Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
objects, so that the people shall not steal; shut out from sight the things of desire, so that
the peoples hearts shall not be disturbed.
Therefore in the government of the Sage: he keeps empty their hearts makes full their
bellies, discourages their ambitions, strengthens their frames; so that the people may be
innocent of knowledge and desires. And the cunning ones shall not presume to interfere.
By action without deeds may all live in peace.
Exalt not the wise, so that the people shall not scheme and contend.
ise here means those that are wise in the eyes of those with small
understanding. Such people are usually only clever or cunning, not truly intelligent, much
less really wise. Many of those that have great personalities are really manipulative
sociopaths and not particularly bright. (Remember the class officers when you were in
school?) It is incredible how shrewd mediocrities make their way to the top in so many
aspects of life, particularly in religion, politics, and education. This morning I came
across the broadcast of a class in one of Americas most prestigious universities. The
professors whole approach was not as serious or challenging as my grade school
teachers had been. It was obvious he expected next to nothing from the students, and his
whole manner of speaking implied that they were about six years of age intellectually. It
reminded me of preschool Sunday School class. Then I realized that his entire approach
was that of Captain Kangaroo! Evidently a generation of educators have modeled
themselves on Bob Keeshan. I once worked with a graduate of that university who had
learned absolutely nothing about anything, so I was not surprised at what I saw, but still I
was appalled.
So if polished mediocrities are not exalted, others like them will not scheme and contend
to also be exalted.
Prize not rare objects, so that the people shall not steal. It is strange how people value
things that are rare or very expensive, paying no attention at all to their intrinsic value.
What people need is a sensible perspective on what is of actual value to them as worthy
human beings. During the days of Saint Edward the Confessor in England theft was
virtually unknown. Historians assure us that if a travelers purse dropped on the road it
would still be there weeks later. How was this? England at that time was a genuinely
religious country and the people valued the eternal over the temporal.
Shut out from sight the things of desire, so that the peoples hearts shall not be disturbed.
Thinking about sense-objects will attach you to sense-objects; grow attached, and you
become addicted; thwart your addiction, it turns to anger; be angry, and you confuse your
mind; confuse your mind, you forget the lesson ofEXPERIENCE ; forget experience,
you lose discrimination; lose discrimination, and you miss lifes only purpose
(Bhagavad Gita 2:62, 63). Therefore it is only good sense to avoid all things that can so
addict and destroy us. This is way to peace.
Therefore in the government of the Sage: he keeps empty their hearts, makes full
their bellies, discourages their ambitions, strengthens their frames; so that the
people may be innocent of knowledge and desires. And the cunning ones shall not
presume to interfere.
As pointed out previously, there is no use in thinking that philosophers can reform
government, but each one of us can apply Lao Tzus principles to ourselves as a microkingdom. So here is what we are being advised:
1.
2.
Nourish ourselves abundantly on that which is ennobling and satisfy our higher
self.
3.
Curb our aspirations for that which is worthless, meaningless, and contrary to the
revealing of the Taoour true Self.
4.
If we do this we shall be free of delusions thought to be knowledge and free of desires for
that which countermands our true naturethe Tao. Living in such harmony within
ourselves we shall have discovered the secret of life and transcended all that is lesser and
unworthy of us. Illusions will then no longer cloud or distort our clear sight. As the Gita
further says: When he has no lust, no hatred, a man walks safely among the things of
lust and hatred. To obey the Atman is his peaceful joy; sorrow melts into that clear peace:
his quiet mind is soon established in peace (Bhagavad Gita 2:64, 65).
By action without deeds may all live in peace.
To understand this I recommend that you read the Bhagavad Gita, for that is one of its
main themes. Here is a section from its fourth chapter.
Action does not contaminate me. I have no desire at all for the fruits of action. A man
who understands my nature in this respect will never become the slave of his own
activity.
Because they understood this, the ancient seekers for liberation could safely engage in
action. You, too, must do your work in the spirit of those early seers.
