"Whence comes your strength, your majestic force
That moves mighty ships, births life on your shores?"
I ask the river, and she, with a puzzled eye
Looks up to me and says "But what strength have I?
I am molten snow that rolls down the hill
Along the paths paved by Mother Nature's will
The brooks feed me, the rain helps me grow
Down to the sea I am but impelled to flow
I claim no great force, for who is this "I"?
Am I the tiny brook, the grey cloud in the sky?
Am I the wisp of vapor that rises from the sea?
Am I the child of nature that bows to gravity?
The ships of mighty men, or a child's paper boat
Oh! What joy to know I help keep them afloat
But I say this, my friend, not with humility
I do naught, it all just happens through me"
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This concept of "acting without doing anything" is expounded in many Eastern philosophies. It is called "wu wei" in Taoism, and is a common theme in many Taoist writings like the Tao Te Ching. The Bhagavadgita, of course, delves very deep into this concept. For example, Chapter 3, Verse 27 says
prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvashah
ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate
which roughly translates to "actions happen by the will of nature, but the ignorant man thinks of himself as the doer".
