March 2009

Commentary

The great way is wasted when there is not enough faith. Faith in what? Faith in the shape that has no shape, which makes faith so hard to grasp and impossible to hold. Like breathing, faith is the returning to one’s roots moment to moment. Failing that, we cling to surrogates. So, for example, when the way is lost there is virtue; when virtue is lost there is benevolence; when benevolence is lost there is rectitude; when rectitude is lost there are the rites. Our ideals of benevolence and justice are merely symptoms of the insecurity felt by a lack of faith. And when benevolence and justice wane, we turn to rectitude and rites.

In his 3rd law of motion, Newton says, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. While not necessarily  always ‘opposite’, I know of nothing that happens, that happens without consequences. A corollary to this is the view that ‘nature abhors a vacuum’. Create a vacuum and nature will fill it. We certainly (and understandably) have great difficulty seeing this bigger picture: the consequences, the vacuum ‘fillers’.

Intelligence begets great falseness, is one such unforeseen and unwanted consequences, or as chapter 18 puts it, when cleverness emerges there is great hypocrisy. Yet, few fully accept the connection between the two. Why? We value intelligence which blinds us to its ‘ugly’ side. And why do we value intelligence so highly? Intelligence is just another surrogate for the great way. Waste not, want not.

Our ideals of benevolence and justice also serves tribal purposes. Shared ideals offer seemingly trustworthy common ground upon which all the tribe’s member can stand. Mutual ‘faith’ abounds, provided everyone conforms to the current societal ideals of virtue. It works pretty well too, except for perhaps the stray heretic who suspects there’s more to it than meets the eye.

The great way is wasted in other ways too, similar to the wasting of a sunset, or the aroma of a rose. In not ’smelling the roses along the way’, we are rushing past a deeper side to life. Such perceptual losses are wasted opportunities to know life more deeply; in quality of mind it is depth that matters. The great way is always here, now; yet it is wasted when we leap beyond here, now. Of course, this isn’t the whole view. For that, correlations can give a broader picture.

Translation

When the great way is wasted, there is benevolence and justice;
When intelligence increase, there is great falseness;
When intimacy lacks harmony, there is mourning kindness;
When the county is confused and chaotic, there are loyal officials.

big (great; loud) road (way, path; principle) give up (abolish; waste; useless) have (exist) benevolence (kindheartedness) justice (relationship);

intelligent wisdom (resourcefulness) go or come out (exceed; go beyond) have (exist) big (great; loud) false (fake);

parent (relative; intimate) not gentle (harmony, and, blend) have (exist) filial piety (mourning) kind (loving; b/mother);

country (state; nation) dark (dim; confused; muddled) in disorder (in confusion; chaos) have (exist) official loyal to his sovereign.

Original

大道废有仁义；
慧智出有大伪；
六亲不和有孝慈；
国家昏乱有忠臣。