1. Being present - Cuts off the frantic need of ego to project future or wailing in guilt of past.
2. Acceptance - Acceptance of what is , as it is , without trying to change anything at all in external world and in inernal world too.
3. Surrender- Trustig in flow of life without trying to control it.
4. Concentration- Being so deeply absorbed in work that ego vanishes in the process.
5. Inaction- Performing action as dicated by nature for joy without any expectation of external fruits.
6. Knowledge-Relentlessly observing and contemplating how the ego identifies with external circumstances and weakening its influence.
7. Letting go of illusion of doership- Realising that actions happen automaticaly through body-mind system and we can not control them ,thereby releiving ourselves from pride and guilt associated with actions.
8. Being natural and innocent- By shedding of various marks and allwoing oneself to be judged for what one is,one returns to naural divine state shortly.
9. Cultivating the Witness Consciousness- Instead of identifying as the actor, become a mere observer (Drashta or Sakshi) of your own actions, thoughts, and emotions,. When you distance yourself from your nature and simply watch your life unfold like a movie without interfering, the ego dissolves, and you connect with your true, witnessing soul.
10. Transcending Dualities : The intellect and ego survive by dividing the world into dualities: good and bad, sin and virtue, honor and insult, success and failure,. By maintaining equanimity and accepting whatever comes without categorizing it as positive or negative, you starve the ego.
11. Drop all forms of stubbornness- Not forcing our will on the world bu just doing what happens naturally and with ease and accpeting the outcome with contentment.

Try to just be without any striving,without any ifs and buts. Without trying to force your will upon the world. Without dividing things in good and bad. Without any judgement. Without any attempt to save your identity. Without trying to be right. Without trying to force an expereince. Without any attempt to make things correct. Let action happen through you and not by you. Whatever is the result of action, accept it as gods will without any question . Be happy and carefree. Let the world and your system take care of itself. Trust that everything is happening as per divine plan and care not about your intellectual limited seeing.

I want to bypass the basic metaphors of "flowing like water" and instead dive into the deep psychological mechanics of why embodying Wu Wei (non-action or effortless action) is so incredibly difficult for the modern human mind.

I want to explore the specific internal frictions that pull us out of the Tao—specifically, the transition from forced "doing" to the pure, unadulterated state of "happening."

Here is a deeper look at the psychological mechanics behind our resistance to the Tao:

1. The Mind as a Conditioned "Computer" (Combination Psychology) To understand why we struggle to align with the Tao, we must first look at how our internal system operates. The mind acts much like a vast computer, entirely dependent on the "data" or "programming" it receives. Unfortunately, from childhood, society, religion, and external expectations install artificial "programs" into our minds. We are taught to act based on calculated greed, fear, and the desire for validation.

Because of this unconscious conditioning, we constantly operate in an artificial state of "Combination Psychology"—forcing our intellect to endlessly calculate potential gains and losses. Whenever we engage in any task where our internal "program" resists our natural flow, we experience immense fatigue and confusion. We are no longer living; we are just executing the exhaustive, unnatural programs installed by others.

2. The Paralysis of the Intellect vs. The Spontaneous Mind A core reason we fall out of the Tao is our over-reliance on the calculating intellect. The intellect is obsessed with the future, constantly deliberating over what is "right" or "wrong," "beneficial" or "harmful". However, the texts highlight that any decision made after prolonged, agonizing contemplation is almost always flawed, whereas spontaneous, instantaneous decisions are the most superior.

The "Spontaneous Mind" (or momentary consciousness) is directly connected to the vast intelligence of the universe. When a crisis hits, or when we act purely out of natural impulse without the ego's interference, we tap into a consciousness that bypasses the friction of time and space. Great creators and awakened beings do not labor through agonizing mental calculations; they operate entirely from this spontaneous state, completely absorbed in the "happening" of their work.

3. The Trap of the "Fruit" (Outcome Dependency) One of the most subtle ways the ego pulls us out of Wu Wei is through the expectation of results. Lao Tzu implies that a truly wise person works without harboring expectations or desires for the "fruits" of their labor.

When we perform an action solely to achieve a future goal—whether it is wealth, status, or even spiritual enlightenment—we are not in the Tao. We are in the ego. The expectation of a reward creates a division between the present moment and the future, breeding anxiety and breaking our alignment with the natural flow. Conversely, when a task is done purely for the joy and immersion of the act itself, the action becomes an end in itself, and the energy required to perform it becomes infinite and untiring. The universe operates purely on "happening," and when we act for the joy of the action, we mirror that exact universal mechanism.

