Wu wei

Wu wei is usually translated as "non-action" or "not doing", but this is misleading. It does not mean doing nothing. It means acting in harmony with the way things are, without forcing, strain or the wish to control the result.

In the book

The idea runs through the Tao Te Ching: the sage "manages affairs without doing anything" (chapter 2), and governs a great state "as one cooks a small fish", not stirring it too much (chapter 60). Water is the best example (chapter 8): it benefits all things, takes the lowest place and does not strive. The Zhuangzi gives the story of the cook who cuts an ox without ever dulling his blade, because he follows the natural lines.

In daily life

• Doing a task with full attention and without tension, as an experienced craftsperson does.
• Not pushing a conversation or a relationship in a forced direction.
• Knowing when to stop, as chapter 9 says: to keep on filling a vessel till it overflows is not as good as to stop in time.

Misunderstandings

Wu wei is not laziness, nor a rule for politics that ignores real problems. It is closer to skill: effort that does not fight against itself.

The text is James Legge's English translation of 1891, in the public domain. Legge's brackets mark words he added to make the sense clear. The notes are our own. Translations of the Tao Te Ching differ a great deal, and this one is old; for the sense, read a few chapters side by side with a modern translation from a library.