The Concept of 無為(Wu Wei)

[ChiDragon]

It seems to be a big issue for someone to understand the concept of Wu Wei. Perhaps it is so esoteric and philosophical.
The definition of 無為 is "Take no action that cause harm to interrupt the course of nature." This definition was will defined in the TTC, There are few chapters in the TTC to substantiate it.

Have are the some derivatives from the term of Wu Wei that was mentioned in the TTC.

1. 為無為: for Wu Wei; for the sake of Wu Wei

2. 無為而無不為: because of Wu Wei there was nothing that cannot be accomplished.
3. 有無: Take intentional action 

Edited Friday at 08:14 PM by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

Chapter 51 - 玄德的無為
1.道生之，
2.德畜之，
3.物形之，
4.勢成之。
5.是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。
6.道之尊，
7.德之貴，
8.夫莫之命而常自然。
9.故,
10.道生之，
11.德畜之。
12.長之育之。
13.亭之毒之。
14.養之覆之。
15.生而不有，
16.為而不恃，
17.長而不宰。
18.是謂玄德。 

Chapter 51 The Divine Virtue of Wu Wei
1. Tao engenders it,
2. Te rears it.
3. Matter forms it,
4. Environment grows it.
5. Hence, all things respect Tao and honor Te.
6. The dignity of Tao,
7. The value of Te.
8. They do not interfere but let them be natural.
9. Therefore,
10. Tao engenders it,
11. Te rears it.
12. Grow it and nourish it,
13. Let it grow to maturity,
14. To foster it and protect it.
15. Engenders it but not possess it.
16. For it but not restraining it,
17. Raise it but not controlling it,
18. It was called divine virtue.

[ChiDragon]

19 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

10.道生之，
11.德畜之。
12.長之育之。
13.亭之毒之。
14.養之覆之。
15.生而不有，
16.為而不恃，
17.長而不宰。
18.是謂玄德。
10. Tao engenders it,
11. Te rears it.
12. Grow it and nourish it,
13. Let it grow to maturity,
14. To foster it and protect it.
15. Engenders it but not possess it.
16. For it but not restraining it,
17. Raise it but not controlling it,
18. It was called divine virtue.

The lines are implicating that Tao is unselfish by not interrupting with the course of Nature. The hidden message is about Wu Wei and Tao is being virtuous.

Edited Friday at 11:45 PM by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

Excessive control over something is doom to failure!

 

Edited Saturday at 12:40 AM by ChiDragon

[SodaChanh]

19 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

Take no action that cause harm to interrupt the course of nature.

 

Let action come from True Nature. 

 

If action comes from conditioned self, it will result in harm. 

 

Has nothing to with nature as animals, forests etc. 

[SodaChanh]

15 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

Tao is being virtuous

 

Tao is always virtuous but human conditioned mind thinks otherwise arising as judgment (good, bad).

[Cobie]

 

3 hours ago, SodaChanh said:

Let action come from True Nature. 

 

If action comes from conditioned self, it will result in harm. 

 

Has nothing to with nature as animals, forests etc. 

 

 

Exactly.
 

On 02/01/2026 at 1:10 AM, Cobie said:

