pre-chin daoism: laozi

1. Pre-chin Daoism????: Laozi??

3. I. The Life of Laozi (551-479 B.C.) An older contemporary of Confucius. The author of the Book of Laozi, the classic in the thought of Daoism??. Not much is known about Laozi, only that he lived to a great age.

4. II. D.C. Lau�s??? argument on the Laozi According to D.C. Lau, Laozi was not a historical figure at all. At a very early stage, Confucius was known as a sage and there are stories about his encounters with hermits who made fun of him. The Laozi�s story was one of them. Such stories cannot be taken as seriously historical evidence.

5. II. D.C Lau�s argument on the Laozi It cannot be accidental that �Laozi�?? also means �an old man.� In 4 & 3 B.C., there was at least two works with titles which mean �elder� and �older man of mature wisdom.�

6. II. D.C Lau�s argument on the Laozi No reason that these works were written by individuals. They are best looked upon as anthologies which were complied from short passages by an editor or a series of editors.

7. III. The Period when Laozi was Born It was a golden age of Chinese thought: Hundred Schools Period??????. Scholars and philosophers who could lay claim to any originality in ideas won prestige and fame.

8. III. The Period when Laozi was Born For instance, there was a school proposed by Yang Chu??: which advocated a thoroughgoing egoism. It has been suggested that the Laozi represents a development of the school of Yang Chu. Yang Chu said, �Even simply pulling out a hair of mine and the whole empire will be benefited. I will not do it.?????????� There are passages in the Laozi which are best understood in the spirit of egoism.

9. IV. How to read the Dao De Ching??? Laozi�s Book: Dao De Ching Even individual chapters: very short, unrelated passages It is better to take such short sections rather than the chapters as units, as the work in its present form must have been complied by a series of editors out of these short sections. We cannot expect a high degree of cohesion in thought. How to read? To deal with the various key concepts, and to relate them.

10. V. The Teachings of Laozi No one can hope to understand Chinese philosophy, religion, government, art, medicine�or even cooking� without a real appreciation of the profound philosophy taught in Laozi. Confucianism: social order and an active life Daoism: individual life and tranquility

11. V. The Teachings of Laozi Confucian: conformity; worldliness Doaism: non-conformity; a transcendental spirit Daoism is a severe critic of Confucianism. In its doctrines on government, on cultivating and preserving life, and on handling things, Daoism as important as Confucianism.

12. V. The Teachings of Laozi One should not be misled by the Daoist ideals of weakness and emptiness. Daoism is not a philosophy of negativism or one of absolute quietism. The Book advocates not only wu-wei??, but also practical tactics for action(???,????, L.ch.3). It teaches submission, but strongly opposes oppressive government. The philosophy of Laozi is not for the hermit, but for the sage-ruler, who does not desert the world but rules it with non-interference.

13. V. The Teachings of Laozi Laozi�s Daoism is not a philosophy of withdrawal. Man is to follow Nature but in doing so he is not eliminated; instead his nature is fulfilled. Any comparison of Daoism with the Aristotle�s Logos must take these facts into account.

14. VI. Dao? in Laozi�s Teachings Dao: �path,� �road,� �way,� �extended to mean principle,� �system,� �truth,� �Reality�� In many other schools (such as in Confucianism), Dao means a system or moral truth. In Daoism, Dao is the One, which is natural, eternal, spontaneous, nameless, and indescribable (Dao De Ching 1). Dao is at once the beginning of all things and the way which all things pursue their course.

15. VI. Dao in Laozi�s Teaching When this dao is possessed by individual things, it becomes its character or de?. The ideal life for an individual, the ideal order for society, and the ideal type of government are based on dao and guided by it. As the way of life, dao denotes simplicity, spontaneity, tranquility, weakness, and �non-action�/ wu-wei. Wu-wei is not meant literally �inactive� but rather �taking no action that is contrary to Nature�. That is, letting Nature take its own course.

16. Text on �Wu-wei�?? (D 48) �In the pursuit of learning one knows more every day; in the pursuit of Dao one does less every day. One does less and less until one does nothing at all, and when one does nothing at all there is nothing that is undone. It is always through not meddling that the empire is won. Should you meddle, then you are not equal to the task of winning the empire.� ????;????.????,?????.??????.???????.????,??????

17. VII. Laozi�s Dao De Ching??? (Classic of Dao and De) Consists of about 5250 Chinese characters only, yet important in Chinese culture. More commentaries have been written on it than on any other Chinese classic. Some passages are lost or found only in fragments.

