Wu Wei Ninja

November 2018 | Paris

We live in a very machismo world. Sad, but true. It's seen as "weak" to not stand up and fight if you are confronted. If someone does something obviously rude, you are meant to retaliate. If someone yells profanities at you, you yell back and escalate the situation. If you turn the other cheek, walk away, laugh, or apologize like it was your mistake, this is often viewed as weakness or cowardes.

Wu Wei (chinese, literally “non-doing”) is an important concept of Taoism and means natural action, or in other words, action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort. Wu wei is the cultivation of a mental state in which our actions are quite effortlessly in alignment with the flow of life.

Opposing violence, negativity and aggression with more violence, negativity and aggression and expecting a peaceful outcome is insane. **Note: If you aren't in the pursuit of peace, perhaps you aren't ready for this post** The Wu Wei Ninja aims to diminish negativity in the world: rather than blocking a punch and causing pain to the fist of the attacker, the Wu Wei Ninja moves with the punch, allowing for soft impact. The Wu Wei Ninja may even fall over from this, pretending defeat and weakness, if this is the only path to diffusing the anger in their opponent. In an extreme situation, the Ninja will flee from the situation, and only in cases of extreme violence and danger, the Ninja will restrain the opponent without violence or anger.

It is only by throwing water on the fire that we can put it out. It is only by showing infinite compassion and grace that we can create more Love and less hate. This is a practice to be pursued every moment and can only be mastered after many confrontations. Fortunately, every single interaction is practice, and we can become masters simply by living out everyday lives with more awareness and finesse.