The Taoist wisdom of “Wuwei”, an ancient and profound philosophy, demonstrates a completely different attitude towards life – not simply passively waiting, but actively following the rhythm of life. In the story of Zhuangzi, it is mentioned that Confucius had a conversation with a swimmer. Have you heard of it?
This story effectively explains the concept of “Wuwei” and fictionalizes a story about Confucius. One day, while traveling in Lvliang, Confucius saw a waterfall that was as high as 20-30 zhang, giving people a feeling of flowing straight down 3000 feet. The water splashes from the waterfall, and even creatures with strong adaptability to the water environment such as monkeys and turtles dare not swim in this water area, which shows how turbulent the water flow is.
However, Confucius saw a middle-aged man in the water from a distance and thought he wanted to commit suicide, so he quickly sent his disciples to search along the water flow. Unexpectedly, the man swam for about a few hundred steps and soon walked out of the water singing a song with ease. At first, Confucius mistakenly thought he was a ghost and was surprised. He asked, “Do you have any secret to swimming so well?” The man replied, “Actually, there’s no secret. I only did one thing, which is to follow the flow of the current. I sank into the water with the eddy current, and then surfaced with the upward current, completely following the flow of the water without any confrontation. This is my method.” I believe those who have learned swimming have heard the coach’s advice: don’t be nervous, relax your body, and slowly your body will naturally float up. If you are more nervous and confrontational, you will actually sink faster.
In life, when we experience common emotions such as anxiety, tension, and anger, it seems that the reasoning is similar. Faced with these emotions, others often advise us to relax. When you no longer worry too much about losing something, but instead follow the course of life, you will truly feel the power within you. The Tao Te Ching mentions: “Wuwei, there is no defeat; without attachment, there is no loss.” Here, “Wuwei” does not refer to doing nothing or waiting for fate, but emphasizes following nature, not demanding, and not being obsessed with results.
“Wuwei” refers to a mentality, while “Wuwei” refers to specific actions, commonly known as’ Wuwei mentality and Youwei method ‘.Returning to the story of Big Brother swimming mentioned earlier, didn’t he do anything? Obviously, it’s not like that. When he entered the vortex, he kept pace with it, did not engage in meaningless struggles, nor was he completely inactive, but moved with the water flow. Eliminating fear and resistance to water is known as the ‘mind of Wuwei’; Observing and feeling the water flow, as well as adjusting breathing and posture, is the ‘method of Youwei’.
Finally, we must remember a four word proverb – seize the opportunity. It’s not because of past failures that everything is destined to fail, but because the time hasn’t come yet. In modern society, people generally hope to achieve success quickly, so when switching careers, they often expect to achieve significant accomplishments in just three months. The mentality of wanting to give up easily when things don’t seem smooth is not advisable. The truly successful people are not those who frequently change industries, but those who delve deeply into their field, like digging a well, to a depth of ten thousand meters. Wuwei “is a profound wisdom that reminds us to liberate the power of life from chaos and anxiety, and no longer oppose ourselves or the world. Only by stopping self consumption can we welcome the world in our best state. Only by adopting a mindset of ‘Wuwei’ and taking ‘Youwei’ actions can one be full of vitality.
