(Non) Reception of the Zhuangzi Text
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The Unity of Yin and Yang: a Philosophical Assessment
The Unity of Yin and Yang: A Philosophical Assessment Thaddeus T'ui-chieh Hang National Chengchi University, Taipei "One yin ^ and one yang d, constitute what is called Tao 51"; "When yin and yang are united in their virtue, the soft and the hard attain their physical shape." These famous statements are drawn from the "Appended Remarks" (Hsi-tz'u Slit?) of the / Ching %M.. Since they were uttered more than two thousand years ago, they became the metaphysical foun- dation for the two great philosophical schools of China, namely, Taoism and Confucianism. For both these schools, yin and yang, two contrasting but mutually compensating components constitute unity in harmony. We shall endeavor to give an historical account of this concept, describe it phenomenologically, and venture a philosophical assessment from cos- mological, anthropological, as well as theological points of view. I. An Historical Account The origin of yin-yang ideas must be sought in very ancient times. In the Book of Poetry (Shih-ching I^M?i<) the words "yin" and "yang" signified the north and south sides of a mountain.1 In the Book of Historical Documents (Shu-ching US?) the two words never appeared together ex- cept in the apocryphal "Chou-kuan" /SJ1T. Even in the Analects of Con- fucius there is no mention of yin-yang. However, the eight trigrams were probably in use at the beginning of the Chou )*] dynasty (late 12th cen- tury B.C.). Since the eight trigrams consist of combinations of broken and 'James Legge, The Chinese Classics: Vol. IV, Book of Poetry (Taipei, 1972), Ode 19, p. -
1 the 4 Discourses of the Dao: Zhuangzi Meets Lacan Shunyamurti
The 4 Discourses of the Dao: Zhuangzi Meets Lacan Shunyamurti speaks: So tonight, let’s explore more deeply: how does a Taoist sage deal with the end of the world? And how does one relate to those who are either in denial or wanting to resist or trying to prematurely bring about a new age before the end of this one? The Taoist understands the order of things and what must be eliminated and cleansed before a new creation can take place, but that must happen microcosmically within the sage’s mind and heart. So in Song 5, that was sung very beautifully by the Daughters of Nothingness, Lao Tzu says: “For the Tao to function fully, both heaven and earth must separate from duality.” This is a very subtle point: heaven and earth seem to be two, but they’re not, they’re only one. So we have to understand the difference between a distinction and a duality. In the same way we can see two sides of a coin as actually being one: nirvana, samsara—heaven and earth—must be realized as a single whole. The sage doesn’t simply leave the world and enter into the transcendent Nothingness and have nothing to do with the samsara, but acts in the samsara, seeing it as nirvana, realizing its perfection, and not being fooled by the apparent events that are occurring in the simulation, but understanding their true significance. So heaven and earth are indifferent to each other because each is nondifferent from the One. The transcendent One is also the immanent One, but that One from which the world and the transcendent derive is present in each. -
Laozi Zhongjing)
A Study of the Central Scripture of Laozi (Laozi zhongjing) Alexandre Iliouchine A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts, Department of East Asian Studies McGill University January 2011 Copyright Alexandre Iliouchine © 2011 ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements......................................................................................... v Abstract/Résumé............................................................................................. vii Conventions and Abbreviations.................................................................... viii Introduction..................................................................................................... 1 On the Word ―Daoist‖............................................................................. 1 A Brief Introduction to the Central Scripture of Laozi........................... 3 Key Terms and Concepts: Jing, Qi, Shen and Xian................................ 5 The State of the Field.............................................................................. 9 The Aim of This Study............................................................................ 13 Chapter 1: Versions, Layers, Dates............................................................... 14 1.1 Versions............................................................................................. 15 1.1.1 The Transmitted Versions..................................................... 16 1.1.2 The Dunhuang Version........................................................ -
Skepticism and Pluralism Ways of Living a Life Of
