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nestentrie

Trying Not To Try: Wu Wei on nautil.us

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Hehehe Typos don't matter all that much here.

 

Very nice article. I am always interested in others' understanding of the concept of "wu wei".

 

I normally refer to the two "I"s as instinct and thinking mind but I think he is saying the same thing with his "body and mind". Of course, there is a third that should be considered and that is the "intuitional mind".

 

I liked his definition of "effortless action". That is similar to ChiDragon's "no unnatural action".

 

And yes, I agree that we should have all aspects of "our self" working in harmony. No inner conflicts.

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I normally refer to the two "I"s as instinct and thinking mind but I think he is saying the same thing with his "body and mind". Of course, there is a third that should be considered and that is the "intuitional mind".

 

Yes, I think too that a distinction should be made between instinct and intuition. One is protective (fight or flight, perhaps), and the other is nurturing (or more 'thoughtful).

 

I did like the article too, but I think I'll always be a beginner with Wu Wei. it's something you can never seem to pin down and say 'yeah, i was wu wei there, i achieved it': it defies description. However I do suppose that one can rest in it (and maybe that's the point).

 

 

To fix tag typos, hit the reply button, then the use full editor button :).

 

:/ I couldn't find the button.

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I did like the article too, but I think I'll always be a beginner with Wu Wei. it's something you can never seem to pin down and say 'yeah, i was wu wei there, i achieved it': it defies description. However I do suppose that one can rest in it (and maybe that's the point).

How do we know we've "got it"?

 

I like to look at this question from the view of how we feel about ourself. If we have no inner conflict with what we are doing or not doing then I think it can be said that we are pretty close to it.

 

The terms "no unnatural action" and "effortless action" seem to me to pretty much set the standard. "Effortless" in that we are not forcing ourself to do something that we don't really want to do and "not unnatural" in that whether 'doing' or 'not doing' we are in "our" natural state. And this state will vary from one individual to another because our individual "natures" are different.

 

To do nothing because nothing needs be done at the moment. But the next moment may require action. This would indicate, for me, that awareness is a very important factor. The thought of dealing with a problem while it is still small and easy to correct.

 

How do we know? Do we have inner peace? That might be the answer.

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