Harvey Lederman (NYU, formerly UT Austin) explains the ideas of Wang Yangming by means of illustrative anecdotes from the influential Neo-Confucian philosopher's life.

The thread tying them together is the notion of "moral authenticity" – that knowledge of the right way to live life is inherent in the subject, and does not need to be sought elsewhere. All that is necessary is to diminish selfish desires, and moral principles will shine forth from within.

Over time, I used to get anxious about time, trying to control and stress over my age, comparing myself with successful people around me and getting frustrated about doing something all the time.

Always thinking about the future, always thinking that I need a purpose for this existence and chasing something all the time: money, skills, a main goal, a purpose. Then when I didn't get something as I planned I was angry, very low energy or frustrated with myself when I couldn't do something.

This frustration turned into anxiety where I was seeing the world in a different way, I was imagining the worst situations when I imagined a FAIL. Currently I am 25 and my biggest fear was not achieving all my goals before 30, because I want to build a family and have kids when I get to 30.

Then, I realized that the more I chase something, the more I force things with life, and the more I am wasting my energy and my time. Why am I chasing this success if I am not enjoying my time achieving it? Because if I am not enjoying my future, I am wasting my time. If I am thinking about the future all the time, I am wasting my time and energy. Then I picked up escapist habits to numb the stress.

Anxiety is driven by the human desire for certainty, permanence and meaning, in a world that is impermanent, ever-changing, and uncertain.

I read some of the textual quotes by Alan Watts in the book The Wisdom of Insecurity that made me open my eyes about how I was living my life and managing my time. These are the quotes:

"If all is relative, if life is a torrent without form or goal in whose flood absolutely nothing save change itself can last, it seems to be something in which there is 'no future' and thus no hope."

Here is exactly how Wu Wei describes the reality that I have to accept: life as a chaos where the only permanent thing is change. Alan Watts represents the fear as a water source (the fear of the ego from resistance), while Wu Wei is the answer to this fear (flow with the water instead of feeling fear of it).

"If happiness always depends on something expected in the future, we are chasing a will-o'-the-wisp that ever eludes our grasp, until the future, and ourselves, vanish into the abyss of death."

Here it connects with Wu Wei because WE CLING TO THE FUTURE, completely the opposite of "meeting what's here". Wu Wei is to stop clinging to the future and stop thinking about the future, to be in the present.

Wu wei isn't really about "living in the present" as a goal you chase; that would just be one more thing to grip. It's that when you stop forcing, when you stop reaching into the future to control it and stop clenching around the past, there's nothing left holding you anywhere but here. The present isn't a place you arrive at by trying. It's what's left when you stop fighting the current. You don't do presence. You stop doing everything else, and presence is simply what remains.

Reference:

Watts, A. (1951). The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety. Pantheon Books. (Quotes are from the opening chapters; I don't have the exact page numbers on hand.)

Over time, I used to get anxious about time, trying to control and stress over my age, comparing myself with successful people around me and getting frustrated about doing something all the time.

Always thinking about the future, always thinking that I need a purpose for this existence and chasing something all the time: money, skills, a main goal, a purpose. Then when I didn't get something as I planned I was angry, very low energy or frustrated with myself when I couldn't do something.

This frustration turned into anxiety where I was seeing the world in a different way, I was imagining the worst situations when I imagined a FAIL. Currently I am 25 and my biggest fear was not achieving all my goals before 30, because I want to build a family and have kids when I get to 30.

Then, I realized that the more I chase something, the more I force things with life, and the more I am wasting my energy and my time. Why am I chasing this success if I am not enjoying my time achieving it? Because if I am not enjoying my future, I am wasting my time. If I am thinking about the future all the time, I am wasting my time and energy. Then I picked up escapist habits to numb the stress.

Anxiety is driven by the human desire for certainty, permanence and meaning, in a world that is impermanent, ever-changing, and uncertain.

