Philosophical principle uvoy (non-action). Wu-wei: the philosophy of doing nothing

One of the most important concepts in Taoism is Wu Wei, which is sometimes translated as "inaction" or "non-action". The best way to comprehend the meaning of this element is to consider it through the paradoxical phrase "action of inaction." wu wei refers to cultivating a state of being in which our actions are quite easily aligned with the ebb and flow of the elemental cycles of the natural world. This is a kind of state called "going with the flow" and is characterized by lightness and wakefulness, in which - even without much effort - we can perfectly respond to situations that arise.

The choice to "interact" or "leave" society

Historically, Wu Wei has been practiced both within and outside existing social and political structures. In the Daode Ching, Laozi shows us his ideal of an "enlightened leader" who, embodying the principles of Wu Wei, is able to govern in a way that can bring happiness and prosperity to all the inhabitants of the country. Wu Wei has also found expression in the choice that some Taoist adepts have made. They withdrew from society to live as hermits, wandering freely through mountain meadows, meditating for long periods in caves, and so literally feeding on the energy of the natural world.

The highest form of virtue

The practice of Wu Wei is an expression of what Taoism considers the highest form virtues - that which in no case can be intentional and arises spontaneously. In verse 38 of the Daode Ching (Jonathan Star's translation here), Laozi tells us:

The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self

The highest kindness is to give without condition

Supreme justice - to see without preference

When you lost the Tao, you need to learn the rules of virtue

When virtue is lost, the rules of kindness

When kindness is lost, rules of justice are needed

When justice is lost, rules of conduct are needed

When we find alignment with the Tao - with the rhythms of the elements inside and outside of our bodies - our actions quite naturally become the highest good for all with whom we associate. On the this moment we have gone beyond the need for official religious or secular moral precepts of any kind. We can embody Wu Wei, actions of inaction, also Wu Nei, the thought of "non-thought", and Wu Xing, mind of no-mind. We can understand where our place is in the cosmos, and also - to know our connection to all that IS - we can only offer thoughts, words and actions that will not harm anyone, that are spontaneous and virtuous.

無為 non-action, lack of [purposeful] activity. Whale term. philosophy, especially Taoism. It consists of the hieroglyph y (absence / non-existence; see Yu - y), which plays the role of an optative negation, and wei (action, accomplishment, implementation), meaning a purposeful process of activity to achieve a specific state. According to the direct definition of "Mo-tzu" (ch. 40, def. 75), "wei is the pursuit of the desired (yu) on the basis of exhaustive knowledge (zhi zhi)". Taoists, proclaiming the rejection of self-willed goal-setting and ridiculing faith in exhaustive knowledge, expressed in the negative. the concept of wu wei is the principle of non-interference in nature. the order of things and the course of events are not ethical. (Confucianism, Moism; see Mo-chia), nor with pragmatic. (Mohism, Legalism) positions. Wu wei suggests, however, specific. (organic and spontaneous) activity in the form of “implementation of non-action” (wei wu wei), “engaging in the business of non-action” (chu wu wei zhi shi), which is inherent in universal effectiveness, because such is the essence of “constantly inactive (wu wei), but all carrying out Tao” and this is the embodiment of Te (“Tao Te Ching”, § 2, 3, 10, 37, 51, 63; clarifying definitions are also given in Chapter 36 of “Kuan Tzu” and Chapter 20 of “Han Fei Tzu” ). In Chuang Tzu (ch. 7; see Chuang Tzu), wu wei, embodied in the spontaneous "transformation of things" (wu hua), acquired a mystical character. coloration as the ability of a “perfect person” like a void or a mirror to go beyond the limits of nature and “conquer things” (sheng wu), which became theoretical. the basis for the so-called. religious Taoism and its derivative "alchemy". In contrast to this trend, in synthesizing Taoism with other philosophies. The teachings of the treatise Huainanzi rationalize wu wei as “following things” (yin wu) and “doing things in accordance with principles” (xuan li er ju shi; see Li). This position was strengthened by Wang Chong, who identified wu wei with “heavenly (natural)” (tian) “naturalness” (zi ran), thanks to which “things come true” (wu zi wei) (“Lun heng”, ch. 54). Confucianism also recognized the principle of "non-action", but extended it only to the personality of the emperor, who should be a receptive-passive conductor of the general cosmic. impulses in social sphere("Lun Yu", XV, 4). According to Confucianism, “small paths (tao)” were excluded from the circle of activity of the “noble man” (jun zi) (ibid., XIX, 4) and it was significantly limited in extreme situations - mourning or the absence of tao in the state (ibid., XVII, 21, VIII, 13).

