This is a video lecture on the Taoist principle of wu wei 無為, commonly translated into English as “nonaction.”

Timestamps:
00:00 Review of what I said on wu wei in a previous video
00:24 Wu wei in a nutshell
00:59 What the Tao Te Ching (6th century BC) says about wu wei
01:33 Tao Te Ching Verse 2
02:19 The Tao as a divine monad vs. polytheistic view of the many gods, spirits, and demons that are the fragmented parts of the Tao
03:49 Tao Te Ching Verse 38 [Note: There is a typo in the top right corner. It should cite the book "德經" of the TTC]
04:17 Tao Te Ching Verse 37 [Note: Same typo as previous]
05:42 Reflection: Synthesize the word for word translations and interpret Verse 37 for yourself
07:51 Wu wei as political philosophy and military strategy
08:36 What the Xunzi 荀子 (4th century BC) says about wu wei [Text that should have appeared on screen here: 譬之是猶以盲辨色以聾辨聲也舍亂妄無為也]
08:56 What the Zhuangzi 莊子 (5th 3rd century BC) says about wu wei
10:01 What the Xinyu 新語 by Lu Jia 陸賈 (240 BC – 170 BC) says about wu wei
10:37 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 1
11:45 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 2
12:36 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 3
13:40 Comparing Lu Jia’s philosophy of wu wei to the Tao Te Ching Verse 63 | Error in Script: This should be Verse 57: "我無為而民自化 (Wǒ wú wéi, ér mín zì huà)"
14:08 Tao Te Ching Verse 43; I Ching hexagram 42 (Yi: Burgeoning)
15:03 Comparing Lu Jia’s philosophy with Stoicism and Diogenes of Babylon (200 – 100 BC)
15:57 Key distinctions between Confucianist, Taoist, and Buddhist interpretations of wu wei
17:03 Reflection: Per your interpretation of these texts articulating wu wei, what does the concept mean to you?

ADDENDUM: How might everyday people like us apply this philosophical principle? Here are my personal thoughts.

At the government level, it means prioritizing individual liberty when it comes to law and public policy. It means giving people the freedom to be who they want to be, but also investing a great deal in education and inspiring the people toward modeling virtue. A truly just, peaceful, and good society begins at the top. Your leaders must first model virtue before you expect that of the people.

In terms of our relationship with nature and the environment, it means construction that is in harmony with the natural topography, rather than trying to defeat the natural topography. Basically, feng shui principles.

And at the family level, it means intuitive parenting. It’s letting the interests, innate disposition, strengths and weaknesses of your child guide how you parent. It does not mean handsoff parenting. It means not trying to change the nature and innate disposition of your child. In fact, it means as a parent, you want to do everything you can to nurture the best out of the nature of your child. Wu wei parenting means modeling virtuous behavior to inspire your child to be virtuous.

In education, wu wei means teachers don’t force or compel students to learn at the teacher’s expected pace of progress. It’s letting students learn at their own natural pace.

At the individual level, wu wei doesn’t mean don’t be ambitious. It means doing The Work out of a natural, unforced passion for The Work, and then not desiring credit or glory for achieving The Work.

See also the companion video lecture on ziran 自然:
   • Ziran 自然 (Taoist Path of Least Resist...