Quoted by John Taylor in “The Organization of the Church,” Millennial Star, November 15, 1851, 339. Also quoted in “Leading in the Lord’s Way,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2007), 284.

I came into the position from the faculty, so I had some of the feelings that my colleagues had. I was also convinced that the iron fist approach would not work. Thus, I told the faculty that it was not my call on the number of fetal pigs or test tubes, and I certainly had no idea of the amount of paint the art department needed. What I could tell them was how much money they had, and I could tell them when it was gone. It was, however, up to them how it was spent. In essence, I gave them both responsibility and authority. I enjoyed “serenity,” and the faculty “governed themselves.” At the end of the year, we had funds left over. This style of management has become more common in certain segments of the business world. Many years ago, Texas Instruments began “quality circles” in which management and labor were brought together to work out problems, thereby creating a more productive working environment. That is the wu-wei mode of governance. It brings people together to solve problems rather than imposing solutions from above. Why will they no longer have to teach each other? Because they all possess the mind of God by walking with the Spirit! Is this not very similar to walking in harmony with the Tao? When persons do so, nothing can go wrong, for they are in harmony with the universe. This humble walk is wu-wei and is similar to what is required of the Latter-day Saints if they are to have the Spirit with them always. We cannot force that Spirit. Rather, we must be like little children in our humbleness and obedience if we are to be in harmony with that Spirit. Wu-wei in Latter-day Saint terms is to live by the Spirit. A fool considers himself a wise man, and a wise man considers himself to be a fool" to any man who claims they have reached true enlightenment, in my opinion, is painfully obnoxious and pretentious. This may be just my opinion, but I won't idly sit by and pretend that one of my favourite rappers isn't an actual... arrogant piece of work. So what would the ideal philosophical Taoist society look like? Clearly, the ideal ruler over that society would be one who led by example and did not force ideas or legislation on the people. The next-to-last chapter of the Tao Te Ching gives us insight into this society: During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the state promoted the notion that “the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) are one”, an idea which over time became popular consensus. [44] The current Taoist textual canon, called the Daozang, was compiled during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). [45] Moreover, during the Ming dynasty, Taoist ideas also influenced Neo-Confucian thinkers like Wang Yangming and Zhan Ruoshui. [46] Qing dynasty and modern China [ edit ]Sima Chengzhen (647—735 CE) is an important intellectual figure of this period. He is especially known for blending Taoist, and Buddhist theories and forms of mental cultivation in the Taoist meditation text called the Zuowanglun. He served as an adviser to the Tang government. [33] He was later retroactively appropriated as a patriarch of the Quanzhen school. [36] Many of us come from broken homes and try to better ourselves from it, but to become better we must remove our egos. Ether raised his head and sighed: “Then one who does not know really knows, and one who knows really does not know. Who knows this knowledge without knowing?” [2] Thought to derive from one of the devas (inhabitants of the heavenly realms) of Buddhism, she is associated with healing and childbirth. Often she is depicted as sitting on a lotus throne and wearing a crown. She has a third eye in her forehead, and her eighteen arms hold a variety of sacred weapons and vessels. The third treasure is a six-character phrase instead of a single word: Chinese 不敢為天下先, Bugan wei tianxia xian, "not dare to be first/ahead in the world", referring to the taoist way to avoid premature death.

Thinkers like He Yan and Wang Bi set forth the theory that everything, including yīn and yáng and the virtue of the sage, “have their roots" in wú (nothingness, negativity, not-being). [30] What He Yan seems to mean by wú can be variously described as formlessness and undifferentiated wholeness. Wu is property-less and yet full and fecund. [30] I strive to be like the sun sitting in the middle of the solar system with all the planets spinning around it — millions of things going on. It's just sitting there being the sun, but exerting gravitational effect on everything. I think man should look at himself that way.” Think how closely one would have to walk with the Spirit to never ask amiss of the Lord. Nephi accomplished that. He had reached the goal that Jeremiah stated when he said: Like the Daodejing, the lesser known Neiye is a short wisdom sayings text. However, the Neiye focuses on Taoist cultivation ( xiū, 修) of the heartmind ( xīn, 心), which involves the cultivation and refinement of the three treasures: jīng (“vital essence”), qì (“spirit”), and shén (“soul”). [18] The Neiye's idea of a pervasive and unseen "spirit" called qì and its relationship to acquiring dé (virtue or inner power) was very influential for later Taoist philosophy. Similarly, important Taoist ideas such as the relationship between a person's xìng (“inner nature”, 性) and their mìng (“personal fate”, 命) can be found in another lesser known text called the Lüshi Chunqiu. [19] In these texts, as well as in the Daodejing, a person who acquires dé and has a balanced and tranquil heartmind is called a shèng-rén (“sage”). [20] According to Russell Kirkland: After wu-wei, humility is probably the most important virtue, and water is the principal symbol of humility. The Tao Te Ching states:Not too surprisingly, the Tao is the center of Taoism, but as we shall see, it is indefinable. We get a sense of this from the first chapter of the Tao Te Ching. The Daodejing (also known as the Laozi after its purported author, terminus ante quem 3rd-century BCE) has traditionally been seen as the central and founding Taoist text, though historically, it is only one of the many different influences on Taoist thought, and at times, a marginal one at that. [12] The Daodejing changed and developed over time, possibly from a tradition of oral sayings, and is a loose collection of aphorisms on various topics which seek to give the reader wise advice on how to live and govern, and also includes some metaphysical speculations. [13] Taoism has in its philosophical form profound similarities with the Spirit-guided life which Latter-day Saints seek to live.

You can break Ch’an Buddhism down to three basic ideas. One is that every person has an inherent Buddha nature inside—anyone can become enlightened. Two, there’s no one single path to enlightenment, everybody has to find his own way. Three, it’s almost impossible to reach enlightenment solely through the exchange of words.” Wu wei’ does not signify not acting at all, but rather not forcing things on their way. Wu wei signifies that the action should be immediately in accordance with the Tao, hence the necessary will be done without exaggeration, hyperbole or overeagerness as these are considered obstructive, though rather in an easy, facile, non disturbing way, leading to overall harmony and balance. It is a state of inner tranquillity, which will show the right effortless action at the right time. I'll be completely honest. I absolutely adore Wu-Tang, but never have I been so repulsed or turned off by a book and I have read literature written by ZIONISTS. Truth out of season bears no fruit" To me, that means two things. One: There's a time and place for every kind of knowledge to flourish. Two: The personal characteristics of great messengers are usually irrelevant.”If Tao is honoured and if ‘te’ is considered precious, than there is no need for any regulations: all is working durable by itself. Therefore, allow Tao to create, generate, nourish, proliferate, accomplish, ripen, mature, foster and protect; produce without owning, affect without keeping, increase without domineering: that is secret Tao. Roger R. Keller, "Taoism," Light and Truth: A Latter-day Saint Guide to World Religions (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2012), 144–69.