Wu Wei Wisdom Quotes

The path that one person follows is not the correct path for any other person. Each of us must walk his own path to enlightenment— that is the way.

To slow time down, practice enjoying the moment. It is where we spend our entire lives.

To have anything we want, we need only raise our level of consciousness to the level of consciousness where what we want exists.

A quiet-hearted person awakes with a smile on his lips and an eagerness in his heart for the day ahead.

The master sees beyond what is obvious. He sees the unseen, feels the unfelt, and hears the unheard. He looks below the surface for what is hidden and so finds the great heartbeat of the Universe. He smiles, knowing it is his heartbeat, your heartbeat, our heartbeat.

To attract people naturally, effortlessly, we need only follow the true prompting of our hearts.

The person who desires to leave things better than he found them, who does more than his share, who is not attached to rewards, who is always seeking to benefit others, who knows he is cared for and rewarded by the Universe for his every effort, is able to act selflessly, without expectation of a reward or a return, without thought of advantage, and of him it is said, “He is better than the best,” and, of course, he is greatly rewarded.

We have the best chance of communicating our thoughts if we are sincere and speak from the heart, without hidden intent.

Rest is essential, but during our periods of rest, we must think to ourselves that in resting we are renewing our energy to fulfill our commitment.

Everything that happens, happens at the only possible time it can happen, and it is always at exactly the right time. We cannot get to an appointment before we arrive—or after. It is only at the instant of our arrival that we can arrive, and that is always at exactly the right moment, the perfect moment, the only possible moment.

A person who speaks as if he knows everything soon drives away his listeners. The Universe communicates itself to us in many ways, and sometimes, it is through the words of others. If we act the know-it-all, others may refrain from talking to us, and we may fail to get the message they could have given us.

Everything that happens, happens at the only possible time it can happen, and it is always at exactly the right time.

Change is like a river: nothing is the same, even for an instant. Everything is continually moving through the six stages of change: about to come into being, beginning, expanding, approaching maximum potential, peaking, and finally, passing its peak and flowing into its new condition.

Faith is stronger than so-called reality.

To lead people or influence them, we must first align ourselves with them. By identifying with individuals or groups, we gain their confidence and can then lead them into a higher understanding or direct them to the achievement of lofty goals.

It is true that we are in charge of our imaginations, and by using them to imagine wonderful futures for ourselves, and by acting on that basis, it will follow, unerringly, that for us, it will be so.

A diminished self-image causes us to slouch, to avoid looking others in the eye, to be unassertive, to be indecisive. On the other hand, a healthy self-image causes us to carry ourselves well, to speak confidently and to portray dignity.

Relationships require complete integrity. The first time you lie or are untrue to your partner, you condemn yourself and your partner to a second-class relationship. First-class relationships are possible only in an atmosphere of total trust.

To preserve our relationships, we give of our time, our assets, our attention, our help, and our love. To preserve our wealth, we give generously as we are accumulating, so we do not invoke the Universal law of maximization, which states that when anything reaches its maximum potential, it turns toward its opposite.

All of life is one action following another, interspersed by periods of rest. If we are in doubt about the outcome of our actions, if our thoughts are concerned with, “What if I should fail?” we will be filled with hesitancy, uncertainty, and our actions will lack the conviction needed to obtain a decisive, favorable outcome. Even the worst outcome we can imagine will ultimately benefit us. It is because of that law of favorability that the Universe is able to continue and we are able to bring about the fruition of our plans.

Great music stops the inner turmoil of thought and allows the mind to seek its natural state of joy. Music frees our minds and allows us to soar to heights where we can experience the celestial. Music opens our minds to allow the perception of new thoughts of a higher nature, which gives us a spiritual lift, which produces yet more joy.

Even the worst outcome we can imagine will ultimately benefit us. It is because of that law of favor-ability that the Universe is able to continue and we are able to bring about the fruition of our plans.

That is the most basic law of the Universe—cause and effect. If our actions are the result of our intentions to do good, to create harmony, to deal fairly, to love dearly, and to live the life of the superior person, can anything else happen except that, as a result of natural law, we reach the loftiest goals to which one can attain and lead lives of greatest happiness?

To be joyous of heart is to hold an optimistic outlook, to see adversity as opportunity, to see failure as the starting point of success, to view our stubbed toes as the release of acupuncture points, to wake with a feeling of gratitude, and to sleep with a sustaining, unfaltering trust in the Universe of which we are a part. The person with a joyous heart is a treasure to be with, a wellspring of inspiration, and a fit companion. When we are joyous of heart, we hear a resonance in the songs of the birds, see resonance in the opening of a flower, and feel it in the pressure of a friend’s hand.