What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are puzzled by this question. Therefore,
I will tell you what action is. When you know that, you will be free from all impurity.
You must learn what kind of work to do, what kind of work to avoid, and how to reach a
state of calm detachment from your work. The real nature of action is hard to understand.
He who sees the inaction that is in action, and the action that is in inaction, is wise
indeed. Even when he is engaged in action he remains poised in the tranquility of the
Atman.
The seers say truly that he is wise who acts without lust or scheming for the fruit of the
act: his act falls from him, its chain is broken, melted in the flame of my knowledge.
Turning his face from the fruit, he needs nothing: the Atman is enough. He acts, and is
beyond action.
Not hoping, not lusting, bridling body and mind, he calls nothing his own: he acts, and
earns no evil.
What Gods Will gives he takes, and is contented. Pain follows pleasure, he is not
troubled: gain follows loss, he is indifferent: of whom should he be jealous? He acts, and
is not bound by his action.
When the bonds are broken his illumined heart beats in Brahman: his every action is
worship of Brahman: can such acts bring evil? (Bhagavad Gita 4:14-23).
today? I think it can and toward this end the present discussion is an attempt to
analyze and discuss the following issues.
GENERAL BACKGROUND
The development of Daoism (Taoism) was an attempt to orientate the Han Chinese
to their social, political, economic, moral and psychological lives at the end of the
Eastern Han.
Why did Daoism (Taoism) develop only at the end of the Eastern Han period?
Historically, such Daoist ideas, as `immortality' and `sanctification of the bodies'
had already existed during the time of the Warring States (Zhanguo). They became
even more popular during the Qin and Han dynasties--why? We know that not just
any kind of superstition can be called religion, although religion often embodies a
good deal of superstitious elements. Neither can we say that any theistic discourse
can become a religion, even if it is capable of extending its influence over a
sizeable cross-section of the population. Its growth and development were directly
related to the social life of the people, their history, and other objective facts. The
development of Daoism (Taoism) during the Eastern Han may be attributed to the
following factors.
First, the reality of social life at the end of the Eastern Han had laid fertile grounds
for the growth of Daoism (Taoism). The social and political conditions, since
Shundi of the Eastern Han, had begun to deteriorate. There was outside
interference in the day-to-day administration and the administrative machinery was
in the hands of a bureaucracy. Debauchery, unruly behavior and social strife, both
from within and without, were the order of the day. Finally there were crop failures
due to severe drought, and large numbers of people died in ditches (Chong
Zhangdong, Changyuan).1
Undue economic exploitations and political pressure at that time had made it
impossible for the populace to lead a decent life; bankruptcy and emigration were
common. The conflict between the ruling class and the ruled was intense and acute.
According to historical records, from Shundi's time, peasant uprisings were
rampant. At that time, apart from the common class-interest that united them in
social movements, their leaders resorted to magic and superstitions as organizing
agents. That is why, in history books, the rebels after Shundi's time were often
called yaozei, or `the goblin thieves'.
Two conclusions may be drawn from the above discussion. First, a period of
economic and political unrest, as well as spiritual and moral decay, provided an
objective vantage for the development of religion. Second, as the leaders of the
peasantry had used magic and superstitions to rally support in their movements,
they knew that these could be used as tools for mobilizing the people, thus paving
the way for the widespread development of religion. As is always the case, social
turbulence often caused great hardship and suffering to the lower class. Thus, when
people became desperate they tended to hinge their hopes upon some kind of
spiritual power, or shenling. This was one of the most common avenues through
which people, in antiquity, reconciled themselves with their social reality. This also
explains why a majority of the early Daoist believers were members of the lower
social strata.