Thanks Taoist. the spread of the principle of wu wei to nature as a whole, Christianity, which first penetrated into China in the Nestorian version, was assessed as “preaching non-action” (decree of Emperor Taizong in 638 on the Xi'an stele).

Literature:
ancient Chinese philosophy. T. 1. M., 1972; v. 2, 1973, index; ancient Chinese philosophy. Han era. M., 1990, index; Watts A. Tao - The Way of Water. K., 1996, p. 113 - 144; Feng Yu-lan. Short story Chinese philosophy. SPb., 1998, index; Loy D. Wei-wu-wei: Nondual Action // PEW. 1985, vol. 35, no. 1.

Art. publ.: Spiritual culture of China: encyclopedia: in 5 volumes / Ch. ed. M.L. Titarenko; Institute Far East. - M.: Vost. lit., 2006. Vol. 1. Philosophy / ed. M.L.Titarenko, A.I.Kobzev, A.E.Lukyanov. - 2006. - 727 p. pp. 450-451.

If acceptance is central to the Tao, then wuwei is its guiding principle. As stated above in the review, wuwei is one of the most misunderstood concepts of Taoism. Its erroneous perception is due to the fact that this principle is the exact opposite of the ideas inherent in modern Western civilization about action, deed, rivalry, perseverance and the expediency of intervening in the course of events. In short, modern Western man wants to impose his will not only on other people, but on nature itself. But this is not the way of Tao.

(Chapter 37)

At wei is not inaction. This principle is rather expressed in action without effort. It is an act performed without coercion, tension or violence. It is an act done without interference in other people's affairs, as well as without complacent and selfish effort or coercion. wu wei is an effortless action that occurs as a result of the unity of your inner nature ( pu and Te) with the forces of the laws of nature acting in the surrounding world. In short, follow the principle wu wei This is what it means to be in harmony with the Tao. Action performed in harmony occurs without effort and tension. It is performed in accordance with the spontaneous flow of the Tao without involving the efforts of the human will. Necessary condition for this is the feeling of one's own Tao. You cannot be in harmony with the Tao if you do not feel it or feel its presence within or around you.

Throughout the Star Wars movie series, those characters who are endowed with the Force constantly talk about how they feel and perceive this power.

In Star Wars, Obi-Wan invites Luke to go with him.

OBI-WAN: Of course, you should only do what you think is right.

Later, when Luke is learning how to wield a lightsaber, the following dialogue occurs between them:

OBI-WAN: Remember, a true Jedi can feel the flow of the Force within him.

LUKE: Are you saying that the Force governs our actions?

OBI-WAN: To some extent, yes.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda, while teaching Luke on the planet Dagobah, constantly reminds him to feel the flow of the Force.

YODA: Run! Well done. The power of a Jedi Knight comes from the great Force.

If you know the Tao and feel its presence, you can merge with it in one stream. In this case, the right decision and the right deed come by themselves, spontaneously. This is the essence of the principle wu wei.

Who can make muddy water clear when it settles? Who can revive what is at rest by setting it in motion?
The one who observes this Tao-Path does not strive for completeness and excess. Since he does not strive for fullness and excess, he always remains poor and does not need renewal and completion.

(Chapter 15)

The above links wu wei with the concept of patience. You wait... you feel... you enter into a state of harmony and perform the only correct action. That's what it is wu wei. This type of patience coupled with expectation can be defined as vigilance. Such a state can often be observed in the animal world. A tiger frozen in tension, ready to jump ... a heron standing on one leg and waiting for a fish to swim closer to it ... a python lying motionless in the grass or on a tree, waiting for potential prey to inadvertently approach. What do they all have in common? Of course, the state of vigilant expectation is the expectation of that very moment when it will be necessary to act with lightning speed and for sure. Vigilance does not only mean staying in right place in right time but also readiness for action - for action in harmony with the Tao.

