What Bruce Lee meant when he said ‘Be water’

Bruce Lee’s ‘Be water’ is quite simply ‘Wu Wei’ or ‘Wei Wu Wei’!

Yes, these beautiful Chinese words represent an ancient Taoist philosophy which is what Bruce Lee meant when he said ‘Be water’.

Wu Wei literally means ‘not doing’. But the deeper meaning, is being calm. In the moment. Still. Like water.

So it is not essentially inaction. It is action without action. Wei Wu Wei.

Only when the inner waters of our mind are completely calm, can we be truly natural. In sync with nature. Our own self. That is the true union of the self with the divine.

When Bruce Lee talks about being water, he uses his words carefully. He doesn’t say be flexible like water. He doesn’t say be like water.

He says ‘Be water’.

Reminds me another excellent quote of Bruce Lee -

Don’t think, feel….it is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory!

So, he means become water. For if you try to be like water, you would be focusing on the finger and not the moon!

This is the true meaning of ‘Be water’. It is the complete and unconditional acceptance of the self. Where the self itself melts and becomes formless, fluid and flexible. When you attain that state, you are water!
And not someone who has tried to incorporate the adjectives used for water.

Bruce Lee’s technique and prowess is rich with his philosophy of life. His art was not just of the body, it was of the mind. His art was in sync with his natural self. There was no effort.

If you try to be like something (water for instance), there is an obvious effort. He was effortless. He was water. He was ‘Wei Wu Wei’ personified!