In
respect of the negative aspects
of the Dao of man, Lao Zi recommends
the Dao of Heaven not only as
a counterbalance to the former,
but also as an ultimate criterien
or frame of reference owing
to its great virtues such as
the universal heart of selflessness
and the noble spirit of balancing
all things under the sky. That
is to say, the Dao of Heaven
must be imitated, followed and
acted upon by man. This is merely
Lao Zi's ideal as a result of
his deep concern and sympathy
for the tragic human condition
in his era. However, good-intentioned
as it may be, this recommendation
is after all wishful thinking,
in striking contrast with hard
reality. But this does not necessarily
mean that his wish and hope
have no instructive message
with regard to the keenly competitive
and frustratingly problematic
society in which we live nowadays.
It is worth mentioning in passing
that the Dao of Heaven is also
reflected in Lao Zi's remark
that "Heaven and earth
unite to drop sweet dew which
falls evenly over all things
without being forced."
All this could be seen as the
source of the notion of egalitarianism
or equal division of property
which is deeply rooted in the
mentality of the Chinese people.
Hence, when its merit is appreciated
from a sociological perspective
(i.e. social stability), its
demerits should not be neglected
in an economic sense (i.e. economic
development). The Chinese are
fairly sensitive and highly
conscious of the painstaking
efforts made so far to break
up the "iron rice bowl"
(i.e. "equal pay for unequal
work") in the course of
China's current program of social
and economic reform.
The sage is "the only one
who has the Dao" (i.e.
the Dao of Heaven) and is characterized
by such virtues as universal
love and generosity, as usually
embodied in an absolute giver.
The Dao of the sage is the realization
or extension of the Dao of Heaven
in society or human praxis,
according to Lao Zi. All men
alike are encouraged not simply
to admire the virtues of the
Daoist sage, but to model their
personal development upon him
via practical activities. Only
by so doing, according to Lao
Zi, can society be at peace
and people enjoy harmonious
relations.
5.2 (Chapter
79)
To reconcile two sides in deep
hatred
Is surely to leave some hatred
behind.
If one returns good for evil,[1]
How can this be taken as a proper
solution?[2]
Therefore the sage keeps the
counterfoil of the tally,[3]
Yet he does not demand payment
of the debt.
The virtuous man is as kind
and generous as the tally keeper
While the non-virtuous is as
harsh and calculating as a tax
collector.
The Dao of Heaven has no preference.[4]
It is constantly with the good
man.[5]
Annotations:
[1] This expression has been
transposed here from Chapter
63 (DDJ) upon the recomendation
of Yan Lingfeng and Gu Di, as
a result of their textual analyses
and philological studies.
[2] This "solution"
refers to the situation implied
in the first two lines. Lao
Zi holds that its efficacy is
so limited that it can not clear
away all the hatred involved.
He therefore proposes that one
returns good for evil so as
to make it impossible for hatred
to recur.
[3] The Chinese term zuo qi
is translated as "the counterfoil
of the tally." The latter
was something like a modern
contract. It used to be inscribed
on a piece of wood and cut into
two parts held respectively
by the two parties concerned.
They would be produced later
as proof or evidence concerning
the contract.
[4] "The Dao of Heaven
has no preference" (tian
dao wu qin) is close in meaning
to "Heaven and earth are
not humane"-They both suggest
the essence of the Dao which
treats all things alike.
[5] "The good man"
(shan ren) here stands for the
virtuous man who has achieved
the Dao and its potency (De).
In the final analysis, he can
be identified as the Daoist
sage.
Commentary:
That "one should return
good for evil" is well-noted
as Lao Zi's idealized solution
to hatred. It is offered to
the people in general and the
ruler in particular. In a totalitarian
country the government tends
to be power-oriented and property-hungry.
Thus it is apt to apply policies
of heavy taxation and severe
punishments. This brings about
an accumulation of complaints
and growth of hatred which may
some day explode as suddenly
as a dormant volcano. The history
of China is full of instances
of revolts and rebellions caused
by such policies.
The Dao of Heaven that "has
no preferences" is clearly
personified by Lao Zi. It serves
as a mirror of Daoist naturalism
in contrast to the Dao of man,
which has preferences. The former
is positive while the latter
is negative; likewise, he (e.g.
a ruler) who practices the former
is "kind and generous"
to the extent that he will be
supported and beloved, whereas
he (e.g. a ruler) who adopts
the latter is "harsh and
calculating" to the extent
that he will be cursed and overthrown.
This is moral lesson still valid
for leaders nowadays.
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