Yuan Dao
The Yuan Dao ( Chinese 原 道 ) is the first book in the Huainanzi plant . It represents a syncretistic- pragmatic Daoism that shows influences from Confucianism and legalism . His sources include both the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi .
Emergence
As part of the Huainanzi (淮南子) compilation, the Yuan Dao can be traced back to 139 BC. To date. The Huainanzi was compiled by Liu An (劉 安) (179-122 BC) for King Wu. The trigger was the conflict between the centralized power of King Wu and the relative autonomy of the vassal king Liu An. With the work presented to King Wu, Liu An wanted to promote the king's understanding of the world and a liberal-pluralistic thinking.
However, the power of King Wu turned out to be stronger and so Liu An was 122 BC. Deliberately accused of rebellion and committed suicide. Subsequently, the administration of Huainan was murdered and exchanged for government officials and members of the royal family. This incident had a negative effect on the circulation of the text, so a new edition was later edited under the name "Wenzi", which tried to avoid the negative name Huainanzi.
content
Overview
Yuandao (原 道) means translated something “the original Dao” or “to follow the Dao to the origin”. Ames and Lau interpret Yuandao as: "Follow the course of the Dao and nourish your life at the watery spring". It is a syncretistic- pragmatic Daoism as an extension of the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi, in fact almost a third of the text comes from the Zhuangzi.
The following terms are used from the Daoist tradition:
- Heaven (Tian) / Human (ren)
- Without doing ( wuwei )
- Leave nothing undone (wubuwei)
- Unintentional (zhiruo)
- Insight (houzhe)
- the formless (wuxing)
- the one (yi)
- find it in yourself (zide)
- own the kingdom (you tianxia)
The world order of the Han period is seen as revolving in concentric circles around the ruler, therefore, in addition to metaphysical and political questions, everyday things are also dealt with, which means that the text is no longer aimed at the wise alone.
In the Yuan Dao one does not find an order that recognizes heaven as power over man and uses the ruler as the embodiment of this power (this is reflected in the term Tianzi ("Son of Heaven") as divine ruler), nor is there a strict separation of heaven and earth, as represented by the Confucian Xunzi , but an equation of heaven and inwardness (Tian and De).
The harmony of heart and mind (xin 心) is set against a (non-virtuous) cleverness that tries to shape the world according to its own ideas and concepts. This is achieved through the right handling of outside things. So there is no inner will or urge that influences us, but the seduction happens through external things. The metaphor for the right relationship to the outside world is that of the mirror, which depicts but does not suffer. A state of "objectless passion" (wuyu) is aimed for.
Then this is broken down to the political level: wuyu is the way to rule the empire with tolerance. Here again Liu An's interest in maintaining his autonomy is evident.
After sections
The text is divided into 22 sections. The following overview briefly summarizes the key messages:
- Section 1
A general overview of the metaphysical properties of the Dao as an all-encompassing and all-pervading principle.
- Section 2
The ruler can use the Dao by following it. The two ancient kings, Tai Huang and Gu Huang, are given as examples.
- Section 3
The Dao is the primordial - and yet it is eternal and everywhere.
- Section 4
The ancient kings, Ping Yi and Da Bing, were great warriors that no one will surpass. It is better to make friends with the ten thousand things and rule through harmony. This way you outbid them in their human work.
- Section 5
You should behave like a mirror to the outside world: it is dispassionate and objective. The restlessness of the heart comes from outside things alone, for the true original heart of man is clear and peaceful.
- Section 6
In order to achieve something, one should not rely on sophisticated techniques: If you want to catch all the fish in a lake, make the lake your net. Likewise: Whoever relies on the Dao reaches the whole world through it. This is preferable to ruling by individual laws.
- Section 7
Whoever rejects people makes them angry and they will grow stronger as his enemies. Those who are benevolent to everyone and do not leave their hearts to the calculation avoid such entanglements.
