Saturday, August 25, 2012

See the True Nature and Not the Reputation



Words of Laozifounder of Tao)

This is my original translation of one of the verses on the first chapter: A path that can be described as the right way is not really the great or correct path.  No names are true names. When sky and earth was created names did not exist. When all other material things were created, names were labeled. So when you are free from avarice, you are able to see everything and everyone without the labels (names). When you are still full of desires you are only able to see the surface of all matter. Everything in this world was created from one original existence. Yet is has two names: ying and yang. I named the original existence as the “profound mystery” but even that mystery (darkness) was created by another mystery. That is the mechanism of this world – the gate way. 

Original script 道可道、非常道。名可名、非常名。無名天地之始、有名萬物之母。故常無欲以觀其妙、常有欲以觀其徼。此兩者同出而異名。同謂之玄。玄之又玄、衆妙之門.

   By reading this, my understanding is that everyone’s life has a meaning. Each of our lives is very precious and meaningful. No man’s life is a better life or the more correct path. Every life is worth the value because we will never get the same life ever again. Some people say, “my life is a failure”.   But from the original existence, we are all shinning and beautiful while writhing in agony and going through experiences.    

    A parent may scold a child when he comes home with a bad grade. But a grandparent is just happy to have a grandchild no matter what his grade was. So you could imagine what the original existence may feel for you.  Each of our lives looks amazingly beautiful from her standpoint.

   When people look at another person is he really looking at the person himself or is he looking at the labels (what he’s wearing etc). It’s really important to see others without the outlook and the labels. Even for your family, it’s important to try to understand their feelings from their point of view.

   The last phrase of Laozi’s word has a great profound meaning. Its meaning can be linked to modern physics. Words are too limiting to express the beginning and the truth of the universe. But I think Laozi has expressed the profoundness with precision. To explain it in the simple way, the universe is one but has two names, ying and yang. But the one was created by the two. 1=2. Everything is created by this cycle of 1=2. That is my interpretation of what Laozi had written.

In other words, one child is born from two humans (man and woman). One couple is two people. And looking from the space, Earth is one sphere. But looking from Earth, we contain many continents and 7 billion people. 1=7 billion. So when you see things through a name, one becomes many different things. This principle could be applied to many different things in our lives. That's why I feel Laozi is trying to teach us to look into the essence of matters or things and not the reputation or names/status.



Another interpretation from the reader of my blog: “People have names for gods. But true gods has no name. Are the name real names of the gods? Heaven and earth began from a place where there were no names. Then it was named and shaped into numerous pieces. Not swayed by names and shapes, one must see its true nature. Do not be seized by names and shapes only to see the surface of things. It is actually coming from the deep and dark part of our own consciousness. It comes from one esoteric movement. That esoteric movement derives from another deeper dark esotery. Mystery of all lives comes from there. ”

Ikashite-itadaite arigato-gozaimasu

Thank you for letting us live