Over the past week, I have written that I use four parables, one very famous cartoon character, and a scene from my favorite movie series when I teach about Hinduism and Taoism*.
I forgot to mention that I also use the game Elefun in my lessons as well.
If you have never played Elefun then... you clearly don't know any three year olds who live in the U.S. It is the perfect game for three-year olds (and perhaps drunk college kids... but not at the same time please). Although (or perhaps because) the game requires no thought or strategy whatsoever, it is perfect for the previously mentioned demographics.
You know what is missing from this picture? An adult who is 2 feet taller than these kids who dominates the game and then trash talks the little kids until they cry.
In my house, we call him "dad".
It is also perfect for teaching about Taoism.
One of the concepts of Taoism is Wu Wei. I always tell my teenagers they will love this one because it is all about... doing nothing! (Kind of)
According to myrkothum.com Wu Wei is:
Wu Wei (chinese, literally “non-doing”) is an important concept of Taoism and means natural action, or in other words, action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort. Wu wei is the cultivation of a mental state in which our actions are quite effortlessly in alignment with the flow of life. This going with the flow, although it may be greatly productive, is characterized by great ease where we spontaneously act perfectly.
As soon as I mention this, the kids go nuts!
"Do nothing? Where do I sign up?"
"This is the easiest philosophy ever!"
"I do nothing all the time. I'm already a Tao master."
But then I tell them there is a catch (they know there is always a catch). I explain that Wu Wei means you have become so good at something, that it appears like you aren't trying.
I then ask my students to share with me things that they are so good at, that it appears they are not even trying. Some mention skateboarding or another sport. Others mention musical instruments. Some mention singing or dancing. I tell them mine is entering the code for unlimited lives in the Nintendo video game Super Contra (I think I could still hit Right, Left, Down, Up, A, B, then Start in my sleep).
I don't think I will ever be as good at anything as I am at entering this code. My life is sad.
Whenever a kid gets stuck and thinks they aren't good enough at anything, I ask them one question:
"What do you do, in just about every class, that you have become so good at, that you can do it without your teachers catching you?"
"Texting!!!!!"
(They are all experts at that.)
Then I remind the students that Wu Wei is really all about acting in accordance with the natural flow of the world.
Finally, I share my Elefun story.
When My son was 5 and my daughter was 3, we used to love to play Elefun.
Elefun is a battery operated game whose object is to catch as many "butterflies" as possible in a small net. Before the game, everyone grabs a net. Then you load the butterflies into the very long trunk. You shake them down to the bottom and count to three. Finally, you flip the switch and a fan blows the "butterflies" out of the trunk.
What is wrong with that dad? On his knees? Not knocking down any kids? I guess he just doesn't want it bad enough.
My son and I always worked up quite a sweat playing this game. I would leap and dive in an effort to catch as many butterflies as possible. When I went high, my son slid on the floor to catch the ones I missed. When I dove, he used me as a step stool to reach for the higher ones. After a sixty second round of fun, my son and I were left contorted and panting in an attempt to catch our breath.
While my son and I were putting in enough maximum effort to make even Deadpool proud, my daughter stood like a tiny, delicate statue with her net stationed motionless in front of her. The only part of her that moved was her mouth as her smile increased a little bit every time my son and I flopped around. After a sixty second round of fun, my daughter stood grinning and giggling as I switched off the machine.
The typical final score?
Me 6-8
Timmy 4-7
MJ 12-15
While my son and I were busy fighting nature and creating air currents with our nets (which caused us to miss the butterflies), my daughter went with nature and trusted that the butterflies would find their way into her net.
Although this is not a photo of my daughter, it is an accurate representation of how she lived her life when she was three. I wish we could all live our lives a little bit more like this...
My daughter had mastered Wu Wei without even knowing it. Perhaps that is kind of the point...
If there are any experts on Taoism out there, feel free to correct any mistakes I may be making. I learned everything I know from reading. I would imagine someone who is living it will know a great deal more than me.
*Note: I teach about several world religions and philosophies. I preach about none. Part of our required world history curriculum includes teaching the basic facts of several world religions and philosophies. I would never try to sway students about their own beliefs. The goal is to educate students about what people around the world believe (and how these beliefs shaped history), not to tell them what they should believe.