18. VIII. Major Ideas in the Dao De Ching 1. Dao?(the Way) 2. Opposite Terms e.g. strong/weak?? 3. Turning back? 4. Development & decline 5. Contentment & when to stop

19. 1. Dao �Dao that can be spoken of is not the constant dao; The name that can be named is not the constant name. The nameless was beginning of Tian and earth, The named was the mother of the myriad creatures. Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; But always allow yourself to have desires in order to serve its manifestations. These two are the same but diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same they are called mysterious, Mystery upon mystery� The gateway of the manifold secrets.� (Dao De Ching 1) ???,???.???,???.??,????,??,????.????,????.???,????.????????.????.????,????.

20. 1. Dao Comments on Dao De Ching 1: While ancient Chinese philosophical schools differed in many aspects, most of them insisted on the correspondence of names and actualities. They all accepted names as necessary and good. Laozi, however, rejected names in favor of the nameless. This, among other things, show the radical and unique character of Daoism. To Laozi, Dao is nameless and is the simplicity without names, and when names arise, that is, when the simple oneness of Dao is split up into individual things with names, Dao is no longer in full.

21. 1. Dao Dao that can be described, cited as authority, and praised is not the immutable way. (D 32) �Dao is for ever nameless.� ???? (D 41) �Dao conceals itself in being nameless.� ????

22. 1. Dao No name is applicable to the dao because language is totally inadequate for such a purpose. Yet, if dao is to be taught at all, no matter how inadequate, must be found to give an idea of what it is like. This is a difficult task, for even the term �dao� is not its proper name but a name we use for want of something better, but if we insist on characterizing it in some manner, we can only describe it as �great?� (D 25)

23. 1. Dao Dao is responsible for the creation as well as the support of the universe, yet the description the Daoist aimed at was a description in terms of tangible qualities as though dao were a concrete thing. (D 42) �Dao begets one; one begets two; two begets three; three begets the myriad creatures.� ???,???,???,???? �the One� is very often used as another name for �dao� i.e. It is �the One� or �dao� which is responsible for creating as well as supporting the universe.

24. 1. Dao (D 39) �Of old, these came to be in possession of the One: Tian in virtue of the One is limpid; Earth in virtue of the One is settled; Gods in virtue of the One have their potencies; The valley in virtue of the One is full; The myriad creatures in virtue of the One are alive; Lords and princes in virtue of the One become leaders in the empire�� ?????:?????,?????,?????,?????,??????,?????????� -- With Dao, everything in the world would be in its good/complete state.

25. 1. Dao If this dao which is behind the universe is to be described in physical terms, then this is the result. (D14)��Its upper part is not dazzling; Its lower part is not obscure. Dimly visible, it cannot be named And returns to that which is without substance. This is called the shape that has no shape, The image that is without substance. This is called indistinct and shadowy. Go up to you and you will not see its head; Follow behind it and you will not see its rear...� ????,????.?????,?????.??????,????.????.??????,??????.

26. 1. Dao The entity called dao existed before the universe came into being. It has an essence which is genuine, and this genuineness is vouched for by the existence of the universe which it has produced and continues to sustain. But beyond this there is nothing we can say about the dao.

27. 1. Dao Even to say that dao produced the universe is misleading, for it did not produce in the same way as a father produces a son. �Deep, it is like the ancestor of the myriad creatures� It images the forefather of God� (D 4) ???????�????. To say that it is �like� the ancestor of the myriad creatures and that it �images� the forefather of God is to say that the dao produces the universe only in a figurative sense.

28. A Comparison of Laozi�s dao with Plato�s Form Plato: a plurality of Forms, each distinct in character from all others, yet there is a unifying principle: the Form of Good Plato�s insistence that of anything real we must be able to make a statement to the exclusion of its contradictory seems to stem from the assumption that the totally real must be totally knowable. Laozi: one dao, yet the Daoist takes the opposite position. Dao is unknowable.

29. The relationship between Tian and Dao Dao as the creator of the universe is interesting because this was an innovation of the Spring-Autumn??and Warring States??period, and the Laozi is one of the works where it is to be found. Traditionally, the role of creator belonged to tian. This was so from the earliest times. Tian was the term used in ancient text, the Book of Poetry??, the Book of History??, the Analects of Confucius, Mencius.

30. The relationship between Tian and Dao In the above works, the concept of tian remains central, the term dao is always used in the sense of �the way of something,� even when it is used without qualifications. In relation to tian it means the way that tian follows, and in relation to man it means the way that one ought to follow.

31. The relationship between Tian and Dao In the Laozi, the dao is no longer �the way of something,� but a completely independent entity, and replaces tian in all its functions. But the dao is also the way followed by the inanimate universe as well as by man. Sometimes the line is blurred between the dao as an entity and the dao as an abstract principle which is followed.

