The tao of veganism
“We civilized humans are obsessed with doing. The tendency to constantly be doing and changing the things around us is so habitual, ways of doing which ultimately harm a cause create a better impression on us simply for the reason something is being done.
Taoism (pronounced “dow-izm”) teaches of a philosophy called Wei Wu Wei meaning “doing without doing.” This philosophy is exemplified in the verses of the Tao Te Ching (”Dow-day-jing”) here translated by Stephen Mitchell:
…the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever. (2)
Wei Wu Wei is not meant to be an all-encompassing philosophy for life. Taoism does not suggest we live a life of inaction. Rather, “not doing” embraces the multitude of changes and cycles of nature which allow things to grow, be, and retreat. While we human beings are capable of so many great things, this overconfidence causes us to believe we must be influencing and controlling the world around us in order for it to work in harmony.
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First off, let me provide a correction. Wu Wei Wu is a pseudonym for a specific person who wrote several books. The concept you are trying to reference simply is wu wei. It can be translated as “doing without doing,” “going with the flow” or “acting without intentional thought”.
Secondly, and this may surprise you, but most Taoists I know are not vegetarians nor vegans. They look at food as encompassing both plants and animals. Most will tell you that the human consumption of animals is natural.
I happen to be an atypical Taoist in this regard. While I am not a vegan — I’m still hooked on dairy products — I eat no meat nor wear leather or fur. So, while I am very sympathetic to your point of view, the majority of Taoists would not be.