Fundamental Concept of Li
Considering Yin-Yang as the fundamental driving principle of the Universe, then Wu Wei can be considered the manner in which that source of energy is used (through “action without intention”). The natural forces at work, then, are applied throughout the Universe and to everything within it. How these forces are applied and the consequences of their actions is manifested by Li. The literal usage of the word “li” describes “marks in jade”. The orderly processes and the resulting designs and patterns in Nature are attributed to Li.
Examples of Li at work are everywhere. The progressive rotation of our galaxy, the Milky Way, around a central point is the handwork of Li. The resulting distinctive spiral shape of the galaxy, with its large curved arms radiating outward like spokes of a wheel, is the visual artifact of the processes of Li at work. The manner in which bees build their hives, with the distinctive repetitive shapes of their honeycombs, is Li. The evidence of Li can be seen in designs and patterns left behind by natural processes: the rings of a tree, the spiral shape of a sea snail’s shell, ripples on a pond, the undulating waves of the ocean currents and the designs left by them in sand on a beach’s shore – just to name a few.