Part 1, Session 4 · The Path from Knowing to Doing

Moving from knowing to doing is a gradual process: add something every day in pursuing learning → let go of something every day in pursuing the Dao → let go again and again until you reach effortless action → unite knowing and doing

Key insights

Moving from knowing to doing is a gradual process: add something every day in pursuing learning → let go of something every day in pursuing the Dao → let go again and again until you reach effortless action → unite knowing and doing.

1.1 Learning Increases Day by Day

Definition

"Learning increases day by day: the process of continuously adding each day."

Learning Path

跟老师学 → 读书 → 生活经验 → 各种知识
    ↓
不断积累（加法）

Characteristics

Practical Examples

• Study Psychology
• Study Astrology
• Study Life Path Numerology
• Study Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism
• Study the Satir Model
• Learn from Different Teachers

1.2 In Pursuing the Dao, Subtract Daily

Definition

"In pursuing the Dao, subtract daily: once you understand the underlying principles, keep simplifying."

The Process of Gaining Insight

学了很多 → 发现相通 → 万法归宗 → 大道至简
    ↓
不断精简（减法）

Core Characteristics

All Paths Lead to the Same Source

Meaning：

"Different schools and different methods all express the same underlying principle."

Example：

• Psychology
• Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism
• Western Esotericism
• Life Experience
• Marital Suffering

Core：

"84000 Dharma paths, all leading to the Tao."

1.3 Let Go Again and Again Until You Reach Non-Action

Source

"Let go again and again until you reach non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone."

Meaning

Emptiness gives rise to wondrous existence

Meaning：

"Emptiness is not nothingness; it contains infinite possibilities."

Logic：

破掉小我执念 → 随顺大道 → 无限创造力
    ↓              ↓            ↓
  清空          顺应规律       什么都有

1.4 The Path to the Unity of Knowledge and Action

The complete path

为学日益（1.0） → 为道日损（2.0） → 损之又损以至于无为（3.0）
     ↓                  ↓                      ↓
   做加法            做减法                无为而无不为
   积累知识          洞察规律              空生妙有

From knowing to doing

知道 → 刻意练习 → 重复 → 本能输出 → 做到
  ↓         ↓         ↓         ↓
学习      刻意练习   高频重复    本能反应

Case: Liu Xiang's Hurdling

The Learning Process：

学习技巧 → 刻意练习 → 形成本能 → 成为冠军
    ↓          ↓          ↓
  知道       重复       做到

Core：

• None of it is innate; it can all be practiced
• Develop instinctive conditioned responses
• Know without deliberation; realize innate moral knowledge

1.5 Deliberate Practice

Definition

"Deliberate practice: repeat continuously until performance becomes instinctive."

Key Elements

Why can’t I do what I’ve learned?

Cause：

"It isn't familiar enough and hasn't been internalized as your own."

Solution：

• Attend more classes
• Complete more assignments
• Review more
• Make it instinctive

1.6 Long-Termism vs. the Hourly-Worker Mindset

The Hourly-Worker Mindset

Characteristics：

• Short, flat, and fast
• Get results quickly
• Once this job is done, there's no next one
• 30-35 yuan/hour

Root causes：

"An inner sense of lack and no security—once this meal is gone, there's no next one."

Long-termism

Characteristics：

• Delayed gratification
• Continuous accumulation
• Long-term thinking
• Compound interest effect

Example：

"Warren Buffett: Find a long, wet ski slope when you're young, and keep rolling the snowball."

Comparison

Key quotes

• "In pursuit of knowledge, add something every day; in pursuit of the Way, let go of something every day."
• "Let go again and again until you reach non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone."
• "To go from knowing to doing, you need deliberate practice."
• "You can't do it because you aren't familiar enough with it."
• "Only long-term thinking can create a snowball effect."

Practical application

Learning Path

1. Broad learning: Learn more each day, accumulating knowledge
2. Discover patterns: All methods lead to one; the great Way is simple
3. Simplify to the essence: Let go a little each day in following the Way; grasp the core
4. Deliberate practice: Repeat until it becomes instinctive
5. Unity of knowledge and action: Produce naturally; put it into practice

Self-checklist

• ☐ Am I at the stage of accumulating knowledge through learning?
• ☐ Have I discovered that all methods lead to one?
• ☐ Am I simplifying?
• ☐ Am I practicing deliberately?
• ☐ Have I developed instinctive output?

*"The road from knowing to doing is a long one. It takes deliberate practice and repetition until it becomes instinctive."*