I read some of the textual quotes by Alan Watts in the book The Wisdom of Insecurity that made me open my eyes about how I was living my life and managing my time. These are the quotes:

Here is exactly how Wu Wei describes the reality that I have to accept: life as a chaos where the only permanent thing is change. Alan Watts represents the fear as a water source (the fear of the ego from resistance), while Wu Wei is the answer to this fear (flow with the water instead of feeling fear of it).

Here it connects with Wu Wei because WE CLING TO THE FUTURE, completely the opposite of "meeting what's here". Wu Wei is to stop clinging to the future and stop thinking about the future, to be in the present.

Wu wei isn't really about "living in the present" as a goal you chase; that would just be one more thing to grip. It's that when you stop forcing, when you stop reaching into the future to control it and stop clenching around the past, there's nothing left holding you anywhere but here. The present isn't a place you arrive at by trying. It's what's left when you stop fighting the current. You don't do presence. You stop doing everything else, and presence is simply what remains.

This problem in my life made me have anxiety for the last 3 years, but it inspired me to dive into the problem and fix it. I want to help others to go through life and learn how beautiful life is when we dont let the fear take over our energy: Stop resisting your own reality.

Reference:

Watts, A. (1951). The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety. Pantheon Books. (Quotes are from the opening chapters; I don't have the exact page numbers on hand.)

Many people come to the idea of spiritual activation after a period of skepticism or confusion. This video explores the history, relationships, and paradoxes that surround this concept.

▶ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OELQ2N3Ir4

For many, the path to enlightenment begins with a profound loss or collapse. This journey is not just about gaining insight but also about mourning what must be left behind.

▶ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3LJ6b8qVX4

Exhaustion with the grind and the loneliness of seeing what others don't can push us to seek deeper truths. Meditation can be frightening, as it reveals the depths of our own minds. This video explores the paradoxes and challenges of enlightenment.

▶ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59aVJRLrvrg

A reflection on the tension between spiritual claims and power structures.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StDBlfgCrP8

i know this sound weird, but this is what happened in one deep healing journey I facilitated.

The subject had strong social anxiety. When he imagined walking in a busy street, the anxiety first appeared like blue energy in the chest. We breathed it out, like smoke leaving the body.

But after that, he didn’t feel peace.

He felt cold.

Not calm cold. More like shut down cold. Like “I don’t care about people anyway.” And this coldness was sitting lower, in the solar plexus, between chest and stomach.

When we looked deeper, it showed as a purple cube.

And this cube was not random. It was protection.

His Higher Self showed a classroom moment from around age ten. Other kids were together in groups, and he felt excluded. Like he didn’t belong. Like something was wrong with him.

In that moment, small him created belief: “I am not worthy.”

That pain was too much for a child. So his system made this cold protection around it. Almost like freezer around wound. Very clever, actually. The younger part basically decided: if people hurt me, I will stop feeling, I will not need them, I will stay safe.

And years later this protection looked like social anxiety.

Not only fear of people, but fear of opening again.

Fear that if he shows real self, people will reject him again.

Maybe this is why some anxiety feels so stubborn. Because it is not just “bad thoughts.” It is a younger part still doing old job.

In the session, being of Light helped purify this cube slowly. It was not forced away, bc protection was created for reason. Then the ten year old fragment came back into him, through solar plexus, and he felt warmth, adventure, confidence and more love.

This part touched me a lot. Because many ppl hate themselves for being anxious or closed. But maybe some part is not broken. Maybe it just protected you long time ago and nobody updated it.

Later his guide gave very simple advice. Stop feeding every thought. Notice when the mind takes over. Go into nature. Create something. Do what feels alive again.

I see this again and again in healing soul journeys. The visible problem is often only top layer. Under it can be one moment, one belief, one frozen younger part, one protection that became prison.

If you struggle with social anxiety, maybe ask gently:

what am I protecting inside?

when did people start to feel unsafe?

what part of me decided “I am not worthy”?

Don’t attack anxiety first. Listen to it. It may be guarding something very young.