The Father and Son of Taoist Philosophy

[Marblehead]

Still not finished Chuang Tzu continued with:

 

 

On Partiality

A gentleman is so called because he is not fixed in his mind as to what is right and wrong but acts without violating Tao.  How is this?  He whose vital force is tranquil and whose soul is absolutely peaceful and pure does not occupy his mind with attachments.  And he whose physical faculties are clear and whose mental faculties are enlightened does not allow his feelings to be bound by desires.  Since his mind is not occupied with attachments, he is able to transcend the established doctrines of social relations and let nature take its own course.  And since his feelings are not bound by desires, he is able to discern what is noble and what is lowly and be in harmony with the feelings of people and things.  Because he is in harmony with the feelings of people, he does not violate the Great Tao, and because he transcends social ranks and lets his mind take its own course he is not predetermined about what is right and what is wrong.

Therefore when we talk about the gentleman, absence of predetermination is the point of fundamental importance and harmony with things is the point of excellence.  When we talk about the inferior man, we consider his concealment of feelings as wrong and his violation of Tao as a defect.
 

[Marblehead]

Chuang Tzu was exhausted and breathless after all that and fell silent.

 

Following a little "quiet time" Lao Tzu said:

 

 

The Way Of Nature

To rarely speak;
Such is the way of Nature.
Fierce winds don’t last the whole morning;
Torrential rains don’t last the whole day.
Who makes these things?

Nature!
If even Nature doesn’t make these things last long,
How much the more is this true for man?!
 

[Marblehead]

And the one who does not rarely speak, Chuang Tzu, replied:

 

 

Music Of The Earth And Nature

“The breath of the Universe,” said the Sage, “is called wind. At times, it is inactive but when active, all crevices resound to its blast.  Have you ever listened to its music?

“Caves and dells of hill and forest, hollows in huge trees of many a span in girth; some are like nostrils, and some like mouths, and others like ears, beam-sockets, goblets, mortars, or like pools and puddles.  The wind goes rushing through them, like swirling torrents or singing arrows, bellowing, sousing, trilling, wailing, roaring, purling, whistling in front and echoing behind, now soft with the cool blow, now shrill with the whirlwind, until the tempest is past and silence again reigns supreme. Have you ever witnessed how the trees and objects shake and quake, and twist and twirl?”

“Yes I have,” replied the disciple.  “What makes this music of Heaven?”

The Sage said, “Something is blowing on a thousand different holes.  Some power stands behind all this and makes the sounds die down.  What is this power?  This power is Tao!”
 

[Marblehead]

After a short break Lao Tzu said:

 

 

The Good Runner Leaves No Tracks

The good runner leaves no track.
The good traveler leaves no trace.
The good speaker speaks without blemish or flaw.
The good speech leaves no open spaces for attack.
The good counter makes use of no tallies or chips.

The good closer of doors does so without bolt or lock,
Yet the door cannot be opened.

The good tier of knots ties without rope or cord,
Yet his knots can’t be undone.


(“A good runner leaves no tracks”, etc., refers to the principle of reaching harmony and order without relying upon external devices and solutions.  The futility of such devices is well shown in the discussion of the futility of treaties for the purpose of keeping peace, or the futility of a disarmament conference where mutual suspicion exists.  If peace, order, and the pursuit of happiness are invisible things, obviously they cannot be really obtained by visible means.)
 

[Marblehead]

Chuang Tzu remained silent, perhaps dreaming he was a butterfly.

[Marblehead]

Eventually Lao Tzu said:

 

 

Reject The Extremes

With things;
Some go forward, others follow.

Some blow hot while others blow cold.
Some are firm and strong, others submissive and weak.

Some rise up while others fall down.
Therefore the Sage rejects the extreme,
The excessive, and the extravagant.
 

[Marblehead]

Having returned to his manifest reality and having heard what Lao Tzu said, Chuang Tzu replied:

 

 

On Knowing The Relative Importance Of Things

Two states were fighting for territory.  When the Sage went to see the duke of one of the warring states, he found the latter looking dejected, and the Sage said to him, “Suppose you had an inscription in front of you which read as follows, ‘Take it with your left hand and your right hand will be paralyzed.  Take it with your right hand, and your left hand will be paralyzed.’  In this case, if by taking it you could have the whole world as your domain, would you take it?”

“No, I would not”, replied the duke.

