Class requirement 7 revision

In Taoism, the Tao is anywhere and everywhere. It is in anything and everything. The Tao is in great in everything. It is in the emptiness and fullness and it is neither. It is not biased in anything. As mentioned in Tao Te Ching 4, Tao is like an empty bowl. This means that by virtue of its emptiness, it is able to absorb all things. The Confucians sees the solution in giving proper names to all things, the Taoists sees this as the problem itself. The Tao sees naming as a distinction between all things. By virtue of giving names, all things are divided in half. It creates superiority among things. The good is above all evil. The beautiful is above ugliness. The master is above the slave. This is the mediocre perspective that Tao doesn’t approve of in the teachings of Confucianism. The mediocrity is that distinction is a bowl full of useless nothings. Everything was created and everything perishes. The fact is all of us are equals. The difference lies in our circumstance in the physical world. The Tao does not abide to the superficial world unlike the Confucian way. Taoism critiques Confucianism due to its emphasis on the physical world and its affairs. According to Taoism, this is the source of disharmony.

Aside from the naming, Taoism focuses on non-action. It is the action that acts accordingly and not excessively. The Taoist teaching of non-action is doing things just right and not to overdo. This virtue sprung from the Taoist teaching of humility. The Tao does not aim to be in the spotlight. The Tao performs only what is naturally expected. The Tao never stands out for extraordinary actions. Oppose to that, the Tao stands out because for its non-competing principle to all things. The Tao is like an episode from ‘house of mouse’, a Mickey, Donald, Goofy show where they competed on who can paint a roller coaster more. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were so caught up with competing that they lost sight with the actual task. In the end, Goofy accomplished more. This is the virtue of non-action. The aim is on the task at hand and not the outcome. And the way of the Tao is nature and nature always knows when to stop. It is the action that is mastered therefore there is no need to show it off because it is already natural to the master. This is the way of nature. Let us see how these ideas are related to Chuang Tzu’s parable of the lost pearl:

The emperor sent Science, Analysis, and Logic to find his lost pearl but they failed. However, the one who found the pearl was Nothingness. How is this possible? The first three that was sent to search were limited to what they can do. They were limited to what they are and therefore, they do not accommodate other areas aside from their own. Science cannot accommodate unsubstantiated information, Analysis does not go beyond analysis and Logic does not accept non-logical notions. On the other hand, Nothingness is not limited to these. It has a wider scope in things. In fact, it has the scope of everything. Nothingness is the Tao. It is the cause of being and non-being. It is in existence and non-existence. It is what is and what is not. But with all what is and its opposite, it is also neither. This is the greatness of the Tao.

The Tao is expressed through Te. Te is the virtue that follows the Tao. It is the virtue embodies the whole of Tao. It is an all-embracing quality (Tao Te Ching 21) that one: does not discriminate anything and accepts all things. Second, it does thing according to nature. And the way of nature is the non-action. It is the action that only does what is required and not in excess for nature stops when it needs to stop.

In conclusion, the Taoist approach to a solution is the way of nature. There is eradication of distinction and non-action. The expression through Te as it follows nature and its all embracing quality as well as its efficiency to do things without overdoing is the path to harmony.

Class requirement 3

As a disciple of Confucius, Mencius had the same characteristic in what a Chun Tzu or a gentleman should embody. This embodiment is figure united by the four virtues. The Chun Tzu’s four virtues are Li, Chih, Jen and Yi. These virtues shall be expounded through the Book of Mencius 1A:7.

In this chapter, Mencius highlights the importance of giving respect to every person in the family. Due respect must be paid to the elderly within the family as well as the elderly in the extended families. Tenderness must be extended to the young ones in other families. Let mulberry trees be planted so that men of fifty can be clothed in silk. Animals like fowl, swine, dogs and pigs must be cared for so that men of seventy will not be scarce in food. Let the arm of a hundred mou be cultivated so that families will not starve. Learning the principles of piety and brotherly respect must be given importance. The man who has directed his empire with its people properly clothed, and fed is truly a king.

