CLASS REQUIREMENT 10

“When Life was Full There was No History”In the age when life on earth was full, no one paid any special attention to worthy men, nor did they single out the man of ability.  Rulers were simply the highest branches on the tree, and the people were like deer in the woods.  They were honest and righteous without realizing that they were “doing their duty.”  They loved each other and did not know that this was “love of neighbor.”  They deceived no one yet they did not know that they were “men to be trusted.”  They were reliable and did not know that this was “good faith.”  They lived freely together giving and taking, and did not know that they were generous.  For this reason their deeds have not been narrated.  They made no history.  [xii. 13.]

            Taoism highlights the natural harmony of things. There is a right order of things and that everything will fall into place in the natural course of nature in the right time and place. Without interference of the people, nature will be free from the chaos and disorder brought about by the unneeded actions of these people. Nature will take its own course in its own pace thus it will be faster for nature to achieve the natural harmony of things.

            In the story “When Life was Full There was No History”, absolute natural harmony is achieved. When everything is good in its own place, everything is equal. When everything is equal, there will be no one singled out from the crowd. Everyone is the same therefore nobody is any better or worse than the others. The people become worthy without them noticing it, they become what they ought to be without realizing it. The people will be doing good without striving hard to do good. Their actions will become so common to them that they don’t even realize the goodness they are doing. Everything will be in the same level. Nobody is above or below the others.

            When everything is equal, there is no need to write down history. History is for those who have made a difference. But in the world when life was full, there is no difference in everything. Goodness will be an everyday scene. Goodness and excellence will be very common. If everyone becomes so used to the idea of goodness, nobody would even notice. There would be no distinction therefore nothing would be written down in history. There was no history because everything became so common and usual.

            Tao in its fullness, when achieved would stop the writing down of history. Everything is the same every day that they would not even be able to identify the good that they have done. The people would be just giving and taking without noticing thus no record would ever be written.

CLASS REQUIREMENT 9

“The Woodcarver”

Khing, the master carver, made a bell stand

Of precious wood.  When it was finished,

All who saw it were astounded.  They said it must be

The work of spirits.

The Prince of Lu said to the master carver:

“What is your secret?”

Khing replied:  “I am only a workman:

I have no secret.  There is only this:

When I began to think about the work you commanded

I guarded my spirit, did not expend it

On trifles, that were not to the point.

I fasted in order to set

My heart at rest.

After three days fasting,

I had forgotten gain and success.

After five days

I had forgotten praise or criticism.

After seven days

I had forgotten my body

With all its limbs.

“By this time all thought of Your Highness

And of the court had faded away.

All that might distract me from the work

Had vanished.

I was collected in the single thought

Of the bell stand.

“Then I went to the forest

To see the trees in their own natural state.

When the right tree appeared before my eyes,

The bell stand also appeared in it, clearly, beyond doubt.

All I had to do was to put forth my hand

And begin.

“If I had not met this particular tree

There would have been

No bell stand at all.

“What happened?

My own collected thought

Encountered the hidden potential in the wood;

From this live encounter came the work

Which you ascribe to the spirits.”  [xix. 10.]

            In this story of “The woodcarver”, the ways of becoming a Taoist sage was portrayed. In the story of the woodcarver, in order to achieve perfection, one has to know the Tao through unlearning and follow the Tao through Non-action. If you ask how it was possible for one to become a Tao through Unlearning and Non-action, it is explained in the story.

            In the story, the woodcarver was asked how he made a bell stand that is so astounding. He was asked that if there is a secret in making this astounding piece of creation, he must share it. The woodcarver in reply said that there is no secret. He said that when he has learned that he is to make a bell stand for the Prince, he guarded himself from being overwhelmed with the tasked given to him. He did not let himself be consumed by the joy and excitement brought about by the work given to him. He restrained himself to put his emotion at rest. After three days of restraining himself, he had already gotten over the surge of emotion that he had felt. He had freed his mind from thinking of the overwhelming feeling of gaining success. After five days, he had forgotten what others might think of him. He had forgotten both the criticisms and praise that he might garner. After 7days, he had forgotten himself. He had forgotten all the plans that he had made for the bell stand and all its details. He had empty himself from all the distractions. After being freed from all types of distractions, what was left of him only was his focus—the bell stand.

            After emptying himself, he had known to become a Tao is through unlearning. In his act of freeing himself from all the distractions, he has cleared his mind from all other things that is not necessary that could stop him from achieving his purpose. The fame and success, the pressure from other people, all his unnecessary plans, he had all forgotten and set aside in order to set an eye to his very focus.

            After this, he had gone to see the trees. Because his mind is free from all other distractions, when the right tree came in front of him, he had already pictured the bell stand from that tree.