“Very well”, said the Sage.  “This seems to show that your two arms are more important than the world.  Now your entire body is certainly more important than your two arms and, on the other hand, the state you wish to conquer is far smaller than the world.  What you are fighting for is even smaller than a whole state. And yet, you are injuring yourself and sorrowing on account of being unable to get that territory.”

“Good”, said the duke.  “I have many advisers but none gives me this kind of advice.”

The Sage may be said to be a person who knows the relative importance of things.
 

[Marblehead]

A couple of young ladies passed by and both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu fell silent and observed the processes of Nature.

 

Finally Lao Tzu said:

 

 

Achieving One’s Results

Those who assist their rulers with the Tao
Don’t recommend the use of armies
To commit violence in the world.
Such deeds easily rebound for
He who would use violence would be against the Tao
And he who is against the Tao looses his soul.

When the world lacks the Tao,
War horses are reared in the suburbs
And cavalry abounds in the countryside.

In places where armies are stationed,
Thorns and brambles will grow.

When the world lives in accord with Tao,
War horses are retired to fertile fields.

However,
When armed conflict cannot be avoided,
The good general achieves his result and that’s all.
He does not use the occasion to seize strength from it.
He achieves his result but does not become arrogant.
He achieves his result but does not praise his deeds.
He achieves his result and does not brag.
He achieves his result and abides with the result.
This is called achieving one’s result
Without using excessive force.

Therefore,
A good general effects his purpose and stops.
He effects his purpose as a regrettable necessity.
He effects his purpose but does not love violence.

He who leads men with the aid of the Tao
Takes good care not to wreak violence on the world
By use of excessive force.

Therefore,
What other men teach,
The Sage will also consider and then teach to others.
“The strong and violent do not come to a natural end.”

The Sage takes this as the father of his studies.
 

[Marblehead]

Chuang Tzu thought for a moment then responded with:

 

 

The Smugs, The Snugs And The Humpback

Smugs are those people who, having heard what their teacher says, feel very satisfied and very pleased with themselves but do not realize that there was a time when no material Universe existed.

The snugs are like lice on the bodies of hogs.  They choose their adobe in the long mane and hair of the hogs and believe themselves to be living in a grand palace with a big garden.  They hide themselves in the corners, armpits, breasts and legs of the pig and think that they are living in security.  They do not realize that one day the butcher will come and, rolling up his sleeves, begin to lay hay under it and set fire to singe the pig, and both themselves and the pig will be scorched to death.  This is to live within the limitations of their own choice.  These are the snugs.

The humpback was a leader of people.  (Mutton does not crave for the ants but the ants crave for mutton because of its rank smell.)  Because the humpback had a rank character which attracted the people, the people loved him.  Therefore, after he changed his capital three times and had moved to the plains, there were over a hundred thousand people who followed him.  The Emperor heard of the humpback’s ability and put him in charge of a barren district, saying, “I hope that the people who follow him there will receive the benefit of his rule.”  When the humpback was put in charge of the barren district, he was already growing old, his eyesight and hearing were failing, but he was not allowed to retire.  This is what I call a humpback.
 

[Marblehead]

And Chuang Tzu heard us talking about The Art of War so he included:

 

 

The Danger Of Relying On An Army

The Sage is never sure of what others regard as sure; hence, he does not rely on an army.  The common men are sure of what one cannot be sure about; hence, a big army.  When an army is there, it is against human nature not to try to get what one wants, and when one relies on an army, one perishes.
 

Edited August 20, 2015 by Marblehead

[Marblehead]

Lao Tzu thought for a moment then responded with:

 

 

 

Accomplishing The Great

The Sage’s ability to accomplish the great
Comes from his not playing the role of the great.
He is constantly without desires
And is therefore able to accomplish the great.
 

Edited August 21, 2015 by Marblehead

[Marblehead]

Chuang Tzu replied:

 

 

The Doctrine Of Inaction And Quietude

Heaven revolves and does not accumulate; hence the things of the creation are formed.  The ruler of a state lets things run their course and does not accumulate; therefore the world follows and obeys him.  The sage’s influence circulates everywhere and does not accumulate; therefore the world pays him homage.  To understand the way of Nature and of the Sage and to see the changes of the elements in time and space and apply them to the way of a ruler is to realize that each thing runs its own course and there is a state of quietude amidst all the activities.  The Sage is calm not because he says to himself, ‘It is good to be calm’, and therefore chooses to be so.  He is naturally calm because nothing in the world can disturb his mind.  When water is at repose, it is so clear that it can reflect a man’s beard; it maintains absolute level and is used by the carpenter for establishing the level.  If water is clear when it is at rest, how much more so can be the human soul?  When the mind of the Sage is calm, it becomes the mirror of the Universe, reflecting all within it.

