Quotation archive
“The Way is constantly nonacting, yet nothing is left undone.”
Laozi · Daodejing
Quote record
Author
Laozi
Source
Daodejing
Chapter / location
Chapter 37
Tradition
daoism · wu-wei · action
Source information
From Daodejing, Chapter 37.
Original language: Classical Chinese
Translation
Translated from Classical Chinese into English using a named scholarly edition.
Context
Read the contextual commentary in this archive entry.
Interpretation
A contextual Daodejing formulation of wu wei and non-coercive efficacy.
Knowledge network
Related Archive Records
Original Text
The chapter is a primary text for discussions of wu wei, though its vocabulary cannot be exhausted by one English gloss.
Translation
This entry follows the cited translation and preserves the chapter number for verification.
Context
The passage concerns the Dao and the consequences of rulers or persons introducing excessive desire and force.
Meaning
Non-action here is not inactivity. It describes action without coercive striving.
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Archive references
Sources
- 01The DaodejingBy Laozi; translated by Philip J. IvanhoeChapter 37. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2002.
- 02Daoist PhilosophyBy Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyConsult source
ZHAIBIAN Editorial Board reviewed
Reviewed by ZHAIBIAN AI Editorial Review · 2026-07-22