Difference between revisions of "The legend of Laozi and Daoism"
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[[File:Laozi.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Typical renderings of Laozi depict him as an old man with long white hair and beard.]] | [[File:Laozi.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Typical renderings of Laozi depict him as an old man with long white hair and beard.]] | ||
Arguably the most influential Chinese philosopher of his time, Laozi’s life reflects the ambiguity of his philosophy—mysterious and contradictory. Questions asked about the Daodejing, the Taoist script attributed to Laozi, also lead to doubts over the actual existence of Laozi himself. However, despite the uncertaintly of Laozi’s existence as a physical being, his deification as a worshiped figure in China parallels similar global religious figures which emerged during Karl Jasper’s “axial age”(Jasper 1951). As a philosopher, or deity, Laozi continues to contribute to philosophical thought, and religious worship in modern days. | Arguably the most influential Chinese philosopher of his time, Laozi’s life reflects the ambiguity of his philosophy—mysterious and contradictory. Questions asked about the Daodejing, the Taoist script attributed to Laozi, also lead to doubts over the actual existence of Laozi himself. However, despite the uncertaintly of Laozi’s existence as a physical being, his deification as a worshiped figure in China parallels similar global religious figures which emerged during Karl Jasper’s “axial age”(Jasper 1951). As a philosopher, or deity, Laozi continues to contribute to philosophical thought, and religious worship in modern days. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In his Source Book on Chinese Philosophy" Wing-Tsit Chan asserts, ""Chinese Civilization and the Chinese character would have been utterly different if the book [Daodejing] had never been written." Chan goes on insisting that Confusionism, and Buhddism a have not escape Taoist influence. In fact, Chan says, one cannot "nope to understand Chinese philosophy, religion, government, art, medicine--or even cooking--without a real appreciation of the profound philosophy taught in [the Daodejing] (Chan 136). | ||
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As the accepted founder of Daoism, Laozi shares the honorary title of The Supreme Being of the Jade Emperor, and is known as one of the "Three Pure Ones." | As the accepted founder of Daoism, Laozi shares the honorary title of The Supreme Being of the Jade Emperor, and is known as one of the "Three Pure Ones." | ||
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| − | |||
| + | =='''Daodejing'''== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Popular belief states that Laozi wrote the Daodejing in old age, after being stopped a guard at the city gates, who after recognizing Laozi, asked him to record his teachings. This record would become the Daodejing ( The Daodejing’s precepts can be traced back to the era in which it originated. Compiled near the end of China’s violence stricken Warring States period. The Daodejing disparages war and corruption—inferring that it is the desire for power that creates dissatisfaction, and strife. Instead the text instructs a “Dao” or a “way” of “de” or “virtue.” This virtue is rooted in natural (ziran) desires, and non-action. In the Daodejin, Laozi admonishes the feminine qualities of passivity and allowance. | ||
| − | + | * The Feminine | |
| − | + | <blockquote><p>"A great state is like the delta of a mighty river; It is where the whole world gathers. It is the female of the whole world. The female always gets the better of the male through stillness. Through stillness, she places herself below the male."(Ivanhoe 2011)</p></blockquote> | |
| − | A great state is like the delta of a mighty river; | ||
This focus on female energy, especially the positive undertones are exceptional to the Daodejing’s contemporaries. | This focus on female energy, especially the positive undertones are exceptional to the Daodejing’s contemporaries. | ||
| − | The Daodejing is also known for it’s many paradoxical passages, in which the author resists defining the “way” or the path. Many times these paradoxical phrases are written to reinforce the idea that the true “dao” is undefinable. | + | The Daodejing is also known for it’s many paradoxical passages, in which the author resists defining the “way” or the path. Many times these paradoxical phrases are written to reinforce the idea that the true “dao” is undefinable. In these passages the author describes the "way" as "vague and elusive." |
| − | + | <blockquote><p>"The outward appearance of great Virtue comes forth from the Way alone. As for the Way, it is vague and elusive. | |
| − | + | Vague and elusive! Within is an image Vague and elusive! Within is a thing. Withdrawn and dark! Within is an essence. | |
| − | + | His essence is genuine and authentic. Within there is trust. From ancient times until the present day, its name has never left it" (Ivanhoe 2011).</p></blockquote>. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | In this quote we see how the Daodejing purposefully contradicts itself as a part of its pedagogy: | |
| + | |||
| + | "When the best scholars hear about the Way, They assiduously put it into practice. When average scholars hear about the Way, They sometimes uphold it and sometimes forsake it. When the worst scholars hear about the Way, They laugh at it! If they did not laugh at it, it would not really be the Way. And so the common saying has it: The clearest Way seems obscure; The Way ahead seems to lead backward; The most level Way seems uneven" (Ivanhoe 2011). | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