The character of the chun tzu is embodied by the king of this bountiful empire. The virtue of Li in respecting the elderly is long tradition of the Chinese culture. It’s the rule of propriety to acknowledge the hierarchy of authority in the family and society. It starts from the top who are the elders passed down to the children. In the teachings of Confucius, this is filial piety that is also practiced outside the family. It’s the recognition of roles and ranks in the society as propriety directed it. That is how the king directs his empire. He is the king and the king commands his people and empire. And the empire obeys for he is at the top of the hierarchy. More than being in charge, the king comforts his people. He cradles their needs, hones their character, watches over their growth and treats them as humans and not creatures who are beneath him. This character of the king is the virtue of Jen (human-heartedness). The most important teaching of both Mencius and Confucius is that following all else is useless without the genuine acceptance. The king is compassionate because his heart is compassionate. The doings of the king comes from his duty but more than that, he understands his duties. He sees the principle behind being a ruler as more than a man with a title and a throne. He is a king that is dictated by humaneness and not by the lure of power. Looking closely, the king is unbiased to his people. The children are to be treated accordingly, the common people are clothed and the old people are taken care of. He is a righteous king. He does not act in accord with selfishness. He acts in accord with what is right. Righteousness is his standard. The character of the Chun tzu is also guided by Ch’ih. It is the virtue wisdom. It’s the inner knowledge that guides prudence. The king as a Chun tzu has seen the totality of his empire. He has envisioned the correct way of governance. It is the governance through the people. Wisdom lies in being able to grasp humanity. The true king, the Chun Tzu, understands humanity. The ruler of the empire sees his people as the empire itself. And the empire needs a true ruler that knows them. And by knowing the people, the true king he can govern in order to keep them bountiful.

In conclusion, the characteristic of the Chun Tzu as represented by the King is the total package of the sage. The sage embodies these virtues and fits the role of the king like a glove on a hand. These characteristics stitch the patches of society. It is not only available to the Chun Tzu; these virtues are in all of us. It is only that there is a rigorous need for us to cultivate these. An empire that is governed by these virtues is an empire of harmony.

Class requirement 10

Chuang Tzu’s parable of “When Life was Full There was No History” is a thought provoking story. Imagine a world where no one cared about possessions, talent, fortune and fame. Imagine a state where the rulers are neither corrupt nor social activists. Imagine a world where the extraordinary exists but never acknowledged. Imagine a world where the existence of man is merely an existence and not a race to beat each other. Imagine a world where men are not steered by moral conduct or misconduct. It is where the existence of man is reared by the flow of nature. It is where man does not recognize the great and the least. It is where men are equals. It is a world where man does good and yet not know it. It is a world of peace among men with no trace of past conflicts. It is a tranquil world that does not know peace at all for they have not known war. It is a perfect world that does not recognize its perfection for it never knew imperfection. It is the world overruled not by man but the Tao itself.

The message of the parable is an ideal of Taoism. It presents two sides. First is the story itself. Its totality speaks of what it is to live in a world of harmony. The absence of naming gave no reason for man to think ill or great towards his fellow. There was no reason for man to strive for excellence for they do not know excellence itself. The government does not need to administer laws for crime and punishment. It is because there is no concept of justice due to the absence of injustice. In this world, the rulers are simply at the position without the need to impose his will upon his subjects. The sage does only but let the people be and the people lives in accord with all else. The story is a utopia for the Tao. The second side of the story is the untold. It is the story of the real world. The reality that is completely detached to the Taoist ideal. Sadly, it is where all of us belong. The current ruling of every state and nation sees to make things in order. And what needs to be organized? It’s all the things that man had created themselves. Looking closely, why is it that there is need for justice? Why is there a need peace? Why is there a need for moral standards? The ultimate reason lies in the hands of man. Justice exists for man had created injustice towards his fellowman. There is a cry for peace for men started conflict towards each other. There is a need for moral standards because man has set bars and restrictions and norms. It is ironic that the real world is the very cage of mankind. It is the cage plagued by disorder that man itself had made.

Within one short parable, we have seen the vast difference between Taoism and Confucianism. The Confucian perspective strives to reconcile men in this world. Confucians sought to achieve social harmony by placing people into their proper places like intricate moves in a chess board. Taoism strongly contradicts this belief. The Confucian sage is seen the learned man that is wise enough to govern as he sees fit. However, the Taoist sage is a man that is wise enough to let the people live as the way they see fit. Basing on the parable, the world in harmony is not one that can be held by man no matter how wise he is. To achieve genuine social harmony is to let the nature work its magic. It’s like letting the river flow as it should. Man must not interfere with the flow of the river just to trap more fishes. This is when disharmony arises. The selfishness of man starts it all. The Tao sees harmony when man does not interfere because even though man is part of nature, Tao is not focused on man.