It is more important that we listen to others than to always be speaking, for in that way we learn what there is to know. We should be easy to talk to, and grateful for new information.

Every plan in which we participate has one constant, ourselves. Not that we are always the same, but that we are always part of the plan. All else comes and goes: friends, parents, possessions, conditions, situations, and associates, leaving only us, ourselves.

It takes practice, feeling happy about the ever enfolding events of life, and, because of all the conditioning we have undergone before this, it may be very difficult to make the change, but if we take the saying to heart and practice it, as the days unfold we will find ourselves living ever happier lives, smiling more, and finally, laughing more.

What we desire, what we work for, or what we seek after, are those things that merely lead us along the paths of our lives.

Music open our minds to allow the perception of new thoughts of a higher nature, which gives us a spiritual lift, which produces yet more joy.

The path that one person follows is not the correct path for any other person. You must follow your own path. that is the way.

Everyone's needs are different, so in nurturing a relationship it is important for you to find out what the needs of your mate are and to provide for them.

A diminished self-image causes us to slouch, to avoid looking others in the eye, to be unassertive, to be indecisive. On the other hand, a healthy self-image causes us to carry ourselves well, to speak confidently and to portray dignity. If we have not taken the time and thought to create a wonderful self-image for ourselves, we have had less, been less, and done less than was possible for us than if we had. We can improve our self-images at any moment including this one.

Being who you are is a pure religious experience. If you can stay with that experience, just being a part of All-That-Is, that's enough. Instead, we go searching chasing after masters because most of us want more than just being ourselves.

Each person reveals himself by what he says and does, by the way he dresses, by the way he responds to events, by what he reads and watches, and generally by the way he lives life. By observing anyone, you can see what that person is like.

Communication is probably the single most important aspect of creating an enduring relationship. To be able to communicate freely and productively, you must create a condition where the communication can freely take place, a safe atmosphere for you and your partner.

The person with a joyous heart is a treasure to be with, a wellspring of inspiration, and a fit companion. When we are joyous of heart, we hear a resonance in the songs of the birds, see resonance in the opening of a flower, and feel it in the pressure of a friend’s hand.

Whenever you meet someone or walk into a room or consider taking on a new project, it is Who-You-Think-You-Are who walks into the room, who introduces himself, and who considers the new project. Who-You-Think-You-Are determines how you stand, whether you hold yourself proudly erect or whether you slouch.

To receive the most benefit from all events, even difficult ones, first realize that the obstacles are there completely for your benefit. Remember that even the worst thing that can happen to you will be of great benefit. Second, know that the obstacles are most often there are signposts telling you that you are slightly or greatly off course. Third, understand that the obstacle is a workout situation designed to strengthen certain areas within you that need strengthening. A workout situation is a problem or difficulty you are experiencing in your life. By solving the problem you are experiencing in your life. By solving the problem, you will gain strength, awareness, and capability.

People of true understanding nourish sages and through them, nourish the whole world.

The Divine Feminine Tao Invites Us to Act The Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching portrays the Tao as “mother,” “virgin,” and “womb.” She is the “immortal void” who endlessly “returns to source” to renew life again and again. Quoting from my own translation of Poem 6 (Anderson, in press), the Tao is The immortal void Called the dark womb, the dark womb’s gate From her Creation takes root An unbroken gossamer That prevails without effort. From her “dark womb,” all life flows. To align with the Tao as mother, virgin, and womb is to discover her path to peace and wellbeing with ourselves, each other, the earth, and the natural world. At a time in history when human greed and aggression are out of control and threatening life as we know it, her message to us is also a warning. The great message of the Tao Te Ching is the ordinariness of peace and wellbeing that arises from spontaneous action that seeks no gain for the self. This is to enact the path of wei wu wei, meaning to act without acting or do without doing. Wei wu wei does not mean doing nothing, not thinking, not traveling, not initiating projects, not cooking dinner, not planting a garden in the spring, and so on. To the contrary. For in leaving self-gain aside, our actions arise naturally and spontaneously to meet concrete situations and events without plotting or maneuvering in advance or expecting to be liked, appreciated, or rewarded for what we do. Aligning with the Tao is to seek what is lowest and most needy like a mother might act naturally and spontaneously on behalf of a child in danger. Quoting from my translation of Poem 8 (Anderson, in press): The highest good is like water Bringing goodness to all things without struggle In seeking low places spurned by others The Tao resembles water. In so doing, we attend to what matters most—not tomorrow but right now. Per the situation, our actions may be swift or slow, but they will in time resolve obstacles at their source in the same way that water carves out canyons and moves mountains. What matters most will vary for each of us. This is wei wu wei in action. Over time, enacting this feminine path to peace will impact all our relations with others, including animals and other species, each other, our families and communities, the conduct of governments, relationships between nations and peoples, and with planet Earth. The wisdoms of the Divine Feminine Tao may be applied to our personal initiatives and our response to personal and modern crises, including meeting the challenges of the current coronavirus pandemic. Wei wu wei invites us to act spontaneously and naturally like water, determining its own course and leaving self-gain aside.