            He had reduced himself. Like the Tao’s aim which is to decrease day by day into nothing, the woodcarver achieved to decrease himself into nothing. The woodcarver has succeeded in separating himself from all the distractions and unnecessary actions. This is what the Taoist calls learning through unlearning and action through non-action. The woodcarver has learned much by learning to unlearn and set aside all those things such as pressures and criticisms. He have put those away from his system and through that, he has unlearned them. Action through non-action was done by the woodcarver by taking only actions which are only necessary and acting without much ado or distractions. By unlearning and non-action, he has stripped himself from everything and left only what was needed which is in this case, his focus. With the focus that he has, he has already seen the potential of the tree to become a bell stand and started off to work.

CLASS REQUIREMENT 8

“The Turtle”

Chuang Tzu with his bamboo pole

Was fishing in Pu river.

The Prince of Chu

Sent two vice-chancellors

With a formal document:

“We hereby appoint you

Prime Minister.”

Chuang Tzu held his bamboo pole.

Still watching Pu river,

He said:

“I am told there is a sacred tortoise,

Offered and canonized

Three thousand years ago,

Venerated by the prince,

Wrapped in silk,

In a precious shrine

On an altar

In the Temple.

“What do you think:

Is it better to give up one’s life

And leave a sacred shell

As an object of cult

In a cloud of incense

Three thousand years,

Or better to live

As a plain turtle

Dragging its tail in the mud?”

“For the turtle,” said the Vice-Chancellor,

“Better to live

And drag its tail in the mud!”

“Go home!” said Chuang Tzu.

“Leave me here

To drag my tail in the mud!”  [xvii. 11.]

            In the story of “The Turtle”, one of the characteristics of the Taoist Sage is made known. In the story of the turtle, Chuang Tzu while enjoying what he’s doing is appointed to be a Prime Minister. With this news, he answered the vice-chancellors sent by the Prince of Chu by relating the story of the turtle who was made sacred by the Prince himself and made an object of cult to be worshipped for three thousand years. Then after relating the unfortunate destiny of the turtle in the hands of the Prince, Chuang Tzu asked – Is it better for the turtle to be revered and hanged to be made an object of cult for thousands of years or live simply as a plain turtle that drags its tail in the  mud? The Vice chancellor who is asked answered that it is better to live as a plain turtle and drag his tail in the mud. Then, Chuang Tzu answered the appointment of being a Prime Minister by saying, go home and leave me alone to drag my tail in the mud. Here, Chuang Tzu manifested the spontaneity of the Taoist Sage.

            In the story, Chuang Tzu manifested his spontaneity by choosing not to take the position that is given to him. If others would be given a chance to be appointed as Prime Minister, many would not let that opportunity pass by. While others would do everything to have what was offered to him, Chuang Tzu rejected it. It is because he knows that if he accepts the position of being a Prime Minister, he would lose the little things in life that he is enjoying. He knows that the price for being held up high in a position and revered would be his freedom to do anything as he wishes without constraint. The life of a Prime Minister may give him fame and power but he chose to live as plain as the simple turtle so long as he could live as he wishes. Like a simple turtle, he rather drags his tail in the mud than be revered as a shell. Chuang tzu wants to live his life in his own terms and find pleasure in doing everything without restrictions. Chuang Tzu with his character of Spontaneity that is found in every Taoist Sage, wants to live his life simply in his own pace, leisurely doing what he wants rather than live a life of power and fame, revered for thousands of years but not being able to enjoy and do as he wants.

CLASS REQUIREMENT 7

 “Duke Hwan and the Wheelwright”

Duke Hwan of Khi,

First in his dynasty,

Sat under a canopy

Reading his philosophy;

And Phien the wheelwright

Was out in the yard

Making a wheel.

Phien laid aside

Hammer and chisel,

Climbed the steps,

And said to Duke Hwan:

“May I ask you, Lord,

What is this you are

Reading?”

The Duke said:

“The experts.  The authorities.”

And Phien asked:

“Alive or dead?”

“Dead a long time.”

“Then,” said the wheelwright,

“You are reading only

The dirt you left behind.”

Then the Duke replied:

“What do you know about it?

You are only a wheelwright.

You had better give me a good explanation

Or else you must die.”

The wheelwright said:

“Let us look at the affair

From my point of view.

When I make wheels

If I go easy, they fall apart,

If I am too rough, they do not fit.

If I am neither too easy nor too violent

They come out right.

The work is what

I want it to be.

You cannot put this into words:

You just have to know how it is.

I cannot even tell my own son exactly how it is done,

And my own son cannot learn it from me.

So here I am, seventy years old,

Still making wheels!

The men of old

Took all they knew to the grave.

And so, Lord, what you are reading there

Is only the dirt they left behind.”  [xiii. 10.]

            In the story of “Duke Hwan and the Wheelwright”, the reality of Tao is manifested. Its reality which is its emptiness is expressed.

