Wu wei
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Wu wei is a concept from ancient Chinese philosophy that literally means not-acting or non-doing, variously interpreted and translated as actionlessness, inaction, or effortless action. In Taoism, it
Zhaoming Mirror frame, Western Han dynasty
"The Way of Listening is to be giddy as though soused. Be dumber and dumber. Let others deploy themselves, and accordingly I shall know them." Right and wrong whirl around him like spokes on a wheel, but the sovereign does not complot. Emptiness, stillness, non-action—these are the characteristics of the Way. By checking and comparing how it accords with reality, [one ascertains] the "performance" of an enterprise. Han Fei Detail of The Spinning Wheel, by
EN HAN260BCE
Tao Te Ching
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The Tao Te Ching or Dào Dé Jīng, more simply Laozi, is an ancient Chinese classic text traditionally credited to the sage Laozi. It is central to both philosophical and religious Taoism.
Wu wei
…of the universe; and "purposive Daoism", emphasizing control over phenomena. Accordingly, Creel differentiates wu wei as found in the Zhuangzi and Tao te Ching, respectively as: An "attitude of genuine non-action, motivated by a lack of desire to participate in human affairs" and…
Ink on silk manuscript of the Tao Te Ching – from Mawangdui (2nd century BCE)
Laozi riding a water buffalo