In conclusion, “When Life was Full, There was no History” is a parable that tells us that the problem is only created by the actions of man. Men are too engrossed to the weight and allure of the physical world. The achievement of social harmony is looking away from the allure of the physical world. Man must let go of the world. And eventually, he must let go of himself and submit to nature. The ‘full’ here refers the state of harmony. And history no longer exists because man does not acknowledge the extraordinary anymore. How did history exist in the first place? It was when man acknowledged what is great and what is not. It was when man decided what is worth to be remembered what is not. In achieving social harmony, it’s not important anymore. When social harmony is achieved, man becomes one with nature. He moves through it. He moves by it. He never questions it. He simply abides to nature. Man abides to the Tao.

Class Requirement 9

In the parable of Chuang Tzu entitled ‘the fighting cock’, the cock is trained to fight. The king asked its trainer, Chi Hsing Tzu, he said that the cock is not ready. He said the cock reacts with aggression to every other bird. The cock is full of fire and too vain and too confident about his strength.  For the next ten days, Chi Hsing Tzu made the same remark. The cock is not ready for he flares up at the sound of another bird. And in the next ten days, the he has the look of anger and ruffles his feathers. But in the next ten days, he does not flicker at the sound of another bird. Chi Hsing Tzu regarded the cock as nearly ready. He is now still and is now a mature fighter.

 At first, the cock acts by his ego. The aggression towards other birds is by a showing that no one is better than him. It is self importance that hides his very own fear. While he is being trained, his progression was not conditioned to indulge his ego. In the next ten days, he flares up at the sound of another bird. The cock has restrained himself to lunge but the fear of being defeated still resides. The next ten days, he has his anger that is directed to another bird but his reaction to this anger is in him. At the next ten days, he became calm. He has learned to totally restrain from any sign of reaction and now he is nearly ready.

The parable is similar to a person becoming a sage by the discipline of the Tao. The way of unlearning is manifested through his gradual letting go of the shackles of his ego. A person’s ego is rooted from the insecurity from what the world has presented before him. The fear, the anger, the insecurity are products of the physical world and as a defense mechanism, man develops his ego. Knowing the Way is through detaching oneself to the world. The sage is unlearning the things that the world has taught him. In the process, he discovers that the true battle is not external but within himself. The fight that he sees from others is actually a cowardice that he has to overcome within himself. At the end of the parable, the cock is still, silent and no longer flinches at the sound of others. The connotation that he is ‘nearly ready’ means that he is now solely battling within himself. There is no more outside force that will evoke cowardice from him. In his stillness, he is in the final stage to be ‘ready’. The sage is now following the Way by non-action. In the parable, it says that with one look, the other birds will run in fear of the cock. The sage no longer sees himself in need of instilling fear to others. The other birds were what the sage was. They’re the fearful cowards who make too much fuss to hide their fear.

In conclusion, the developing sage progresses by overcoming himself. It is the way of the unlearning the world and not directing his action to the world. The sage is ‘nearly ready’ for he is at the road toward coming to terms with the Tao. He is not yet with it for the biggest battle is the internal battle. It is the battle within him.

Class requirement 8

 The Tao is adhered to a life that follows nature. The life of a Taoist consists of detachment to the physical world’s concerns. And thus, a model of this life is called a Taoist sage. In Thomas Merton’s translation of Chuang Tzu, the parable ‘The Man of Tao’ offers us a glimpse if not the entire picture of the way of a Taoist Sage.

It speaks of the Taoist Sage’s character. The Taoist sage does not interfere. The Taoist sage does not harm others by his actions. And the Taoist sage does not classify himself as kind or gentle. The Taoist sage does not concern himself with doing things in order to achieve a certain end. The Taoist sage is one who lives a life that does not aim to abide nor disrupt the things around him. The Taoist sage neither swims against the current nor swims eagerly with the current. The Taoist sage is one who lets the waves lead him and he follows. And the Taoist sage is one who is not prejudice to those who does not live life like he does. Contrary to other religions, the Taoists are not known for their strict rituals or practices. Instead, they follow life as it is.

The parable mentions that: “He does not struggle to make money and does not make a virtue out of poverty. He goes his way without relying on others and does not pride himself on walking alone.