To feel the Tao, as mentioned above, means to feel its presence, as well as to know, to comprehend it. Sensation, comprehension and attention are the key concepts necessary for the development of most Eastern philosophical systems, especially Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Taoism.

Luke on Dagobah, Yoda all the time requires him to concentrate and realize the Force in order to feel it in himself.

YODA: Feel it. (Luke is distracted by the frantic squeaking and screeching of Artoo the robot, causing Luke to lose his balance.)

YODA: Focus!

Luke gets up and starts exercising again. This time, there is noticeably less tension on his face and more concentration than before. Yoda is standing next to him.

YODA: Focus. (The spacecraft on which Luke is practicing his Force skills slowly rises into the air.)

YODA: Feel the flow of the Force, feel it. That's it, well done.

In The Phantom Menace, in the very first scene, Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan to "always remember the life-giving Force". So you must always remember the Tao, always feel its presence. From Tao comes your power, the power of spontaneous harmonious action... wu wei.

Effortless action does not come from a selfish desire to forcefully change the course of events. It does not come with knowledge, because knowledge also tries to organize the surrounding world in its own way. Knowledge leads to the development of the mind, which, in turn, is always trying to improve the world, to streamline what happens in it.

If anyone desires to take possession of the Celestial Empire, then I know that he will not take it.
The Celestial is a divine vessel, and you cannot influence it.
Whoever influences her will fail, and whoever grabs her will lose her.

(Chapter 29)

wu wei does not think or reflect. As the incomparable martial artist Bruce Lee said to one of his students in the movie Enter the Dragon, "Don't think... feel."

It is clear that effortless action does not require any application of force. The ego compels action. The ego imposes its will. People are trying. The following conversation takes place on Dagobah:

LUKE: Let me try... try.

YODA: Not! Do not try. Do it. Or don't. No attempts.

Nature never tries. The earth does not try to revolve around the sun. Seeds don't try to germinate and become trees. Nature functions easily, effortlessly, unmistakably choosing the path of least resistance. One who understands the principle wuwei, not trying, but doing. And when this action is performed, the results exceed all expectations. Those who try over and over again often fail.

To understand and put into practice wu wei, you need to be able to relax and free your mind. This is what Obi-Wan Luke says in Star Wars, when he tried to launch laser torpedoes into the very belly of the Death Star. Luke expected to use the precision equipment installed on his fighter to find the target. He was required to launch torpedoes at a strictly defined point.

OBI-WAN: Use the Force, Luke.

Luke looks up at the starry sky, then back into the scope. He mentally calculates the process of reaching the launch point and aiming at the target.

OBI-WAN: Trust yourself, Luke.

So we must trust ourselves, if, of course, we trust the Tao. This is the way to harmonize your own actions. You need to trust yourself and allow events to develop as destined by fate.

Whoever follows learning grows day by day.
Whoever follows the Tao-Path, that day by day diminishes: thus he reaches non-action. He abides in inaction, but there is nothing he has not done.

(Chapter 48)

There is another essential element self-liberation in accordance with the principle wu wei: one must be able to free oneself from desires. As you can see, this is also a way to define the concept of acceptance. This is not surprising, for the central position of Taoism - acceptance - inevitably turns out to be closely connected with the cornerstone position - wu wei. Lack of acceptance of the world as it is is called desire. Desires underlie every effortful action, interference in the course of things and unfounded claims.

The Tao-Way is permanent, it abides in non-action, but there is nothing that has not been done by it.
And if princes and kings know how to observe it, everything that exists will change on its own.
But if, changing, it desires to create spontaneously, I will put pressure on it with the simplicity of the primordial. After I put pressure on it with the simplicity of the primordial, it will cease to desire.
Without lust, it will find peace, and then the Celestial Empire will correct itself.

