Wu Wei- the Dao of enough is enough

​In Daoism, one of the most fundamental principles is the concept of Wu Wei.

The literal meaning of wu wei is: “without action or without striving”, and is often meant to symbolize effortless doing, as in the grass growing.

It’s not that there is no action, but the grass does nothing contrived, artificial, or with struggle. It does so spontaneously and without effort.

The practice of wu wei is a fundamental tenet of almost all schools of Daoist (and some Confucian) thought.  

The conundrum is one cannot actively pursue wu wei or it then becomes its antithesis known as You Wei, or action born of effort/struggle.

Wu wei can be better seen as observation of one's behavior, and most importantly Reality as it is, versus what one’s Mind tells them it is. Wu wei is alighted upon once an individual accepts themselves for who they are and releases the imagined control over their world and their life and allows the Dao to flow and then merge with that flow.

Now, as a word of caution, do not mistake the distinction to mean that wu wei is good and you wei is not. This is a very western way at looking at life, but it only leads to more distinctions of the mind and therefore more you wei. Instead let’s look at this another way.

In Daoism we say when Yin becomes full it becomes Yang and when Yang reaches its Zenith it becomes Yin. So is the case for you wei and wu wei. Without the understanding and experience of you wei you cannot know and understand wu wei.

But ultimately what’s important is this: how does this apply to everyday life? Simply put it means to live and abide with one simple principle: enough is enough.

The culprit of you wei is the Mind.

Only the Mind can believe in the concept of lack, scarcity, and not being enough. Yet from the bounty of this world and laws of nature there is always enough. This does not negate the states of feast or famine, but it does mean that there will be times of feasting to last through the times of famine.

If we can accept our world and reality as it is then we can see that there is always enough. The magic here is to accept and allow this concept. But as long as there is Mind there will be fear and the need to exert imagined control and authority over the world. The result can only be suffering.

The point at which you wei becomes wu wei is simply the point at which one loses their mind! There are stars which put constituent elements into the universe based on a feedback system which tells the stars what elements to release. Volcanoes are the same here on earth. Even the human body adheres to this by a mother’s breast receiving information from the baby’s mouth and saliva telling her brain what nutrients and antibodies the baby needs at each feeding!

This is the Heaven, Man, and Earth of the same universal principle: everything is provided as it is needed when it is needed. Each of us is born into this world because we are exactly what is needed in the world at this time.

How can we never be enough!

There are limitless examples of this, but all the evidence in the world is useless without adding the magical ingredient, acceptance.

Accepting and living by the principle that life doesn’t require 110% or 90% allows for the effortless growth and living of each person.

​You cannot be loved and accepted more by God/Nature/Universe/et al by doing more. You are already enough. Simply learning and creating who you choose to be is what you are here to do and thereby you fulfill the measure of your creation, which is the whole reason for you to be here at this time from the beginning.