Passivity, calm, mellowness, detachment and inaction characterize the things of the Universe at peace and represent the height of development of Tao and Te.  Therefore the ruler and the Sage take their rest therein.  To take rest is to be passive; passivity means having reserve power, and having reserve power implies order.  Passivity means calm and when calm reverts to action, every action is right.  Calm means inaction, and when the principle of inaction prevails, each man does his duty.  Inaction means being at peace with oneself, and when one is at peace with oneself, sorrows and fears cannot disturb him and he enjoys long life.

Passivity, calm, mellowness, detachment and inaction represent the root of all things.  In the position of power, these become the attributes of the emperor, the son of Heaven; in the position of the common man, these become the attributes of the Sage.  One retires with these virtues, and all the scholars at leisure in the hills and forest and rivers and seas admire him.  One assumes office to put the world in order, and he accomplishes great results and the world becomes unified.  He keeps quiet and becomes a Sage, he acts and becomes a king.  If he does nothing and guards carefully his original simplicity, no one in the entire world can compete with him in beauty of Character for such a one understands the Character of the Universe.  This is called the great foundation and the great source of all being.  That is to be in harmony with Tao.  To bring the world into order, that is to achieve harmony with man.  To be in harmony with men is the music of man, and to be in harmony with Tao is the music of Tao.

The Great Sage says, “Ah! my Master, my Master!  Tao trims down all created things, and does not account it justice.  Tao causes all created things to thrive and does not account it kindness.  Dating back further than the remotest antiquity, Tao does not account itself old.  Covering Heaven, supporting Earth, and fashioning various forms of things, Tao does not account itself skilled.  This is called the music of Heaven.  Therefore, it is said, “He who understands the music of Heaven lives in accordance with Nature in his life and takes part in the process of change of things in his death.”  In repose, his character is in harmony with the Yin principle; in activity, his movement is in harmony with the Yang principle. Therefore he who understands the music of Heaven is not blamed by Heaven or criticized by men, or burdened with material affairs.  Therefore it is said, “In action he is like Heaven.  In repose he is like the Earth.  Because his mind has found repose he becomes the king of the world.  His departed soul does not appear to disturb others, and it does not know fatigue.  Because his mind has found repose, therefore all creation pays homage to him.”  That is to say, passivity and calm are principles that run through the Heaven and Earth and all creation.  That is the music of Heaven.  The music of Heaven is that by which the Sage nourishes all living things.”
 

[Marblehead]

After that long rant Chuang Tzu decided to shut up.

 

After a pause Lao Tzu said:

 

 

The Man Of Superior Character

The man of superior character
Is not conscious of his character,
Hence he has Character.
The man of inferior character
Is intent on not losing his character,
Hence he is devoid of Character.

So therefore,
The Great Man dwells in the thick and 'not in the thin;
Dwells in the fruit and not in the flower.
He rejects that and takes this.

The man of superior virtue never acts,
And yet there is nothing he leaves undone.
The man of inferior virtue wants to act,
But he is apt to leave things undone.
The man of superior humanheartedness wants to act,
But finds no particular occasion for acting.
The man of superior righteousness wants to act,
But finds no particular reason for acting.
The man of the rites acts,
But meeting with no response,
Rolls up his sleeves
And resorts to persuasion by force.
 

[Marblehead]

Lao Tzu waited for Chuang Tzu's reply but Chuang said nothing.

 

After an extended period of silence Lao Tzu said:

 

 

On Hearing The Tao

When the highest type of man has heard the Tao,
He hastens to follow it.
When the average man has heard the Tao,
He sometimes thinks about it,
Sometimes forgets it.
When the inferior man hears the Tao,
He laughs out load at it;
If he did not laugh,
It would not really be the Tao.
Hence the proverb has it,
“The illumined Tao seems obscure;
The Tao that goes forward seems to go backward;
The Tao that is smooth seems to be uneven.”

And,
“Who understands Tao seems dull of comprehension;
Who is advanced in Tao seems to slip backwards;
Who moves on the even Tao seems to go up and down.”

Superior Te seems empty like a valley.

The purest whiteness seems soiled.
The most abundant Te seems insufficient;
The sturdiest Te seems to be weak and fragile.
The most solid truth seems specious.
The greatest square has no corners,
The greatest vessel takes the longest to finish,
The greatest music cannot be heard,
The greatest image cannot be seen.
The Tao is hidden and nameless.
 

