Wu Wei and Taoism - the great mastering of effortless, natural action

There is something blurred and indistinct

Antedating Heaven and Earth.

How Indistinct! How Blurred!

Yet within it are forms.

How dim! How confused!

Quiet, though ever functioning.

It does nothing, yet through it all things are done.

To its accomplishment it lays no credit.

It loves and nourishes all things, but does not lord it over them.

I do not know its name,

I call it the Tao.

Lao Tzu

Taoism, also spelt as Daoism, is a doctrine that emerged around 2500 years ago in China. Around 500 B.C.E Lao Tzu wrote the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, and around 400 B.C.E Chuang Tzu (also known as ´Zhuangzi´) further developed the philosophy, particularly in relation to the concept of virtue, garnering it more popularity. Although most prominent in the third and fourth centuries BCE, to this day Taoism remains an influential philosophical approach to spirituality, that like Buddhism can be considered both as a philosophy and a religion that dates back as far as from before Christ.

Taoism - trusting our nature

Despite laying the foundation for the Zen movement, Taoism is not a philosophy of compelling oneself to be calm and dignified under all circumstances. And whilst essentially, adherents of Taoist culture are interested in finding the way towards perfection, the philosophy does not set out any guidance for how to be a perfect as Taoists refuse to define what constitutes the perfect civilian and mankind. Taoists are concerned more with the method or way of living, than the results, and to be a true follower of the philosophy you must be only one thing, which is to be ready and willing, without shame, to do whatever comes naturally in all circumstances. The quintessence of Taoist philosophy is that ´the Sage falls asleep not because he ought to, nor even because he wants to, but because he is sleepy´. Whilst, this is simple to understand, of course this is tremendously difficult to realize in the real world with all the social conditioning that is widespread in culture today, making us behave less naturally, and often more robotically.

Thus, the core tenet of Taoism relating to human nature is that it is fundamentally good, just as nature is, and that to thrive, humans therefore only need to trust each other, themselves and nature, and act with spontaneity. However, without this underlying trust, far from being wiser and more realistic, Taoists believe man is doomed to fail to live up to his potential, and as a consequence, systems will get put in place that provoke suffering and take away men´s credibility. Taoists state that excessive moralising, law and order, and unnatural hierarchies designed to preserve power in the hands of corrupt controllers, are the tragedies of a fundamental mistrust in human nature and mankind.

What is Tao

The difficult question Taoists have to answer is what is Tao. This is particularly tricky as it is argued that words cannot do justice to what it is, perhaps due to their linear nature. The Tao Te Ching begins by saying that the Tao which can be spoken is not the eternal (or regular) Tao. Chuang Tzu says - ´It may be attained but not seen´ , implying it is something which can be felt but not conceived, yet alone explained. It was called by Alan Watts the Watercourse Way because both Lao-tzu and Chuangtzu use the flow of water as its principal metaphor. Lao-Tzu describes how ´Tao in the world is like a river going down the valley to the ocean´; how ´the highest good is like water, for the good of water is that it nourishes everything without striving´; and how despite the fact ´nothing in the world is weaker than water´, ´the most gentle thing in the world overrides the most hard.´ Chuangtzu also uses water, in both its still and fluid states, as a metaphor to emphasise positive traits in man- ´if water thus derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind? The mind of the Sage being in repose becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation. The fluidity of water is not the result of any effort on the part of the water, but is its natural property. And the virtue of the perfect man is such that even without cultivation there is nothing which can withdraw from his sway. Heaven is naturally high, the earth is naturally solid, the sun and moon are naturally bright. Do they cultivate these attributes?´

Lao-Tzu writes how -´The great Tao flows everywhere, to the left and to the right. All things depend upon it to exist, and it does not abandon them. To its accomplishments it lays no claim. It loves and nourishes all things, but does not lord it over them.´ A crucial point can be discerned here and that is that unlike other religions which demand obediance, worship and glory, the Tao is completely the opposite, not showing any sign of dominance over anything, despite giving to all things, and not even laying claim to its accomplishments.

Alan Watts concludes, using Chinese terminology that the ´Tao is the flowing course of nature and the universe; li is its principle of order which, following Needham, we can best translate as “organic pattern”; and water is its eloquent metaphor. But we cannot explain li by laying it out flat, as in a geometrical diagram, or define it in the linear order of words, although I am paradoxically trying to do so. Another reason why the Tao and its pattern escape us is that they are ourselves, and we are: Like a sword that cuts but cannot cut itself; Like an eye that sees but cannot see itself.´ Words and analysis will not do Tao justice just as describing a colour to a blind man will not give the blind man an equal taste of what colour is.

