"Where there is impossibility, there is possibility; and where there is possibility, there is impossibility. It is because there is right, that there is wrong; it is because there is wrong, there is right...Thereupon the self is also the other; the other is also the self."

Daoism

--Zhuangzi

Founded by:

Zhuangzi Laozi

Strictly speaking, Daoism wasn't consciously "founded" by these two individuals. Rather, they both held similar beliefs about "the Way" and similar philosophies. These beliefs were presented in their works: Laozi's Daodejing and Zhuangzi's self-titled work, Zhuangzi. The two were first linked by the Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian.

Zhuangzi

dao jia

Zhuangzi (the name is also spelled Chuang-tzu) is considered by Daoists to be the model of the perfect Daoist sage. Not much is known about Zhuangzi the man. He is estimated to have lived in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC. Zhuangzi is best known for his Daoist work, Zhuangzi. His book is unique for its spontaneous, free-spirited style of writing and the lavish imagery. It is considered by many to be one of the best examples of Chinese literature.

dao: the Way

jia: school (of thinking)

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Laozi

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The identity of Laozi (literally, "old master") is disputed by scholars. Several names have been suggested; the Han historian Sima Qian proposed that it was Lao Dan, who was supposedly the teacher of Confucius (and so, Daoists claim, better than Confucius.) Whoever Laozi is, he is also best known for his Daoist work, the Daodejing.

Summary of the Philosophy

Daoism (Taoism) is the most mystical of the major schools. As the name suggests, the focus on the Dao, or the Way. Now, what is the Dao? There are several complicated answers to this, but most simply, the Dao is the natural flow of the cosmos. Nature follows the Dao, humans with their conscious wills go against the Dao. The goal of the Daoist is to harmonize with the Dao and thereby become one with the cosmos, with nature, with all things.

Major Texts

Daodejing (Tao-te ching)

Attain utmost vacuity; Hold fast to quietude. While the myriad things are stirring together, I see only their return. For luxuriantly as they grow, Each of them will return to its root. To return to the root is called quietude, Which is also said to be reversion to one's destiny. This reversion belongs with the eternal: To know the eternal is enlightenment; Not to know the eternal means to run blindly to disaster. He who knows the eternal is all-embracing; He who is all embracing is impartial, To be impartial is to be kingly, To be kingly is to be heavenly, To be heavenly is to be one with the Dao, To be one with the Dao is to endure forever.

The Daodejing (translated, The Way and Its Power) is the classic text of Daoism. Known as the "5000 Character Classic", it is one of the most translated works in the world. This is not only because it is relatively short (one character is approximately one word in English) but also because of its beautiful language--like the Zhuangzi, the Daodejing is considered one of the finest examples of Chinese literature. The Daodejing is written in poem form. Its language is vague and ambiguous, and very open to interpretation. It is meant to by mystical, and achieves this goal very well. It does lay down the basic tenets of Daoism. The Dao is what unifies all things. Distinctions such as good vs. bad, beautiful vs. ugly, useful vs. useless are meaningless, because all things are relative. The Dao is the ideal state of things, and although Nature effortlessly follows the Dao, humans, because of their will, do not. Conscious action interferes with the Dao, so when seeking the Dao it is best to practice wu wei--non-action, or not acting against the natural order. Unlike the other major schools, Daoism did not advocate any form of government. Daoists withdrew from society and politics and rejected the categories imposed by Confucianism.

Zhuangzi

--Daodejing

The Zhuangzi bears the name of its author. The Zhuangzi, along with the Daodejing, make up the major texts of Daoism. They share the same reverence for the way and the same rejection of artificially imposed categories, boundaries and distinctions. Both texts share the same beliefs about society, humans and the Dao. But while the Daodejing spoke in beautiful but esoteric language, the Zhuangzi is written in a more natural, spontaneous style. In it Zhuangzi tells anecdotes and explains the Dao in simple, conversational language while preserving the mysticism of Daoism. Zhuangzi is a favorite of mine.

Zhuangzi and Huizi were strolling one day on the bridge over the River Hao, when the former observed, "See how the minnows are darting about! Such is the pleasure that fish enjoy." "You are not a fish,' said Huizi. "How do you know what fish enjoy?" "You are not I," retorted Zhuangzi, "so how do you know that I do not know what fish enjoy?" "I am not you," said Huizi, "and you are not a fish, and so it is certain that you do not know what fish enjoy." "Let us go back," said Zhuangzi, "to your original question. You asked me how I know what fish enjoy. The way you put the question shows that you already knew what I knew. I know that just as we stand here over the Hao."

Selections from the Daodejing and Zhuangzi from Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1, trans. and ed. Wm. Theodore de Bary et al., Columbia University Press (USA: 1960).

--Zhuangzi

Huizi was a close friend of Zhuangzi. He was also a follower of the Logician school, which was made up of scholars interested in logic and debate. Here we see Zhuangzi using the Daoist idea of relativity to defeat Huizi's logical argument. This selection also shows the playful nature of the stories in Zhuangzi.

Analysis

Daoism adds mysticism to the otherwise cut and dried world of Chinese philosophy. Its teachings appealed to those who wished to withdraw from the politics and intrigue of society--including failed officials and those disillusioned by the state of the government. Daoism's concepts of unity and relativity make a lot of sense even today--and the idea of using Nature as the model which people should look up to is reflected in the Western tradition, in Romanticism. Because of its anti-society attitude, Daoism obviously never made its way into any systems of government. But it survived among the private citizens and to this day, Daoist monks exist in China. Unfortunately, Daoism itself was changed throughout the centuries, increasing in mysticism until it became full of superstitions, omens and quests for immortality. In this way Daoism as a philosophy lost its credibility. In the West, Daoism can be seen in the current trend of things Oriental. The Daodejing and the Zhuangzi are still new, and the ideas are appealing. Quotes from the texts find their way into the offices of business executives and college students' dorm rooms. Daoism and the ideas of Laozi and Zhuangzi are still alive today.