Conquering the World by Inaction

The student of knowledge (aims at) learning day by day;
The student of Tao (aims at) losing day by day.
   By continual losing
   One reaches doing nothing (laissez-faire).
He who conquers the world often does so by doing nothing.
When one is compelled to do something,
The world is already beyond his conquering. (Tao Te Ching chapter 48, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

As I mentioned in the last blog, planning out action steps for our plans and acting on them seems entirely at odds with the principle of Wu Wei or not doing. This will be a two-part article. The first part covers Wu Wei and what it means. In part 2, I will discuss how we act and do things according to Wu Wei.

Wu Wei, or” not doing,” is perhaps the most challenging concept in Taoism and Zen. Hundreds of writings deal with Wu Wei and what it means. Some will tell you that we contain the universe within us; others talk about “oneness” and “being.” And others talk about “going with the flow.”

The Tao Te Ching talks extensively about the idea of not doing. The above quote is one example. Another is chapter 40 of the Tao Te Ching, which reads:

Reversion is the action of Tao.
   Gentleness is the function of Tao.
The things of this world come from Being,
   And Being (comes) from Non-being.

I have a more practical view of Wu Wei, which comes from understanding the Tao’s dual nature. In Chapter 1, Lao Tzu says:

The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the Mother of All Things.

Therefore:
Oftentimes, one strips oneself of passion
In order to see the Secret of Life;
Oftentimes, one regards life with passion,
In order to see its manifest forms.

These two (the Secret and its manifestations)
Are (in their nature) the same;
They are given different names
When they become manifest.

Now, Lao Tzu talked more about the Named. I quoted the Tao Te Ching, chapter 21, in my last post. Here is what Lao Tzu said about the Named there:

From the days of old till now
Its Named (manifested forms) have never ceased,
By which we may view the Father of All Things.
How do I know the shape of the Father of All Things?
   Through these (manifested forms)! (Tao Te Ching chapter 21, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

From all this, we can summarize:

The Tao has two forms: the secret, reached only through meditation (mindlessness) (Lao Tzu calls it “without passion”), and the manifestation, the world we live in as individuals with bodies, minds, and egos—and everything that exists in this physical plane. Lao Tzu called this the “named” to which the quote above refers.

We must apply Wu Wei to this physical plane, but we cannot sit in meditation forever simply doing nothing. Lau Tzu once said, “If every bee were a sentient [i. e., a meditative] bee, there would be no bees.”

So, what is Wu Wei?

The problem is that language’s limitations hamper us. When people hear “not doing,” they assume it means not doing anything. Even the quotes themselves imply that we do nothing. I once read that Taoism is a practice ideally suited for retired people because they can do nothing and get away with it.

But look at nature and even our own lives. Nothing does nothing. Animals hunt and graze, mate, raise offspring, rest, and do all the everyday activities that animals do. Plants grow, flower, go to seed, and die. Even rocks erode, become smaller, and eventually turn to dust.

We eat, sleep, bathe, wear clothes, and go to work. Even monks who are deep into Zen or the Tao do things. They mend, build furniture, grow crops, cook, eat, maintain their homes, and beg for money. All of that is activity.

Look at your town or city. Thousands of people live, work, study, and play in it. Think of all the jobs people do so we can live here and now. Doctors, farmers, store employees, teachers, drivers, and all the other jobs now. All of those people are doing things. How is all that consistent with Wu Wei? They cannot all be acting outside the Tao!

Remember, all this is part of the “named.” The “named” is the Tao (but not the entire Tao). It contains everything in the universe, known and unknown. It results from the creative energy of billions of true selves, all living and working on this physical plane.

Remember, too, that many, if not most of those billions (at least those on earth), have no idea of their true selves. They act according to what, at least what they think, comes from their minds but is often fed to them by their true selves.

As mentioned, Taoists will tell you that Wu Wei means letting things happen naturally or going with the flow. It means not fighting what happens but instead just letting it happen. It means being spontaneous.

The problem is that we still must act to go with the flow. We cannot sit and expect food, clothes, money, and all the rest to appear out of thin air.

Even if we could manifest it all, we still have to physically eat, drink, sleep, work, and do everything else.

But Wu Wei is not merely passively reacting to whatever happens to us. We must also positively act within the world. That’s because (whether you know it or not) your true self is actively working with other true selves to develop the manifestation. All of that requires acting, too.

Again, acting spontaneously is at odds with the planning and looking forward I wrote about in my last post. We cannot simply spontaneously respond to what is happening and survive.

We would be pulled in many directions almost simultaneously, leaving us exhausted. That’s why it is essential to balance spontaneity with a plan. Being spontaneous can be fun and exciting, but taking it too far can also be dangerous.

So, how do we act without acting? That is a profound mystery that I will address in part 2.

Namaste,

Michael Tavella, author of

“Break Through To Your True Self”

Yourtrueself.blog