Wu-wei is a Chinese term that is often described as a paradoxical concept in Taoism. This is because it essentially means "doing" without "doing". A closer look at how wu-wei is translated, interpreted, and used throughout Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching is needed in order to have a better understanding of the term.
Translation
Wu translates to "nothingness" and wei to "doing" or "activity" (Lynn, 1999). Arthur Waley, one of the most important scholars and translators of Eastern literature, translated wu-wei, as it appeared in the third chapter of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, as "actionless activity" (1958). He went on to label wu-wei as "non-activity" in his footnotes on this chapter in order to illustrate Lao Tzu's description of the ideal ruler as one who regulates without interference (1958).
Interpretation
"Actionless action" may be interpreted as effortless action that generates a natural (and therefore, correct) outcome. The key to understanding wu-wei, lies in being able to grasp that all correct action is performed effortlessly, without force. The concept of Tao is that of a "constant" natural order (Lynn, 1999). When this natural order is followed, all action is actionless. Wu-wei is, therefore, a principle that arises from experiencing unity with the natural order of all things.
Use in the Tao Te Ching
The concept of wu-wei and references to it appear throughout Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. The following examples are from Waley's translation (1958):
- "Yet through his [the Sage/ruler] actionless activity all things are duly regulated."
- "Tao never does; yet through it all things are done."
- "Value in action that is actionless, few indeed understand."
- "[T]he Sage arrives without going, sees all without looking, does nothing, yet achieves everything."
What Wu-Wei is Not
While characterized as effortless in nature, Taoist teacher Ted Kardash emphasizes that wu-wei should not be considered as "inertia, laziness, or mere passivity" (1998). Kardash compares "non-doing" to the contemporary expression, "going with the flow", as opposed to stopping mid-flow, or abandoning action altogether (1998). Wu-wei is not about deserting achievement, but achieving aims without calling attention to one's actions.
Sources
- Lynn, Richard John, & Chan, Wing-Tsit. (1999). Learning of the mysterious. In W. Theodore (Ed.), Sources of Chinese Tradition: From Early Times to 1600 (pp. 377-391). New York: Columbia University Press.
- Waley, Arthur. (Ed.). (1958). The Way and Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought. New York: Grove Press.
- Kardash, Ted. (1998) "Taosim: The Wu-Wei Principle, Part 4" [Electronic version].
Jennifer Stubbs - Jen Stubbs
