348 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
348 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
This document can be acquired from a sub-directory coombspapers via anonymous
|
|
FTP and COOMBSQUEST gopher on the node COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU The document's
|
|
ftp filename and the full directory path are given in the coombspapers top
|
|
level INDEX file.
|
|
date of the document's last update/modification 03/09/93
|
|
|
|
This file is the work of Stan Rosenthal. It has been placed here, with his
|
|
kind permission, by Bill Fear. The author has asked that no hard copies,
|
|
ie. paper copies, are made.
|
|
|
|
Stan Rosenthal may be contacted at 44 High street, St. Davids, Pembrokeshire,
|
|
Dyfed, Wales, UK.
|
|
Bill Fear may be contacted at 29 Blackweir Terrace, Cathays, Cardiff, South
|
|
Glamorgan, Wales, UK. email fear@thor.cf.ac.uk.
|
|
Please use email as first method of contact, if possible. Messages can be
|
|
sent to Stan Rosenthal via the above email address - they will be forwarded
|
|
on in person by myself.
|
|
|
|
.......................................Beginning of file...............................................
|
|
............................................3 of 5..........................................................
|
|
|
|
THE TAO AND ITS NAME
|
|
|
|
1. Naming things enables us to differentiate between them, but names are
|
|
words, and words easily give rise to confusion. They do not replace the
|
|
thing or direct experience of the thing which they name, but only represent
|
|
or describe it.
|
|
|
|
Consider a thing such as a strawberry. If we wish to find the word 'strawberry',
|
|
we look in a dictionary; if we wish to find a description of a strawberry,
|
|
we look in an encyclopaedia. But if we are hungry, we do not go to the
|
|
library, but to the field where fine strawberries may be found. If we do
|
|
not know where there is such a field, we might seek guidance as to where
|
|
fine strawberries may be found. A book on the Tao is like such a guide.
|
|
It can point us in the direction of the strawberry patch, but cannot provide
|
|
the fruit itself. It can give an idea of the taste of Tao, but of itself,
|
|
has no taste to compare with direct experience of the Tao.
|
|
|
|
Consider now three things: There is the universal principle which enables
|
|
all things to be, and to flourish naturally; there is the name 'Tao', by
|
|
which that universal principle is known; and there are words which describe
|
|
the manifestations of the Tao.
|
|
|
|
Even the name 'Tao' is only a convenience, and should not be confused with
|
|
the universal principle which bears that name, for such a principle embraces
|
|
all things, so cannot be accurately named nor adequately described. This
|
|
means that Tao cannot be understood, for it is infinite, whereas the mind
|
|
of man is finite, and that which is finite cannot encompass that which is
|
|
infinite.
|
|
|
|
Although we cannot understand Tao, we are not prevented from having knowledge
|
|
of it, for understanding stems from one of the two forms of knowledge.
|
|
It stems from that which is called cognitive knowledge, the knowledge born
|
|
of words and numbers, and other similar devices. The other form of knowledge,
|
|
conative knowledge, needs no words or other such devices, for it is the
|
|
form of knowledge born of direct personal experience. So it is that conative
|
|
knowledge is also known as experiential knowledge.
|
|
|
|
Cognitive and experiential knowledge both have their roots in reality, but
|
|
reality is complex, and complexity is more of a barrier to cognitive knowledge
|
|
than it is to experiential knowledge, for when we seek cognitive knowledge
|
|
of a thing, that is, understanding of it, the knowledge we gain of that
|
|
thing is understanding only of its manifestations, which is not knowledge
|
|
of the thing itself.
|
|
|
|
We may seek to understand a thing, rather than to experience it, because,
|
|
in a world beset with man made dangers, it is frequently safer to understand
|
|
than to experience. Tao is not man made, and there is nothing in it to
|
|
fear. So it is that we may experience Tao without fear.