This undefinable axiom to the Daoist philosophy will later receive criticism from modern western philosophers for lacking the pragmatism of a defined system of belief. | This undefinable axiom to the Daoist philosophy will later receive criticism from modern western philosophers for lacking the pragmatism of a defined system of belief. | ||
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| − | Laozi or Daodejing But most contemporary scholars regard Laozi (literally “Old Master”) as a mythical character and the Laozi to be a composite work. The present version of the text consists of short passages, from a variety of sources, over half of which are rhymed. These were collected together into a single volume of eighty-one chapters that were then divided into two books. Book I consists of chapters one through thirty-seven, the dao , “Way,” half of the text; Book II consists of chapters thirty-eight through eighty-one, the de , “Virtue,” half. On the basis of this organization, this version of the text came to be known as the Daodejing, which means simply “The Classic of Dao and De.” This division in no way reflects the contents of the chapters themselves | + | Laozi or Daodejing But most contemporary scholars regard Laozi (literally “Old Master”) as a mythical character and the Laozi to be a composite work. The present version of the text consists of short passages, from a variety of sources, over half of which are rhymed. These were collected together into a single volume of eighty-one chapters that were then divided into two books. Book I consists of chapters one through thirty-seven, the dao , “Way,” half of the text; Book II consists of chapters thirty-eight through eighty-one, the de , “Virtue,” half. On the basis of this organization, this version of the text came to be known as the Daodejing, which means simply “The Classic of Dao and De.” This division in no way reflects the contents of the chapters themselves (ivanhoe 2011). |
| + | |||
| + | == '''Daoism''' == | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''History''' | ||
| − | |||
== '''Philosophical Influence''' == | == '''Philosophical Influence''' == | ||
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== '''References''' == | == '''References''' == | ||
| − | Patricia Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China | + | Chan Wing-Tsit, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, Princeton Press 1963 |
| + | |||
| + | Patricia Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1996), 46-48. | ||
Simpkins, Annellen M.; Simpkins, C. Alexander (1999), Simple Taoism: a guide to living in balance (3rd Printing ed.), Boston: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 192 | Simpkins, Annellen M.; Simpkins, C. Alexander (1999), Simple Taoism: a guide to living in balance (3rd Printing ed.), Boston: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 192 | ||
Revision as of 16:09, 11 October 2012
Arguably the most influential Chinese philosopher of his time, Laozi’s life reflects the ambiguity of his philosophy—mysterious and contradictory. Questions asked about the Daodejing, the Taoist script attributed to Laozi, also lead to doubts over the actual existence of Laozi himself. However, despite the uncertaintly of Laozi’s existence as a physical being, his deification as a worshiped figure in China parallels similar global religious figures which emerged during Karl Jasper’s “axial age”(Jasper 1951). As a philosopher, or deity, Laozi continues to contribute to philosophical thought, and religious worship in modern days.
In his Source Book on Chinese Philosophy" Wing-Tsit Chan asserts, ""Chinese Civilization and the Chinese character would have been utterly different if the book [Daodejing] had never been written." Chan goes on insisting that Confusionism, and Buhddism a have not escape Taoist influence. In fact, Chan says, one cannot "nope to understand Chinese philosophy, religion, government, art, medicine--or even cooking--without a real appreciation of the profound philosophy taught in [the Daodejing] (Chan 136).
Origins
The Man
The earliest known record of Laozi's birth was in Ssu-ma Chiien's Record of the historian. Which placed Laozi as a native of the village of Li, in the state of Ch'en. It was here where Laozi first met Confucius around 479 BC, and during the supposed meeting Confucius first asked Laozi to be his master. Laozi worked as a the Keeper of the Archives, in the city of Loyang under the Royal Court of Zhou. Much like a librarian, Laozi would have access to a number of classical and philosophical texts of the time. This lead to his meeting with Confucius, who solicited Laozi for information on the traditional rites of old (Simpkins & Simpkins 1999). A disciple of Laozi's, Zhuangzi gives the following, probably fictional, account of Confucius‘s impression of Laozi:
“Master, you’ve seen [Laozi]—what estimation would you make of him?” Confucius said, “At last I may say that I have seen a dragon—a dragon that coils to show his body at its best, that sprawls out to display his patterns at their best, riding on the breath of the clouds, feeding on the yin and yang. My mouth feel open and I couldn’t close it; my tongue flew up and I couldn’t even stammer. How could I possibly make any estimation of [Laozi]!” Zhuangzi, Ch. 14
While there are many accounts of Laozi's life, contradictions belie any believable scenario of his actual life. For instance, the meeting with Confucius between 600-500BCE are anecdotal, and were first written in the Zhuangzi hundreds of years later between 369—298 BCE (Coutinho 2004). Additionally, the first recorded evidence of Laozi's DaodeJing is not until around 300 BCE hundreds of years after the reported life of Confucius (Ebrey, 47). Because of these and other conflicting facts, Laozi's life fits more easily into that of legend.
Laozi is also rumored to have married and conceived a son name "Tsung". Because of this, many people claim to be able to trace their lineage back to Laozi (SImpkins & Simpkins 1999).
