Commentary on the Tao Te Ching (Part 2): When the World Knows Beauty as Beauty
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Modern people mostly have a flaw: they want to achieve something in cultivating the Tao but are unwilling to read the Taoist classics; they want to make progress in spiritual practice but only wish for pancakes to fall from the sky while sitting there.
If one does not seriously study the Tao Te Ching, one cannot truly comprehend the thoughts of the ancients. Once this understanding is wrong, all cultivation will also be wrong.
Just like the internal alchemy (Dan Dao) after the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is already full of errors, with those achieving success becoming increasingly rare. Various theories of alchemy that seem beautiful but have actually gone astray are everywhere. Later practitioners often die prematurely instead of achieving immortality, or die before their natural lifespan ends. Worse still, some cannot even die peacefully without illness. What a pity.
Translating the Tao Te Ching is not an easy task because the context is so interconnected. Explaining earlier chapters by quoting too much from later chapters only makes the explanation more confusing.
Many profound contents that need to be expressed in the early chapters cannot be fully stated because once said, it would cause confusion.
Therefore, one can only try to express as much as possible. Some expressions are very difficult and strenuous. These may seem off-topic. Whenever you encounter such cases, you should understand that it is not the author going off-topic, but rather that you have not delved deeper into the realization.
The Tao Te Ching I translate relies only on empirical verification. The content I translate is the same, unlike some who daydream, create their own empty theories, or speak passionately but uselessly.
The heart of the marketplace cannot govern the world
The views of the mundane cannot attain the Taoist heart
Some words are not necessarily what the world loves to hear, but they are the truth.
Some words may not conform to traditional values, but they are the truth.
Some words may not provide spiritual comfort, but they are the truth.
Original Text
Being and non-being produce each other; difficult and easy complete each other; long and short contrast each other; high and low incline towards each other; sound and voice harmonize with each other; front and back follow each other. This is constant. Therefore, the sage manages affairs through non-action and teaches through wordless instruction; all things arise and he does not begin them; he generates them but does not possess them; he acts but does not rely on them; when success is achieved, he does not dwell in it. Because he does not dwell in it, it does not depart from him.
Explanation
"When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises. When they know good as good, bad arises."
People in the world only know beauty as beauty, but at that very moment, ugliness has already been generated. They all know good as good, so the cognition of bad has already appeared.
Whatever the matter, it has both a positive and a negative side. Often, people only notice one side and ignore the other.
Due to this neglect, bias arises. Over time, a worldview is formed. Once a worldview is formed, one can no longer see the complete picture of things.
There is a story like this:
Two farmers went to carry water. While carrying, one asked, "What does the Emperor use to carry water?" The other replied, "Of course, he uses a golden pole."
Even children today would find this absurd, but why did these two farmers think this way? Because they lived in a fixed environment day after day, they believed the whole world was like this. Based on their understanding of the world, they deduced the answer they thought was correct.
This may seem too absurd. What if we change the question?
Someone once asked me, "Since you can all divinate, why can't you divinate for yourselves?"
Actually, this is the same nature as guessing the Emperor uses a golden pole.
Most people's destinies can be predicted because they have not practiced cultivation. Similarly, if life is regarded as a practice and is put into action, then such a life does not need to be predicted.
Because for those cultivating the Tao, the focus is on how to comprehend and utilize the laws of the world, applying them to oneself to achieve the goal of cultivation.
Cultivation itself is to break the bonds of fate, so naturally, there is no need for prediction. If cultivation were also something that could be calculated, then to what extent could anyone cultivate? It would all be fixed destiny. Then why would there still be cultivation in this world?
It would be better to sit at home every day gnawing on pancakes and waiting to become an immortal.
Therefore, as a person cultivating the Tao, one should constantly remind oneself that one's worldview is not always correct and can be wrong. But being wrong is not scary. As long as enough accumulation is made, it can be used to overturn the current worldview and establish a new one. This newly established worldview will see the world more clearly and thoroughly.
"Therefore, being and non-being produce each other; difficult and easy complete each other; long and short contrast each other; high and low incline towards each other; sound and voice harmonize with each other; front and back follow each other."
Many people only notice the relative aspect pointed out here. But if it were merely relative, why mention "produce, complete, contrast, incline, harmonize, follow"?
Described in modern terms, this passage means:
The difference between being and non-being lies in whether it has been generated.
The difference between difficult and easy lies in whether it is accomplished.
The difference between long and short lies in shape.
The difference between high and low lies in which is higher when compared.
The difference between sound and voice lies in whether they harmonize.
The difference between front and back lies in who follows whom.
These relative concepts are relative because they have a core difference. These differences can be used to distinguish them, and these differences constitute the core of them becoming a system. This is called "Xuan" (Mystery/Profound).
