife moved through the meat with such graceful rhythm that it looked like an ancient dance. The emperor asked in amazement how he could possess such skill – and why his knife never seemed to dull.
Ding answered: 'A poor cook hacks straight into the bones and changes knives every month. A decent cook cuts through the muscles and changes knives every year. I have used the same knife for nineteen years. I do not look with my eyes but feel with my spirit. I seek out the natural spaces between joints and bones and let the blade glide in where it is already empty. By never cutting against resistance, the knife's edge is preserved forever.'
The lesson: Don't batter yourself bloody against life's obstacles. Find the spaces – the emptiness – in the system, the conflict or the problem, and navigate where the resistance is least.
Where in your life are you 'hacking straight into the bone'? Where might the space be that you haven't seen?
At the next difficulty today: ask yourself 'Where is the gap I can glide through?' instead of pressing harder.