While he does not follow the crowd he won’t complain of those who do.”

Unlike Confucianism’s focus on state and governance or Christians’ value for being poor, the Taoist sage does not care about all these. The life of a Taoist sage is not living in the illusory of the world. He detaches himself to everything in this world. He sees this world as artificial. His life is one that is closer to the original state of nature. He does not concern himself to the trivialities that men created and at the same time, he does not detest those who do. And others do not detest him as well. It is because the Taoist sage is not seen as a hindrance to the goals of man. He is not seen as a rival. Sometimes, he is not even seen. He is not recognized because first and foremost, he does not seek to be recognized.

The way of the sage according to Tao Te Ching 16, the Taoist sage is one who must be in accord with nature. Therefore, must be in accord with the Eternal which makes him everlasting. And for all his lifetime, he will be free from danger and he is in peace.

Class Requirement 7

In Taoism, the Tao is anywhere and everywhere. It is in anything and everything. The Tao is in great in everything. It is in the emptiness and fullness and it is neither. It is not biased in anything. It does not abide to the superficial world unlike the Confucian way. Taoism critiques Confucianism due to its emphasis on the physical world and its affairs. On the other hand, both are concerned in achieving harmony. The difference is that while the Confucians sees the solution in giving proper names to all things, the Taoists sees this as the problem itself. The Tao sees naming as a distinction between all things. The disharmony is rooted to this distinction.

Aside from the naming, Taoism focuses on non-action. It is the action that acts accordingly and not excessively. The Taoist teaching of non-action is doing things just right and not to overdo. It is the action that is mastered therefore there is no need to show it off because it is already natural to the master. This is the way of nature. Let us see how these ideas are related to Chuang Tzu’s parable of the lost pearl:

The emperor sent Science, Analysis, and Logic to find his lost pearl but they failed. However, the one who found the pearl was Nothingness. How is this possible? The first three that was sent to search were limited to what they can do. They were limited to what they are and therefore, they do not accommodate other areas aside from their own. Science cannot accommodate unsubstantiated information, Analysis does not go beyond analysis and Logic does not accept non-logical notions. On the other hand, Nothingness is not limited to these. It has a wider scope in things. In fact, it has the scope of everything. Nothingness is the Tao. It is the cause of being and non-being. It is in existence and non-existence. It is what is and what is not. But with all what is and its opposite, it is also neither. This is the greatness of the Tao.

The Tao is expressed through Te. Te is the virtue that follows the Tao. It is the virtue embodies the whole of Tao. It is an all-embracing quality (Tao Te Ching 21) that one: does not discriminate anything and accepts all things. Second, it does thing according to nature. And the way of nature is the non-action. It is the action that only does what is required and not in excess for nature stops when it needs to stop.

In conclusion, the Taoist approach to a solution is the way of nature. There is eradication of distinction and non-action. The expression through Te as it follows nature and its all embracing quality as well as its efficiency to do things without overdoing is the path to harmony.

Class requirement 6

In one of the parables by Chuang Tzu as translated by Thomas Merton, there is an interesting one entitled ‘The Need to Win’. It goes like this:

“The Need to Win”

When an archer is shooting for nothing

He has all his skill.

If he shoots for a brass buckle

He is already nervous.

If he shoots for a prize of gold

He goes blind

Or sees two targets—

He is out of his mind!

His skill has not changed.  But the prize

Divides him.  He cares.

He thinks more of winning

Than of shooting—

And the need to win

 Drains him of power.  [xix. 4.]

In an example, this can be likened to stage fright when giving a speech, or entering a competition. One who is competing had practiced countless times in preparation to a particular event. But still, one still feels nervous. The negative ‘what ifs’ comes to mind. Everyone has felt what the archer felt at some point in our lives. It is implied in the parable that because of the desire of the archer to win, he became restless and nervous in aiming for his target. The eagerness to win has shrouded his focus on shooting itself. Instead his focus directed to the prize.

Winning is only one side of the coin. In winning, there is also a chance of losing. The anxiety that is brought about by desiring to achieve something is also triggered by the possibility of failure. The ability to achieve a goal is being blocked by fear of not doing well. One loses faith in his skill due to the pressure of his eagerness to achieve success and perfection. The archer failed to let go of his inhibitions.