(Chapter 37)

When we comprehend the principle of acceptance and act in harmony with the Tao, we can set aside personal interests in order to fulfill what the present moment requires of us. This will be an act in accordance with wu wei - an act that harmonizes the world. Actions in accordance with wu wei require great skill. One must comprehend it and apply it ... apply it as often as possible.

Notes:

"Tao Te Ching", or "The Canon of the Way and its Good Power".

Wed with translation of ch. 15 Yang Hing-shun: “They were immense, like a valley; they were impenetrable, like muddy water. These were those who, keeping calm, knew how to make the dirty clean. These were those who, by their ability to make durable movement calm, contributed to life. They observed the Tao and did not desire much. Not wanting much, they limited themselves to what exists and did not create anything new.”

The foundations of Taoism, the philosophy of Lao Tzu are set forth in the treatise "Tao Te Ching" (4th-3rd centuries BC). At the center of the doctrine is the doctrine of the great Tao, the universal Law and the Absolute. Tao is ambiguous, it is an endless movement. Tao is a kind of law of being, space, the universal unity of the world. Tao dominates everywhere and in everything, always and without limits. No one created it, but everything comes from it, in order to then, having completed the circuit, return to it again. Invisible and inaudible, inaccessible to the senses, constant and inexhaustible, nameless and formless, it gives rise, name and form to everything in the world. Even the great Heaven follows the Tao.

Each person, in order to become happy, must embark on this path, try to cognize the Tao and merge with it. According to the teachings of Taoism, the human microcosm is eternal in the same way as the universe-macrocosm. Physical death means only that the spirit separates from the person and dissolves into the macrocosm. The task of a person in his life is to ensure that his soul merges with the world order of Tao. How can such a merger be achieved? The answer to this question is contained in the teachings of the Tao.

The path of Tao is inherent in the power of De. It is through the power of Wu Wei that the Tao manifests itself in every person. This force cannot be interpreted as an effort, but, on the contrary, as a desire to avoid any effort. “Wu wei” means “non-action”, the denial of purposeful activity that goes against the natural order. In the process of life, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of non-action - the principle of wui. This is not inaction. This is human activity, which is consistent with the natural course of the world order. Any action that is contrary to the Tao means a waste of energy and leads to failure and death. Thus, Taoism teaches a contemplative attitude towards life. Bliss is achieved not by one who seeks to win the favor of the Tao with good deeds, but by one who, in the process of meditation, immersion in his inner world, seeks to listen to himself, and through himself to listen and comprehend the rhythm of the universe. Thus, the purpose of life was comprehended in Taoism as a return to the eternal, a return to one's roots.

The moral ideal of Taoism is the hermit who, through religious meditation, breathing and gymnastic exercises achieves a high spiritual state that allows him to overcome all passions and desires, to immerse himself in communication with the divine Tao.

Buddhism began to penetrate China at the turn of BC. e. There were legends about the appearance of Buddhist preachers there as early as the 3rd century BC. e., but they cannot be considered reliable.

The first distributors of Buddhism were merchants who came to China along the Great Silk Road from the Central Asian states. Missionary monks, first from Central Asia, and later from India, appear in China before the 2nd-3rd centuries.

By the middle of the 2nd century, the imperial court was getting acquainted with Buddhism, as evidenced by the sacrifices to Laozi (the founder of Taoism) and the Buddha, performed by Emperor Huandi in 165. According to legend, the first Buddhist sutras were brought on a white horse to Luoyang, the capital of the Late Empire. Han, during the reign of Emperor Ming-di (58-76); here later appeared the first Buddhist monastery in China - Baimasy.

At the end of the 1st century, the activity of Buddhists was recorded in another city of the late Han empire - Pengchen. In the beginning. In the 2nd century, the “Sutra of 42 Articles” was compiled - the first attempt to present it in Chinese. the language of the Buddhist teachings.

As far as one can judge from the first translated Buddhist. texts, initially in China, Buddhism of a transitional type from Hinayana to Mahayana was preached, and Special attention devoted to the practice of meditation. Later, Buddhism in the form of the Mahayana was established in China.

There are three main stages in the philosophy of India:

1) Vedic period (1500-500 BC),

2) classical, or Brahmin-Buddhist (500 BC - 1000 AD) and

3) the post-classical or Hindu period (since 1000).

