自然
Ziran
Taoism · conceptSelf-so, spontaneity, what-is-of-itself. In Daoist texts, ziran names a quality of arising or acting from one's own conditions rather than from imposed design. It is closely related to wu wei, but the terms are not synonyms: ziran describes naturalness or self-so-ness, while wu wei describes a mode of action that does not force.
rén fǎ dì, dì fǎ tiān, tiān fǎ dào, dào fǎ zìrán · primary text
Primary Textual Appearances
人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然
— Tao Te Ching, Chapter 25 (道法自然), Wang Bi received-text locator; English translation unresolved
Context and Boundaries
Translation note: 自然 (ziran) is rendered here as a textual term, not as a claim that the chapter defines a modern concept of nature. No named translation is assigned to this entity page.
What this does not establish: Ziran and wu wei are related Daoist concepts, not an identity statement. This page does not claim that whatever is natural is automatically right, or that wu wei is simply another word for ziran.
人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然
— Tao Te Ching, Chapter 25 (道法自然) — primary-text locator; displayed English translation unresolved
What Are the Key Facts About Ziran?
- Tradition: Taoism
- Chinese: 自然
- Category: Concept
- Definition: Self-so, spontaneity, what-is-of-itself.
What Cards Are Related to Ziran?
What Concepts Are Related to Ziran?
Wu Wei 无为What Other Guides Cover Taoism?
Frequently Asked Questions About Ziran
What does ziran mean?
Ziran (自然) is usually translated 'self-so,' 'naturalness,' or 'spontaneity.' In Daoist texts it names things arising and unfolding of themselves, without external forcing — the quality of the world and of action that is not contrived.
What is the difference between ziran and wu wei?
Ziran describes how things are in their own spontaneous unfolding; wu wei describes how action should respond to that unfolding. They overlap but are not the same: ziran is about being, wu wei about non-forcing action.
Does ziran mean 'nature' as in the physical natural world?
Not exactly. Ziran points to self-so-ness or spontaneity rather than the physical natural world. It is a quality of arising without coercion, not a synonym for 'nature' (which in Chinese is more often 天地 or 自然物).
Where does ziran appear in the Tao Te Ching?
Most famously in chapter 25: '人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然' (man models earth, earth models heaven, heaven models the Dao, and the Dao models ziran). It recurs in other chapters as a mark of uncontrived action.