In philosophical terms, it means: In any thing, contradictions exist. Contradictions themselves are both opposed and unified.
The Tao Te Ching does not propose a theory directly telling you they are opposed and unified, but uses examples to tell you, letting you realize it.
Why not propose a theory? Because once a theory is proposed, rules are fixed, and it can no longer change.
Then what can be discovered from it? For example, taking long and short: long and short are always relative. The so-called long, when encountering something even longer, becomes short.
What happens when this even longer thing encounters something even longer? Then it becomes short again.
Such interlocking links, continuously deduced, is "Xuan you Xuan" (Mystery upon Mystery).
Where is the wonder? Although the concepts of long and short are constantly changing relatively, the method to distinguish long and short is unified, i.e., their shape. This is the unified thing behind the concepts of all things.
Most people can easily understand "relative" but cannot understand "unity" well.
There is a TCM doctor who is also a Feng Shui master. On one hand, he prescribes medicine for patients; on the other hand, he requires them to handle Feng Shui.
Once, he asked me confusedly, saying he learned the Eight Mansions school of Feng Shui, but was very puzzled: why is the effect sometimes very good, and other times completely useless? A Feng Shui theory passed down for so many years should have its reason. Why is it like this?
I asked: "How do you use Eight Mansions Feng Shui?"
He said: "For example, if a person is sick and has a problem in the liver, one handles it in the east of the house and draws the Tianyi Qi to the east."
I said: "So, what do you think of the effect of doing this?"
He said: "Those with liver disease indeed get better, including some severe cases. But for those who are sick, it has no effect at all."
I said: "Hmm, so where do you think the problem lies?"
He said: "Not very clear, that's why I'm asking you."
I said: "Your handling is not wrong, and there is an effect, but the effect does not generate. Obviously, other places are canceling out your handling effect."
He said: "I also guessed this. The question is where it is canceled and how to judge?"
I said: "Operating according to the method, it is impossible to have no effect. If it looks like there is no effect, there is only one reason: if you handle the east well, the patient was originally about to get better, but because there are problems in other directions, they get re-infected. Repeatedly doing this, it never gets better. You must break this cycle. You should first find out what the symptoms of liver disease are. The liver belongs to Jueyin Wind-Wood. Wind qi connects to the liver; this is unchanging. The East Zhen trigram is Thunder. If there is liver stagnation, one vibration disperses it, and dispersing Qi is good. If it is not liver stagnation, and wind and thunder clash, have you handled the Southeast Xun trigram position? If liver Qi is too dispersed, can its Qi gather? Even if the Wind and Thunder positions are handled well, you should also check: if the liver meridian is damaged, you should focus on checking if there are corresponding Sha (negative energies) in the West to trigger them. The human body is a whole, and the house is the same. One should not just stare at one part and only work on that part; this is the flaw of treating the head when it hurts and the foot when it hurts."
Later, I told him some things about Yin-Yang順逆 (smooth and reverse) and the transformation of Heaven and Earth. He verified it, and the cure rate greatly improved.
This case is relatively complex for those not familiar with Yi (I Ching) principles, but the principle in the middle is actually simple. Although all things are relative and different, the basis for their differences happens to be their commonality. These unified commonalities are where the "Xuan Ji" (Mysterious Mechanism) lies.
There is a type of person in this world who is purely from the Jianghu (martial arts world/underworld) school, often called the Jiang Xiang school. They are best at reading people's faces and acting with flexibility. They do not need to understand any calculation techniques, but when discussing people's backgrounds, fortune, and misfortune, they are usually 80-90% accurate.
I once contacted some of them and asked about the principle.
They all said that predicting this matter is very simple. Although there are many different people in the world, they are largely the same. If classified, there are only ten types of people.
Among these ten types, fortune and misfortune are largely the same. As long as you first observe which type the other person belongs to, and then combine it with local customs and clothing, you can easily judge.
By doing so, judging matters by people's nature often hits the mark. This method sounds simple, but it is actually not easy because it requires a lot of empirical summary, and the precise expression of these summarized characteristics is the most valuable content.
But this illustrates a principle: although people are very complex and each individual has significant differences, they are actually mostly the same. This is not only reflected in people but is the same in all things.
So what can be extracted here? Here, Wavelet Transform can be extracted.
Regarding Wavelet Transform, it will be described in a special article later.
"Therefore, the sage manages affairs through non-action and teaches through wordless instruction."
Some people say the Patriarch is a Sage. Actually, in my view, the Patriarch is not a Sage, but rather surpassed the Sage long ago.
Confucianism has Sages and tries to make the world follow the Sages as a model, thereby achieving the goal of governing the world. However, in the end, following the methods of Sages was not successful. Instead, it imprisoned the people. Later rulers continuously utilized and strengthened this imprisonment, becoming internally strong but externally weak, and ultimately were comprehensively surpassed by the Western Industrial Revolution.
