Wu wei is a concept from ancient Chinese philosophy that literally means not-acting or non-doing. It is usually translated as effortless action, and it describes acting in harmony with the natural flow of things instead of forcing outcomes. In Daoism, the Tao itself acts in a quiet, unnoticed way, and people aim to live in alignment with it, avoiding force or haste against the natural order. The idea appears in Chinese texts from the Spring and Autumn period and became important in the Confucian Analects, where it links morality with action. It also fed into political thought, describing an ideal of spontaneous, non-aggressive government. Sinologist Jean Francois Billeter describes it as a state of perfect understanding in which action uses a perfect economy of energy.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.