Dharma is a doctrine, a doctrine, in our understanding, philosophy. In the East, dharma is philosophy and religion together (inseparable), dharma is the moral duty and path of every pious person.

The Vedas are ancient (before 1500 BC), sacred texts of Hinduism, written in Sanskrit (Vedic Sanskrit). The Vedas and commentaries on the Vedas are at the heart of Indian philosophy.

The Vedas are subdivided into two categories, shruti and smriti. Shruti category - are considered divinely revealed scriptures without an author, eternal transcendental knowledge, a recording of the sounds of truth. Truth has been handed down orally since the beginning of the universe.

Approximately 5000 years ago, the Indian sage Vyasadeva wrote down the Vedas for people. He divided the Vedas into four parts according to the types of sacrifices: Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva.

1) Rig Veda - Veda of praise, consists of 1017 hymns in poetic form, most of the verses glorify Agni, the god of fire and Indra, the god of rain and the heavenly planets.

2) Samo-Veda - the Veda of chants, a description of prayer during sacrifices

3) Yajur Veda - Veda of sacrifices, a description of the ritual of sacrifice.

4) Atharva Veda - the Veda of spells, descriptions of spells, contains various songs and rituals, most of which are intended to cure diseases

After that, for people with low intelligence - women, workers and unworthy descendants of the higher castes, Vyasadeva compiled 18 Puranas and the epic Mahabharata, which belong to the smriti category. Mantras (sacred hymns of the Hindus that require accurate reproduction of sounds), Brahmanas (texts for priests), Aranyakas (sacred scriptures of Hinduism that describe sacrificial rituals for limited use), 108 Upanishads (heard from a teacher), and some other Vedas - make up the Vedic literature.

Rita - world rhythm, order of things, world law of being, universal cosmic law, truth in broad sense the words. The concept of rita is the philosophical basis for the concept of dharma. Gods - obey Rita.

Anrita is a violation of the world rhythm. Karma is the law of cause and effect, even gods have and depend on karma. Maya - philosophical category, which postulates the assertion that everything that surrounds a person is just an illusion. Man, by virtue of his ignorance, creates an illusory idea of ​​the world, and it is this idea that is maya. The goal of a Buddhist is to realize the world as it is, and not as it seems. Atman - is identified with brahman, and is an eternal unchanging spiritual entity. The philosophy of India begins to take shape during the period of the Upanishads. This period is characterized by a departure from varnas. As you know, the transition from one varna to another, during the life of a person, is impossible, this caused people to protest and, as a result, development - the departure of dissenting people to the jungle, it was there, in the jungle, that they thought about achieving the absolute.

The Absolute is God or the root cause of the existence of the whole world.

So, the world is a harmonious whole of elements, the balance to which is maintained by Dharma. A person's behavior and actions are evaluated in terms of their conformity with Dharma, actions affect karma, karma affects the eternal course of a person's rebirth - the circle of samsara. Acts of reincarnation take place until the goal of every Hindu is achieved - moksha. Moksha means liberation from worldly existence and the beginning of being in God.

Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha:

a) Life is suffering

b) the cause of suffering - desires and passions

c) suffering can be eliminated by giving up desires

d) the crown of everything - liberation from the bonds of samsara.

ancient greek philosophy- the greatest flowering of human genius. The ancient Greeks had the priority of creating philosophy as a science of the universal laws of the development of nature, society and thinking; as a system of ideas that explores the cognitive, value, ethical and aesthetic attitude of man to the world. Philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato are the founders of philosophy as such. Having arisen in Ancient Greece, philosophy formed a method that could be used in almost all areas of life. Ancient Greek aesthetics was part of undifferentiated knowledge. Unlike the ancient Egyptians, who developed science in a practical aspect, the ancient Greeks preferred theory.

The idea of ​​the beauty of the world pervades antique aesthetics. In the worldview of ancient Greek natural philosophers there is not a shadow of doubt about the objective existence of the world and the reality of its beauty. For the first natural philosophers, beauty is the universal harmony and beauty of the universe. In their teaching, the aesthetic and cosmological are united. The universe for ancient Greek natural philosophers is space.

