Nature has perfected the design; we attempt to modify it to our likings. In a contradictory effort, we seem to make it our mission to leave an indelible mark on everything. Whether it be our appearance, our possessions, or our environment, the status quo of western society is to make change and either expend the energy yourself or have it outsourced.
Stepping back to think about this for a minute yields an interesting conclusion that stems from ancient Taoism.
The art of wu wei.
The Taoist concept of wu wei is best described by Bruce Lee who said
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless
like water put water into a cup. Becomes the cup.
Put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow or creep or drip or crash.
Be water my friend.”
This act of inaction, or non-action is best displayed in things like happiness, sleep, or love. In essence, by trying
to achieve more of these things or force them to happen the more difficult it becomes to actually obtain the outcome
you are chasing.
The more you chase happiness the more it evades you, only making you think you need to try harder.
Another way to think about wu wei is strategic passivity, or strategically performing such that you can
ebb and flow with the environment.
Much like a tree branch bends in the wind. The branch is still
growing outwards, yet when faced with strong winds that try to dictate the branch’s direction the
branch effortlessly sways with the wind.
If the branch is rigid then the branch will break. Ironically the
flexibility of the branch makes it stronger over time.
A rigid tree branch will break when faced with an outside force of strong winds. A flexible branch sways
and bends with the winds, growing stronger with each repetition.
Integrating Wu Wei
- Learn to recognize when effort is truly needed vs when things should be left to play out on their own.
- Take notice of sensory information
- Identify individual sounds when out for a walk.
- Feel the texture of a pen line as you draw it across paper.
- Sit calmly and observe your breathing pattern.
- Flow with your surroundings, not against them
In conclusion, wu wei is not an end-all, be-all ideology for all that life has to offer or all that one
encounters in life. It does however encapsulate an important idea that we may overlook during our pursuits.
Sometimes trying harder does not bring the results we chase, sometimes the world ebbs and
flows at its own pace.
Sometimes just going with the flow works out for the best.
For additional reading please check out these links…
Wu Wei: A New Approach To Life – MindOwl
The Wisdom of Wei Wu Wei: Letting Good Things Happen | Psychology Today
Comments
One response to “The Effortless Accomplishments of Laziness”
Awesome article sensei