One main line, one through all - learning the Tao Te Ching is no longer entangled

Question: Does the Tao Te Ching have a main line? The answer is of course yes! If we think that the Tao Te Ching does not even have a main line, then it means that we have not even understood the basic meaning of the text.

Are there any researchers who don't even understand the superficial meaning of the text? A professor in Taiwan clearly pointed out that the Tao Te Ching is a fragmented patchwork of texts, a quotation style, and no theme at all.

More researchers may be reluctant to say a main line, such as "cosmogenesis" or "dialectics", but the imaginary theme has no practical meaning.

In my opinion, the main line of the Tao Te Ching is very clear, clear at a glance, echoing before and after, interlocking, we excerpt the content of the first chapter, chapter 40 and chapter 81, and we see the very clear context of the Tao Te Ching. Let me express it in the form of a schematic diagram:

The following is a brief explanation of this "Schematic Diagram of the Theme of the Tao Te Ching":

(1) In the first chapter, after entering the general theme of "Tao can be Tao, extraordinary Tao, name can be famous, and extraordinary name", he settled on the cognitive and thinking methodology of "often no desire to observe its wonder, and always have desire to observe its subtlety".

Translated into the modern vernacular, it means: As the object of human cognition, the universe (i.e., the "natural way of operation" of the world) can be recognized and followed, and the results of cognition and the methods followed (i.e., the "way of practice" of human beings) are not constant; the objective laws and causal relationships in the cosmic nature of the cognitive objects can be expressed logically, but the methods and results of expression are not constant. The first sentence of the opening sentence of the Tao Te Ching concisely reveals the basic laws of human beings to understand the world and live in harmony with the world, and also determines that the main idea of the Tao Te Ching is to discuss how human beings can understand the world and live in harmony with the world.

Then the last sentence of the first chapter, "There is always no desire to observe its wonder, and there is always desire to observe it", expresses the basic principle of human cognition of the world: if we always observe the origin of all things in heaven and earth from the perspective of "nothing", we can explore their infinite possibilities, and if we always examine the principle of the finite logic of all things in heaven and earth from the perspective of "being", we can understand the limitations of cognition. Therefore, both "nothingness" and "being" come from the feedback of things themselves and cognition, and the interaction between the objectivity of the world and the subjectivity of cognition opens the door for human beings to explore the mysteries of the universe.

We need to grasp the key words of this chapter, "constant desire" and "constant desire", that is, the two perspectives of understanding the world: objective and subjective. In the practice of understanding the world, these two aspects are indispensable. If you don't agree with this cognitive law, please raise your hand, let's see if you have a special function?

Chapter 1 is actually the "Argument", and from then until Chapter 39, most of the space is devoted to "the construction of cognitive logic based on the objective and subjective cognitive perspectives", that is, the basic principles and methods of the "way of cognition".

(2) If chapter 40 talks about "cognitive logic construction", that is, "Tao can be Tao", then after chapter 40, it talks about the practice and application of "cognitive and practical way" in social governance, that is, "name can be named". In other words, the first is "Tao", and the second is "Virtue".

Chapter 40 is a chapter that connects the past and the future, and in just 21 words, it is actually a different expression from a different perspective in Chapter 1: that is, the transformation from cognition to practice.

"The movement of the opposite way" is the practical application of "often having no desire to observe its wonder". "Constant desirelessness to see the wonderful" means: always observe the origin of all things in heaven and earth from the perspective of "nothingness", and then we can explore their infinite possibilities, that is, we should look at problems and think things from an "objective" perspective. In specific practice, it is necessary to achieve "anti", and to achieve "anti", that is, "virtue and its way", so it is called "the movement of the way". "Anti" has two meanings, one is "feedback", which is to correctly feedback the objectivity of cognitive objects, and the other is "reversal", which is to return from the "name" of things to the essence of things, "Tao", or from "being" to "nothing". In other words, "think outside the subjectivity".

"The use of the weak way" is the practical application of "always wanting to observe it". "There is always a desire to observe it" means: if we always examine the principle of the finite logic of all things in heaven and earth from the perspective of "being", we can understand the limitations of cognition. In specific practice, it is necessary to be "weak", and to achieve "weakness", it is also "moral", so it is called "the use of the Tao". "Weak" also has two meanings: one is to "weaken" subjective thinking, thinking about problems and doing things should not be too subjective; the other is the dependence of "weak" on "being", "being" is the cognitive logic that human beings have formed about things, which has certain limitations, one-sidedness and relativity, and should be "born without being".

The last sentence of this chapter, "All things under heaven are born from being, and some are born from nothing" echoes the first chapter's "the beginning of the nameless heaven and earth, the mother of all things", which is an explanation of why "anti" and why "weak". Some interpreters think that this sentence is redundant, missimplified, and fails to understand the relationship between this chapter and chapter 1.

(3) Chapter 81 of the Tao Te Ching is a summary of the whole book, and the conclusion is that "the way of heaven is beneficial but not harmful, and the way of the sage is not to fight."

As we have already said, what is the theme of the Tao Te Ching? It is the "principles and methods of how human beings can understand the world and live in harmony with the world" revealed in the first sentence of the opening chapter, "the Tao is the way, the Tao is not the way, the name is not the way, the name is not the name". "The way of heaven is good but not harmful, and the way of the saints is not to fight" is the conclusion of this theme. The ideological principle of understanding the world is "benefit without harm," and the method of "benefit without harm" is "doing nothing"; when this method of thinking is applied to social practice, it is "doing without fighting."

The "non-action" of the ideological principle is extended from "constant desire" and "anti", while the "indisputability" of the practical method is extended from "constant desire" and "weakness".

There has always been a debate about "non-action" and "indisputable", although most of the interpretations also have some truth, but they are not too consistent with the theme of the Tao Te Ching. According to the above ideas, my understanding of "inaction" and "indisputable" is:

"Wuwei" is the concept and practice of governance based on objective thinking. What is meant by "thinking based on objectivity"? That is, the logic of governance of rulers comes from "constant desirelessness" and "anti (correct feedback)" to objective reality. In today's parlance, it means "from the people, to the people, from practice, to practice, from history, to history." If you are a manager, this kind of management idea of "doing nothing" may be useful.

So what is "indisputable"? That is, rulers should "always have desires" to reflect on the logic of their own governance and clearly understand where the "indisputable" is? Constantly reflect on the limitations of their own governance? They must "weaken" their own subjective intervention, and they must "be born without having it, for the sake of it, and for the sake of it without slaughtering," and they must keep pace with the times. It is necessary not only to "follow the body" -- in today's parlance -- "the people first," but also to "go outside" -- to say in today's parlance -- to be "people-centered." This is the "indisputable virtue" of the king.

I have already elaborated on the main content of this article, and I would like to conclude with a loud voice and special emphasis: stop misunderstanding and mismiscommunicating "the movement of the opposite and the use of the weak way". What is the Tao that is applied in reverse, towards the opposite, where things must be reversed, and the cycle repeats...... These explanations do not stand up to scrutiny at all, and I have left many doubts in the comments section of these interpreters, and none of them have replied to my doubts. For example, when my old friend @ Wendao Huaxia explained "anti-weakness", he believed that "the value of the Tao is the opposite of people's pursuits", and I couldn't understand this kind of assertion. And similar arguments can be brushed up almost every day, and I am very speechless! When we understand the phrase "anti-weakness" from the theme and main line of the entire "Tao Te Ching", is it not enough to explain the rationality of my understanding?

Special reminder: Those who disagree are requested to discuss in a civilized manner with reasonable evidence, and malicious commentators will be-for-tat.