Some people work hard their whole lives and still feel exhausted, while others travel very lightly and still arrive where they want to be. The difference often lies in the current they choose to travel with. This essay tells the story of four boats, to help you recognize the current in your own life and how to live in harmony with natural laws, so that everything becomes lighter.
The story of four boats
Picture a boat on a river. It needs to travel from point A to point B. Two things decide its journey: whether the boat has a captain and an engine, and whether the current flows in the same direction it wants to go or against it.
Case 1: Drifting, with the current. The boat has no captain and no engine, but the current flows straight toward point B. Simply drifting, the boat still reaches its destination.
Case 2: Drifting, against the current. The boat has no captain and no engine, and the current flows the other way. The longer it drifts, the farther it moves from point B. What this boat needs is a captain to choose a new direction.
Case 3: Captain and engine, with the current. The captain holds the course, the engine drives the boat forward, and the current adds its own strength. The boat arrives fastest and most easily.
Case 4: Captain and engine, against the current. The captain still holds the course and the engine still runs, but they must strain against the current. The boat still arrives, but it takes more strength and more time.
Looking at the four boats, we see something simple: with or without a captain and engine, traveling with the current always makes it easier to arrive. The captain and engine are our own efforts. The current is the law of life. When effort moves with natural law, a long road becomes short.
Effort is the oar; natural law is the current. When both point the same way, we travel far with a light heart.
The currents in our lives
Each person’s life is a boat. The current is made of the laws and principles quietly at work in everything, whether or not we see them. A few of the currents closest to us:
- The law of cause and effect: as you sow, so you reap. Every word, thought and action today is a seed for tomorrow. When the right conditions come together, the seed sprouts into fruit.
- The law of seasons: there is a season to sow, a season to tend and a season to harvest. A farmer does not harvest rice in the sowing season. Many things in life also need their right time.
- The law of the body: sleep enough, eat wholesomely, move regularly. A healthy body is a sturdy boat for every journey.
- The law of the human heart: respect gives rise to respect; what we give comes back. Those who know how to listen will be listened to.
- The law of growth: people grow from within, just as an egg that cracks from the inside becomes a new life.
Living with the current means recognizing these laws, then choosing a direction and a way of traveling that move with them.
What I learned about the current while raising my child
In the past, walking alongside my child, I often felt torn. For example, when my child was first learning to eat, their hands were not yet fully able to hold food and bring it to their mouth. I constantly wrestled with myself: should I feed them to make mealtimes shorter, or let them gradually master the skill themselves? Later, when my child went to school and brought a hard problem to me, I would ask myself again: should I just give the answer so the homework gets done quickly, or let them think it through? Many parents around me faced the same inner conflicts.
Then one day, a friend asked me: “In the end, what do you want for your child? Take the time when your child was learning to eat solid food. If you want the meal finished quickly, neatly and cleanly, feeding them yourself works well. But if what you want is for your child to master eating, then walking beside them and guiding them step by step is what fits.”
I suddenly realized that this is the law of cause and effect — and in life, many people move against it. When a child thinks and acts differently from the instructions, they are often called disobedient. But when a child grows used to always being told to obey, at some point the adults may decide the child is not creative. So the adults are never satisfied with that child, and walking alongside children becomes far from simple.
Signs you are moving with the current
The current is not always easy to see, but the boat can always feel it. When you are moving with the current, you will often notice these signs:
- Things progress without strain. You still make an effort, but that effort brings fitting results.
- Your energy returns after rest. A night’s sleep or a meal is enough to make you want to keep going.
- People around you naturally want to come along. You do not need to persuade much.
- Conditions appear one after another. The people you need to meet, the resources you need and the right timing arrive gradually as you go.
When you find yourself straining at every step, take it as a gentle reminder: rest your oar for a moment, look at the current again, and choose your direction anew.
Flowing is not drifting
Look again at Case 1 and Case 3. Both go with the current, but the boat with a captain and an engine arrives faster and with more intention. Living with the current means choosing the right direction and then giving it your whole heart — not sitting still and letting the current take you wherever it goes.
The captain is your vision: you know where you want to go. The engine is your ability and perseverance. The current is natural law. When all three point the same way, the journey becomes unhurried and easy.
Practice for today
- Write down the one task that feels heaviest to you right now.
- Ask yourself: which law is at work here? What cause has been sown, what condition is missing, and is this a season for sowing or for harvest?
- Choose one small adjustment to move with the current: change the timing, change the method, or change one thing you say.
And carry this promise with you: “From now on, for the rest of my life, I will always live in harmony with natural laws and principles.”
Reflection question: In which task today can I row more gently and still arrive?
Frequently asked questions
Does living with the current mean giving up or letting things be?
No. Living with the current means choosing a direction that moves with natural law, and still giving your full effort, like the boat with a captain and an engine. Giving up is drifting with no direction, as in Cases 1 and 2.
Is it ever right to go against the current?
Yes — when the destination is truly worthy and you are ready with the strength it requires, like the boat in Case 4. What matters is that you choose it with clear eyes, knowing it will take more time and strength.
How can I recognize the laws at work in my life?
Watch for repeating results. What keeps coming to you, in the same way, after the same kind of action? That is usually the trace of a law of cause and effect.
How does the Principle of Flow relate to Cause, Condition and Effect?
Your direction and effort are the Cause. The current and the surrounding circumstances are the Conditions. The boat reaching its destination is the Effect. Living with the current lets Cause and Conditions point the same way, so the Effect arrives naturally.
This essay is an English rendering of the original Vietnamese article on Chuyện Bên Mâm Cơm.