32. The relationship between Tian and Dao Though in the Laozi the dao which replaces tian has ceased to be an intelligence and to be moral, the Laozi continued in the tradition that man should model his behavior on tian, only here he is urged to model himself on dao.

33. 2. Opposite Terms in the Laozi Pairs of opposites, e.g. strong/weak?/?; hard/submissive?/? The lower terms: far more useful/ far less misleading as descriptions of the dao. Nothing is often used to indicate dao. (D 15) �The myriad creatures in the world are born from Something, and Something from Nothing.� ?????,????.

34. 2. Opposite Terms in the Laozi The lower terms: preferred, expressed in a negative form which does not have the same limiting function that positive terms have. It is the limiting function that makes specific terms unfit for describing the dao. (D.36) The submissive and weak will overcome the hard and strong. ????? (D 78) �In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. This is because there is nothing that can take its place.� ???????,?????????,??????.

35. 2. Opposite Terms in the Laozi (D 40) �Weakness is the means dao employs� ????? Hold fast to the submissive and weak.. This is usually given a cyclical interpretation which links up with that of the theory of change. But if change is understood as cyclical and a thing that reaches the limit in one direction will revert to the opposite direction, then the precept is both useless and impracticable. Opposite terms of Laozi is non-cyclical.

36. 2. Opposite Terms in the Laozi (D 52) �To see the small is called discernment; to hold fast to the submissive is called strength. Use the light but give up the discernment. Bring not misfortune upon yourself. This is known as following the constant.� ????;????;???,????.????.????.

37. 2. Opposite Terms in the Laozi (D.76)�A man is supple and weak when living, but hard and stiff when dead. Grass and trees are pliant and fragile when living, but dried and withered when dead. Thus the hard and strong are the comrades of death; the supple and the weak are the comrades of life. Therefore a weapon that is strong will not vanquish; a tree that is strong will suffer the axe. The strong and big takes the lower position.� ??????,?????.???????,?????.????,???;???,???.???????,????;????,????.

38. 3. �Turning back�? in the Laozi The important term is �turning back.� To turn back is �to return to one�s roots,� and one�s roots are the submissive and the weak. All that it is said is that a thing, once it has reached the limit of development, will return to its roots, i.e. will decline.

39. 3. �Turning back�? in the Laozi (D 16) �I do my utmost to attain emptiness; I hold firmly to stillness. The myriad creatures all rise together and I watch their return. The teeming creatures all return to their separate roots. Returning to one�s roots is known as stillness. This is what is meant by returning to one�s destiny. Returning to one�s destiny is known as the constant. Knowledge of the constant is known discernment. Woe to him who wilfully innovates while ignorant of the constant, but should one act from knowledge of the constant one�s action will lead to impartiality, impartiality to kingliness, kingliness to heaven, heaven to Dao, Dao to perpetuity, and to the end of one�s days one will meet with no danger.�

40. 3. �Turning back� in the Laozi (D 16)???;???.????,????.????,?????.????.????.????.????.???,???;???,???,???,???,???,???,???? (D 40) �Turning back is how the dao moves� ????? (D 78) �Straight words seem paradoxical.� ????

41. 3. �Turning back� in the Laozi Nothing is said about development being equally inevitable once one has returned to its roots. It is never said that the process of change is cyclical. Not only is development is not inevitable, it is a slow and gradual process, every step needs deliberate effort.

42. 4. Development & decline in the Laozi Development and decline are totally different in nature. Development is slow and gradual; decline is quick and abrupt. Development: with deliberate effort; Decline: comes about naturally and inexorably. Rather than a merry-go-round, the process of change is like a children�s slide.

43. 4. Development & decline in the Laozi Children�s slide: one climbs laboriously to the top, but once over the edge the downward movement is quick and complete. The point of holding fast to the submissive is to avoid the fall should one become hard, for in a fall, whether from wealth or from power, one tends (at least in the times of the Spring-autumn & Warring States period) to lose one�s life into the bargain.

44. 5. Contentment and when to stop (D 44) Thus, one should �Know contentment and you will suffer no disgrace; know when to stop and you will meet with no danger. You can then endure.� ????,????,???? --Comment: What is it that dies but does not perish? Most commentators believe that Laozi meant the immortality of de/virtue?.

45. 5. Contentment and when to stop (D 33) �He who knows contentment is rich.� ???? (D 46) �There is no crime greater than any having too many desires; there is no disaster greater than not being content; there is no misfortune greater than being covetous. Hence in being content, one will always have enough.� ??????,???????,??????.????? Only when a man realizes that he has enough can he learn not to aim at winning greater wealth and more rank, the ceaseless pursuit of which will end only in disaster.