SKEPTICISM AND PLURALISM WAYS OF LIVING A LIFE OF AWARENESS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE ZHUANGZI #±r A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN PHILOSOPHY AUGUST 2004 By John Trowbridge Dissertation Committee: Roger T. Ames, Chairperson Tamara Albertini Chung-ying Cheng James E. Tiles David R. McCraw © Copyright 2004 by John Trowbridge iii Dedicated to my wife, Jill iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In completing this research, I would like to express my appreciation first and foremost to my wife, Jill, and our three children, James, Holly, and Henry for their support during this process. I would also like to express my gratitude to my entire dissertation committee for their insight and understanding ofthe topics at hand. Studying under Roger Ames has been a transformative experience. In particular, his commitment to taking the Chinese tradition on its own terms and avoiding the tendency among Western interpreters to overwrite traditional Chinese thought with the preoccupations ofWestern philosophy has enabled me to broaden my conception ofphilosophy itself. Roger's seminars on Confucianism and Daoism, and especially a seminar on writing a philosophical translation ofthe Zhongyong r:pJm (Achieving Equilibrium in the Everyday), have greatly influenced my own initial attempts to translate and interpret the seminal philosophical texts ofancient China. Tamara Albertini's expertise in ancient Greek philosophy was indispensable to this project, and a seminar I audited with her, comparing early Greek and ancient Chinese philosophy, was part ofthe inspiration for my choice ofresearch topic. I particularly valued the opportunity to study Daoism and the Yijing ~*~ with Chung-ying Cheng g\Gr:p~ and benefited greatly from his theory ofonto-cosmology as a means of understanding classical Chinese philosophy. -
L Rathnam Dissertation
The Politics of Skepticism: Montaigne and Zhuangzi on Freedom, Toleration, and the Limits of Government by Lincoln Edward Ford Rathnam A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science University of Toronto © Copyright by Lincoln Edward Ford Rathnam 2018 ii The Politics of Skepticism: Montaigne and Zhuangzi on Freedom, Toleration, and the Limits of Government Lincoln Rathnam Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science 2018 Abstract: Contemporary political discourse often centers on a shared set of normative commitments: freedom, toleration, and limited government. This dissertation examines the theoretical basis for these commitments, through a comparative study of two eminent skeptics: Michel de Montaigne and Zhuangzi. Both develop forms of skepticism that are rooted in analyses of the phenomena of diversity and disagreement. They contend that our inability to reach convergence on central philosophical questions demonstrates the fundamental limitations of human knowledge. I argue that both offer novel and powerful arguments connecting these skeptical epistemological theses with the relevant normative commitments. In particular, both take skepticism to advance human freedom, by clearing away obstacles to effective action. As beings who are raised within a particular community, we inevitably acquire certain habits that constrain the forms of thought and action open to us. Skepticism helps us to recognize the contingency of those forms. In the interpersonal realm, both writers contend that skepticism generates an attitude of toleration towards others who live differently. This is because it undermines the theoretical claims upon which most forms of intolerance are constructed. I defend this claim with reference to the various forms of intolerance that existed in each writer’s context, Warring States era China and France during the Wars of Religion. -
Tao Te Ching LAO-TZU
Tao Te Ching LAO-TZU Tao Te Ching Introduced by BURTON WATSON Translated, with Translators’ Preface, Glossary, & Pronunciation Guide, by STEPHEN ADDISS & STANLEY LOMBARDO Ink Paintings by STEPHEN ADDISS Hackett Publishing Company Indianapolis/Cambridge Copyright © 1993 by Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 14 13 12 11 10 7 8 9 10 Cover art by Stephen Addiss: Lao-tzu For further information, please address Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. P.O. Box 44937 Indianapolis, Indiana 46244-0937 www.hackettpublishing.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lao-tzu. [Tao te ching. English] Tao te ching/Lao-tzu; introduced by Burton Watson; translated, with translators’ preface, glossary, & pronunciation guide, by Stephen Addiss & Stanley Lombardo; ink paintings by Stephen Addiss. p. cm. ISBN 0-87220-233-X (alk. paper) ISBN 0-87220-232-1 (pbk.: alk. paper) I. Watson, Burton, 1925– . II. Addiss, Stephen, 1935– . III. Lombardo, Stanley, 1943– . IV. Title. BL1900.L26E5 1993b 299’.51482—dc20 93-21939 CIP ISBN-13:978-0-87220-233-7 (cloth) ISBN-13:978-0-87220-232-0 (pbk.) ePub ISBN: 978-1-60384-637-0 Contents Introduction Translators’ Preface Chinese Pronunciation Guide Tao Te Ching Glossary of Chinese Words Captions Introduction Ancient China Traditional accounts of Chinese history customarily begin by describing certain ancient rulers such as the Yellow Emperor or Yao and Shun, paragons of virtue and wisdom, who first taught the arts of civilization to the Chinese people. Scholars now agree that in all probability these figures were originally local deities who, in the process known as euhemerism, were in later ages divested of their more blatantly supernatural characteristics and made to look like historical personages. -
