退步休

On all matters, nothing compares to rest and retreat,
No need for proof or revision, you are already complete.

Through the clear window, the Bodhi moon hangs,
Deep in the muddy world, is where untainted lotuses seat.

— Song Dynasty, Ci Shou Huai Shen

Notes:

When people first hear about the philosophies of mindfulness, zen, meditation, acceptance, non-attachment, contentment, etc, a common concern is that whether this seems to be at odds with competitiveness, the hunger for excellence and nonstop improvement, and the willingness to hustle and fight hard for some challenging but worthy goals.

That’s a fair concern. Like this poem is preaching retreating (退步) and resting(休), and even goes further to say there is nothing you need to prove. (What about my performance review??)

One way I reconcile this is that it’s mainly about retreating from the fight for credit, recognition, proving yourself, feeling of superiority, etc all these external motivation or vanity. When you let go of those, you reduce the time wasted to worrying, regretting, hesitating, doubting, and blaming. And maybe paradoxically you are more competitive? Once well rested, just do the thing you enjoy, naturally it will take you somewhere.

In the second half of the poem, my guess on and moon and window part is that all is clear under the bright moonlight, so you don’t need to prove to anyone. And on the lotus part, the lotus achieved depth and cleanness, without fighting against its muddy environment, it could be a metaphor of succeeding without fighting.