river between green leafed tree

Wu Wei, the Art of Non-acting

Wu Wei is a key concept of Taoism that can be translated as “do not act” or “do not intervene”. However, it is not a passive attitude. It’s letting go to allow the action to flow effortlessly and in harmony with the “original cosmic order”, without attempting to modify it. The result will be merging into the spontaneous movement of nature and life. When talking … Continue reading Wu Wei, the Art of Non-acting

Drifting with the Tao: Drifting Like Water

Throughout history water has represented a powerful symbol and metaphor in different cultures, philosophies and religions. It has been viewed as a symbol of purity in the Christian tradition while being embodied as the Greek god of Poseidon in the ancient world. Water is life-giving. It is vital for the health and existence of life on our planet. As we are all well aware, we … Continue reading Drifting with the Tao: Drifting Like Water

green trees under blue and orange sky during sunset

Lessons from Taoism: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

It was at a university book sale where I was first introduced to the ideas of Taoism. Hidden away deep in the philosophy section, I picked up what initially seemed like a strange esoteric book – the Tao Te Ching. It was a short text, under 100 pages, that was filled with often puzzling language and concepts which seemed contradictory at first. As I dived … Continue reading Lessons from Taoism: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

brown landscape under grey sky

The Meaning of Yin and Yang

Night and day. Light and darkness. Masculine and Feminine. Chaos and order. Life is comprised of a series of interconnected opposing forces. Everything that exists has an opposite, just as there is always two sides to the same coin. Although we are inclined to seek pleasure without pain or cling onto the ‘good’ while banishing the ‘bad’, we come to realize the flawed logic of … Continue reading The Meaning of Yin and Yang