The Tao of LaoTse. 2

In the previous blog, I set out what LaoTse tried to explain about the nature of the Tao. In that explanation, LaoTse described the Tao as by the double adjective "恍" and "惚" . In Chinese these two words are now often used together as a compound expression such that the first ajdective of that compound expression is seldom used without the other. What do we mean by that inseparable pair of words "恍惚" ? LaoTse gave another explanation or illustration in chapter 14 of the TTC. He said: " To look but not see may be termed Yi (夷). To listen but not hear may be called Shi(希). To strive for but not attain may be called Mi (微). All three can never be fully explained. That is why they are jumbled together as one. It is not bright above, nor dark below. It is boundless/limitless/infinite and cannot be named. It always returns/regresses to non-substance/non-matter/nothing. That is to say, it is a shapeless form, a thing/substance-less phenomenon/image/picture. That is 恍惚. You see not its head in front, nor its back from behind. If you stick to this ancient Tao, you may dominate all that is present. To be able to know its ancient/eternal origin is to know the law of the Tao.". (視之不見名曰夷，聽之不聞名曰希，博之不得名曰微，此三者不可致詰，故混而為一。其上不曒，其下不昧，繩繩不可名，復歸於無物。是無狀之狀，無物之象，是謂恍惚。迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。執古之道，以卸今之有。能知古始，是謂道紀). From this suggestion, not "definition" of the nature of the Tao, we get an inkling of what the Tao may be: neither bright nor dark, invisble, inaudible, unattainable, strictly speaking, unexplainable, formless, imageless and you can make neither head nor tail of it. But it always returns or regress unto itself and unto nothingness or emptiness or the Void. Yet if we understand a little bit more of the nature of this ancient or eternal truth, we may then know how it works in practice and hence be able to work with it or to work within it a little better here and now.  It is governed by its own laws, its own principles.

 

From this Tao, this nothingness, this emptiness, this Void comes everything: time, space, matter, objects, life, form, qualities and laws. What is the effect  or function of the Tao on this world of ours? What does the Tao do? How does it affect us and other forms of life? The Tao shapes, nourishes everything in the universe. Laotse said in Cap 34 of the TTC " The Grand Tao floods everything, shapes and influences everything. Everything relies upon it for its birth and not upon itself for such birth but it assist everything to reach its goal but will not hold/own them.  It clothes and nourishes everything but will not act as its master. Because it never desires anything, it may be termed humble; because everything returns to it and it masters them not, it may be termed great. Because it aims not to be great itself, it makes greatness.". (大道氾兮，其可左右。萬物持之而生而不辭，功成而不有，衣養萬物而不為主。常無欲，可名於小；萬物歸焉而不為主，可名為大。以其終不自為大，故能成其大。)From this, we know that although the Tao is the origin of everything but never seeks to dominate whatever it creates, whatever it develops, whatever it nourishes, whatever it helps to grow for the latter's own purposes and in its own ways, it may paradoxically be described as both humble and great. It is humble because it always hides itself behind the others. But because it assists the others to achieve greatness, it is vicariously great..  And because it always merely influences but never asserts itself, it helps the others to be great. Thus the Tao is the world's greatest mother, the greatest mid-wife, the greatest facilitator, the greatest helper, the greatest servant and not its master. 

 

The Tao (道) expresses and manifests itself concretely as Te (德)  or if we use Buddhist or Hindu terminology , the karma (業) . If we continue to use such terminology, then we may compare the Tao of LaoTse to the Brahman of Hinduism. In Chapter 51 of the TTC , LaoTse explains the relationship between the Tao and the Te: "The Tao starts/gives birth to everything, Te husbands it. Things gives it form. Circumstances shape it. That is why everything respects the Tao and values the Te. The reason why the Tao is respected and the Tao is valued is that the Tao never masters and always  allows the others to follow its own purposes and ways naturally...It gives birth but never owns them. It acts but never holds on to them. It rears but but never kills. This is the highest Te. " (道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命而常自然...生而不有，為而不持，長而不宰。是為玄德) . To Laotse, therefore, the Tao is positive, never negative as far as the others are concerned. But as for itself, it is always negative in the sense that it never asserts itself by force. If it acts, it acts behind the scene, gently, subtly, softly, silently, inconspicuously and invisbly. That to LoaTse, is its greatest virtue (德). He uses the term 玄 to describe the Te of the Tao. That word in Chinese has the connotations of big, great, spacious, noble and mysterious. In chapter 65, LaoTse further elaborates what he means by 玄德. He says there: " To know/understand always the steps and method may be termed Great Virtue. Great  How profound and how far is that Great Virute. How everything must return to its source before we may have that great smoothness/flow?". (常知稽/楷式，是為玄德。玄德深矣遠矣; 與物反矣, 然後乃至大順。). Thus again, LaoTse always emphasizes the need to return to the original principle of the Tao. We must never for a moment forget that origin, to which we must return again and again and always keep that in mind.

 

Finally, what is the relationship between the Man, Tao( 道) and Nature (自然) according to LaoTse?  He says in Chapter 25 of the TTC: " Man models himself on the Earth. The Earth models itself on Heaven. The Heaven models itself on the Tao. The Tao models itself on Nature" (人法地. 地法天，天法道，道法自然) . Thus we may say that to LaoTse, the ultimate model is Nature. That is why in a sense, we may say that all Taoists are Naturalists!