ChiDragon

By the definition of Wu Wei, any human intervention to Nature is not Wu Wei. BTW There is a term for the opposite of Wu Wei is You Wei(有為).

First of all, I knew something like that will be coming from you! Let me cover myself with some preliminary philosophical back ups. I am strictly going by the book of the TTC. In a human environment, anything that is uncontrollable by human is Nature. Since I have my S covered, now, I can speak freely. The bird building a nest that is nature. I have no control of it. I have no intention to remove the nest or destroy it. It is because of Wu Wei. If I become naughty, and disturb the bird or remove its nest, then I would be accused of being not Wu Wei. It is because I had interrupt the course of Nature. To you, the building a bird nest may be a modification to Nature. However, to a Taoist, it is only the course of Nature. The bird needs a place to live by building a nest on a tree is completely natural! Don't you think?

These two lines are saying that Tao is eternal. It cannot be named with any name. You can't talk about it just with words. Tao, here, is a thing that is indescribable. In the later chapters, Tao was not just a thing. The actions of Tao will become the principles of Tao. An intellectual understanding has to go more deeper into reading the TTC. Reading one line or two do not give the whole picture of the TTC. One will see Tao, sometimes, is a principle tao(lower case). When Tao is capitalized, it is Tao itself. Ofc, in Chinese do not have the luxury to capitalize the characters as in English. However, it was done mentally in a native mind.

The document doesn't POINTS the experience of Tao. Rather, it points out the principles of Tao.

Ok! I will leave it at that with your own experiences.

OK! Let's assume that the TDC isn't the experience of Tao.Then, it is a document that POINTS the experience of who?

I think your closest definition of Wu Wei was from someone's translation. What did you compare with to make you think it is the closest? Effortless action, to me, it sounds that the outcome could be positive or negative. It may cause harm or beneficial from the result of the action. Apparently, the definition is definitely did not match the TTC definition of Wu Wei. I don't think that I can find a chapter in the TDC to substantiate this definition.

Yes, the conceptual understanding was presented in all the Chapters of the Tao De Ching. Each chapter has a story to tell. By the time the reading was finished, one will know what Wu Wei is all about.

If you want a good example of Wu Wei, I think you have already incorporated in your practice. Good job! 👏

Yes, I understood it by the definition as defined in the TTC. My I ask where did you get your definition from? BTW The definition of Wu Wei is: Take no action to cause harm or interrupt the course of nature.

Yes, 为無为。 Wu Wei is a compound character and stand alone. The first Wei can be a single character in the phrase. The translation is "for Wu Wei." For example, I will do this for Wu Wei .

Wu Wei is a compound character. Wu Wei is a term with a philosophy behind it. The word Wu is meaningless if it was treated alone here.

I didn't sense that the definition of Wu Wei was understood from your valuable comment. Perhaps something was hidden in your mind just didn't make sense to you. May I ask how do you truly understand about Wu Wei in your own words other than other translations? Thanks!

You can answer it yourself. Do you have an intend there?

Only if you don't have a choice.

Well, let nature take its course.

No problem. I love it. in this scenario, you have no intention to kill the frog, therefore, you are still Wu Wei. Intention is the keyword here. If you have an intention to kill the frog, then, you didn't let nature take its course. You are safe here. Let's put is this way, Wu Wei do not give you credit for good behavior. Only if you did something that cause harm to nature, then you get blame for it. So to speak.

Sorry, I had left out something in the definition. In the scenario, saving an animal was not causing harm to nature. However, if you killed the animal, then you are not Wu Wei.

I think you spoke too soon. Please read Chapter 51 above. 動態平衡道士

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.

The concept was originate from the term of Wu Wei well defined in Chapter 51 by Laotze in his TTC. It was practiced by the cultivation of the xing(mind).

I just want to make myself clear, I didn't say Wu Wei, "do nothing" is the correct translation! The correct translation is let nature take its course without interfering by humans. Something one don't understand need to be explained. This is why we are having this discussionr. We should not have the attitude that a new thing didn't learn before is not acceptable. After we have ironed things out, then something new has been learned. What do you think?

I think you are confused with the concept of Confucian's 道德. This is a compound character that means morality. The 道德 in 道德經 are two different entities. They are separated as 道 and 德, not compounded. The 道 here is the principle. 德 is the virtue was credited to those who follow the principle of Tao. Thus it is 道德(compound) known as having the virtue for following the principle of Tao. Didn't we have the same discussion before from here and there, over and over?

Many religions use the term Wu Wei. To a Buddhist, Wu Wei are the taboos as rules that monks are forbidden to do. To a Taoist, Wu Wei in the only thing Taoist do not do to cause interruption of any kind against nature.

As you wish!