Zhuangzi, Mysticism, and the Rejection of Distinctions
SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS Number 100 February, 2000 Zhuangzi, Mysticism, and the Rejection of Distinctions by Wayne Alt Victor H. Mair, Editor Sino-Platonic Papers Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305 USA [email protected] www.sino-platonic.org SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS FOUNDED 1986 Editor-in-Chief VICTOR H. MAIR Associate Editors PAULA ROBERTS MARK SWOFFORD ISSN 2157-9679 (print) 2157-9687 (online) SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS is an occasional series dedicated to making available to specialists and the interested public the results of research that, because of its unconventional or controversial nature, might otherwise go unpublished. The editor-in-chief actively encourages younger, not yet well established, scholars and independent authors to submit manuscripts for consideration. Contributions in any of the major scholarly languages of the world, including romanized modern standard Mandarin (MSM) and Japanese, are acceptable. In special circumstances, papers written in one of the Sinitic topolects (fangyan) may be considered for publication. Although the chief focus of Sino-Platonic Papers is on the intercultural relations of China with other peoples, challenging and creative studies on a wide variety of philological subjects will be entertained. This series is not the place for safe, sober, and stodgy presentations. Sino- Platonic Papers prefers lively work that, while taking reasonable risks to advance the field, capitalizes on brilliant new insights into the development of civilization. Submissions are regularly sent out to be refereed, and extensive editorial suggestions for revision may be offered. Sino-Platonic Papers emphasizes substance over form. We do, however, strongly recommend that prospective authors consult our style guidelines at www.sino-platonic.org/stylesheet.doc. -
Early Daoist Meditation and the Origins of Inner Alchemy
EARLY DAOIST MEDITATION 7 EARLY DAOIST MEDITATION AND THE ORIGINS OF INNER ALCHEMY Fabrizio Pregadio According to one of the scriptures belonging to the Taiqing, or Great Clar- ity, tradition, after an adept receives alchemical texts and relevant oral instructions from his master, he withdraws to a mountain or a secluded place to perform purification practices. He establishes the ritual area, demar- cates it with talismans for protection against demons and wild animals, and builds a Chamber of the Elixirs (danshi) at the centre of this protected space. To start compounding the elixir, he chooses a favourable day based on traditional methods of calendrical computation. When all ritual, spatial and temporal conditions are fulfilled, he may finally kindle the fire. Now he offers food and drink to three deities, and asks that they grant the successful compounding of the elixir: This petty man, (name of the adept), truly and entirely devotes his thoughts to the Great Lord of the Dao, Lord Lao and the Lord of Great Harmony. Alas! This petty man, (name of the adept), covets the Medicine of Life! Lead him so that the Medicine will not volat- ilise and be lost, but rather be fixed by the fire! Let the Medicine be good and efficacious, let the transmutations take place without hesitation, and let the Yellow and the White be entirely fixed! When he ingests the Medicine, let him fly as an immortal, have audience at the Purple Palace (Zigong), live an unending life and become an accomplished man (zhiren)!1 The Great Lord of the Dao (Da Daojun), Lord Lao (Laojun, or Laozi in his divine aspect) and the Lord of Great Harmony (Taihe jun) are not mentioned together in other alchemical texts. -
Destiny, Vital Force, Or Existence? on the Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing Or Human Nature*
《道教研究學報:宗教、歷史與社會》第六期(2014) Daoism: Religion, History and Society, No. 6 (2014), 157–218 Destiny, Vital Force, or Existence? On the Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing or Human Nature* Fabrizio Pregadio Abstract Neidan or Internal Alchemy has developed two main modes of self- cultivation. The first is based on cultivating the mind and intends to remove the causes that prevent one from “seeing one’s true nature,” which is equated with the Elixir. The second is based on purifying the main components of the human being—Essence (jing 精 ), Breath (qi 氣 ), and Spirit (shen 神 )—so that they may serve as ingredients of the Elixir. These two modes of self-cultivation are said to place an emphasis on xing 性 and on ming 命 , respectively. However, Neidan texts repeat time and again that xing and ming can only be understood and realized in conjunction with one another. Fabrizio Pregadio is Guest Professor of Daoist Anthropology at the Friedrich- Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany, and a research associate of the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication,” directed by Professor Michael Lackner at the same university. His research focuses on the Daoist views of the human being and the Daoist traditions of self-cultivation. His current projects include a study of the intersection of Daoist, Buddhist, and Neo-Confucian doctrines in Internal Alchemy (Neidan). * This article is a contribution to the research project on “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication,” directed by Prof. Michael Lackner at the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities, University Erlangen-Nuremberg. -