Wu Wei - the art of not forcing

Wu Wei could be literally translated as no-action, but it is actually more aptly translated as effortless, natural action. It is the life-style of one who follows the Tao, and is in essence the wisdom that by knowing the principles, structures, and trends of human and natural affairs well enough, you can expend the least amount of energy in dealing with them. So by trusting fully in your instincts and “unconscious” intelligence, you can get the most out of the world in return.

This is metaphorically following the current, that is taking the line of least resistance in your actions; resulting in the saving of time and energy, and in the efforts that are put in being maximised. Not forcing is not the same as paralysis, since we all know doing nothing takes considerable force and effort and becomes very unnatural when our feelings compel us to take action.

All in all, Wu Wei is not, as can be wrongly inferred, the mere avoidance of effort, but more the maximisation of effort. Taken debatebly to the extreme by his pure convictions, Lao-tzu really emphasises this point in the Tao Te Ching, where he writes that ´the Tao does nothing, and yet nothing is left undone´. Lao-Tzu then, concerned with providing advise to rulers, writes: ´I take no action and people are reformed. I enjoy peace and people become honest. I use no force and people become rich. I have no ambitions and people return to the good and simple life.´ The central idea is that even the good-intentioned don´t need to take action to reform people, make them honest, rich or humble, because that is essentially what people are or will do themselves. Taoists believe that only trouble is made by those who strive to improve themselves and the world by forceful means, since ´everything forced, for whatever reason, fails´.

Lao-Tzu writes how ´(Even) the best will in the world, when forced, achieves nothing. The best righteousness, when forced, achieves nothing. The best good-form, when forced, does not come out right, and so, as ever, mere “elbow-grease” is used to enforce law.´ This applies to cultivating Wu-Wei itself, where if done deliberately and therefore forcibly and not naturally, well according to the philosophy itself this self-contradictory action should result in failure.

This also applies to survival and power, with Taoists arguing that one´s chances of survival are best when there is no anxiety to survive, and the greatest power is available to those who do not seek power and who do not use force. This explains why Lao-Tzu postulates in the Tao Te Ching that ´The best soldier is not soldierly; The best fighter is not ferocious; The best conqueror does not take part in war; The best employer of men keeps himself below them.´

The political analogy to Lao-Tzu´s beliefs is Kropotkin’s anarchism—´the theory that if people are left alone to do as they please, to follow their nature and discover what truly pleases them, a social order will emerge of itself. Individuality is inseparable from community...If each thing follows its own li (natural law) it will harmonize with all other things following theirs, not by reason of rule imposed from above but by their mutual resonance and interdependence.´ This applies to society where ´because of the mutual interdependence of all beings, they will harmonize if left alone and not forced into conformity with some arbitrary, artificial, and abstract notion of order, and this harmony will emerge tzu-jan , of itself, without external compulsion.´

Virtue being unintentional

On virtue, Lao Tzu writes ´superior virtue is not (intentionally) virtuous, and thus is virtue. Inferior virtue does not let go of being virtuous, and thus is not virtue. Superior virtue uses no force, but nothing is left undone. Inferior virtue uses force, but achieves nothing.´

Chuangtzu echoes this writing how ´in an age of perfect virtue, good men are not appreciated; ability is not conspicuous. Rulers are mere beacons, while the people are as free as the wild deer. They are upright without being conscious of duty to their neighbors. They love one another without being conscious of charity. They are true without being conscious of loyalty. They are honest without being conscious of good faith. They act freely in all things without recognizing obligations to anyone. Thus, their deeds leave no trace; their affairs are not handed down to posterity.´

Lao Tzu states that ´a good man does not argue´ . Whilst telling people what they can do is purely informative, just as explaining why they might want to do something is informational and doesn´t constitute arguing, expecting people to make certain choices and trying to change their will through persuasion is considered arguing as as it is forceful, and therefore bad.

The deeper point I feel Lao Tzu is making is that in a truly free world, there is little point in telling another person what they should do, let alone arguing with them about it, because if they already want to do it, it is superflous to tell them, and if they don´t wish to, it is useless, as they are free to do what they want.