- Section 8
Man cannot achieve everything alone. He has to rely on the course of the cosmos: one conforms to the Dao and takes nature as a model.
- Section 9
Things are what they are, become what they become. Nobody has ever observed that you first have to get them to be and become like this: they happen by themselves. The ten thousand things have been so-by-themselves since the beginning. - Why should you intervene? It is better to adapt to them.
- Section 10
Intervention disturbs the harmony of things, so the wise man is without action. His mind dwells in emptiness and simplicity. Those who make themselves equal to heaven are in harmony with the Dao. But because the point of view of ordinary people is limited, so it is that they do not understand how to make the Dao their own.
- Section 11
It takes revenge if you are too proud of your abilities. Success depends on finding the right moment. Only those who do not have a black De in their heart can transform people for the better. Wise rulers do nothing (they do not issue penalties / orders in advance) and yet they leave nothing undone (for things go well by themselves).
- Section 12
Whoever comes to the source of the Dao is like a mirror: then when he reacts to actions, he is dispassionate; he only reacts when events penetrate him. The small outperforms the big, the hard (the teeth) wear out faster than the soft (the tongue). If you don't go ahead but follow, you avoid the mistakes of your predecessor. To follow doesn't mean to be passive.
- Section 13
Those who act too early rob themselves of the possibility of success. Those who act too late fall behind. The right moment is difficult to find.
- Section 14
There is nothing weaker than water and yet all living things depend on it. It does not favor or disadvantage any. That is truly the highest de. It is never consumed, cannot be captured, and is not vulnerable.
The formless precedes all things. Light is his son and water is his grandson.
- Section 15
Clarity and calm are the highest De, flexibility and softness are the core of the Dao, emptiness and serenity are the benefits of ten thousand things.
The wise enters the realm of the formless and simple. All things arise from the formless. The one releases the many from itself, so it is enough to master the one. The manifold events all come from a single gate. And so the wise ruler abandons his calculating cleverness and instead follows the Dao.
- Section 16
To be free from worry and joy is the highest de. Who steers things from his center with calm strength, avoids mistakes. Wisdom is not about ruling others, but about gaining Dao. Whoever sits at the source controls everything that springs from it. Joy does not arise from wealth and high offices, but from harmony. Those who know how to see themselves as big and the world as small are close to the Dao.
Joy does not come from things outside, but can only be found in us. The wise does not make himself a slave to external things. Anyone who reaches a stage in which he can no longer enjoy anything can enjoy everything. (Objectless Passion)
- Section 17
If you chase after pleasure, you will feel empty if you don't. Because he does not try to beautify the outside with the inside, but rather the inside with the outside. And so: Anyone who wants to control the world without finding it within themselves is like a deaf trying to tune bells and drums.
- Section 18
The essence of the empire lies in the person of the ruler. The ten thousand things melt into a mysterious unity: life becomes like death.
- Section 19
There is no difference between empire and ruler: the ruler produces the empire and the empire produces the ruler. The wise man does not allow himself to be confused by inconsequential conversation; he does not give up in difficult situations. Why? Because he is connected to heaven.
- Section 20
What you find in yourself is the given form. It is important to keep in their peace, to develop it. The body is the house of the soul ( Qi ), the soul controls the body. Both need to be maintained and harmonized.
- Section 21
The ten thousand beings follow nature, but if man becomes too fixated on one thing, he makes a mistake in the other. To do justice to both, he finds the small in the big, the inside in the outside.
- Section 22
What defines the madman is not that he lacks qi. Qi and body are just in the wrong position to each other. Hence: where the mind rules over the body, the body benefits. Where the body rules over the mind, the mind is damaged.
literature
- Yuan Dao. Tracing Dao to its source. Translated by Dim C. Lau and Roger T. Ames. Ballantine Books, New York NY 1998, ISBN 0-345-42568-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Yuan Dao. Tracing Dao to its source. Translated by Dim C. Lau and Roger T. Ames. Ballantine Books, New York NY 1998, p. 13.