            In the story of the Duke of Hwan and the Wheelwright, Phien the Wheelwright asked the Duke of Hwan about what he was reading. The Duke answered that what he is reading is the expert and the authorities. Again, Phien asked if what he was reading are still alive or dead. The Duke answered, dead a long time. Upon hearing the Duke’s answer, Phien said that what the Duke is reading is only the dirt that was left behind by these people. The Duke asked what does Phien mean. Phien in defense of his answer explained from his own perspective. He explained that his own knowledge in making wheels cannot even be exactly transferred to his own son. He could not put it exactly in words, nor can he make his son understand fully what he knows in making wheels. He may put it in words and tell it to his son but what he could teach his son is only a bit of what he knows. He knows that for his son to fully understand his own wisdom, his son himself has to learn and experience it. He could only go so far as to demonstrate to him but his son would not learn if he will not do it himself. From his own experience of sharing his wisdom in making wheels to his own son, he could not even fully make himself explain it or give it to his son. From this, he has concluded that what the Duke is reading is only the dirt left by the people who wrote it. Phien said that one could not fully teach his own wisdom to another. What they could teach are only little pieces that could be considered dirt. One has to experience it to know it and learn it for himself.

            What was manifested here in the story is the emptiness of Tao. By virtue of Tao being empty, it could be used but it could not be exhausted. A person could use a part of the wisdom of Tao but never can he drain Tao.

            Like what the wheelwright pointed out, one’s own wisdom could never be imparted fully. The great people who have learned so much will only be able to leave behind traces of what they know but not be able to teach them everything that they have learned. A person has to learn from others but a person also has to discover and experience for himself.

CLASS REQUIREMENT 6

“Two Kings and No-Form”

The South Sea King was Act-on-Your-Hunch.

The North Sea King was Act-in-a-Flash.

The King of the place between them was No-Form.

Now the South Sea King

And North Sea King

Used to go together often

To the land of No-Form:

He treated them well.

So they consulted together

They thought up a good turn,

A pleasant surprise, for No-Form

In token of appreciation.

“Men,” they said, “have seven openings

For seeing, hearing, eating, breathing,

And so on.  But No-Form

Has no openings.  Let’s make him

A few holes.”

So after that

They put holes in No-Form,

One a day, for seven days.

And when they finished the seventh opening,

Their friend lay dead.

Lao Tan said:  “To organize is to destroy.”  [vii. 7.]

            In the story of “Two Kings and No-Form”, one of the teachings of Taoism was manifested. The two kings, in their intention to do good for their friend No-Form, have created more damage than good. With the intention of surprising No-Form with a token of appreciation, they made him the seven openings that they think would benefit their friend No-Form. After putting the seventh hole to their friend No-Form, their friend died. In the end, Lao Tan has said:  “To organize is to destroy”, what does Lao Tan mean?

            In the story, the two kings made action when there is no need for it. In their attempt to make things better, they ended up doing the opposite which is destruction.

            In Taoism, they see the absence of natural harmony as a problem. Taoism believes that there is a natural order of things. There is a natural harmony. When people, with their intention to make better with what is already best, they end up doing the opposite of their intention. They take away the natural harmony of things.  Instead of putting order into something that is already in order, the people end up mixing up things and inflict disorder instead of order. The natural harmony of things are disturbed thus the people ends up causing chaos.

            In the story, the natural state of No-Form is having no holes. No-Form has been doing well when his friend, the two kings, started to mess with his natural state. The two kings, acted when there is a need for none. They have put holes to him when he doesn’t need one. His natural state has been disturbed thus, instead of making him better, he was destroyed. Lao Tan then pointed out the main point of the story. He stated that “To organize is to destroy”. What he aims to say is that when everything is already in order, there is no need for organization. Thus, to organize something that is already in order is to destroy it. The Tao has its own course. Let nature take its course. In its own time, in its own place.

CLASS REQUIREMENT 5

Mencius said, “Treat with respect the elders in my family and then extend that respect to include the elders in other families.  Treat with tenderness the young in my own family, and then extend that tenderness to include the young in other families. … Let mulberry trees be planted about the homesteads with their five mou, and men of fifty will be able to be clothed in silk.  Let there be timely care for fowls, pigs, dogs, and swine, and men of seventy will be able to have meat to eat.  Let there be no neglect in the timely cultivation of the arm with its hundred mou, and the family of eight mouths will suffer no hunger.  Let serious attention be paid to education in school, elucidating the principles of filial piety and brotherly respect, and the gray-haired men will not carry burdens on the roads.  There has never been a case when men of seventy had silk to wear and meat to eat, when the common people were neither hungry nor cold, and yet the ruler did not become the true king of the empire.”  [Book of Mencius1A:7] 

            Social harmony could be achieved if every member of the society has the heart to consider one another. The capacity to be considerate to others is one of the qualities of a human-hearted or ‘jen’ person. ‘Jen’ being one of the basic qualities of the chun-tzu should be developed to achieve the social harmony. Thus, if everyone cultivates himself to be a chun-tzu, he will cultivate human-heartedness in himself as well. Through this, social harmony could be easily achieved.