|
|
|
|
When we cease to seek cognitive knowledge, that is, cease to seek understanding
|
|
of a thing, we can gain experiential knowledge of that thing. This is why
|
|
it is said that understanding Tao is not the same as knowing Tao; that
|
|
understanding Tao is only to know that which it manifests, and that knowing Tao
|
|
is to be one with the universal principal which is Tao. This is to say that
|
|
knowledge of Tao is not the same as understanding Tao. To know Tao is to
|
|
experience both Tao and the manifestations of that universal principle. As
|
|
human beings, we are born as manifestations of Tao.
|
|
|
|
If this seems complex, the reason is because Tao is both simple and complex.
|
|
It is complex when we try to understand it, and simple when we allow ourselves
|
|
to experience it. Trying to understand Tao is like closing the shutters
|
|
of a window before looking for a shadow. We might close the shutters to
|
|
prevent anyone from discovering our treasure, but the same shutters prevent
|
|
the moonlight from entering the room. All there is in the room is darkness,
|
|
and in total darkness we cannot find the shadow, no matter how hard or
|
|
diligently we seek.
|
|
|
|
We call one thing a shadow, and another darkness, but the shadow is darkness,
|
|
and the darkness shadow, for in reality, both darkness and shadow are absence
|
|
of light, yet we call one shadow and the other darkness. The shadow is
|
|
darkness in the midst of light, but within total darkenss, the shadow seems
|
|
to disappear, for darkness is a shadow within shadows. We may think that
|
|
the shadow has been destroyed when all light is removed, but it has not
|
|
been wiped away; in reality it has grown, but we need light even to see
|
|
that form of darkenss which we call a shadow.
|
|
|
|
Such is the pursuit of the universal priciple called Tao, that if we seek
|
|
to understand it, we prevent the very means by which it may be found, for
|
|
the only way in which we might find Tao is through the experience of Tao.
|
|
We find Tao when we do not seek it, and when we seek it, it leaves us, just
|
|
as the silver moonlight leaves the room when we close the shutters. We
|
|
find and know Tao when we allow ourselves to find and know it, just as the
|
|
moonlight returns when we allow it to return.
|
|
|
|
We do not need to seek Tao as we seek physical treasures such as jade or
|
|
gold. We do not need to seek Tao as we seek such treasures as fame or titles.
|
|
We do not need to seek the treasure of Tao, for although the greatest of
|
|
treasures, it is also the most common. Perhaps it is bacause it is so common
|
|
that so few men find it; they seek it only in mysterious and secret places,
|
|
in chasms and caves, and in the workplace of the alchemist. The Tao is
|
|
not hidden in these places, and is hidden only from those who frequent and
|
|
inhabit them, secretively, and with the shutters closed.
|
|
|
|
Just as darkness may be known as the absence of light, so to may light be
|
|
known as the absence of darkness. When we experience darkness and light
|
|
as having the same source, we are close to the Tao, for Tao is the source
|
|
of both darkness and light, just as it is also the source of all other natural
|
|
things. When we experience ourselves as part of Tao, as a shadow or reflection
|
|
of the universal principle, we have found it, for it is said that "Experience
|
|
of Tao is Tao".
|
|
|
|
1. KNOWLEDGE OF 'THE TAO', AND EXPERIENCE OF THE TAO.
|
|
There is a way in which we may conduct our lives without regrets, and in
|
|
such a manner as assists in developing and realizing our individual potential,
|
|
without harming others, or inhibiting the realization of their potential,
|
|
and which is beneficial to a healthy society.
|
|
|
|
Such a way of life may of course be conducted without a name, and without
|
|
description, but in order that others may know of it, and so as to distinguish
|
|
it from other ways in which life may be conducted, we give it a name, and
|
|
use words to describe it.
