In this particular day I shall
interpret a verse from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, namely verse 18. In A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, Wing Tsit Chan presents the verse:
“18. When the great Tao declined,
The doctrines of jen
(humanity) and righteousness ( i ) arose
When knowledge and
wisdom appeared,
There emerged great
hypocrisy.
When the six family
relationships are not in harmony,
There will be advocacy to
filial piety and deep love to children.
When a country is in
disorder,
There will be praise of
loyal ministers.” 1
Firstly, let us discuss the theme of the verse. The theme of the verse is the absence of
natural harmony.
This issue is in relation to the Tao being applied in one’s life. A life in accordance to Tao would only mean a
life of simplicity, weakness, tranquility, and not against the course of
Nature. This means that man should
accept “Nature”. This means that man
should accept both the good and the bad things in his life. Man should accept the opposites in his life,
which are inevitable. It is in this
acceptance that man can learn how to temper the “extremes” in him, which can
greatly help him in developing his character.
Being too inclined with the “extremes” impedes a person from developing
his values.
This is what Lao Tzu means about “not going against the course of
Nature”. This is applying the Tao in one’s life. It is
in this way that harmony can be attained.
By not interfering in the course
of Nature, one can gain enlightenment. He gains enlightenment in the sense that he
realizes that it is in these opposite situations and present circumstances that he can fashion himself into what is
“natural” for him or what is ordinarily good for the development of his human
conduct. Ordinarily good, in the sense that these
learned values are not too staunch or not too lax but rather just “right” for
him.
Disharmony therefore, would mean being too “extreme”. It means going against Nature. It means one goes against what is “natural”,
thus bringing damage to his self in the process. To Lao Tzu, this is approaching life
unwisely because one cannot know how to develop himself. An example would be in terms of playing a sport.
The correct approach would be taking a
break from such strenuous activity after many hours of playing it. Being
too “extreme”, like forcing one’s body to play can bring injuries to him. This is what disharmony is for Lao Tzu.
The notion of disharmony in the verse can be seen in the negative
happenings of the Tao declining, the emergence of hypocrisy, the disharmony of
the six family relationships, and the disorder in the country. It represented disharmony for it was rooted
from the “extremes”. These “extremes”
would be the individual being “too involved” or “too social” with the world, to
the point that individuals lose sight of individual life and tranquility. This
is depicted by the teachings of humanity, righteousness, knowledge, wisdom,
filial piety, and propriety, which seem to be too inclined in the “social”
aspect of life. It can be observed that
the negative happenings present in the verse were rooted from these
“socially-inclined” principles that were the complete opposite of the
individualistic nature of Lao Tzu’s philosophy. Humanity and righteousness involve constant
interaction with people, alongside the other teachings of knowledge and
wisdom. These “socially-inclined” principles were
perceived as “going against the course of Nature” by the fact that the
individual, instead of taking a step back and let situations be as they are,
plunges right into it, thus making the situation worse. The Tao
declined, because the people had the idea of “changing the course of Nature” with
the teachings of benevolence by involving themselves in the situations present
around them. Hypocrisy emerged for
people thought they became too wise or too knowledgeable for anything thus
narrowing their thinking. It is in
these thoughts that going to the “extreme”, which is a manifestation of going
against what is “natural”, brings damage to oneself.
The notion of disharmony of Lao Tzu is rooted from “going against the
course of Nature” or going against what is “natural”. This is depicted in the verse as he shows the
negative results of the “socially-inclined” teachings of humanity,
righteousness, knowledge, wisdom, and propriety. It is
going against what is “natural” for the individual involves himself in the
circumstances that arise in his life. The notion of plunging one’s self into every
situation in order to change it implies that he is “going against the course of
Nature”. He goes against the course of Nature in the
sense that he acts against its flow. It
is the very thought of action which makes involvement a move “against Nature”. Being
“natural” meant being uninterrupted or undisturbed, since the thought of action
is an “interruption”, it is “against the course of Nature.” Let Nature be. Let
one’s self be. In this way, the best of things from nature
and oneself can blossom freely.
Source:
1.
Wing Tsit Chan, “The Natural Way of Lao Tzu”, (United States: Princeton
University Press, 1963), In In A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, 148.
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