Socrates is one of the founders of dialectics as a method of searching and knowing the truth. The main principle is “Know yourself and you will know the whole world”, that is, the conviction that self-knowledge is the way to comprehend the true good. In ethics, virtue is equal to knowledge, therefore, reason pushes a person to good deeds. A man who knows will not do wrong. Socrates expounded his teaching orally, passing on knowledge in the form of dialogues to his students, from whose writings we learned about Socrates.

Plato's teachings - the first classical form objective idealism. Ideas (among them the highest - the idea of ​​good) - the eternal and unchanging prototypes of things, all transient and changeable being. Things are likeness and reflection of ideas. These provisions are set forth in Plato's writings "Feast", "Phaedrus", "State", etc. In Plato's dialogues we find a multifaceted description of beauty. When answering the question: “What is beautiful?” he tried to characterize the very essence of beauty. Ultimately, beauty for Plato is an aesthetically unique idea. A person can know it only when he is in a state of special inspiration. Plato's concept of beauty is idealistic. Rational in his teaching is the idea of ​​the specificity of aesthetic experience.

A student of Plato - Aristotle, was the tutor of Alexander the Great. He is the founder of scientific philosophy, trays, the doctrine of the basic principles of being (possibility and implementation, form and matter, reason and purpose). His main areas of interest are man, ethics, politics, and art. Aristotle is the author of the books "Metaphysics", "Physics", "On the Soul", "Poetics". Unlike Plato, for Aristotle, the beautiful is not an objective idea, but the objective quality of things. Size, proportions, order, symmetry are the properties of beauty. Beauty, according to Aristotle, lies in the mathematical proportions of things “therefore, to comprehend it, one should study mathematics. Aristotle put forward the principle of proportionality between a person and a beautiful object.

In mathematics, the figure of Pythagoras stands out, who created the multiplication table and the theorem that bears his name, who studied the properties of integers and proportions. The Pythagoreans developed the doctrine of the "harmony of the spheres". For them, the world is a slender cosmos. They connect the concept of beauty not only with the general picture of the world, but also, in accordance with the moral and religious orientation of their philosophy, with the concept of good. Developing the issues of musical acoustics, the Pythagoreans posed the problem of the ratio of tones and tried to give its mathematical expression: the ratio of the octave to the fundamental tone is 1:2, fifths - 2:3, fourths - 3:4, etc. From this follows the conclusion that beauty is harmonious.

Democritus, who discovered the existence of atoms, also paid attention to the search for an answer to the question: “What is beauty?” He combined the aesthetics of beauty with his ethical views and with the principle of utilitarianism. He believed that a person should strive for bliss and complacency. In his opinion, "one should not strive for any pleasure, but only for that which is associated with the beautiful." In the definition of beauty, Democritus emphasizes such a property as measure, proportionality. To the one who transgresses them, "the most pleasant can become unpleasant."

In Heraclitus, the understanding of beauty is permeated with dialectics. For him, harmony is not a static balance, as for the Pythagoreans, but a moving, dynamic state. Contradiction is the creator of harmony and the condition for the existence of beauty: what divergent converges, and the most beautiful harmony comes from opposition, and everything happens due to discord. In this unity of struggling opposites, Heraclitus sees an example of harmony and the essence of beauty. For the first time, Heraclitus raised the question of the nature of the perception of beauty: it is incomprehensible with the help of calculation or abstract thinking, it is known intuitively, through contemplation.

Known works of Hippocrates in the field of medicine and ethics. He is the founder scientific medicine, author of the doctrine of the integrity of the human body, theory individual approach to the patient, the tradition of keeping a medical history, works on medical ethics, in which he paid special attention to the high moral character of the doctor, the author of the famous professional oath, which is given by everyone who receives a medical diploma. His immortal rule for doctors has survived to this day: do no harm to the patient.

Philosophy ancient rome was heavily influenced by the Greek tradition. Actually, the ideas of ancient philosophy were subsequently perceived by Europeans precisely in Roman transcription.