|
|
|
|
When discussing or describing this way in which life may be conducted, rather
|
|
than refer to it in full, for convenience, we refer to it as 'the way',
|
|
meaning simply that the discussion is concerned with this particular way,
|
|
not that it is the only way of conducting one's life. In order that we
|
|
might distinguish it more easily from other ways, we refer to it also by
|
|
its original name, which is 'Tao'.
|
|
|
|
By intellectual intent, that is, through thought and words, and by considering
|
|
ourselves as non-participating observers of this way of life, we may gain
|
|
knowledge of its manifestations; but it is only through participation that
|
|
we can actually experience such a way of life for ourselves.
|
|
|
|
Knowledge of anything is not the same as the thing of which we have that
|
|
knowledge. When we have knowledge of a thing but do not have experience
|
|
of it, in trying to describe that thing, all we can describe is our knowledge,
|
|
not the thing itself. Equally, even when we have experience of a thing,
|
|
all we can convey is knowledge of that experience, not the experience itself.
|
|
|
|
Knowledge and experience are both real, but they are different realities,
|
|
and their relationship is frequently made complex by what distinguishes
|
|
them, one from the other. When they are used according to that which is
|
|
appropriate to the situation, we may develop that way of life which enables
|
|
us to pass through the barrier of such complexities. We may have knowledge
|
|
of "Tao", but Tao itself can only be experienced.
|
|
|
|
2. LETTING GO OF OPPOSITES.
|
|
It is the nature of the ordinary person, the person who is not yet at one
|
|
wityh the Tao, to compare the manifestations of the natural qualities possessed
|
|
by things. Such a person tries to learn of such qualities by distinguishing
|
|
between their manifestations, and so learns only of their comparative
|
|
manifestations.
|
|
|
|
So it is that the ordinary person might consider one thing beautiful when
|
|
compared with another which he considers to be ugly; one thing skillfully
|
|
made compared with another which he considers badly made. He knows of what
|
|
he has as a result of knowing what he does not have, and of that which he
|
|
considers easy through that which he considers difficult. He considers
|
|
one thing long by comparing it with another thing which he considers short;
|
|
one thing high and another low. He knows of noise through silence and of
|
|
silence through noise, and learns of that which leads through that which
|
|
follows.
|
|
|
|
When such comparisons are made by a sage, that is a person who is in harmony
|
|
with the Tao, that person is aware of making a judgement, and that judgements
|
|
are relative to the person who makes them, and to the situation in which
|
|
they are made, as much as they are relative to that which is judged.
|
|
|
|
Through the experience and knowledge through which he has gained his wisdom,
|
|
the sage is aware that all things change, and that a judgement which is
|
|
right in one situation might easily be wrong in another situation. He is
|
|
therefore aware that he who seems to lead does not always lead, and that
|
|
he who seems to follow does not always follow.
|
|
|
|
Because of this awareness, the sage frequently seems neither to lead nor
|
|
follow, and often seems to do nothing, for that which he does is done without
|
|
guile; it is done naturally, being neither easy nor difficult, not big or
|
|
small. Because he accomplishes his task and then lets go of it without
|
|
seeking credit, he cannot be discredited. Thus, his teaching lasts for ever,
|
|
and he is held in high esteem.
|
|
|
|
3. WITHOUT SEEKING ACCLAIM.
|
|
The talented person who is also wise, retains humility, and so does not
|
|
create rivalry. The person who possesses material things, and who does
|
|
not boast of his possessions, does much to prevent stealing. Those who
|
|
are jealous of talents, skills or possessions of others, easily become
|
|
possessed themselves by envy.
|
|
|
|
The sage is satisfied with a sufficiency; he is not jealous, and so is free
|
|
of envy. He does not seek fame and titles, but maintains his energy and
|
|
keeps himself supple. He minimizes his desires, and does not train himself
|
|
in guile. He thus remains pure at heart. By acting in an uncontrived manner,
|
|
the harmony of the inner world of his thoughts and the external world of
|
|
his environment is maintained. He remains at peace with himself.
