![]() ![]() ![]() While the former interpretation is doing nothing, this concept refers to passivity.Īn example is given of an alcoholic who loses balance from a carriage and instead of resisting the fall, he yields to it and that saves his life (Loy 75). The Tao Te Ching warns against extremes and stopping at the expedient time frees one from danger (Mitchell Chapter 44).Īnother view of the wei-wu-wei is that action that does not impose itself but one that yields itself. “ That which is at the top is pulled down/that which is at the bottom is brought up/ That which is overfull is reduced/ that which is deficient is supplemented.” One ought to know when to cease. The Tao Te Ching likens nature to a bow in chapter 77. The individual might look at it as the concept of doing nothing but in reality, the idea is to know when to stop acting. The political view might be much similar to the personal interpretation of the Tao Te Ching in relation to wei-wu-wei. Leaving the people without any undue political interference is the key to solving the social problems for most of the problems are as a result of the political interference. The philosophical weight it carries is that on the political front, it could be said that the citizens should be exposed to as little external pressure as possible in order to facilitate the individual’s satisfaction. Wei-wu-wei is often looked at as the state of doing nothing or at least doing as little as possible. Wei-wu-wei is important in understanding Tao Te Ching because it is often viewed as a paradox within Taoism of whose importance comes second only to Tao Te Ching itself (Loy 73). However, for one to understand Tao Te Ching, it is imperative for one to first understand Wei-wu-wei. ![]()
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