[Marblehead]

To this Chuang Tzu replied:

 

 

Great Character Appears Insufficient

A prince went down south to see the capital city.  At that same time, the Sage was traveling and the prince made an appointment to see him in the suburb.  When the Sage saw the prince on the road, he turned his head to the sky and sighed, saying, “I thought you could be my disciple.  Now I know you cannot.”

The prince did not reply.  When they arrived at the city they were served with a basin of water and towels and left their shoes outside the door.  The prince went forward on his knees and said, “I was going to ask you something, Master, but you were occupied on the road, and I did not dare.  Now you are free.  May I ask what is my fault?”

“You have that haughty look.  Who would want to be in the same room with you?  Sheer white appears like tarnished; great Character appears like insufficient.”

The prince changed his countenance and said, “Thank you for your advice.”

When the prince had left his house, the people used to make way for him.  An old man held the mat for him and his wife held the comb and towels ready.  The other people in the house left the mat, and the cook left the stove to make way for him.  When he returned after seeing the Sage, the people in the house mingled freely with him on the mat.
 

[Marblehead]

There was a short pause then Lao Tzu said:

 

 

Advantage Of The Pliable

The softest, most pliable thing in the world
Runs roughshod over the firmest thing in the world;
The softest substance in the world
Goes through the hardest.

That which has no substance
Gets into that which has no spaces or cracks.

The Sage therefore knows
That there are benefits in taking no action.
The wordless teaching,
The benefit of taking no action
Are without compare in the Universe.

Few in the world can realize this!
 

[Marblehead]

Chuang Tzu quickly replied with:

 

 

That Which Is Without Form Penetrates That Which Has No Crevice

The Prince’s cook was cutting up a bullock.  Every blow of his hand, every heave of his shoulders, every tread of his foot, every thrust of his knee, every whshh of rent flesh, every chhk of the chopper, was in perfect rhythm; like the dance of the Mulberry Grove, like harmonious chords.

“Well done!” cried the Prince.  “Yours is skill indeed!”

“Sire”, replied the cook laying down his chopper, “I have always devoted myself to Tao, which is higher than mere skill. When I first began to cut up bullocks, I saw before me whole bullocks.  After three years’ practice, I saw no more whole animals.  Now I work with my mind and not with my eye.  My mind works along without the control of the senses.  Now I see not only with my eyes, my whole being apprehends.  My senses are idle.  The Spirit, free to work without plan, follows its own instinct, guided by natural line, by the secret opening, the hidden space; my cleaver finds its own way.  Falling back upon eternal principles, I guide through such great joints or cavities as there may be, according to the natural constitution of the animal.  I do not even touch the convolutions of muscle and tendon, still less attempt to cut through large bones.

“A good cook changes his chopper once a year because he cuts.  An ordinary cook, once a month because he hacks.  But I have had this chopper nineteen years, and although I have cut up many thousand bullocks, its edge is as if fresh from the whetstone.  For at the joints there are always interstices, and the edge of a chopper being without thickness, it remains only to insert that which is without thickness into such an interstice. Indeed there is plenty of room for the blade to move about.  It is thus that I have kept my chopper for nineteen years as though fresh from the whetstone.

“Nevertheless, when I come upon a knotty part which is difficult to tackle, I am all caution.  Fixing my eye on it, I stay my hand, and gently apply my blade, until with a hwah the part yields like earth crumbling to the ground.  Then I take out my chopper and stand up, look around, and pause with an air of triumph.  Then wiping my chopper, I put it carefully away.”

“Bravo!” cried the Prince.  “From the words of this cook I have learnt how to take care of my life.”
 

[Brian]

One of my favorites.

[Marblehead]

And then Chuang Tzu added:

 

 

On The Principle Of Taking No Action

In the cutting of a tree the good workman does not take any action; he only applies the ax.  In the actual managing of affairs, the good ruler does not take any action; he only employs good ministers.  If the ministers can manage affairs, the ruler can employ ministers, the ax can cut the tree, and the workman can use the ax, each corresponding to its capacity, then the laws of nature will operate of themselves, not because someone takes action.  If the ruler does the work of his ministers, he will no longer be the ruler.  Therefore when each attends to his own responsibility, both ruler and ruled will be contented and the principle of taking no action will be attained.
 