|
|
|
|
For these reasons, an administration which is concerned with the welfare
|
|
of those whom it serves, does not encourage the seeking of status and titles;
|
|
it does not create jealousy and rivalry amongst the people, but ensures
|
|
that they are able to have a sufficiency, without causing them to become
|
|
discontent, therefore the members of such an administration do not seek
|
|
honours for themselves, nor act with guile towards the people.
|
|
|
|
4. THE UNFATHOMABLE TAO.
|
|
The mind should not be filled with desires. The individual who is at one
|
|
with the Tao is aware of the distinction between that which is needed as
|
|
a sufficiency, and that which is a desire, or merely wanted rather than
|
|
needed.
|
|
|
|
It is the manner of the Tao that even though continuously used, it is naturally
|
|
replenished, never being emptied, and never being as full as a goblet which
|
|
is filled to the brim and therefore spills its fine spring water upon the
|
|
ground. The Tao therefore does not waste that with which it is charged,
|
|
yet always remains a source of nourishment for those who are not already
|
|
so full that they cannot partake of it.
|
|
|
|
Even the finest blade will lose its sharpeness if tempered beyond its mettle.
|
|
Even the most finely tempered sword is of no avail against water, and will
|
|
shatter if struck against a rock. A tangled cord is of little use after
|
|
it has been untangled by cutting it.
|
|
|
|
Just as a fine sword should be used only by an experienced swordsman, intellect
|
|
should be tempered with experience. By this means, tangled cord may be
|
|
untangled, and seemingly insoluable problems resolved; colours and hues
|
|
may be harmonized to create fine paintings, and people enabled to exist
|
|
in unity with each other because they no longer feel that they exist only
|
|
in the shadow of the brilliance of others.
|
|
|
|
To conduct oneself without guile is to conduct oneself in a natural manner,
|
|
and to do this is to be in contact with nature. By maintaining awareness
|
|
of the way of nature, the wise person becomes aware of the Tao, and so becomes
|
|
aware that this is how its seemingly unfathomable mysteries may be experienced.
|
|
|
|
5. TRANQUIL BUT UNCEASING.
|
|
Those things which are in opposition with each other are not benevolent
|
|
towards each other, and may even treat each other with contempt or malevolence.
|
|
|
|
Although the creatures which are born of nature may be in opposition with
|
|
each other, nature itself is in opposition to nothing for there is nothing
|
|
for it to oppose. It acts without conscious intention, and it is therefore
|
|
neither deliberately benevolent, contemptuous nor malevolent.
|
|
|
|
In this respect the way of the Tao is the same as the way of nature. Therefore,
|
|
even when acting in a benevolent manner, the sage does not act from any
|
|
conscious desire to be benevolent.
|
|
Through his manner of breathing like a babe, he remains free of conscious
|
|
desire, and so retains his tranquility. By this means he is empty of desire,
|
|
and his energy is not drained from him.
|
|
|
|
2. THE MANIFESTATION OF TAO THROUGH COMPLIMENTARY OPPOSITES
|
|
All physical things possess certain natural qualities, such as size, shape
|
|
and colour. Since the universal principle encompasses all things, so it
|
|
encompasses their natural qualities.
|
|
|
|
Being possessed by all things, natural qualities are general to all things,
|
|
but in order to relate to a quality, we think of it as it exists relative
|
|
to a particular thing, and to ourselves. We therefore think of and describe
|
|
a quality according to how it is manifested through one particular thing
|
|
compared with another. Thus, we judge one thing to be big, compared with
|
|
another thing, which we think of as small; one person young, and another
|
|
old; one sound noisy, and another quiet. Equally, we judge and compare
|
|
by thinking of the aesthetic quality in terms of its manifestations, 'beautiful'
|
|
or 'ugly'; morality in terms of good or bad; possession in terms of having
|
|
or not having; ability in terms of ease or difficulty; length in terms of
|
|
long or short; height in terms of high or low; sound in terms of noisy or
|
|
quiet; light in terms of brightness or darkness.
