Should "Wu Wei" in Daoism coexist with fixation?

Wu Wei in Daoism and fixation

Should "Wu Wei" in Daoism coexist with fixation (obsession）, or should fixation be relinquished?

"Wu Wei" means treating all things in a "natural" way and assisting them in achieving their "natural" state based on their inherent nature and developmental tendencies. From this perspective, "Wu Wei" mainly contains two meanings: "non-action" and "acting in accordance with the flow."

My conversation with Mr. Zhou Mo:

Me: As an experienced Chuma Xian （Chinese shaman） who has witnessed the vicissitudes of life, do you believe you have let go of your fixations?

Zhou Mo: Why should I let go of fixations? We should face them directly so that we know how to avoid and adjust to coexist with them. A person can't have any fixations at all.

Me: Coexist with fixations? This is the first time I've heard of this viewpoint.

Zhou Mo: Isn't it a form of fixation to try to eliminate fixations? What do you think?

Me: Tao follows the ways of itself, and everything should go with the flow. My guiding spirits also said the same thing to me.

Zhou Mo: Go with the flow is about recognizing difficulties and making efforts to adjust to them. When you accept difficulties, you should try to find ways to overcome them or, at least, make yourself comfortable within the limits of your current ability.

Me: It sounds like a matrix. The more intentional we are about everything, the more we form a thought. The more we think, the more it becomes a fixation.

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Mr. Zhou Mo further expounded on this viewpoint, explaining that the ultimate aim of coexisting with fixations is to eventually let them go. Thus, coexistence with fixations is simply a process and a means to releasing them. If one tries to let go of fixations directly from the outset or forces oneself to do so, it would be a case of putting the cart before the horse.

Secondly, he believed that completely letting go of fixations and coexisting with them was necessary.

Mr. Zhou Mo believed that the most difficult pain to heal in life is often the trauma caused by the closest people. These pains are often tied to our family of origin, leaving us feeling helpless and unable to escape. Mr. Zhou Mo himself had experienced the agony caused by a blood relative. He attempted to forget this person using various methods, but the more he tried to forget, the more he realized he could not. Only when he faced this person once again did he understand that he did not need to force himself to forget. Instead, he needed to learn to coexist with the person's presence and the pain she caused. This allowed him to truly let go of the past hurt and fixation.

In my own life, I have learned that healing from pain and releasing fixations is a universal lesson for every soul on Earth. When faced with pain or fixation, true liberation comes not from avoidance but from bravely confronting it without fear.

Therefore, true Wu Wei should be coexisting with fixations without being controlled by them. This means that when fixations arise, we should be able to recognize their existence but not get caught up in them, not be pulled or bound by them. We should maintain inner calm and composure, consciously making decisions and taking actions that are not influenced by fixations.

By coexisting with fixations, we can better control our emotions and behaviours, better understand ourselves and others, and better respond to the challenges and difficulties of life. This is also an important way to practice the Taoist philosophy of "governing by non-action."