#如何理解道德经的道法自然? #
The word "Tao" appears many times in the Tao Te Ching, and the specific number of times may have different results depending on the version. But the exact meaning and usage are certainly not the same, and I'm sure most study researchers agree with this assertion – raise your hand if you don't.
However, in the process of specific study and research, most study researchers do not consciously distinguish the differences of each "Tao", and intentionally or unintentionally ignore the principle that "if the Tao is different, it cannot be the same to the end". In some places, if you understand the different meanings of "Dao", the meaning is straightforward and clear at a glance, but if you "go to the end", you have to find logic and justify yourself, but the result is self-contradictory, obedient to each other, both embarrassing and helpless, confused and confused. For example, "Taoism is natural", "Taoism, the mystery of all things", "The avenue is chaotic, and it can be left and right"......
So, what is the meaning of the "Dao" in the Tao Te Ching? I think there are three, which correspond to the three "Dao" of "Tao Ke Dao and Extraordinary Dao", and among these three "Dao", the first one exists as a cognitive object and can be regarded as the "innate way", and the last two are related to the cognitive subject and can be regarded as the "acquired way". For the sake of clarity, I will use a diagram to express it:
The different meanings of "Dao" are intertwined and complementary to each other, and together constitute the rich and profound philosophical system of "Dao" in the Tao Te Ching.
The specific meaning of "Tao" in the Tao Te Ching needs to be judged according to the context. Moreover, as an esoteric philosophical work, the language of the Tao Te Ching is ambiguous and ambiguous, which is also its charm. But it is precisely because of this that it also creates barriers to reading comprehension. Therefore, I would venture to speculate: Why do most interpreters know that "the Tao is different" but still unconsciously insist on "one to the end"? There are two main reasons - either because they are lazy and unwilling to think deeply, or because they have poor comprehension skills and cannot distinguish the different meanings of "Tao".
I would like to give one of the hottest, most controversial, and most convincing examples here, such as "Tao Law and Nature": the "Tao" here and the "Four Greats" of Heaven, Earth, and Man are all "acquired ways", why are they the way after tomorrow? Because Chapter 25 makes it so clear (see my article "The Thousand Years of Fog Confessed in One Case: The Key to the Tao Can Be Dao, the Extraordinary Dao Turns Out to Be Here"). The "nature" in "Taoism and Nature" refers to the "innate way", which refers to the way of operation of the universe and nature, the object of cognition, and the source of cognition. Isn't the "acquired way" relative to the "innate way" "the way of nature"?
Moreover, this understanding of practice is of great significance, it tells us that no matter in life, work and study, or in social management and national governance, you must follow the operating laws of the material world, otherwise it is subjective and reckless, and it is easy to make deviations and mistakes.
It should be emphasized that not only can we not "go to the end", but sometimes a "Tao" contains multiple meanings. For example, what does the "zhi" refer to in the sentence "the Tao is born, and the ...... of virtue and animals"? It refers to the "extraordinary way of all things", that is, the third "way": the methods, rules, doorways of all things, and the "acquired way" of isms, ideas, theories, systems, and so on. Where does the "acquired way" come about? Of course, it is the cognitive subject, we, human beings, who emerge from the "innate way" of the object of cognition. Therefore, the "Tao is born" here means "the Tao can be born of the Tao", and a "Tao" contains both Tao (1) and Tao (2). If we don't understand it this way, and understand "Tao Shengzhi" as "what and everything is born in the innate Tao", what will be explained must be conjecture + conjecture + fiction + hypothesis + ...... If you don't believe me, you can go back to chapter 51 and try to deduce it in the sand table according to my understanding and the traditional understanding.
To understand the principle that we cannot "follow to the end", we need to ask another question: Is there a standard for "Tao"? Is there a path for "Tao"?
Why do we ask this question, because we often see expressions like this: according to the standards of the Tao, according to the laws of the Tao, acting according to the Tao, governing according to the Tao...... Is this kind of expression feasible? What is the guiding significance in our practice? If so, then where is the significance of our human exploration of the "Great Road"? If not, then where is the purpose and significance of such an expression?
Therefore, my thesis is that such a statement is meaningless, irresponsible, and at first glance it looks like authentic materialism, but in fact it is an out-and-out idealistic "Tao worship" (of course, there is nothing wrong with such a statement, this is for sure). In the "innate way", there must be a fixed, eternal, and all-controlling operating law, but human beings need to recognize, explore, and apply, so the focus is on cognition, exploration, and application, rather than "according to the standards of the Tao, according to the laws of the Tao, according to the Tao, according to the ......Tao, according to the Tao" and other "true" nonsense, the implication of such nonsense is: I only recognize the "constant way", and everything else is nonsense! Although they do not explicitly say this, this is what is implied.
The problem is: the "Hengdao" that you only recognize, it doesn't recognize you. Otherwise, why doesn't it give you a standard answer? Wouldn't it be okay for you to just live and work according to the standard answer it gives? The reality is that no, you still need to explore the way of life by yourself, and in the end you will find out by yourself; in the end, the way of governing the country is also to cross the river by feeling the stones, and after countless successes and failures, you will come out!
However, the "extraordinary Tao" formed by human beings through cognition, exploration and application is not fixed, there is no standard, and there is no fixed clause, so it is impossible to talk about expressions like "according to the standards of the Tao, according to the laws of the Tao, acting according to the Tao, and governing the ...... according to the Tao". Chapter 51, "Therefore, the Tao is born, the virtuous animal is born, the long is nurtured, the pavilion is poisoned, and the raising is overcome: born without having, for the sake of not being ashamed, long but not slaughtered: it is called Xuande", which describes the principle of why the "extraordinary way" is "extraordinary way", rather than "ordinary way". Think about it, if the "Dao" has standards, rules, and clauses, then what do we need to say now about the "dispute between roads and theories"? What else do we have to say about "self-confidence in the road and self-confidence in culture"? Isn't it the end of the whole world in accordance with "the standards of the Dao, the laws of the Dao, acting according to the Dao, and governing according to the Dao......"?
Therefore, I suggest that we should stop expressing "according to the standards of the Tao, according to the laws of the Tao, acting according to the Tao, and governing according to the Tao......"! Such an understanding cannot stand the test of scrutiny and practice!
When there are more people walking, there is also a road.
That's all for today's sharing, if you think it's useful, please like and follow, and there will be more content output in the future. Here are three articles that can help you better understand the main idea of this article:
(1) The mystery is revealed as soon as it is revealed: the mysterious "Tao Te Ching" becomes "very easy to know" in seconds!
②天道赠我慧眼慧根：以阅宇宙惚恍窈冥！
(3) The thousand-year-old fog once confessed: the key to "Tao Ke Dao, Extraordinary Dao" turned out to be here!