|
|
|
|
Although many of the manifestations which we compare are judged by us to
|
|
be opposites, one to the other, they are not in opposition, but are
|
|
complimentary, for even extremes are nothing other than aspects or specific
|
|
examples of the quality which encompasses them. Both big and small are
|
|
manifestations or examples of size, young and old are examples of age, noise
|
|
and quietness are aspects of sound, and brightness and darkness are extremes
|
|
of light.
|
|
|
|
It is the nature of the ordinary man to compare and judge the manifestations
|
|
of the naturally occurring qualities inherent in things and in situations.
|
|
It is not wrong to do this, but we should not delude ourselves into believing
|
|
that we thereby describe the quality rather than a manifestation of the
|
|
quality.
|
|
|
|
Whilst all judgements are comparative, a judgement is frequently, if not
|
|
always, relative to the individual who makes that judgement, and also to
|
|
the time at which it is made. To the young child, the father may be old,
|
|
but when the son reaches that age, it is unlikely that he will consider
|
|
himself old. To the child, the garden fence is high, but when the child
|
|
grows bigger, the same fence is low. The adult in his physical prime knows
|
|
that to run ten miles, which is easy at that time, will become more difficult
|
|
as he becomes older, but that that the patience required to walk will become
|
|
easier.
|
|
|
|
The sage knows that qualitative judgements, such as old and young, big and
|
|
small, easy and difficult, or leading and following, relate as much to the
|
|
person who makes that judgement, as they relate to the thing or action
|
|
described. Consider a sage and an ordinary man sitting on a hill in the late
|
|
evening, looking down on the road below. When darkness has fallen, they both
|
|
see the light of two lanterns approaching, one yellow, the other red, bobbing
|
|
gently as their bearers pass by. From the positions of the two lights, the
|
|
ordinary man knows that the bearer of the yellow lantern leads the bearer
|
|
of the red. As he watches, he sees the red lantern draw level with the
|
|
yellow, and as they pass beneath him, the red lantern preceding the yellow.
|
|
|
|
The ordinary man wonders why the two lantern bearers do not walk side by
|
|
side. The sage, who has seen what his companion has seen, thinks it right
|
|
that the two travellers should do as they have done, to walk side by side
|
|
through the night, neither leading and neither following the other.
|
|
|
|
The sage is aware that he who seems to lead does not always lead, and that
|
|
he who seems to follow does not always follow. Because of this, the sage
|
|
frequently seems neither to lead nor follow, and often seems to do nothing,
|
|
for that which he does is natural, being neither easy nor difficult, not
|
|
big or small.
|
|
|
|
Those changes which occur naturally in life, the sage accepts as natural,
|
|
accepting them as an opportunity for learning, whilst realizing that knowledge
|
|
is not his possession. Because he knows that the credit for learning is
|
|
due to the willingness of the student, he teaches without teaching, but
|
|
by allowing his students to observe the virtue of observing natural qualities,
|
|
rather than only comparing and judging their manifestations. He does this
|
|
without seeking credit, and continues without contriving to be given credit.
|
|
Because of this, his teaching lasts for ever, and he is held in high esteem.
|
|
|
|
The gifted person retains humility and thus prevents jealousy. The person
|
|
who does not boast of his possessions prevents stealing. Only those who
|
|
have greed are perplexed by envy. The wise person is therefore satisfied
|
|
with a sufficiency, and is free of envy. He does not seek fame and titles,
|
|
but keeps himself strong and supple. He minimizes his desires, and does
|
|
not train himself in guile. He thus remains pure at heart. By acting in
|
|
an uncontrived manner he maintains his inner harmony.
|
|
|
|
|
|
.....................................End of file.............................
|
|
........................................3 of 5...............................
|
|
|
|
|
|
|