Taoism and the Taoist Arts

Wu Wei and Nothingness

'To attain knowledge add something every day, to attain wisdom remove something every day.' This ancient Chinese proverb illustrates the value that the Chinese culture places on nothingness. In Chinese art the space in a picture is as important as the painted area - and in meditation and martial arts an empty mind is viewed as the ultimate attainment. This is really just a logical application of the theory of yin and yang - the yin side (emptiness and nothingness) is just as important as the yang side (movement and action.) Those following the Taoist path are advised to empty out their minds until nothing remains.

But why bother? Well, a mind that has no preconceptions or rigid plans is far more flexible. A person who constantly labels, analyses and ponders can become stuffed up with intellectual ideas that stop them from seeing what's there. The 'empty vessel' of Taoist writings can act spontaneously as the situation demands because they are not tied to any particular set of actions. In martial arts, a fighter with a perfectly clear mind can react instantaneously to any attack, and spotting a weakness, exploit it without hesitation. A fighter who already plans his next attack will miss the opportunity.

As well as emptiness the Tao teaches the benefit of nothingness. It is when we practice doing nothing that our body and mind relax and we feel at peace, so nothingness is brought into everyday life in the idea of Wu Wei. Wu Wei translates as 'not doing' or 'doing without doing' and like much of Taoist thought it goes against the way many things are done in our society. Really, the idea is to go with the flow around you and not struggle against the tide. When someone advances, yield. Be pliant and patient, and wait until you are in a strong position before advancing. The image of the 90s man or woman is one of a hard working hard playing businessperson who gets things done by being vigorous and aggressive, managing social life, family and work with the same overzealous approach. This very yang attitude is highlighted by marketing departments to sell us the painkillers, mobile phones and ready meals which we all need in 'todays hectic world'. What we really need is a good holiday, and a few moments to rest each day, and we need to ask - 'is this really what I want?'. The modern Taoist says no, and tries to bring the yin back into the balance of his life.

Wu Wei is often the Taoist concept that people have most trouble grasping. This is not really all that surprising since it seems to do away with the rigid notion of causality that the Western world-view is based upon. Typically, in order to get something done, it is considered that you must work at it. The more work and effort that is put in, the quicker it will happen. However, this is not the Wu Wei approach. This is not 'doing without doing' it is simply 'doing'. To use Wu Wei is to have a kind of Taoist patience - it is to allow things to unfold in their own way, in their own time. This does not imply a complete lack of energy expenditure - just a recognition of the flow and cycles of the world around us. Acting at the appropriate time with the appropriate amount of force is the key. By appreciating at a more subtle level what is happening around him, holding onto nothing, and acting with simplicity the Taoist can flow with the Tao, and will always be in the right place at the right time. The Taoist master becomes like the Tao itself - he does nothing, yet nothing is not done

Chi - The ‘Vital Energy’

Defining chi is extremely difficult - it is a concept entirely foreign to Western thought. Referred to in ancient China as Dragon's Breath, it cannot be seen or measured, but it is present in all things. It is both matter or energy (the Chinese don’t tend to differentiate between the 2) and it comprises and defines all life and all inanimate objects in the universe. Chi has been called ‘vital energy’ but it is much more than that. The Chinese word 'chi' literally translates as ‘energy’ or ‘breath’. In the body it is said to flow through channels called 'meridians' in a similar way to blood flowing through the veins. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers the blockage or incorrect movement of chi through the body as the cause of mental and physical disease, and internal arts such as meditation aim to increase the amount of chi in the body.

A person’s chi can be experienced after training in meditation or the internal arts, and its strength and power in a master is undoubtable. Those with strong Chi have a healthy and youthful appearance, a strong immune system and are full of energy. However, poor diet and hectic modern lifestyles take their toll, and many of us suffer terrible health, tiredness, constant colds and depression due to depletion of our vital energy, or disruption of its normal flow and function. Chi is also manifest in the world around us, it is the life force of the natural world and chi is strong where there are clear streams, rolling hills and abundant plant life. The Chinese art of geomancy, called 'Feng Shui' is increasingly popular all over the Western world - its practitioners seek to promote a healthy and luck enhancing flow of chi through their homes with the use of ancient formulae.

As I have said before, there are many interpretations of the concept of 'chi' by Westerners who are attempting to integrate Eastern and Western methodology. Believing the Chinese ideas to be unscientific, they attempt to fit the theory into the biomedical framework, equating chi with electromagnetic energy and meridians with nerves. Such theories may lead to interesting new discoveries but the attempt is flawed. The approach used in TCM is fundamentally different to that used in the West and attempted integration of the two is unlikely to be very effective.

"In a single syllable the word Qi proclaims one of the deepest root intuitions of Chinese civilisation... Qi is the thread connecting all being. Qi is the common denominator of all things - from mineral to human."
~ From 'The Web That Has No Weaver', Ted Kaptchuk

Next Section >> Background and History

Electronic Resources:

The Chinese Gallery has a range of information and links about all things Chinese, including plenty on Taoism and related subjects.

The Taoist Restoration Society give a good history of Religious Taoism as practiced in China.

Taoism Links Search for links that interest you from this large list.

Tao Te Ching Translations A number of translations available in full.

Those who use Internet Relay Chat (IRC) might also want to drop by #tao on Efnet where there are often some Taoist types who are happy to chat. For more info click here