Uploaded April 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Video 03 in a series of video lectures for the Holistic Tarot companion course. Access the course materials here: benebellwen.com/about-the-book/a-companion-course
Closed captions available for this video, so if you need the English subtitles, be sure to turn them on.
To order Holistic Tarot via Amazon: amazon.com/Holistic-Tarot-Integrative-Approach-Personal/dp/158394835X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492850891&sr=8-1&keywords=Holistic+Tarot
(Free Course) A Comparative Analysis of Fortune Telling and Divination in Tarot: A Chinese Perspective, benebellwen.com/2017/02/02/a-comparative-analysis-of-fortune-telling-and-divination-a-free-lecture
($49) Learning the Opening of the Key Course, tarotreadersacademy.usefedora.com/?affcode=5969_q0w0ocgv
($15) Tarot as a Tool for Craft, benebellwen.com/2017/01/22/a-15-online-tarot-course-tarot-as-a-tool-for-craft
Decks Pictured: Triple Goddess Tarot by Jaymi Elford (Lo Scarabeo); Tabula Mundi Tarot (Color Version) by M. M. Meleen (Self-published); Borderless Derivative of the 1910 Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in the Public Domain (Private collection); Derivative of the 1910 Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in the Public Domain (Private collection); Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert (Schiffer Publishing); Golden Universal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo; Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson; Oswald Wirth Tarot by U.S. Games ; Pagan Otherworlds by Uusi; Pearls of Wisdom Tarot by Roxi Sim (Self-published); Rider-Waite Tarot (1971) by U.S. Games; Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood; Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot by U.S. Games; Steele Wizard Tarot by Pamela Steele (Self-published); Tarot Illuminati by Kim Huggens and Erik C. Dunne; The Azathoth Tarot by Nemo (Self-published); The Golden Botticelli Tarot by Lo Scarabeo
Select images sourced from Wikimedia Commons and public domain sites, used here for educational purposes. Otherwise photographs used herein were taken by me.
Video 03 in a series of video lectures for the Holistic Tarot companion course. Access the course materials here: benebellwen.com/about-the-book/a-companion-course
Closed captions available for this video, so if you need the English subtitles, be sure to turn them on.
To order Holistic Tarot via Amazon: amazon.com/Holistic-Tarot-Integrative-Approach-Personal/dp/158394835X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492850891&sr=8-1&keywords=Holistic+Tarot
(Free Course) A Comparative Analysis of Fortune Telling and Divination in Tarot: A Chinese Perspective, benebellwen.com/2017/02/02/a-comparative-analysis-of-fortune-telling-and-divination-a-free-lecture
($49) Learning the Opening of the Key Course, tarotreadersacademy.usefedora.com/?affcode=5969_q0w0ocgv
($15) Tarot as a Tool for Craft, benebellwen.com/2017/01/22/a-15-online-tarot-course-tarot-as-a-tool-for-craft
Decks Pictured: Triple Goddess Tarot by Jaymi Elford (Lo Scarabeo); Tabula Mundi Tarot (Color Version) by M. M. Meleen (Self-published); Borderless Derivative of the 1910 Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in the Public Domain (Private collection); Derivative of the 1910 Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in the Public Domain (Private collection); Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert (Schiffer Publishing); Golden Universal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo; Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson; Oswald Wirth Tarot by U.S. Games ; Pagan Otherworlds by Uusi; Pearls of Wisdom Tarot by Roxi Sim (Self-published); Rider-Waite Tarot (1971) by U.S. Games; Robin Wood Tarot by Robin Wood; Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot by U.S. Games; Steele Wizard Tarot by Pamela Steele (Self-published); Tarot Illuminati by Kim Huggens and Erik C. Dunne; The Azathoth Tarot by Nemo (Self-published); The Golden Botticelli Tarot by Lo Scarabeo
Select images sourced from Wikimedia Commons and public domain sites, used here for educational purposes. Otherwise photographs used herein were taken by me.

![Wu Wei 無為 (Taoist Non-Action)
This is a video lecture on the Taoist principle of wu wei 無為, commonly translated into English as “non-action.”
Timestamps:
00:00 Review of what I said on wu wei in a previous video
00:24 Wu wei in a nutshell
00:59 What the Tao Te Ching (6th century BC) says about wu wei
01:33 Tao Te Ching Verse 2
02:19 The Tao as a divine monad vs. polytheistic view of the many gods, spirits, and demons that are the fragmented parts of the Tao
03:49 Tao Te Ching Verse 38 [Note: There is a typo in the top right corner. It should cite the book 德經 of the TTC]
04:17 Tao Te Ching Verse 37 [Note: Same typo as previous]
05:42 Reflection: Synthesize the word for word translations and interpret Verse 37 for yourself
07:51 Wu wei as political philosophy and military strategy
08:36 What the Xunzi 荀子 (4th century BC) says about wu wei [Text that should have appeared on screen here: 譬之是猶以盲辨色,以聾辨聲也,舍亂妄無為也]
08:56 What the Zhuangzi 莊子 (5th - 3rd century BC) says about wu wei
10:01 What the Xinyu 新語 by Lu Jia 陸賈 (240 BC – 170 BC) says about wu wei
10:37 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 1
11:45 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 2
12:36 Xinyu, Article 4 on Wu Wei, Verse 3
13:40 Comparing Lu Jia’s philosophy of wu wei to the Tao Te Ching Verse 63 | Error in Script: This should be Verse 57: 我無為,而民自化 (Wǒ wú wéi, ér mín zì huà)
14:08 Tao Te Ching Verse 43; I Ching hexagram 42 (Yi: Burgeoning)
15:03 Comparing Lu Jia’s philosophy with Stoicism and Diogenes of Babylon (200 – 100 BC)
15:57 Key distinctions between Confucianist, Taoist, and Buddhist interpretations of wu wei
17:03 Reflection: Per your interpretation of these texts articulating wu wei, what does the concept mean to you?
ADDENDUM: How might everyday people like us apply this philosophical principle? Here are my personal thoughts.
- At the government level, it means prioritizing individual liberty when it comes to law and public policy. It means giving people the freedom to be who they want to be, but also investing a great deal in education and inspiring the people toward modeling virtue. A truly just, peaceful, and good society begins at the top. Your leaders must first model virtue before you expect that of the people.
- In terms of our relationship with nature and the environment, it means construction that is in harmony with the natural topography, rather than trying to defeat the natural topography. Basically, feng shui principles.
- And at the family level, it means intuitive parenting. It’s letting the interests, innate disposition, strengths and weaknesses of your child guide how you parent. It does not mean hands-off parenting. It means not trying to change the nature and innate disposition of your child. In fact, it means as a parent, you want to do everything you can to nurture the best out of the nature of your child. Wu wei parenting means modeling virtuous behavior to inspire your child to be virtuous.
- In education, wu wei means teachers don’t force or compel students to learn at the teacher’s expected pace of progress. It’s letting students learn at their own natural pace.
- At the individual level, wu wei doesn’t mean don’t be ambitious. It means doing The Work out of a natural, unforced passion for The Work, and then not desiring credit or glory for achieving The Work.
See also the companion video lecture on ziran 自然:
https://youtu.be/EvXSuKYA_Gg Wu Wei 無為 (Taoist Non-Action)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TzAFobogs3Q/mqdefault.jpg)








