Laozi and the Concept of Dao

According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) by Chinese historian Sima Qian ( ca. 145–86 BCE); Laozi, the alleged author of Dao-de-jing, lived in the 6th century BCE and worked as the Keeper of the Archives for the royal court of Zhou kingdom.  He grew weary of the moral decay of city life, noted the kingdom’s decline, and decided to venture west to live as a hermit in the unsettled frontier at the age of 160.  At the western gate of the kingdom, he was recognized by a guard official (Yi Xi). The sentry asked Laozi to leave his wisdom in writing before he would allow him pass.  With no other option, Laozi wrote down about 5000 words of his life philosophy and wisdom for the first time.…  This is the legendary origin of the Dao-de-jing. In some version of the tale, the sentry is so touched by the work that he left with Laozi to never be seen again. Some legends elaborate further that the "Old Master" was the teacher of the Buddha, or was the Buddha himself.

Although Laozi started the Dao-de-jing with a statement "the Dao that can be told is NOT the eternal Dao," many ancient Sages and masters have still tried many ways in the attempt to "tell" or "show" what "the Dao" is, or how it should be interpreted, so as to help ordinary people like us to "wu" (comprehend and illuminate) "the Dao."   My bachelor’s degree is in philosophy and during my training I had two courses in the history of Chinese philosophy with "Dao-de-jing" as the core of the course; however, after reading Dao-de-jing multiple times, I would not say that I really understood "the Dao" in its true meaning at that moment. But I did learn something new every time I read Dao-de-jing.  I will share my perspective and knowledge on this subject. I hope readers will find this interpretation stimulating and serve as a conduit to share more insightful opinions. My intention is to help us get closer to "the Dao," and eventually illuminate "the Dao" with our own intuition, understanding and cultivation.

There are multiple meanings or interpretations for Dao, most scholars agree that the two most outstanding or common laws in Dao are: (1) unity and transformation of the opposites, and (2) return to the root or the beginning. The theory of unity and transformation of the opposites in exposition of the universe and its change derives from the primitive thought.  We can find many similar descriptions in western philosophy. However, in Laozi’s philosophy or writing, not only the pairs of opposites are overwhelming in the book, numbered over seventy (such as being vs. not-being, difficulty vs. easiness, height vs. low and so on), but also the concept of universality  is emphasized with the pair of Yin and Yang. "All creatures cannot turn their backs to the shade (Yin) without having the sun on their bellies ( a myriad of things shoulder the yin and embrace the yang)." (Ch. 42).  Meanwhile, Laozi emphases the balance and harmony of the contradictions, and the change is the process of transformation of the opposites toward each other. These myriad of things are not only opposite and interdependent, but also mutually changeable and the change is definite to take place.

The second most important law of Dao is that "in Dao the only motion is returning.". In other words,  to return to the root and the beginning is another law of circular movement manifested by Dao.  However, what Laozi emphasizes is to go back to the root and return to the beginning, to maintain tranquility and submit to the fate (or the nature).  As he explains in chapter 52: "That which was the beginning of all things under the sun we may speak of as the ‘mother’ of all things.  He who apprehends the mother thereby knows the sons. And he who has known the sons, will hold all the tighter to the mother, and to the end of his days suffer no harm."