Wu know

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"Wuwei" in the Beijing Imperial Palace (to be read from the right)

The term Wu wei , also Wuwei ( Chinese  無為  /  无为 , Pinyin wúwéi ) often also referred to as 為 無為  /  为 w , wéi wúwéi , comes from Daoism and is mentioned for the first time in Daodejing . It is defined as inaction in the sense of “abstaining from acting against nature .

meaning

The term Wu Wei is based on the Daoist conception of Dao , the comprehensive origin and operating principle that brings about the order and change of things, so that it would not be wise to intervene in the rule of this principle. According to this teaching, the ultimate truth is one and acts spontaneously without the human spirit having to intervene in it. The return to the origin can only take place if dualistic thinking is abandoned and actions take place naturally and spontaneously.

Wu Wei does not mean that one does not act at all, but that the actions arise spontaneously in accordance with the Dao. As a result, what is necessary is done easily and effortlessly and both overzealousness and blind actionism (which are viewed as a hindrance) are avoided. It is a state of inner silence that, at the right time, allows the right action to emerge with no effort of will.

In Daoism, the perfect is thought of as empty, soft and spontaneous and action should also be accordingly, i.e. H. without the intervention of the dualistic intellect, adapting to the situation and being intuitive . Perfect action intuitively recognizes the best means and it seems pointless to exhaust one's energy in sterile actions for the sake of action, but action should be limited to the appropriate circumstances and means. The best translation of the term Wu Wei would be “not intervening”, “active inaction” or “acting through non-action”, and it is a kind of creative passivity.

From this attitude of letting happen, non-violence and non- resistance also result as a natural consequence.

The term Wu Wei first appeared in Chinese philosophy in Daodejing and remained an essential feature of Daoism.

“If you want to travel on the water, a boat is suitable because a boat moves appropriately on the water. But if you go ashore, you will get no further and will only have trouble and achieve nothing but harm yourself. "

- Zhuangzi XIV

"Never do it and yet nothing remains undone."

"The noble one does it without intention."

- Daodejing XXXVII

“Without intention, nothing remains unsubsidized; because you are never in doubt what to do. "

See also

literature

  • JC Cooper: What is Taoism? The way of the Tao. An introduction to the ancient Chinese wisdom. Barth, Munich 1993, ISBN 3-502-62112-8 .
  • Theo Fischer: Wu Wei. The Tao art of living. Silberschnur, Güllesheim 1989, ISBN 978-3-923781-34-8 .
  • Edward Slingerland: How We Achieve More When We Want Less: The Wu-Wei Principle. Berlin Verlag, Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-8270-1067-4 .
  • Alan Watts : The Course of the Water. The wisdom of Taoism. Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1975, ISBN 3-458-34639-2 .

Web links