[Marblehead]

After a short pause of watching the river flow Lao Tzu said:

 

 

To Know The Whole World

No need to leave your door to know the whole world;
No need to peer through your window
To know the Tao of Heaven.
The farther you go,
The less you know.
Therefore,
The Sage knows without going,
Perceives without seeing,
And completes without doing a thing.
 

[Marblehead]

To this Chuang Tzu responded:

 

 

The Fasting Of The Heart

“My family is poor”, said a disciple, “and for many months we have tasted neither wine nor flesh.  Is that not fasting?”

“That is a fast according to the religious observances”, answered the Sage, “but not the fasting of the heart.”

“And may I ask”, said the disciple, “in what consists the fasting of the heart?”

“Concentrate your will.  Hear not with your ears, but with your mind, then not with your mind, but with your soul.  Let your hearing stop with the ears, and let your mind stop with its images.  Let your soul, however, be like a blank, passively responsive to externals.  In such open receptivity only can Tao abide and that open receptivity is the fasting of the heart.”

“Then”, said the disciple, “the reason I cannot use this method is because of consciousness of a self.  If I could apply this method, the assumption of a self would be gone.  Is this what you mean by the receptive state?”

“Exactly so”, replied the Master.  “Let me tell you.  Look at that window.  It is nothing but emptiness, but because of it there is brightness in this room.  Good luck dwells in repose.  If there is not inner repose, your mind will be galloping about though you are sitting still.  Let your ears and eyes communicate within but shut out all knowledge from the mind.”
 

[Marblehead]

And without hardly taking a breath Chuang Tzu continues:

 

 

Fasting For Inner Unity

The goal of fasting is inner unity.  This means hearing, but not with the ear; hearing, but not with the understanding; hearing with the soul, with your whole being.  The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing.  The hearing of the understanding is another.  But the hearing of the soul is not limited to any one faculty, the eye, the ear, or to the mind.  Hence it demands the emptiness of all the faculties.  When the faculties are empty, then the whole being listens.  There is then a direct grasp of what is right there before you that can never be heard with the ear, seen with the eye or understood with the mind.  Fasting of the heart empties the faculties, frees you from limitation and from preoccupation.  Fasting of the heart begets unity and freedom.

If you can do this, you will be able to go among men in their world without upsetting them.  You will not enter into conflict with their ideal image of themselves.  If they will listen, sing them a song.  If not, keep silent.  Don’t try to break down their door.  Don’t try out new medicines on them.  Just be there among them, because there is nothing else for you to be but one of them.  Then you may have success!

It is easy to stand still and leave no trace, but it is hard to walk without touching the ground.  If you follow human methods, you can get away with deception.  In the way of Tao, no deception is possible.

You know that one can fly with wings; you have not yet learned about flying without wings.  You are familiar with the wisdom of those who know, but you have not yet learned the wisdom of those who know not.
 

[Marblehead]

Okay, Chuang Tzu had to take a deep breath after that one but then he quickly continued with:

 

 

Fasting Of The Mind

A Sage sat leaning on a stool, breathing softly, and gazing up at the sky; there he was, all discomposed, as if he had lost one half of himself.  “What is the meaning of this?” asked a disciple, who was close by.  “Is it really possible to give the body this appearance of dead wood and the soul this insensibility of dead ashes?”
 

[Marblehead]

Lao Tzu had fallen to sleep and Chuang Tzu didn't want to bother him so all was quiet for a while.

 

Eventually Lao Tzu woke up and after clearing his mind said:

 

 

The Faith Of Virtue

The Sage has no decided opinions and feelings.

He takes the mind of the common people as his mind;
He regards the people’s opinions and feelings as his own.

The Sage accepts all people;
The good ones he declares good;
The bad ones he also declares good.

In this way he attains goodness.
That is the goodness of Virtue.

Those who are trustworthy he trusts,
Those who are not trustworthy he also trusts;
In this way he gets their trust.
That is the faith of Virtue.
 

[Marblehead]

And Chuang Tzu replied:

 

 

The Sage Regards The People’s Opinions And Feelings As His Own

The people of this world are pleased when people agree with them and displeased when people disagree.  The fact that they like those who agree and dislike those who differ in their opinions shows that they think they are better than others.  But can those who think they are better than others be really better than others?

Those who desire to govern kingdoms clutch at the advantages of the system without seeing the troubles involved.  In fact, they are trusting the fortunes of a country to luck, but what country would be lucky enough to escape destruction?  Their chances of preserving it do not amount to one in ten thousand, while their chances of destroying it are ten thousand to nothing and even more.  Such, alas! is the ignorance of some rulers.