The creative quietude of philosophical Taoism means to align one’s daily life to the Tao, to ride its boundless tide and delight in its flow…and to perfect a life of wu wei- pure effectiveness and creative quietude (supreme activity and supreme relaxation.) We are nurtured by a force that is infinitely subtle, infinitely intricate; it is a consummate gracefulness born from an abundant vitality that has no need for abruptness or violence. One simply lets the Tao flow in and flow out again until all Life becomes a Dance in which there is neither feverishness or imbalance. Water is the closest parallel to the Tao and the prototype of wu wei. It is supple, strong, and sensuous; and it adapts and supports and buoys and erodes.

By consciously seeking enlightenment, you will progress quickly, receiving the rewards of ever-greater enjoyment, peace, success, good fortune, and well-being.

At the heart of living life according to the wisdom of the I Ching is the knowledge that the Universe is alive and aware- aware of itself and aware of you. It may seem strange at first to communicate aloud or silently with All-That-Is, with the Universe itself, but as you become more and more aware that you are being heard, that there is communication going on in both directions, you will come to cherish the gift.

The major difference between human and other life forms on our planet is our ability to reason and to question. For just a moment, try to deliberately free your mind from what you have been told about religion, evolution, birth, death, God, and other concepts you have about why you're here on earth.

All religions believe that a Deity, a God, a Supreme Being, by whatever name they choose to call "It," existed at the beginning of creation.

If you were to peer into the heart of a stone at the atomic level, you would not see a dead, inert mass of material but a furiously whirling mini-cosmos. This mini-cosmos would look much like what you see when you look into the night sky, but its bits and pieces would be whirling at speeds near that of light.

Once you perceive that the Universe is alive, a living, pulsating organism that has awareness and intelligence, vast intelligence, you will come to know that the Universe and everything in it reacts to stimulation-- your stimulation.

In all circumstances, what you believe determines your actions. Your actions determine your future. The choice of how you live and what becomes of you is in your own hands.

One of the most powerful effects in your life is brought by Who-You-Think-You-Are. The moment your brain became functional, you began to build an image of who and what you believe yourself to be. All the events of your life have helped to create that image, the self-image of Who-You-Think-You-Are.

...if you know yourself to be honorable, strong, brave, fair-minded, generous, clear-headed, or articulate, or to have any number of other good characteristics, that is the image you will project, and that image forms the basis for the decisions you make.

If you pretend abundance when in fact you are in need, those who would aid you will not because they will either believe you to be abundant or recognize your pretense and consider you to be unworthy.

Learn to see yourself as a pleasant person, courteous and respectful, and learn to do those things that a courteous and respectful person would do.

When anything happens to you that seems unfortunate, even if it is hurtful or takes something precious from you, see it as a beneficial occurrence.

Keep aware of who and what you are as you become involved in the affairs of the world. Don't forget that you are an indestructible child of a golden Universe.

Endurance is a state that is not worn down by anything. To achieve the goal of endurance so that your relationships will survive through the difficulties, failures, successes, and changes that all relationships encounter as part of the human condition, it is necessary to fix your mind on the goal of endurance.

Certain people uplift you; others pull you down. Certain people give you strength; others sap your energy. Choose carefully. Good friends, like neighbors, are an endless benefit, a treasure. Bad relationships and bad friends can ruin a lifetime. Following the path of the superior person permits a natural section that will find you only with the best-quality friends.

This receptive, feminine, yin trust in the universe nourishes humanity, because people begin to take shelter under the sage’s wisdom. In emptying the faculties of conditioning, a sage becomes a beacon of light for the Tao to move through to inspire others with its wisdom, bringing the world back into harmony.

There are numerous methods for downregulating our cold cognition. Some are obvious, and some aren’t. A lot of us know these methods because we explore them in our lives at particular moments. Exercise is one method that many of us are unaware of. When we exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, we get that sense of effortlessness (wu-wei) because the sense of a person disappears due to the automatic functions of the body. As a result, the unconscious wisdom of the mind-body has downregulated the prefrontal cortex.

wu-wei, or “not forcing,” which means to take the line of least resistance in all of one’s actions, and by doing so, create more strength.