            ‘Jen’ or human-heartedness is not doing to others what you do not want to be done to you. Thus, the key to human-heartedness is knowing what you like and do not like for yourself and extend it to others. ‘Jen’ is a characteristic of chun-tzu rooted on Hsin which is Filial piety and T’i which is brotherly respect and expressed through Chung (conscientiousness) and Shu (altruism). Both Filial piety and brotherly respect is learned within the confines of the family which is considered as the basic unit of the society. Chung is doing one’s very best for one’s self, the extension of it is shu which is doing one’s best for the welfare of others.

            The roots and expressions of ‘Jen’ are both learned and experienced inside the margins of the family. But, these learnings and experiences are not limited to the restrictions of our homes.  In creating Social Harmony, these learnings should be extended from one’s self into the members of one’s own family and to the other members of other’s family until it reaches the society as a whole.

            Mencius in his Book 1A:7, has put great emphasis on the cultivation of one’s self not just for the benefit of one’s own but for the benefit of others as well. Mencius have pointed out that one should not strive for the good of one’s self alone but for the good of his bigger family which is the society he belongs in. Through extending one’s self to others, everyone is able to make the other an extension of himself. Thus he does good for others so he could do good to himself. A chun-tzu also knows that he will not do harm to others because he would only inflict harm to himself. This quality of a chun-tzu that one cultivates within one’s self helps in the achievement of social harmony. If then, social harmony will garner equal satisfaction from every members of the society

CLASS REQUIREMENT 4

Mencius said, “To act without understanding and do so habitually without examination, following certain courses all their lives without knowing the principles behind them—this is the way of the multitude.”  [Book of Mencius 7A:5]

            In the Book of Mencius 7A:5, Mencius stated the way of the multitude. Mencius talks about what most of the people do. The multitude, as said by Mencius, simply follows what is practiced by many and by the people who were generations ahead of him. The way of the multitude follows simply what they have seen and done for a long time without trying to understand why do they do so or without knowing the principles why it should be done this way. The multitude simply follows the surviving tradition the men from the old have done without looking behind what made it survive. They simply trace the footsteps of the old without asking why did they chose to venture that way.

            A better example for this is the continuous practice of the people of putting a metal spoon in the casserole while tenderizing meat. A person who follows the way of the multitude simply follows this technique of cooking without knowing the principle behind it. If that person who follows the way of the multitude is asked why she put a metal spoon in the casserole while cooking meat, she might just answer—“it is because it is what I saw my mother does or all those before me do when they cook meat. It works well in tenderizing meat faster.” But if asked, what makes it tenderize meat faster? She could not answer.

            A chun-tzu or the wise man is not like this. A wise man differs from the way of the multitude with the main reason that he doesn’t simply follow without understanding. A chun-tzu asks and learn the principles behind it and if the principle behind it proves to make his work more effective and it makes him more efficient, then he follows. A chun-tzu does not follow tradition blindly but he follows while seeing the reason behind his actions.

            A chun-tzu would not follow just because it is what he saw. Therefore, in cooking meat, to make tenderizing meat faster, he first will ask—‘what is it in putting a metal spoon while cooking meat tenderizes it faster?’ A chun-tzu will look behind its principles. Looking further into the details of his actions, he might just discover that the metal spoon serves as a conductor of heat. And if put into a casserole of meat that is to be cooked, it conducts heat and makes the temperature rise and it will fasten the tenderizing of meat. This might be the reason or principle behind it or he might discover other principles behind it. But the main point is, the chun-tzu will discover what made it possible. 

           Therefore, if for example he doesn’t have a metal spoon while cooking meat, he will not have the dilemma of finding a metal spoon. He will just find something that is metal that could serve as a conductor of heat which is the reason that makes the tenderizing of meat faster. Therefore, a chun-tzu who knows and learns the principle behind every action that he makes, will never have the problem of substituting something with another. A chun-tzu will be able to formulate solutions to his every problem and makes his every action less prone to errors because he doesn’t follow blindly. A chun-tzu does not make his actions a product of habit or tradition but he makes sure that his every action is well-thought of therefore, less chances of committing mistakes.

            A chun-tzu cultivates himself to be wise. And what makes him wise is his knowledge and wisdom of looking behind the principles of his every action which makes him less prone to mistakes that he would regret. A chun-tzu, because his every actions are well-thought of have lesser regrets. Unlike the way of the multitude who follows the dust of their forefathers without knowing their reason of doing so have more regrets. It is simply because their every action are out of habit and not well thought of thus, they are more prone to committing mistakes, then they regret.