Second, the social conditions at the end of the Eastern Han had provided useful
material for the founding of Daoism (Taoism). Since the time of Han Wudi, when
Dong Zhongshu pointed out that "of the hundred schools, only Confucianism is the
most revered," Confucian thought had adapted itself to the needs of building a
unified feudal society and serving as an ideology for the ruling class. From then on
the development of Confucianism depended primarily on the teaching of a
reciprocal relationship between heaven and man, followed by an increased interest
in the development of theology and metaphysics. Though ideally a religion is
theistic, not any form of theism is adequate or sufficiently meaningful to become a
religion. This is because such a religion (namely, the religion of the masses) must
include not only the worship of spiritual beings, but also possess a body of canon
together with an endurable form of church organization, doctrines and dogmas, and
an historical medium for the dissemination of religious knowledge. Generally,
religion must see the world in two forms: the real and the supernatural. Based on
this premise, human beings feel that they can only disengage themselves from the
problems of social life in a supernatural world--believing that an ideal life can
manifest itself only in the yonder shore of the supernatural world.
Despite the fact that Confucianism acknowledged the existence of Shen or God,
especially during the Han dynasty, it had never thought it necessary that its ideals
be fulfilled outside the world, but required rather that the ideals of "governing the
state and pacifying the world" (zhi guo ping tianxia) be actualized in the real
world, even though this were merely an illusion. Although religion had played a
very important role in feudal China, it had never become a force to reckon with.
Instead it had, many a time, occupied a secondary position, which state of affairs
clearly bespoke as well the dominance of Confucian ideology.
From the developmental point of view, after the Eastern Han Confucianism could
very well have become a religion, because its metaphysics together with the
already in existence what was known as "Huang-lao's Dao" (the Way of HuangLao) and, later on, the "Fangxian's Dao" (the Way of the Saints), all of which
actually belonged to the immortalist sects. Further, the saints' underlying objective
was to attain `eternal life' (changsheng busi) and to cause the bodies to be
sanctified (routi chengxian). Thus, once it merged with the Daoist ideas of
"attaining peace through inaction, and remaining in peace through abstinence"
(qingjing wuwei, tiandan guayu), it increasingly began to attract the masses and
became a powerful social force. Lastly, the basic tenets of Daoism (Taoism), such
as "immortality" and "the sanctification of the bodies," although derived from the
Way of the Saints, became part of the Daoist system. Hence, its transformation also
represents an important factor contributing to the growth of Daoism (Taoism).
From the above viewpoints, Daoism (Taoism) as a religion may be said to have
deviated from the Confucianists' and Daoist' schools of thought. However, its
source of ideas was inseparable from both. Hence, from the beginning, it had
distinguished itself as a religious system in which Confucian and Daoist ideas
supplemented each other. This system represents some of the characteristics typical
of Chinese culture, psychology and way of thinking.
Third, the introduction of Buddhism into China had greatly stimulated the
development of Chinese religion. From the time Buddhism spread to China during
the Western Han till after the middle of the Eastern Han, it maintained a steady
level of propagation. Buddhism, acting like a catalyst, escalated the development
of Daoism (Taoism). Actually, the school of the saints was already popular during
the Western Han, and disciples frequently had given tributes to Huang-Lao. This
was evidenced in the existing learnings of "Huang-Lao's Dao" and "Fangxian's
Dao." The former sanctified Huangdi and worshipped him in shrines dedicated to
him; the latter talked about "non-death and everlasting life" (zhongshen
busi).Shiji3 records that the teacher of the river elder, Le Jigong, learned about
Huangdi. The book of Fengchan4 records that Huangdi became an immortal
because of Fengchan. Yujie (more appropriately, Ganjie), who compiled the Daoist
scripture Taiping Jing,5 suggested that the book was originally by Laozi (Lao Tzu).
During Han Mingdi, Chu Wangying had already worshipped Huangdi and Foutu.
Chu Wangying recited Huang-Lao's words and honored Foutu's shrine. Huandi
erected Huang-Lao's and Foutu's shrines in his palace. The fact that Huang-Lao
and Foutu were worshiped manifestly shows that Huangdi was at that time
regarded as a deity or a Buddha. Sainthood was in fact a form of sagehood. Living
the life of an immortal is but a human discipline. There was no formal, nor
endurable form of organization to be used as a base for the interaction of the