| Wu Wei
One of the concept of Taoism is Wu Wei- which means "not doing". Wu Wei refers to non-action or inaction, and instead relies on letting things take their natural course without interference.
This is a difficult philosophy for westerners to wrap their brains' around.
The action of inaction? The concept of not doing? The first situations that are usually brought up are ones involving violence.
Example: A man steals an old lady's purse. Do you:
A. Pursue him and try to get it back
or
B. Just let him go and let things happen as they will.
It can be a difficult concept to apply in many situations.
I think that the main goal of Wu-Wei is to live your life in such a way as to make the gentlest impact on the world and people around you.
Go with the flow. Don't go against the grain. Don't be dramatic, don't blow things out of proportion, and don't panic.
Wu Wei is often compared to water in Taoist writings. Water itself is weak and without will, and yet it has the power to erode stone, creating new paths for it to move down. Taoists can have achieve great feats in the same manner- by embracing humbleness rather than trying to bend others to their will. One who embraces this can "Move others without moving against others."
Share your thoughts. |