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To Live a Riddle: the Transformative Aspect of the Laozi

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To Live a Riddle: the Transformative Aspect of the Laozi jocp_1527 408..423 galia patt-shamir TO LIVE A RIDDLE: THE TRANSFORMATIVE ASPECT OF THE LAOZI Laozi, the person or the myth has captured human creative minds through the generations;1 the Laozi or Daode Jing is still open to deliberation and sinological debates regarding its ver- sions, its dating, and its authorship;2 the manifold versions of transla- tion as well are still open to disparity and dissent.3 Nonetheless, as much as there are versions to Laozi’s life, the Laozi’s authenticity and its proper translation, there are even more interpretations to its ideas and their meanings.4 This plurality of possibilities is perhaps a major attraction to many human minds, occupied in the modern world with a text that was composed over 2,000 years ago. The Laozi presents practical poetry, anti-theoretical philosophy, inconsistent logic, athe- istic religion, daily metaphysics, earthly mysticism, inactive politics, and ancient feminism.5 In this article I would like to refer to the Laozi as a “transformative text,” namely, a text which, once understood, transforms the perspec- tive one has on world and life, and thus brings the reader to actual transformation in life, as explained later. I suggest that the Laozi’s special use of riddling language is intended to lead the reader to response in life. Hence, the contradictory expressions in the text can be viewed as keys for response to a “living riddle,” and through the riddle we may learn something about the form of life of the follower of dao. In this sense I take up from Chung-ying Cheng’s statement: [T]o examine the use of language in relation to reality is to take the dao seriously and therefore is the gateway to enter the dao. But to enter the dao is also to put language aside in order to concentrate on concrete and total aspects of the dao.... For this reason we have to speak of the dao as both the unspeakable and the speakable and understand how each needs the other.6 In this article I show that by means of contradictory expressions, the Laozi calls for constant transformation of perspective, wishing to bring the follower of dao to “turning back” since “turning back is how GALIA PATT-SHAMIR,Senior Lecturer, Departments of Philosophy and of East-Asian Studies, Tel-Aviv University. Specialties: early Chinese philosophy, Neo-Confucianism, comparative philosophy and religion. E-mail: [email protected] © 2009 Journal of Chinese Philosophy transformative aspect of the LAOZI 409 the way moves.”7 In this way the text introduces a dialectic move between opposites that culminates in a “leap” from text to life. In other words, the dialectical “thesis” refers to dao as constant and thus ineffable; its “antithesis” refers to the ever changing and outspoken dao; the inevitable contradiction in the nature of dao necessitates an actual shift of perspective as a “synthesis.”The new perspective brings transformation and thus one’s actual life changes. The textual contra- diction between the presuppositions regarding dao, which is not resolved in theory, brings the open-minded reader to a response and a resolution in life. I. The Textual Perspective:The Dialectic of Dao The Laozi suggests a twofold attitude toward dao. On the one hand dao is eternal, infinite, constant and indivisible and thus ineffable, while in some different sense there is a namable reality, which accord- ing to the common interpretation is inferior to dao, and yet it is called dao too; to be more precise it is the language of dao (dao kedo ) as opposed to dao beyond language (changdao ).8 As we learn in the text, human beings name reality in various ways; however, by this very act reality loses its dao and human beings limit their (or our) own experiencing the world. Being limited by the actual world that we created, and limiting our experience in turn is clearly second best (if not completely unwished for) according to the Laozi. However, when we focus on the dual nature of the way and ask for its significance, we realize that instead of distancing us from dao (since it can’t be spoken and hence nonattainable) it may help one getting closer to it. Let us see how it works in the introductory verse of the Laozi. 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. Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.9 These two are the same But diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same they are called mysteries, Mystery upon mystery— The gateway of the manifold secrets. The verse poses an inherent ambiguity that forms the dialectic through which a gate may open and one may then transform. This 410 galia patt-shamir transformation is attained by means of a “dialectic walk” between routes: One route amounts to desiring and achieving “manifesta- tions,” the other—to ridding of desires, or forgetting and thus reaching secrets.Thus, we are first introduced with a dao kedao, which is not, so we are told, changdao. In other words, dao that can be “daoed,” that is, be named, told, defined, but also directed and walked, is not con- stant, real, eternal, and nameless. The fact that it is “daoed” does not imply that it is not real, and therefore ultimately nonexistent.10 As we shall see hereafter, “daoed dao”isanecessary aspect of dao. More- over, the first phrase of the Laozi does not imply two different meanings of dao. While there is some “dual citizenship” of dao, its descriptions together form one concept (the third section hereafter explores this further).There are different uses of dao, and accordingly we are presented with two senses of it. Ultimately, dao, either named or nameless is one; however, from the human perspective it can be walked, described, and guided through; and yet again, as such it is a limited dao. In this way our knowledge of dao is limited by our own epistemic tools, by theories of reference, and by and theoretical frameworks, and thus, it is not “constant.” Since the manifestations are many, one faces a plurality of choices, expressed in the next lines through the relation between names which can be named (ming keming ) as equivalent of dao kedao, revealed later on as “the mother” of things (wanwu zhimu ), and always attained through having desires (youyu ), and reach- ing its boundaries ( jiao ).11 On the other hand, changdao amounts to the ineffable and nameless (wuming ), which is the beginning (tiandi zhi shi ); attained through not having desires (wuyou ), which leads to observing its wonders, or “secrets” (miao ). In the first case, one may touch “the boundary” which is so crucial for our knowledge: For example, we may think of any theoretical framework, and how we are lost as researchers without it (we may recall Kant’s antinomies of pure reason).12 And yet, while it is exactly our “limits” which allow us to know and understand, there is also a second way to know. In the second case, without desires, we lose the limits and only then we may delve into the mystery of life itself. It doesn’t take too long for the division between the distinct ways to fade out in the first chapter. Laozi stresses that these two “daos” are the same (ci liangzhe tong ) and as such are called “mystery” (xuan ). While “mystery” (or unknown) is a name, mystery is also what life is. As mystery (and not “mystery” as name), dao and changdao form together a gateway to secrets (xuan zhi youxuan, zhongmiao zhi men ), the secrets of the world, of life, and of the person. Potentially, this gate is also the gateway for growth and development. Having and having-not desires manifest a transformative aspect of the LAOZI 411 dialectic through which absence cannot be compromised, and yet it cannot manifest itself either, except through an ongoing shifting of aspects.13 The writer offers a dialectical method: dao can be expressed, named, and desired, while in reality it cannot; it forms limits, borders, manifestations, but in fact it is limitless, mysterious, and has secrets.As namable, dao can be almost anything, in particular it can be a gate to the mystery which embodies in it both secrets and manifestations.14 However, when one realizes it, both aspects are revealed as one, and a gate opens.Thus, the Laozi opens by captivating the reader with the following riddle: “follow a way that cannot be walked”(since as soon as you step on it, it isn’t the true way). Or better defined by the text, how dao kedao fei changdao? daokedao fei changdao The dao that can be daoed is not the constant dao mingkeming fei changming The name that can be named is not the constant name. wuming tiandi zhishi Nameless (it is) the beginning of heaven and earth youming changwu zhimu Named (it is) the mother of the myriad things gu Therefore, changwu youyi guanqimiao Always be without desire to observe its secrets changyou yuyi guanqijiao Always have desires to observe its boundaries ciliangzhe tong These two are equal chu eryiming But diverge in name as they issue forth tong Equal weizhixuan they are called mystery xuan zhiyouxuan zhongmiao zhimen Mystery upon mystery, the gateway of the manifold secrets. 412 galia patt-shamir II.
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