The Legend
According to popular legend, Laozi was born after his mother "admired" a falling star and fell pregnant. The pregnancy laster sixty-two years before Laozi was born, under a plum tree, a fully developed elderly man, with long earlobes and white hair (Simpkins & Simpkins 1999). Laozi's origin legend has many symbolic motif's which intersect the origins of other deities and religious figures. Jesus Christ for example was born of immaculate conception, in conjunction with the appearance of a bright star in the sky (Matt 2:7-10). Siddhartha, the prince who would become the Buhdda, reached his enlightenment, or spiritual re-brith underneath a tree. His depiction with long ear-lobes was also a popular symbol of wisdom in asia which he shared with the Buddha and Confucius.
During his life Laozi also had aspects of his personal legend which closely parallel other figures. Like Christ, Laozi is called "master" and is depicted riding on the back of a water buffalo, much like Christ on the back on an ass. Laozi also makes a pilgrimage to the Great Desert, like Christ, where he travels to be free from societal corruption.
The Diety As the accepted founder of Daoism, Laozi shares the honorary title of The Supreme Being of the Jade Emperor, and is known as one of the "Three Pure Ones."
Daodejing
Popular belief states that Laozi wrote the Daodejing in old age, after being stopped a guard at the city gates, who after recognizing Laozi, asked him to record his teachings. This record would become the Daodejing ( The Daodejing’s precepts can be traced back to the era in which it originated. Compiled near the end of China’s violence stricken Warring States period. The Daodejing disparages war and corruption—inferring that it is the desire for power that creates dissatisfaction, and strife. Instead the text instructs a “Dao” or a “way” of “de” or “virtue.” This virtue is rooted in natural (ziran) desires, and non-action. In the Daodejin, Laozi admonishes the feminine qualities of passivity and allowance.
- The Feminine
"A great state is like the delta of a mighty river; It is where the whole world gathers. It is the female of the whole world. The female always gets the better of the male through stillness. Through stillness, she places herself below the male."(Ivanhoe 2011)
This focus on female energy, especially the positive undertones are exceptional to the Daodejing’s contemporaries.
The Daodejing is also known for it’s many paradoxical passages, in which the author resists defining the “way” or the path. Many times these paradoxical phrases are written to reinforce the idea that the true “dao” is undefinable. In these passages the author describes the "way" as "vague and elusive."
"The outward appearance of great Virtue comes forth from the Way alone. As for the Way, it is vague and elusive.
Vague and elusive! Within is an image Vague and elusive! Within is a thing. Withdrawn and dark! Within is an essence.
His essence is genuine and authentic. Within there is trust. From ancient times until the present day, its name has never left it" (Ivanhoe 2011).
.
In this quote we see how the Daodejing purposefully contradicts itself as a part of its pedagogy:
"When the best scholars hear about the Way, They assiduously put it into practice. When average scholars hear about the Way, They sometimes uphold it and sometimes forsake it. When the worst scholars hear about the Way, They laugh at it! If they did not laugh at it, it would not really be the Way. And so the common saying has it: The clearest Way seems obscure; The Way ahead seems to lead backward; The most level Way seems uneven" (Ivanhoe 2011).
This undefinable axiom to the Daoist philosophy will later receive criticism from modern western philosophers for lacking the pragmatism of a defined system of belief.
Background
Most scholars today believe that the Daodejing, also known as the "Laozi" is a composite work of many authors, regarding Laozi as a mythical character. There is evidence, however that the Daodejing may have had a singular editor who compiled the work into one book. The first record of the Daodejing in its present form can be traced back to 300-200 BCE, which is nearly 300 years after Laozi is said to have lived as one of Confucius' contemporaries.
Laozi or Daodejing But most contemporary scholars regard Laozi (literally “Old Master”) as a mythical character and the Laozi to be a composite work. The present version of the text consists of short passages, from a variety of sources, over half of which are rhymed. These were collected together into a single volume of eighty-one chapters that were then divided into two books. Book I consists of chapters one through thirty-seven, the dao , “Way,” half of the text; Book II consists of chapters thirty-eight through eighty-one, the de , “Virtue,” half. On the basis of this organization, this version of the text came to be known as the Daodejing, which means simply “The Classic of Dao and De.” This division in no way reflects the contents of the chapters themselves (ivanhoe 2011).
Daoism
History
Philosophical Influence
References
Chan Wing-Tsit, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, Princeton Press 1963
Patricia Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1996), 46-48.
Simpkins, Annellen M.; Simpkins, C. Alexander (1999), Simple Taoism: a guide to living in balance (3rd Printing ed.), Boston: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 192
Van Norden, Bryan W.; Ivanhoe, Philip J. (2011-01-21). Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, second edition (p. 161). Hackett Publishing.
File:Presentation Laozi.pptx -Nice job with the presentation yesterday. --Tcrale 00:17, 11 October 2012 (UTC)