無為 (wu2 wei2) do not behave like a civil servant; be yourself

無 (wu2) not *
為 (wei2) behave like a civil servant *

 

~~~
* amongst other meanings, Classical was polysemic

 

 

Edited Saturday at 06:26 PM by Cobie

[SodaChanh]

26 minutes ago, Cobie said:

無 (wu2) not *
為 (wei2) behave like a civil servant *

 

Yes, even a civil servant to an external philosophy like Taoism. 

 

Just be a free person with no self invented cage. 

[Cobie]

.

Edited Saturday at 06:47 PM by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

3 hours ago, SodaChanh said:

 

Let action come from True Nature. 

 

If action comes from conditioned self, it will result in harm. 

 

Has nothing to with nature as animals, forests etc. 

 

Did you read or understand the TTC?

Edited Saturday at 07:12 PM by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

4 hours ago, SodaChanh said:

If action comes from conditioned self, it will result in harm. 

 

Has nothing to with nature as animals, forests etc. 

 

Your conditioned self nature may be causing harm to Nature too. You will be ended up dealing with Nature after all.

You are speaking for yourself other than 为無为，Wei Wu Wei. 

Edited Saturday at 07:33 PM by ChiDragon

[Cobie]

.

Edited Sunday at 12:02 AM by Cobie

[Cobie]

.

Edited Saturday at 11:56 PM by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

34 minutes ago, Cobie said:

Laozi did not concern himself with nature, the things (物 wu4) in the physical world (天地 tian1 di4).

His sole concern was the regulating of interpersonal relations (事 shi4) in the social world (天下 tian1 xia4).

Yes, that was partially looking at it. Did Tao create all things and the universe? BTW "Regulating" is not a good choice of word here wu wu wie.

[ChiDragon]

19 minutes ago, Cobie said:

... about the meaning of the Chinese term “dao,” usually translated as “Way.”

Dead wrong! Please reread Chapter 1.

道, Tao comes in this order:

1. 道理: principle; reason; reasoning

2. 道德: morality

3. 道路: road; path; way

Edited Saturday at 08:56 PM by ChiDragon

[Cobie]

.

Edited Saturday at 11:55 PM by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

52 minutes ago, Cobie said:

 

The primordial chaos already existed before Dao.

Chapter 25
1.有物混成

1. A thing formed

There was no chaos. I don't see it in the first line. You are reading too many mistranslated version with misinterpretations. The translators wanted to add some extra ingredients to contaminate Tao. 

Edited Saturday at 09:59 PM by ChiDragon

[Cobie]

.

Edited Saturday at 11:55 PM by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

22 minutes ago, Cobie said:

I use the oldest script, Guodian , which is  much older than the script you use.

Show me chaos in that version.

PS
In the Guodian version, I found
Chapter 25
1. 有狀混成
1. A thing formed.

No chaos!

Edited Saturday at 10:25 PM by ChiDragon

[SodaChanh]

3 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

 

Did you read or understand the TTC?

I speak from experience. 

[Cobie]

.

Edited Saturday at 11:55 PM by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

1 minute ago, Cobie said:

It is in your own translation!

 

It was a copycat. I am revising it now to read:

1. A thing formed
 

[Cobie]

.

Edited Saturday at 11:55 PM by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

2 minutes ago, Cobie said:

Okidoki. Then can you please give me the whole chapter of your new version.

Chapter 25
1. 有物混成
2. 先天地生
3. 寂兮寥兮
4. 獨立而不改
5. 周行而不殆
6. 可以為天地母
7. 吾不知其名
8. 強字之曰"道"
9. 強為之名曰"大"
10. 大曰逝
11. 逝曰遠
12. 遠曰反
13. 故道大
14. 天大
15. 地大
16. 人亦大
17. 域中有四大
18. 而人居其一焉
19. 人法地
20. 地法天
21. 天法道
22. 道法自然

1. A thing formed;
2. Before heaven and earth were born;
3. Soundless and formless;
4. Independent but unchangeable;
5. Orbiting but never exhaust;
6. It may be the mother of heaven and earth.
7. I don't know its name.
8. I'm reluctantly calling it "Tao".
9. I'm even more reluctant to have the name "Big" for it.
10.Big but dynamic;
11.Dynamic but far;
12.Far but reciprocating.
13.Therefore, Tao is great.
14.Sky is great.
15.Earth is great.
16.Human is great.
17.In space, there are four great's;
18.Thus human is one of them here.
19.Human follows Earth.
20.Earth follows Heaven.
21.Heaven follows Tao.
22.Tao follows its own nature

[ChiDragon]

13 minutes ago, SodaChanh said:

I speak from experience. 

Experience is different from the true definition of Wu Wei. At least, not by interpreting the characters by themselves anyway.