Group presentation:

Group marks:
1. Relevance to themes from the module (20%)
2. Coherency in presentation of ideas (20%)
3. Demonstration of close reading of text (20%)
4. Group collaborative effort (20%)
Indicidual marks:
1. Clarity in language expression, well spoken and well formulated
ideas. (20%)

Poetic Aphorisms: Cosmology

Major themes:
Poetic aphorisms (“Wisdom Literature” – popular way to categorize it.
Lao Zi and Daoism (history and representation)
Cosomology / Cosmogony
Chinese Heritage: “Philosophy” / “Religion”

Generic distinctions
Lunyu Dao De Jing
Prose Poetic (Not poetry)
Narratives (With some sort of a Aphorism (A consise insight/form
beginning and ending) of wisdom that often contains
paradoxes and other play on
Dialouge languages)
Monologue (?) (In several
chapters, there is an ‘I’
mentioned, although who ‘I’ is is
not specified)
Purposely abstract to make it
applicable to everyone

…suit topical differences

Genre has consequences for the content that’s suited to be express
through it. For example, Lunyu is suited for the human world and
within the world, while Dao De Jing talks about a higher Order
(something you have to realize on some level before you can start
exploring and understanding it). Similarly, Lunyu is more suited for
the real world and real problems, such as morality, governing,
ritual. Dao De Jing is suited for bigger issues, such as cosmos.
Lunyu talks about specific idividuals, be it his students or
historical figures. Dao De Jing mentions no individuals; it tries to
universal and hence applicable to everyone and everything. The Lunyu
is historical, where we can pinpoint to its exact point in time,
while Dao De Jing tries to be ahistorical, transecndental of humans,
society.

Wisdom Literature: (Bhagavad Gita; Lotus Sutra). Usually religious

literature, that tries to be mystical and mysterious.

Daoism: Beyond “our world”

Human world (Lunyu) vs. Higher Order (alluded to in Dao De Jing)

Kong Zi: How to order the World? –Related to the things we know can
be ordered.

Lao Zi: What is the world; How is it ordered? Consists of the idea
that the world already posseess an order. Where does the
world/universe come from? (Link to ‘Far Roaming’) How can we, as
human beings, develop an idea about the origin of our universe? What
is the principle that “created” us/everything?

The “Daoist” Answer

Dao De Jing/Tao Te Ching:
“Classic of the Way and Its Power” – The way the Dao and De
(Power/affect that something has on something else)
“Classic of the Way and Its Virtue”

Lao Zi/Lao Tzu – Original title of the book

“Old Master”
“Old Child”
History
We do not know if Lao Zi truly existed, or that the name was given as
a label for divinity. The common assumption is that he is a senior
contemporary to Kong Zi (6th century BCE). There are many stories
regarding the interactions between the two. He is an archivist,
librarian and astronomer – he was a person of knowledge. There is a
fragmented history surronding him – some fragments from tombs that
give unclear indications of his presence.

Louis Komjathy: “From these fragments, one can reconstruct a

foundational Daoist world view that informed many later Daoist
movements. This foundational Daoist worldview centered on the Dao as
a sacred, ultimate concern, […]”

Contrary to Kong Zi, Lao Zi did not become a ‘brand name’ in the
Western world. Chinese impression of Lao Zi as seen from the
portrayals of him in paintings and and drawings seem to imply that he
is humble, and looks like a fool: he personally says that he’s
foolish, and implies that knowledge may not be a good thing. (XIX
p.75, XX p.76-7, XLV p.106 and note the contradictions.)

Cosmology
Komjathy, p.172: Four primary characteristics of Daoist cosmology and
theology: Source of all that exists; unnamble mystery, all-pervading
numinosity (sacred presence); and cosmological process indentified
with the universe as a whole.

Whatever we talk about in relation of Daoism, is supposed to be

applicable to the universe as a whole.

Cosmogony: In the Beginning…

The process of the world becoming: Where does everything come from?
What is the basis of our world? Where does the universe come from?
Dao De Jing presents ‘non-being’ as the source of everything. Non-
being means nothingness, void and emptiness. From non-being, comes
being. Being then means something=ness. In the Void, it is the
working of the Dao that creates being, and hence the universe. Hence,
the Source lies in the Void.

Daode Jing, Chapter 42:

The way begets one;
One begets two;
Two begets three;
Three begets the myriad creatures.

The myriad creatures carry on their backs the yin and embrace in
their arms the yang and are the blending of the generative forces of
the two.

(Indicates the abstract, applicable to anything (human first)

process, that presents the ‘theory’ of cosmogony (numbers), and the
basic process the universe started out from nothing to everything.
Those beings (that come from zero, one, two, three..) carry yin and
yang )
From nothingness, comes Dao, which in turns creates the One (being).
The One goes on to produce yin-yang, which bursts open to separate
and creates Heaven and Earth, which blend together to form Man.
Also applicable to a seed or an egg.

Why return to the Origin?

“Source of True Vitality” (Chu Ci) – there must be something that you
lose as you get older, but can access again potentially.
The Void (Xu)
Oneness (Shared origin, intertwined roots) – The state where
everything was/is still unified, before seperation. We share the
origin with the source of True Vitality, so there is some method of
being reunited like we were in the past. By return to the origin, we
can become one again.

Daoist ideal: Re-Union

The Daoist idea, therefore, is the idea of reunion. The timeline
presented implies a progressive gap with source. As time goes on, we
all become even more seperated, and grow into our own brances,
further away from Oneness. Individuals have lost the sense of unity,
and are separated from others, nature and One. Therefore, we need to
unlearn conventional individuality, in order to return to the
authentic self and back to our natural condition: “uncarved block”
(pu). In the beginning, we were full of potential and not ‘formed’ by
convention, not indoctrinated by society, culture and expectations.