From Taoism to Einstein Ki
FROM TAOISM TO EINSTEIN KI (ãC)and RI (óù) in Chinese and Japanese Thought. A Survey Olof G. Lidin (/Special page/ To Arild, Bjørk, Elvira and Zelda) CONTENTS Acknowledgements and Thanks 1 Prologue 2-7 Contents I. Survey of the Neo-Confucian Orthodoxy INTRODUCTION 8-11 1. The Neo-Confucian Doctrine 11-13 2. Investigation of and Knowledge of ri 14-25 3. The Origin and Development of the ri Thought 25-33 4. The Original ki thought 33-45 5. How do ri and ki relate to each other? 45-50 5.1 Yi T’oe-gye and the Four versus the Seven 50-52 6. Confucius and Mencius 52-55 7. The Development of Neo- Confucian Thought in China 55-57 7. 1 The Five Great Masters 57-58 7. 2 Shao Yung 58-59 7. 3 Chang Tsai 59-63 7. 4 Chou Tun-i 63-67 7. 5 Ch’eng Hao and Ch’eng I 67-69 8. Chu Hsi 69-74 9. Wang Yang-ming 74-77 10. Heaven and the Way 77-82 11. Goodness or Benevolence (jen) 82-85 12. Human Nature and kokoro 85-90 13. Taoism and Buddhism 90-92 14. Learning and Quiet Sitting 92-96 15. Neo-Confucian Thought in Statecraft 96-99 16. Neo-Confucian Historical (ki) Realism 99-101 17. Later Chinese and Japanese ri-ki Thought 101-105 II. Survey of Confucian Intellectuals in Tokugawa Japan INTRODUCTION 105-111 1. Fujiwara Seika 111-114 2. Matsunaga Sekigo 114-115 3. Hayashi Razan 115-122 3.1 Fabian Fukan 122-124 4. -
Zhuangzi, Perspectives, and Greater Knowledge*
Zhuangzi, perspectives, and greater knowledge* Donald Sturgeon PhD candidate, University of Hong Kong Although the text of the Zhuangzi1 seems to present many prima facie skeptical arguments, there has been much debate as to the nature of its skeptical stance, and even whether or not its stance is substantively skeptical at all.2 Chad Hansen and Chris Fraser have argued that the Zhuangzi does take a substantively skeptical position, but that this position is more nuanced than simply holding skepticism about the possibility of all knowledge.3 This paper will attempt to build upon Chris Fraser’s proposal that the Zhuangzi is skeptical about our ability to know a privileged class of ultimately correct ways of drawing distinctions (果是 guo shi and 果非 guo fei), but does not question our ability to know how to distinguish things in an ordinary, provisional and commonsense sense. I will attempt to engage with both sides of the debate, by firstly accepting that the Zhuangzi takes a substantive skeptical stance, but also arguing that in doing so the text also provides a positive account of how to improve our epistemic position – an account which * Forthcoming in Philosophy East and West 65:3. 1 This paper will focus on knowledge and skepticism in the anthology known as the Zhuangzi, beginning with ideas presented most clearly in the Qiwulun chapter, but will also consider how these ideas cohere with those presented elsewhere in the anthology – including in passages that may be later additions to the text by one or more distinct authors or editors. Even where this is so, it still seems useful to ask how – if at all – these ideas fit together, and why they might have been collected together in such an anthology. -
E Virgin Mary and Catholic Identities in Chinese History
e Virgin Mary and Catholic Identities in Chinese History Jeremy Clarke, SJ Hong Kong University Press e University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong www.hkupress.org © Hong Kong University Press 2013 ISBN 978-988-8139-99-6 (Hardback) All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed and bound by Goodrich Int’l Printing Co., Ltd. in Hong Kong, China Contents List of illustrations ix Acknowledgements xi Introduction: Chinese Catholic identities in the modern period 1 Part 1 Images of Mary in China before 1842 1. Chinese Christian art during the pre-modern period 15 Katerina Ilioni of Yangzhou 21 Madonna and Guanyin 24 Marian images during the late Ming dynasty 31 e Madonna in Master Cheng’s Ink Garden 37 Marian sodalities 40 João da Rocha and the rosary 42 Part 2 e Chinese Catholic Church since 1842 2. Aer the treaties 51 French Marian devotions 57 e eects of the Chinese Rites Controversy 60 A sense of cultural superiority 69 e inuence of Marian events in Europe 74 3. Our Lady of Donglu 83 Visual inuences on the Donglu portrait 89 Photographs of Cixi 95 Liu Bizhen’s painting 100 4. e rise and fall of the French protectorate 111 Benedict XV and Maximum Illud 118 viii Contents Shanghai Plenary Council, 1924 125 Synodal Commission 132 Part 3 Images of Mary in the early twentieth century 5.