We involve ourselves too much in the affairs of man and the world. We dwell too much in living in accordance with the standards that mere humans made. The Way of the Tao is not absorbed to the trivialities of man. It strives to follow what nature has. And nature must not be smeared with man’s interference, desire, emotions, and etc.

This emotional attachment to what we desire seems ironic. It seems that because of our emotional attachment to the outcome, it causes us to fail. In short, we care too much. It seems that the things that we want to reach are the very things that are dragging us down.

In other words, the cause of one’s failure to reach a goal is the fact that he gives more focus on his feeling of desire. The archer who shoots at nothing has the skill for his mind is detached to the weight of desiring to obtain a certain outcome. The archer’s focus was on the process of shooting itself. A person whose main concern dwells on what he desires he becomes pulled down and judgments become clouded. In Tao Te Ching 46, it speaks of great peril in letting our desire overcome our lives.

It seems here that when aiming at our target, we must clear our minds with eagerness to reach it. Instead the focus is simply doing what is required instead of over thinking the goal. As Taoists imply: Let go and follow the flow. One would think that doing the excess is better than having the possibility to achieve less. However, the efficiency in a task is really achieved when is not burdened with the desired outcome. Eventually, the purpose and goal will come smoothly.

Class Requirement 5

In the aspect of governance, there had been many memorable moments in history. There had been great leaders, terrible leaders, cruel rulers, kind rulers, selfish presidents, servant of the people kind of leader and etc. Various consequences also resulted to these kinds of ruling and governance. Some had been brutal and some had been prosperous. In connection to this, there is a fascinating chapter in the book of Mencius that speaks of a ruler that ruled by virtue to his subjects. Mencius tells us that a virtuous ruler will bear a virtuous nation with virtuous subjects.

Why does a ruler have to be virtuous? In the book of Mencius 2A:3, it says that ‘a ruler who practices humanity with virtue is a true king.’ This is in parallel to the Confucian notion that the society is like a family that is enlarged. The King is like the father who molds his children into becoming better people. A responsible father who governs his family with piety, virtue and humanity will create a man that will act in the society as a pious, virtuous and humane person. Such man will know what is proper and will lead away to evil. And a life without evil ways is a life of harmony. In a larger scale, a nation ruled by a leader with virtue as governance will surely have a nation of bounty. It is similar to the line ‘when virtue is used to overcome people, they are pleased in their hearts and sincerely submit’. It is bountiful in loyal subjects who will work to increase economic standing, good production and most of all, it will be a nation of harmony. This ruler is parallel to a ruler that is likened to the north polar star that never moves and never strays as mentioned in Confucius’ analects 2:1.

Mencius also said that a ruler who enforces his will by force is a tyrannical ruler. And thus, it leads to a chaotic nation. In the historical context, the world has been plagued by war and conflict among and within the nation. By accounts, these disputes are rooted from the tug-of-war of power, deception, wrong governance, greed and etc among selfish rulers. Eventually, it leads to a nation’s downfall.

 In the book of Mencius 2A:3 there is a line that says “When force is used to overcome people, they do not submit willingly but only because they have not sufficient strength to resist.” The message is clear that imposition of will of the ruler leads the people of the nation to resistance. The people of the nation can be likened to a child. Once he is disciplined with force and violence, he develops fear that will grow in to hatred. Over time, when this child grows up, the hatred will turn into retaliation to his parent. The people of the nation may yield to the will of their ruler but soon, there will come a time when people will have the courage to revolt. It’s the revolt against the government that will endanger the nation and the people itself.

This is when the importance of Confucian ethics in governance is most valued. As mentioned earlier, Confucius sees the society as a family that is enlarged. Reflecting on what Confucian values, he always speaks of the virtue of filial piety. A person that is filial is aware of how and what to act in respect of rank. A father to his son, a younger brother to his older brother which is also practiced by a servant to his master. It goes on to a subject to his leader and the leader to his people. The relevance lies on the consequences of practicing this virtue. One knows his place in society and accepts it. One does not envy his better instead he acknowledges him. One does not act foul towards the ones beneath them instead he treats them well. There is a reciprocation of action from one to the other that ultimately creates order. The reciprocated action is a virtuous one. Therefore, as Mencius said, the ruler who governs with virtue is reciprocated with virtue by his people. His people will willingly abide and follow him. His nation will be a prosperous one and the ways of the evil cannot break its harmony.