Taoism > Wu-Wei

What is Wu-Wei (nondoing)?

Wu-wei, usually translated as nonaction, inaction or nondoing, is one of the most important Taoist concepts. When linked to the Tao, nondoing points to the actionless of Heaven, like in the following abstract from Tao-te ching:

The Tao in its regular course does nothing (for the sake of doing it), and so there is nothing which it does not do. (Legge, chap.37)

Aikido is a living illustration of the nondoing concept. The practitioner is moving along with his opponent instead of resisting his attacks.

Linked with the human behavior, nondoing refers to not forcing the things on their way, on the action without effort or going with the grain.

In the terms of Alan Watts nondoing is "what we mean by going with the grain, rolling with the punch, swimming with the current, trimming sails to the wind, taking the tide at its flood, and stooping to conquer." Thus, nondoing is "the life-style of one who follows the Tao, and must be understood primarily as a form of intelligence".(Tao: The Watercourse Way, Pantheon Books, 1973.)

Thus nondoing points to a specific form of intelligence and, in the same time, to the urge of following the Tao. These two are linked: one follows the Tao because has (holds) the intelligence to do so or because has this intelligence he/she is able to follow the tao.

We talk much about this intelligence and the art of following the Tao in our online courses dedicated to the initiation into Taoism. More about these courses may be found here.
 

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