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Chapter of the Week: #02 [Archive]
Greetings all, first post.
The other day I was studying this chapter in a "verbatim" translation of the TTC, which arranges every character in the Tao into a table along with their suggested definitions and cross-references to everywhere else that symbol appears in the Tao, and notes where a particular symbol differs in the various manuscripts. Very handy for creating one's own personal interpretation.
Anyway, I noticed that the symbol yi can mean either "thus" or "because". To me, this suggests a slightly different rendering of the straw dogs passage:
The universe is dispassionate
thus everyone is a straw dog
The sage is dispassionate
because everyone is a straw dog
I feel that this perhaps captures the intended meaning a little bit better. The wise don't get too attached to that straw dog wrapped in embroidered velvet today, even if (especially if) it's themselves, because tomorrow it goes out into the street with the rest of the trash. And conversely, they don't despair for the straw dogs laying trampled and broken in the gutter, because perhaps tomorrow those will return to the golden altar to begin the cycle anew.
That's just how things work. All the straw-dog-barking in the world will only leave one drained and will not make the universe take even the slightest notice. Might as well remain "empty", i.e. dispassionate, about the whole thing.
The other day I was studying this chapter in a "verbatim" translation of the TTC, which arranges every character in the Tao into a table along with their suggested definitions and cross-references to everywhere else that symbol appears in the Tao, and notes where a particular symbol differs in the various manuscripts. Very handy for creating one's own personal interpretation.
Anyway, I noticed that the symbol yi can mean either "thus" or "because". To me, this suggests a slightly different rendering of the straw dogs passage:
The universe is dispassionate
thus everyone is a straw dog
The sage is dispassionate
because everyone is a straw dog
I feel that this perhaps captures the intended meaning a little bit better. The wise don't get too attached to that straw dog wrapped in embroidered velvet today, even if (especially if) it's themselves, because tomorrow it goes out into the street with the rest of the trash. And conversely, they don't despair for the straw dogs laying trampled and broken in the gutter, because perhaps tomorrow those will return to the golden altar to begin the cycle anew.
That's just how things work. All the straw-dog-barking in the world will only leave one drained and will not make the universe take even the slightest notice. Might as well remain "empty", i.e. dispassionate, about the whole thing.
Comments
Note: The Tao Te Ching can be obscure, especially if you think you're supposed to understand what it's saying! We find it easier and more instructive to simply contemplate how the chapter resonates with your personal experience. Becoming more aware at this fundamental level simplifies life. This approach conforms to the view that true knowing lies within ourselves. Thus, when a passage in the scripture resonates, you've found your inner truth. The same applies for when it evokes a question; questions are the grist for self realization.
Chapter 2
The whole world recognizes the beautiful
as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly;
the whole world recognizes the good
as the good, yet this is only the bad.
Thus Something and Nothing produce each other;
The difficult and the easy complement each other;
The long and the short off-set each other;
Note and sound harmonize with each other;
Before and after follow each other.
Therfore the sage keeps to the deed that consists
in taking no action and practices the teaching
that uses no words.
The myriad creatures rise from it yet it claims no authority;
It gives them life yet claims no possesion;
It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude;
It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit.
It is because it lays claim to no merit
That its merit never deserts it.
My, how this the whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly sure beats not around the bush! This chapter alone portrays a prime reason why the whole world, the [chref=20]multitude[/chref], prefer other religious paths. But why? Other religions present challenging precepts as well. Maybe because the Tao Te Ching is so terse and offers no way to beat around the bush
The view that Something and Nothing produce each other expresses the core of the Taoist, the 'yin and yang' dynamic so to speak. This circular mutuality is totally opposite the traditional linear world-view so dominant in the West since ancient Egyptian and Sumerian times. The linear view sees good on one end, and bad on the other end; something on one end, and nothing on the other. This sets up a confrontation between opposites - a battle of good over evil, virtue or sinfulness, heaven over hell.
This linear view certainly seems to be based in our instinctive sense of reality. It is a little surprising that the circular view showed up at all. Interestingly, modern quantum physics is uncovering evidence that, yes indeed, Something and Nothing produce each other is reality, as counter intuitive as that may seem. So the West is gradually verifying the insight which the ancients [chref=15]of old[/chref] realized, and which led to Taoism. I love it!
Personally, the mutuality as portrayed here brings home to me the wisdom of practicing the teaching that uses no words. Essentially, words are 'emergent properties' of a biologically based illusion. Thus, it is obviously wisest to 'distrust' words, as well as any teaching that uses words. That would include beliefs, ideals and well, anything beyond 'grunt grunt', I suppose. Yes, including this commentary. Well, again, no wonder folks don't flock to Taoism! ... grunt, grunt,... grunt
Yes, you're right about the linearality of western thought. My feeling (and this is just a personal belief from reading and thinking, without any hard evidence per se) is that a lot of the popularity of linear thinking accelerated when Judaism and then Christianity burst forth 2000 or so years ago. The next acceleration probably came when the Roman Empire became officially Christian, with the Romans love of straight lines! (As in art, so it is reflected in thought). I also think that this love of linear thinking accelerated again at the Renaissance, with the birth of more rigorous scientific enquiry and yet again at the Industrial revolution at the beginning of the 19th century.
Prior to that there appears to be quite a lot of ideas about circularity (what goes around comes around) expressed in ancient european pagan art works. You have only to look at celtic art to see that expressed (there are very few squares in celtic art). I possess a number of jewelry pieces that use ancient celtic designs, with nary a straight line and all of it interlinking and interdependent.
Anyway, my contribution to the discussion.