Daoist solution: reconnect

It is possible to undo our division, fragmentation and separation,
unlearn conventional thinking (giving up our knowledge to reach a
higher knowledge) and realize our fundamental connection, no longer
see each other as individuals and connects between “different” hiuman
beings, human and things, humans, things and their Source.

A proposal: Discard language to access oneness.

Divisions can be unlearned, such as names, values and concepts
(fillial piety, righteousness… Kong Zi’s values, according to Lao Zi
are divisive, and can cause people to disagree, which is not One)
This is because language is a tool for
differentiation/discrimination, but according to the Daoist way of
thinking, this is a potential problem. Furthermore, in the usage of
language such as through names, it ‘fixates/captures’ a certain
character.

Daode Jing, Chapter 1:

The way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.

The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;

The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.

(Anything that you can express in words is not constant and is not
the enduring Dao. A name says nothing about someone, posseses no
value. That absence of something is a beginning. )

Daode Jing, Chapter 2:

The whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet thisis
only the ugly;
the whole world recognizes the good as the good, yet this is only
thebad.

Thus Something and Nothing produce each other;

The difficult and the easy complement each other;
The long and the short off-set each other;
The high and the low incline towards each other;
Note and sound harmonize with each other;
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no
actionand practises the teaching that uses no words.

(We already have preconceived ideas of what’s ugly and beautiful,

what’s good and bad. As soon as you talk about the good, it implies
the bad, as something can only be understood as good as long as you
have the concept of what is bad. This implies that while you are
praising something, you are also denouncing something. Such concepts
are the root of the problem, you have a positive thing and
automatically it creates a negative thing. Recall that Lao Zi himself
cannot explain things, since he insists on not using language.)

Empty the Mind (of Language)

Language is a tool of convenience and convention, as it facilitates
communication. Through talking, it limites the mind, entangles it in
everyday reality, we cannot talk about real deep concepts, we are
unable to tlak about something else other that everyday reality.
The mind keeps producing language (thoughts), and keeps you in its
own grip.
Daode Jing, Chapter 19:
Exterminate learning and there will no longer be worries.
Exterminate the sage, discard the wise,
And the people will benefit a hundredfold;
Exterminate benevolence, discard rectitude,
And the people will again be filial;
Exterminate ingenuity, discard profit,
And there will be no more thieves and bandits.

These three, being false adornments, are not enough

And the people must have something to which they can attach
themselves:
Exhibit the unadorned and embrace the uncarved block,
Have little thought of self and as few desires as possible.
(He’s going against Kong Zi’s concepts. The logic behind this verse
is that people will probably naturally be nice, benevolent and
filial. But specifically stating out such characteristics, people
will want to act against it. Therefore, we should remove such
concepts and labels to return to natural state (something we all
possess and have, something that is real and authentic). He limits
self and desires, and claim to want us to get rid of everything. The
idea of having no self becomes another dogma, and differentiates
again. Everyone has desires and it is fairly alright.)

Daode Jing, Chapter 20:

The multitude are joyous
As if partaking of the offering
Or going up to a terrace in spring.
I alone am inactive and reveal no signs,
And wax without having reached the limit.
Like a baby that has not yet learned to smile,
Listless as though with no home to go back to.
The multitude all have more than enough.
I alone seem to be in want.
My mind is that of a fool - how blank!
Vulgar people are clear.
I alone am drowsy.
Vulgar people are alert.
I alone am muddled.
Calm like the sea;
Like a high wind that never ceases.
The multitude all have a purpose.
I alone am foolish and uncouth.
I alone am different from others
And value being fed by the mother.

(First mention of religion through offerings, and he is numb of

emotion and expression. He brings up the contrast between spending
energy, being alert and being a fool, as he calls himself a fool.
They are all happy about a sacrifice, killing of an animal, while he
is not. )
 Wuwei
You get rid of individuality and experience emptiness through means
of non-action. Wuwei literally means ‘non-interference’ – as long as
you let things rule naturally, and do not impose your ideas on the
world, it would be fine. This allows you to reach Oneness with the
natural order and implies a specific kind of inaction, a kind that is
defined as “acting according to natural order”.
It should be clarified that the universe already has a natural order,
such as seaons, sun/moon, etc. For example, the heart beats
naturally, and you breathe naturally.

In quietude you find…

An order already exists and the body is a huge self-regulating
system. The Daode Jing: “Let your wheels move only along old ruts,”
such as let yourself go through what’s natural already, the pre-
existing system.
Bodily rhythms: Aging, heart, breathing and during sex. This is also
exemplified in the female body in pregnancy and menstruation –
rhythms that are governing the body. (Lao Zi value that is being fed
by the mother.)

“Who can be muddy and yet, settling, slowly become limpid?” – DDJ,
15.
(Human beings are naturally chaotic, in a flux as you live. If you
don’t act and interfere, things will naturally become clear.
Not non-action, but certainly non-interference. No need to impose
order; order already exists. Act according to Natural Order.)

Attaining emptimness is hard work and is also an action: “I do my

utmost to attain emptiness; I hold firmly to stillness”

Philosophy/Religion?
This is still being debated today.
Komjathy, p.172: “There is simply noe vidence that any form of the
earliest Daoism was non-religious, corresponding to something like
modern secular humanism or spiritual intellectualism.”