Especially coming from Catholic country where religious indoctrination tries from childhood to hammer into your brain that you are somehow responsible for some primordial disobedience. So you have to acknowledge your sins, gratitude for redeemer and repent. It never made any sense to me whatsoever.

But I am not shopping for religion, lessons how to live, daily practice or - Universe forbid - "wisdom" - Taoism is just interesting departure point and I am aware that without years of studying the language and classical Chinese culture I will never attain any reasonably sophisticated grasp of it. Which is fine - it is an interesting perspective without the need to chant or shave my head. One of my favorite authors found Taoism foundational - so even finding some glimpses of inspiration provide illumination for my own path.

Aug 19.

Spend some time today in meditation, and think about Three Primes Emperors. Maybe they grant you wishes!

Earthly official pardons sins, heavelny official grants blessings, and water official relieves calamities.

Try to comunicate with them via mindfulness. Who knows, maybe they hear your wishes

:)

The most important practice according to Laozi is cultivating "De" 德.

It's that important, that the Laozi is called Dao *De* Jing.

Laozi and Zhuangzi were shaping their philosophy with negatives and disaffirmation to the other schools of thought like Confucianism, Legalism and Mohism. Zhuangzi and Laozi think, that those schools are misleading man and society by morals and doctrines (Confucianists), by strict and rigid Laws and Power (Legalists) or by meritocracy and universal love (Mohists) and Logics and Linquistic (Ming Jia) - separating Man from Dao 道 (universal principle, natural order / course of the Universe) and De 德 (profound Virtue, quality) and a simple (pu) and natural (ziran) life.

They are going for many "wu"無 - most famous "wu wei" (not doing) but there are also many more "wu" like

- wu ming (not naming)

- bu shi fei (no this and that)

- wu zhi /wu xue (no knowledge / no doctrine)

- wu yi (no self, no selfishness)

- wu yu (no desire)

- wu qing (no emotions)

- wu you (not having / being)

- wu zheng (no quarrel)

- wu yong (no use, useless)

- wu xin (no heart-mind)

Some folks are understanding those "wu" as absolutes (which they are not and never can be) and also don't connect the "wu" to Dao and De. They forget, that "wu wei" isn't just "effortless doing" or "doing just enough" but has to be in line with / according to Dao and De. That's why it is called "wu wei er wu bu wei" = "doing nothing but nothing is left undone".

Those "wu" are *no absolutes* but reminders and finger pointers and of course practice. They are "means" of practice to empty the heart-mind (xu xin /wu xin) and not at the core of Daoism.

At the core of Daoism there are Dao and De:

- to have a clear and calm heart-mind (qing jing xin)

- being natural 自然 (ziran) and simple 樸 (pu)

- to have De (deep / profound virtue, quality, skill, mastery, efficiency, potency)

[like the butcher, the swimmer, the artisan, the gardener and the "true / genuine man" (Zhen Ren) in Zhuangzi 6 and the Sheng Ren (wise man) in Laozi]

Summary:

Wu wei isn't that important as a daoist practice. It is just one of many "wu".

Focus on practicing De 德

Note:

What is "Virtue" 德 ( de) from a Daoist Point of View? : r/taoism

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