4. The Dao and the Myriad Things
Lao Zi holds the view that the
Dao is the omni-principle of
all individual principles. Thus
the Dao produces all things;
and likewise all things develop
from the Dao. The interactions
and interrelations between the
Dao and the myriad things are
in fact the extension of his
theory about the ultimate origin
and coming into being of the
universe, the process of which
is historically significant
due to its connection with the
way of thought and world view
of the ancient Chinese. And
the function of the Dao in general
can still find its traces and
influences deep in the psycho-cultural
structure of the Chinese people
today. To be chiefly discussed
in this section are chapters
42, 32, 34, and 39 (DDJ ).
4.1 (Chapter 42)
The Dao produces the One.[1]
The One turns into the Two.[2]
The Two give rise to the Three.[3]
The Three bring forth the myriad
of things.
The myriad things contain Yin
and Yang as vital forces, Which
achieve harmony through their
interactions.[4]
Annotations:
[1] The One" here stands
for the Whole as the Ultimate
Origin of Heaven and Earth.
It is allegorically perceived
as the chaos of the universe
where everything stayed in an
original state of entirety or
without discrimination in between.
It can be said to be another
name for the Dao as the beginning
of all things. It is thus used
repeatedly by Lao Zi in chapters
10, 22 and 39, etc. In Chinese
language "the One"
also features absolute uniqueness
and unity as well, which are
in turn aspects of the Dao.
[2] "The Two" refer
to two vital forces known as
Yin and Yang. A further rendering
of Yin and Yang may be as two
essential kinds of qi (variously
described as matter, energy,
vital breath, power, etc.) that
oppose and complement each other.
The ancient Chinese people in
general and thinkers in particular
believed that all things were
produced as a result of their
interactions or complementary
interrelations. The concepts
of Yin and Yang carry a much
wider sense in different contexts.
[3] "The Three" are
usually supposed to be a well-balanced
type of qi which results from
the interactions between Yin
and Yang. "The three"
are interpreted as three types
of qi owing to the interactions
of Yin and Yang: In the first
type the Yin qi overwhelms the
Yang qi (yin sheng zhi qi),
whereas in the second type the
opposite happens and the Yang
qi overwhelms the Yin qi (yang
sheng zhi qi); and the third
type then is what is above-described
as well-balanced-both the Yin
qi and Yang qi form into a harmonious
realm.
This description seems to me
to correspond to the general-characteristics
of all things in reality that
may well be illustrated via
a continuum; that is, some go
to extremes while others are
slotted into places between
the two ends of the continuum.
[4] The Chinese word thong is
used here as a verb, meaning
the interacting and dynamic
relationship between the Yin
qi and Yang qi, which then lead
to the harmony of the substances.
But Fung Yu-lan assumes that
thong qi is another kind of
qi encompassing the Yin qi and
Yang qi within itself. It is
similar to "the One"
or the Dao in this context.
Commentary:
This chapter discusses the originality
of the Dao and the coming into
being of the world. The concepts
of "the One," "the
Two" and "the Three"
are symbolically employed to
explicate the process of how
the Dao produces the myriad
things. This process is characterized
with a transition or evolution
from the simple to the complex,
which happens to reflect the
development of all creation.
In short, this discourse of
Lao Zi is typical of his doctrine
concerning the origin and coming
into being of the universe which
all trace back to Dao.
4.2 (Chapter 32)
The Dao is eternal and has no
name.[1]
Though it is simple and seems
minute,[2] Nothing under Heaven
can subordinate it.
If kings and lords were able
to maintain it, All people would
submit to them
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