MadePossible

Are all instances of 常 actually 恒 or only some?

Here are some things I have wondered: 1. Does the Daozang have any 'council of Nicaea' type conspiracy theories? For example, many people speculate why the Christian canon was compiled the way it was, with some books selected and many books burned in the fire, perhaps because they were too revealing or truthful. Likewise, did the books selected for the Daozang also have controversies why they were included in the canon, or why some books weren't selected? 2. Does the Zhengyi school really come from the Way of the Celestial Masters sect? 3. Any interesting, fringe theories about Lü Dongbin, Wang Chongyang (founders of the Quanzhen school)? I say ancient Daoism, because I don't really care about the petty drama and scandals between rival Daoist schools and lineages after the Yuan dynasty.

Because I see no real difference between the chapters of the two sections. The versions of the Daodejing I'm aware of begins the 德经 at chapter 38, yet virtue is discussed before this chapter and 道 is still discussed after chapter 38. I'm not understanding the reasoning.

Xuanxue, unless I am mistaken, is interpreting the Dao de jing as a metaphysical, philosophical treatise? That Dao is emptiness and ziran is the expression of this emptiness.

Is this true? Chapters 70-81 were composed by Wang Bi? Why haven't I heard of that before? That's shocking.

The decision of Hexagram 1: 元亨利贞 (yuán hēng lì zhēn). This is a highly mysterious phrase, appearing often throughout the Yijing. 元 (yuán) - the early meaning was that of a head. 亨 (hēng) - prosperity, success? 利 (lì) - Shaughnessy tells us it originally represented a sharp knife harvesting grain. Later it took on the meaning of 'sharp' as in 'intelligent'. 贞 (zhēn) - loyalty?

They aren't proto-Indo-Europeans. Romans in China have zero relevance to the Yijing. It seems you've had a misunderstanding.

Not really. Green eyes was common in central asia at the time, and saka (central asian) interaction with ancient China is well-documented. Even now, half of the Uzbekistanis I've met have green eyes. The discussion diverged into whether there was 'proto-Indo-European' influence on the ancient Chinese yijing. Romans have nothing to do with the writing of the Yijing and aren't proto-Indo-Europeans.

@Sanity Check what's that got to do with events taking place in 1000 BCE? In fact, this thread has completely gone off subject.

Ancient Egypt, mesopotamia, native American, Australians, etc aren't Indo European and don't have a sky god as head of their pantheon. Greece (Zeus), Rome (Ju - piter) and perhaps the Zhou (Di) are Indo-Europeans and have the proto-Indo-European sky god (Dyeus piter) at the head of their pantheon.

That Dao is emptiness, that wu wei is the expression of that emptiness, that is ziran, etc. Basically a meditation, mindfulness guide.

But all that is still Xuanxue.

Even later Daoist schools such as Quanzhen seem to be Xuanxue. I asked chatgpt if Quanzhen is xuanxue, and it said it wasn't, yet they seem to follow Wang Bi's interpretation of the Daodejing. Indeed, I've read the Heshang gong commentary by Dan Reid and it's confusing since it seems to add his commentary to a Xuanxue translated daodejing. I am starting to wonder where exactly is there original Daoism without Xuanxue?