However, Zhuangzi said thousands of years ago: "If Sages do not die, Great Thieves will not cease."
The concept of Sage, for the Tao, is merely a phenomenon, an existence in this world. Describing the Sage is only to enlighten Taoist learning, not to tell you that the Sage is the endpoint.
Those who define the Patriarch as a Sage have likely not truly read the Tao Te Ching.
Sages must implement the Way of Non-action, make all things transform without intervention, and educate the people. They need to establish various rules and regulations. Whether it is teaching based on gods or rites and rules, while establishing these, it leads to everything being restricted.
And these themselves do not conform to the Tao.
Taoism only speaks of cultivating the True (Zhen), not cultivating the Sage. The initial goal is positioned on immortality as the ultimate pursuit.
The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) says: The lifespan of a Sage is only enough to reach a hundred years.
Therefore, the pursuit of Taoism is actually to become a True Person, a Perfect Person, or a Virtuous Person, ultimately not a Sage.
This is exactly what the Yinfu Jing says: "People use foolishness to anticipate Sages; I do not use foolishness to anticipate Sages. People use miracles to expect Sages; I do not use miracles to expect Sages."
The reason Sages can manage affairs through non-action is that Sages can "Embrace the One to be the model for the world." As long as this One is grasped, one can reach the Xuan (Mystery). Recognizing the Xuan, one will understand how to transform heaven, earth, and all things. However, people often act with action and do not know to act through non-action. The so-called non-action is from non-action and leads to non-action.
What is non-action? Non-action means operating normally without interference. To ensure this goal is achieved, one must establish a set of rules, allowing all things to act according to their laws. Then there is nothing left to do. This is entering the Way of Non-action through Action.
Therefore, non-action can achieve everything. As the saying goes, "Act through non-action, and nothing will be left unmanaged."
Thus, one can teach through wordless instruction. All things will change and move according to established rules, generating infinite possibilities.
"All things arise and he does not begin them; he generates them but does not possess them; he acts but does not rely on them; when success is achieved, he does not dwell in it. Because he does not dwell in it, it does not depart from him."
The oracle bone script form of the character "Fu" (弗) resembles two uneven objects in the middle, bound by a rope above to make them straight. The original meaning represents: straightening the crooked.
"Fu" means to straighten. -- Shuowen Jiezi
The character "Ju" (居) is connected to "Ju" (倨), representing arrogance.
No one is willing to yield; dwelling in arrogance is frequent. -- Han Feizi: Gui Shi
After all things rise, they do not return to the initial state, nor do they stop generating endlessly because all things exist. They do not rely on constant motion, nor do they become arrogant because of the results of evolving heaven, earth, and all things. Precisely because it does not become arrogant, it does not lose.
All things do not generate an arrogant heart. As cultivators, one should learn this attitude and have respect for heaven, earth, and all things.
This heaven, earth, and all things include humans, including the relationship between humans and nature. Therefore, between humans and between humans and nature, one must maintain a humble mindset everywhere to respect each other, achieving harmony and unity.
Some people say one should have awe. I, however, believe respect is sufficient; fear is not necessary. Although the heaven and earth are vast and all things are numerous, they still do not go beyond the Tao. Cultivators cultivate the Tao; what is there to fear?
Sometimes, so-called practitioners say that all this heaven, earth, and all things are illusions, and everything is just a combination of causes and conditions, despising and abandoning them. Such people who have no respect for heaven, earth, and all things are not suitable for Taoists.
Because this psychology is only a manifestation of extreme inferiority, and this inferiority stems from the helplessness towards heaven, earth, and all things in the material world.
Therefore, just thinking about the births and deaths of countless people, the earth continues to turn, without any change due to human thoughts and attitudes, one should understand that imagination alone cannot change anything.
The unique aspect of Taoism is that it is not empty imagination. Because of the study and揣摩 (pondering) of all things, the Five Arts of Taoism were produced. And the Five Arts of Taoism can transform this material world.
But if one wants to deeply comprehend the Five Arts, one should first learn from all things.
So, how do all things move? The process of movement and evolution of all things is actually "Xuan you Xuan" (Mystery upon Mystery). Contrary to what ordinary people guess, "Xuan" does not mean it cannot be grasped, but rather it is called "Xuan" precisely because it can be grasped.
Therefore, through observing and realizing all things, understanding the source of all things and the rules of their change, one can comprehend the principles of Xuan.
And after comprehending the principles of Xuan, one can comprehend the Tao. After comprehending the Tao, one begins to cultivate the Tao, verify the Tao, and merge with the Tao. If one does not even comprehend the Tao and has no own Tao, where does cultivation come from?