If you feel like everything is a struggle, wu wei is a Taoist concept for you. It means “doing without doing” or “effortless effort.” Wu wei describes the way a sailboat crosses a lake, patiently using the natural energy of the wind, gliding silently through the water.
This subtle harnessing of what exists requires a different kind of effort than the strained, painful hustling many of us are used to. I often feel more akin to a motorboat barreling loudly through the surface of a lake, churning up seaweed and spewing gas, just trying to get somewhere else more quickly.
My 2022 theme of “Gratitude” has me thinking a lot about wu wei and Taosim. Practicing gratitude requires less striving and more joyful acceptance and skillful use of what is given.
This verse from Stephen Mitchell’s translation of Tao Te Ching nicely illustrates the spirit of wu wei. This seminal Taoist text elevates the passive, fluid, receptive, dark, and feminine, what Taoists would call “yin” energy (as opposed to the more active “yang” energy):
“The master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and let’s the Tao speak for itself.”
The Tao is the self-contained force/existence/natural law of the universe that is at the heart of Taoism. The Tao is both yin and yang. It creates, destroys, and maintains. The Tao is both active energy and the still quiet center that holds all things in balance.
Yet, our society has long been out of balance: it glorifies yang and devalues yin. We are told that anything of value must be hard fought and hard won. Wu wei sounds like laziness, weakness, or childish idealism.
But what if life didn’t have to feel so hard? What if we could be more like water, moving deftly around obstacles and, slowly, patiently, over time, shaping our lives in a way that feels almost effortless? What if we could embrace wu wei? How would your life change?
Share your answer in the Mother Den community.
Danielle LaSusa Ph.D. is a Philosophical Coach, helping new moms grapple with what it means to make a person. She is the creator of The Meaning of Motherhood course, and co-creator and co-host of Think Hard podcast, which brings fun, accessible, philosophical thinking to the real world. To join her mailing list, subscribe here.
© Copyright Danielle LaSusa PhD, LCC, 2021. All rights reserved.