Furthermore, Lao Tzu describes how people will try to fix things that needn´t be fixed, for according to him the world is full of paradoxes such as that: ´The greatest perfection seems imperfect; Yet its use will last without decay. The greatest fullness seems empty; Yet its use cannot be exhausted. The greatest straightness seems crooked; The greatest dexterity seems awkward; The greatest eloquence seems stammering.´ Given the illusion of things, we may ruin what is perfectly fine because of our lack of trust in them, and that will require force and argument, otherwise the thing wouldn't be perfectly fine in the first place.

The paradox of Taoism - tranquility in disturbance

Mathematician and Taoist Raymond M.Smullyan defines Taoism as ´a state of inner serenity combined with an intense aesthetic awareness. Neither alone is adequate; a purely passive serenity is kind of dull, and an anxiety-ridden awareness is not very appealing." This in a way parallels Chuangtzu´s deduction that as everything is ´in destruction´, and everything is ´in construction´, ´following´ and ´receiving´ everything can be termed as having ´tranquillity in disturbance´ and this ´means perfection´. Taoism is similar to Buddhism in portraying sages as having somewhat fewer desires, and yet unlike Buddhism does not advocate not desiring, for even desiring to get rid of desires is a desire. In fact, desire is a part of Tao and therefore cannot be lost.

Furthermore, due to nature creating polarity, so long as we desire the experience called pleasure we imply and so generate its opposite, pain, for without pleasure there can be no pain and vica-versa. Thus, for Taoists, ´joy and anger occur as naturally as the four seasons´ and calmness is not a synonym for boredom.

Relating to this, contemplative Taoists do not train themselves with meditation or yoga, yet may still meditate and do yoga. In doing so, they are not pushing themselves to self-improve through mental discipline and willpower, but instead are harmonising with the Tao by entering this state of combined serenity and intense aesthetic awareness, and Taoists will accordingly continue or stop the exercise whenever it feels right, not when a goal is reached. In short, Taoists may meditate, but nearly always for the sake of joy of meditation. This is not a goal based religion, where attaining Satori or Nirvana is the intention.

This polarity in nature was emphasised by Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Chin when he wrote: ´When everyone knows beauty as beautiful, there is already ugliness; When everyone knows good as goodness, there is already evil. “To be” and “not to be” arise mutually; Difficult and easy are mutually realized; Long and short are mutually contrasted; High and low are mutually posited; …Before and after are in mutual sequence.´ The belief in balancing forces was of course central to Lao Tzu´s philosophy, and though he himself did not write much about yin and yang, he referenced it once saying ´“All things carry Yin yet embrace Yang. They blend their life breaths in order to produce harmony.”

Chuangtzu wrote far more about Yin and Yang, stating for example how ´Yin in its highest form is freezing while yang in its highest form is boiling´ and how ´one yin and one yang is called the Tao.´ Thus, a Taoist lifestyle incorporates both, achieving Wu Wei through harmonisation. Meditation for example, would represent the yin aspect of Taoist life while Tai Chi, the Yang aspect.

Trusting the senses

Ultimately, I believe the Taoist Wu-Wei philosophy is best summed up by Lieh-tzu, the third traditional Taoist writer after Lao Tzu and Chuangtzu, who wrote in around 400 BCE:

´Let the ear hear what it longs to hear, the eye see what it longs to see, the nose smell what it likes to smell, the mouth speak what it wants to speak, let the body have every comfort that it craves, let the mind do as it will. Now what the ear wants to hear is music, and to deprive it of this is to cramp the sense of hearing. What the eye wants to see is carnal beauty; and to deprive it is to cramp the sense of sight. What the nose craves for is to have near it the fragrant plants shu [dogwood] and lan [orchids]; and if it cannot have them, the sense of smell is cramped. What the mouth desires is to speak of what is true and what false; and if it may not speak, then knowledge is cramped. What the body desires for its comfort is warmth and good food. Thwart its attainment of these, and you cramp what is natural and essential to man. What the mind wants is liberty to stray whither it will, and if it has not this freedom, the very nature of man is cramped and thwarted. Tyrants and oppressors cramp us in every one of these ways. Let us depose them, and wait happily for death to come.´

References

(1) Tao - The Watercourse Way, Alan Watts, 1975

(2) The Tao Is Silent, Raymond M. Smullyan, 1977

(3) Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, 401