2 - Non-action (Wuwei)

All under heaven know that beauty is beautiful; thus ugliness is already [known].
All know good, thus bad is already [known].
Thus having and nothing are birthing each other,
Difficult and easy are becoming each other,
Long and short are comparing each other,
High and low are filling each other,
Tone and noise are harmonizing each other,
Front and back are following each other.
Therefore, a sage keeps to non-action to do his works,
And teaches by doing and not saying;
The myriad things all do not start,
Acting without presuming,
Work is achieved yet [the sage] does not dwell.
Only as he does not dwell,
Therefore this [the achievements] does not leave.

天下皆知美之為美，斯亞已。
皆知善，斯不善已。
故有無相生，難易相成，
長短相較，高下相盈，
音聲相和，前後相隨。
是以聖人居無為之事，
行不言之教；
萬物昔而弗始，
為而不恃，功成而弗居。
夫唯弗居，是以不去。

This chapter discusses non-action, or wuwei (無為):

  • Everything exists for us because of the existence of their opposites
  • In the same way, non-action is the opposite of action, existing as its counterpart
  • Non-action means to act without being pushy or conceited in your way being the best, to achieve without seeking praise or rewards - this is the way of a sage.
In dealing with things, "what can you do?" is not the only question, but also "what can you not do?" (This sensitivity to and recognition of the "non-side" of things is one of the characteristics of Daoist philosophy unseen elsewhere.)

From the view of cultivation also, it is important to harness the non-action as well as the action. In cultivation (and martial arts), many other opposing pairs are important as well, such as fire and water, hard and soft, movement and stillness, fast and slow, etc.

Also important is the distinction between "being" and "non-being" - which is used in cultivation of the elixer.

Chapter 1 ← | → Chapter 3

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