The Chuang Tzu - When Knowledge Went NorthThe Chuang Tzu - When Knowledge Went North
Tao of Our understanding Alcohol Recovery Podcast
A group of recovering alcoholics discuss Thomas Merton’s version of the Chuang Tzu story “When Knowledge Went North,” relating Taoist ideas of non-doing, humility and the pause to their own experiences of pain, honesty and sober living. The conversation blends humour and personal stories with reflections on practice over rigid spiritual formulas.
46:59•22 Jun 2026
When Knowledge Went North: Tao, Non-Doing and Sobriety in Real Life
Episode Overview
- Chasing systems and formulas for spiritual insight can block the simple awareness that you are already within Tao.
- Pausing instead of acting on impulse creates space for wiser, less ego-driven choices in recovery.
- Non-doing is framed as stepping back from the urge to fix and control, allowing healing to unfold.
- Honesty and assertiveness, even in everyday situations like buying a car, are part of practising recovery principles.
- Painful experiences, including chronic pain and relational tension, can become lessons in compassion and better behaviour.
“For he who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation from the Tao of Our Understanding Alcohol Recovery Podcast brings together Buddy C with Kate, Lori, Brian, Drew and Lou to chat through Thomas Merton’s interpretation of the Chuang Tzu story “When Knowledge Went North” and how it lands in real, messy recovery lives.
You’ll hear the group reflect on the three figures in the tale—Non-Doing, Act on Impulse and Emperor T—and what they suggest about trying to "find" Tao, or a Higher Power, through systems, techniques and formulas. The quote, “For he who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know,” becomes a springboard for talking about humility, ego and the trap of wanting a guaranteed method for spiritual progress and sobriety.
Drew shares a synchronistic moment around chronic pain and resentment towards his wife, describing how a flare-up flipped the situation and taught him, “This is how you treat somebody who's in pain and needs help, not the way you've been treating her.” Kate talks about insisting on honesty when buying a car, even when it felt awkward, as "practising these principles in all our affairs." Others connect the Taoist idea of non-doing with the AA pause, meditation, and letting go of the urge to fix everything instantly.
The mood is relaxed and often humorous, but grounded in experience. Rather than handing out strict instructions, the group keeps coming back to practice: trying, failing, laughing at themselves, and returning to presence. They challenge the self-help culture of endless formulas, suggesting that you might already be “okay as you are,” while still having plenty of work to do.
If you’re tired of rigid rules yet curious about how Taoist philosophy can sit alongside 12-step recovery, this chat might be the gentle nudge you need—are you ready to try “non-doing” in your own recovery, even for a moment?
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