The Dao of Flow

A Journey to Discover the Ancient Wisdom of Water

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Jin Young Lim was studying ancient philosophy when he delved into a philosophical investigation of his life to date – from his humanitarian work in Fukushima to studying in Tokyo, becoming a yoga teacher and Taijiquan instructor, and co-founding a non-profit in the Himalayas before moving to Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar. Along the way, Jin Young met scholars, teachers, artists, philosophers, farmers, social workers, and spiritual leaders. In this book, he weaves classical texts into his experiences with Taijiquan, Daoism and Zen, tea, agriculture, conservation, art, history, geography, politics, and social economics. He captures his physical, intellectual, and spiritual journey in a series of incisive reflections, vignettes, and anecdotes that make it accessible in simple terms. Through these stories, Jin Young constructs a philosophical framework of Daoist principles that he calls ‘The Dao of Flow’ — a way of continuous transformation based on embodying, flowing, and regulating water. These same three principles recurred as patterns in the lives of his role models or ‘walking flowers’ – those who ‘walk the flow’ and do so beautifully and naturally like flowers. This book is an invitation to discover the wisdom of water and provides readers with a novel spiritual map to deeper harmony with oneself and the world.