4. Shifting from the "Doer" to the "Witness" Ultimately, stepping fully into the Tao requires dismantling the illusion of "doership." Our physical and mental systems operate largely on automation—our bodies digest, our hearts beat, and our thoughts arise without our conscious command. The grand machinery of the universe is already functioning flawlessly.

The suffering begins when our ego steps in, claims ownership of these automated processes, and says, "I am doing this." The enlightened practitioner realizes that they are not the "doer" but rather the silent, pure "witness" to the play of Nature. When you stop trying to forcefully control your internal state and simply observe your own mind and circumstances without judgment, you drop the exhausting burden of the ego. By surrendering the illusion of control, you allow the Tao to orchestrate actions through you with absolute perfection.

Drifting Like Directionless Wind or Ocean Waves Lao Tzu describes his own state of effortless action by comparing himself to someone being carried by the waves of the ocean or swinging like a directionless wind. Instead of forcing rigid goals and ambitions upon life, a truly wise person operates purely from their inner "mood" and "passion" (rasa). By letting their natural impulses guide them, they eliminate the stress of calculating the future and simply flow with life's current.

Work Driven Purely by Joy (The State of Genius) Effortless action occurs when you perform a task strictly because you find joy in the doing of it, completely free from the anxiety of the outcome or the "fruits" of your labor. When the joy of the work is the reward itself, the action flows effortlessly, and once the task is complete, you simply forget about it and move on. The texts highlight history's greatest creators—like Edison, Einstein, Picasso, and Newton—as prime examples of this. Their legendary success was not born from exhausting, forced labor, but from being utterly absorbed in the spontaneous joy and play of their work

Note: The psychological interpretations and the "computer" analogy of the mind discussed in this post are deeply inspired by psychological breakdown of Lao Tzu's philosophy found in Deep Trivedi's book, "Tao Te Ching (Laaotse Budhimatta Ke Sutra)."

If you have ever found yourself constantly fighting your own mind or drowning in the labels of "good and bad," I hope this perspective brings you some clarity.

1. The Anatomy of the Illusion: You vs. Your "System"

To understand non-duality practically, we first have to understand the human architecture. We are essentially functioning with a built-in "System" comprising six internal forces: the Mind, the Intellect, the Ego, the Senses, the Body, and our DNA/Genes.

You are not this System. This entire system operates on profound automation, driven by the laws of Nature and the accumulated conditioning (or karma) of existence. Your body knows how to digest food, your mind generates spontaneous thoughts, and your senses react to the environment automatically.

The seventh element—and your true reality—is the Soul (Atma). The Soul is nothing but a Pure Witness (Drashta). It does absolutely nothing but observe the play of the System.

2. The Cinema Screen Analogy

To truly grasp the nature of your existence, think of a movie theater. Countless types of films are projected onto the cinema screen. Some films are deeply religious and spiritual, while others are full of extreme violence and tragedy.

But ask yourself: Does the screen care? When a religious film plays, the screen does not suddenly become holy. When a violent film plays, the screen does not become stained with sin or require purification. The screen never gets tense during a thriller, nor does it weep during a tragedy. Its only role is to provide a medium for the film to exist. It remains entirely untouched, pure, and neutral.

Your Soul is that exact screen. Your mind, intellect, and body are the characters and the directors of your life's movie. They act, they suffer, they succeed, and they fail. But the Soul merely watches. The moment you stop believing "I am the movie" and realize "I am the screen," you instantly step into the profound peace of non-duality.

3. The Disease of "Me, Mine, and My"

If we are just the observing screen, why do we suffer so much? Suffering arises because our Intellect and Ego hijack the automated System. Instead of letting Nature run its course, the ego steps in and claims ownership. We look at external objects, relationships, and even our own fleeting thoughts, and fiercely label them as "Me" and "Mine."

Anytime you attach "My" to something—my wealth, my reputation, my body, my beliefs—you step out of the Witness state and jump straight into the movie. Because the external world is constantly fluctuating, your "Mine" will inevitably face ups and downs. If the car crashes, the ego weeps. If the reputation is attacked, the ego boils with anger. The only way to break this cycle of anxiety is to meticulously sever the false connections of "Me and Mine" and realize that everything is just a passing scene on the screen.