The history of the Roman Empire can be interpreted as a "struggle of all against all": slaves and slave owners, patricians and plebeians, emperors and republicans. All this happened against the backdrop of continuous external military-political expansion and the struggle against barbarian invasions. General philosophical problems here fade into the background (similar to the philosophical thought of other China). The tasks of rallying Roman society are of prime importance.

Roman philosophy, like the philosophy of Hellenism, was predominantly ethical in nature and directly influenced political life society. The problems of reconciliation of the interests of different groups, the issues of achieving the highest good, the development of rules of life, etc., were constantly in the center of her attention. Under these conditions, the philosophy of the Stoics (the so-called younger flock) received the greatest distribution and influence. Developing questions about the rights and duties of the individual, about the nature of the relationship between the individual and the state, about legal and moral norms, the Roman flock sought to contribute to the education of a disciplined warrior and citizen. The largest representative of the Stoic school was Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD) - a thinker, statesman, mentor of Emperor Nero (for whom even the treatise "On Mercy" was written). Recommending the emperor to adhere to moderation and the republican spirit in his reign, Seneca achieved only that he was "ordered to die." Following his philosophical principles, the philosopher opened his veins and died, surrounded by admirers.

Long time there was an opinion that the ancient Roman philosophers were not self-sufficient, eclectic, not as large-scale as their Hellenic forerunners. This is not entirely true. Suffice it to recall the poem of Lucretius Cara (c. 99-55 BC) "On the Nature of Things" and a number of other brilliant thinkers, which it is not possible to talk about here. Let us dwell on the ideas of Cicero (106-43 BC), better known as an orator and politician. If Cicero was an eclecticist, it was not at all from creative helplessness, but because of deep conviction. He considered it quite legitimate to combine separate, from his point of view, the most true features of various philosophical systems. This is evidenced by his treatises On the Nature of the Gods, On Foresight, and others. In addition, Cicero in his writings constantly argues with the ideas of the greatest ancient philosophers. So, he sympathizes with the ideas of Plato, but, at the same time, he sharply opposes his "fictional" state. Ridiculing Stoicism and Epicureanism, Cicero speaks positively of the new Academy. He considers it his task to work in the direction that his fellow citizens "expand their education" (a similar idea is pursued by the followers of Plato - the new Academy).

Wu-wei is translated from Chinese as "non-doing" or "action without action". Chinese philosophers considered it a natural way of life as opposed to actively pursuing goals or forcing events.

However, wu-wei should not be confused with idleness. This is no excuse to sit and criticize others. According to this teaching, a person should not waste energy, but act only when the time is right.

2. The universe is not against us

In order to live according to the principles of wu wei, one must first realize one's connection with everything in nature. And while we should have clear limits, like the kids who run and play outside the park fence, we need to stay open and not be afraid of vulnerability. Then we will be able to contemplate nature and feel the flow of world energy, and then learn to act in accordance with it.

The realization that we do not need to resist the Universe, that it is not set against us, will bring a sense of freedom.

3. A restless mind needs to be pacified

Even if we do not take any action, our brain often continues to fuss. According to wu-wei, it is necessary to subdue not only the body, but also the mind. Otherwise, we will not be able to understand whether we are acting in accordance with the world energy or simply indulging our ego.

Lao Tzu said that we need to observe and learn to listen to our own inner voice and to the voices of our environment.

4. Change is inevitable and you have to accept it.

Everything in nature is constantly changing. These changes are governed by laws that we cannot change, and often cannot even comprehend. Therefore, it is useless to fight change. It's like trying to stop the changing of the seasons or the sunset. in nature, you will be able to relate more easily to changes in yourself.

We all inevitably change. Try not to resist it, but to see the positive side.

5. Aimless movement

In our time, the lack of purpose is considered an inability to live. However modern life can hardly be called harmonious.

The Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu advised a lifestyle he called aimless movement. To explain, he drew an analogy with the activities of an artist or craftsman. A talented woodcarver or a skilled swimmer does not think and weigh the sequence of his actions. His skill has become so much a part of himself that he acts instinctively, spontaneously, without thinking about the reasons. It is precisely this state that philosophers sought to achieve with the help of wu-wei.