by Steve Marshall

Created on: September 27, 2008

Wu Wei. Effortless Effort. Action through Inaction

Why aren't we happy? It's because nearly ninety-nine percent of everything that we do, and think, and say, is for our self, and there isn't one. We make outwards effort to be our self actively, and the inactivity of unhappiness must follow. Rather than trying to do things for our self, we need to be active as our self, to find that our self is naturally active as itself, only in the whole.

- Wu Wei Wu

This means, and refers to the ego self. The ego is false in a way, but exists as a real part of our self, none the less. I think this alludes to the idea, that we are all a part of the TAO, and always therefore inseparable from it, and so it's saying that there is no separate self as such, as it is always a part of the larger, or greater Universe, or Universal self.

This means that when you do, or say, or think anything, you are doing it from soul, and which is yourself, but really this self, only exists as part of the greater self, or God and life. But it's more just a play on words, as there is a soul and there is God, and they are separated by the creation of freedom, but connected back together by love.

God cut off parts of himself, to give an independently free existence to these parts, and so they are still all remaining a part of him, but have an independent life of their own, and this is only that which is found to be you. And to say there is no you, is missing the whole point of creation, and its growth to maturity, through the experiences of soul, or the path back to God, from God.

What is wei wu wei, and what is inaction and action? My wife maintains we must all come to the World from the side of action, and she thinks that I tend to come to the world more from the side of inaction. Is either one of us right, or not? Where does the balance exist between taking action, and remaining inactive in our life?

Tao abides in non-action. Yet nothing is ever left undone - Lao Tzu

Where does the idea of total acceptance, and force fit into these ideas? If total acceptance is inaction, does this then imply that any action then is a part of force, or not?

Wu wei, or wei wu wei, is saying that you are you, but asking the question back to you, why are you not active as you. All activity must be as you. All inactivity must then be the acceptance of all other action, coming from other than the real you. This only means that when you are totally being active as the real you, you are being inactive as the false you, or the ego.

Reality

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