4. Dropping the Illusion of "Good" and "Bad"

One of the greatest traps in spiritual communities is the obsession with morality—constantly weighing actions on the scales of "sin and virtue" or "good and bad."

These labels are entirely the invention of the human Intellect and Ego. The Pure Witness does not operate on societal morality; it operates on the spontaneous flow of Nature. When you judge your own automated System—punishing your senses, suppressing your natural mind, or feeling profound guilt—you are committing an act of violence against Nature's design.

The truly enlightened being knows that the Pure Witness does not distinguish between a saint and a sinner, because both are simply playing their designated roles in the grand movie of the universe. The only "sin" is claiming doership over the actions of the System.

5. How to Anchor into the Witness State

So, how do we practically live this?

• Stop Interfering: Your system is running on automation. When the mind feels sad, let it feel sad. When the body is tired, let it rest. The ego loves to jump in and say, "I shouldn't feel this way," or "I must fix this." Stop fixing. Leave the System to Nature.
• Observe the Chaos: When someone insults you, realize that the insult was directed at your System (your ego/reputation), not at You (the Screen). Watch your mind get angry, watch your body react, but remain seated in the back of the theater.
• Ask "Who Am I?": Sit quietly and strip away the layers. Am I this body? No. Am I this intellect? No. Am I these anxieties? No. You are the silent, empty space (Shunya) that is aware of all these things.

The greatest paradox of existence is that the moment you completely stop trying to control your System and simply surrender to being the Witness, Nature takes over. And whatever Nature orchestrates through you will be entirely effortless, creative, and beautiful.

This draws from his book the lack book of soul by Deep Trivedi.

I wanted to share some profound psychological and spiritual insights regarding why so many of us feel stuck, confused, or exhausted on our spiritual journeys. It ultimately boils down to the fundamental difference between forced "Doing" and effortless "Happening".

The Trap of "Doing" - Most of us live in a state of constant, forced "doing". We calculate, deliberate, and act based on the brain-ego's desire to impress others or conform to society's dictates—relying heavily on "borrowed intelligence" instead of our own inner wisdom. We constantly form attachments and reactions to the external world, which pulls us away from our innate inner peace. We think we need to force our way to enlightenment, success, or joy. But every time we force an action against our natural flow or over-contemplate to calculate "gains and losses," we drain our energy, breed confusion, and invite frustration.

The Magic of "Happening" - Look at Nature. The sun doesn't try to shine. The rivers don't struggle to flow. The Earth doesn't read a manual on how to rotate. It is all simply "happening" perfectly, seamlessly, and effortlessly.

Every human being is born with this exact same "natural psychology" – an innate state of spontaneous joy, bliss, contentment, and supreme concentration. Truly enlightened beings and great creators throughout history (like Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, or even Einstein and Mozart) didn't achieve their states through agonizing mental calculations; they operated from their "Spontaneous Mind," completely attuned to Nature's flow of "happening".

How to bridge the gap and awaken this state:

• Drop the "Borrowed Intelligence": Stop living by the endless lists of "dos and don'ts" prescribed by society, traditions, or dogmatic religion. Nature has endowed you with complete freedom and profound intelligence; nobody in this world knows you better than your own inner self.
• Shift from "Doer" to "Witness": The ultimate truth of spiritual texts like the Bhagavad Gita isn't about running away to a forest or renouncing the world. It is about performing your worldly duties but stripping away the "sense of doership" and the "expectation of fruits". When you stop agonizing over victory or defeat, virtue or sin, and gain or loss, you elevate your ego to the level of the soul and become a pure witness to the play of life.
• Trust Your Spontaneous Mind: Intuition, or the spontaneous mind, is wirelessly connected to Nature's vast intelligence. It decides in a split second without the paralyzing, fearful calculations of the brain. When you live spontaneously, every action becomes an end in itself, performed purely for the joy it brings, rather than a calculated means to a selfish goal.

The core of our suffering is the arrogant belief that we have to control the universe through our puny ego. True liberation (Moksha) isn't a vague dream of the afterlife; it is the experience of living every single moment free from attachment. It is acting selflessly and letting the grand play of the universe simply happen through you.

These insights are gathered from different books of the author Deep Trivedi.