Original article: 「道可道，非常道」──超越語言與概念限制的道家思想
Chinese philosophy cannot be fully manifested through merely deductive forms or pure knowledge derived solely from textual understanding. The language of Chinese philosophy often presents a characteristic of being inherently grasped yet difficult to comprehend the true essence through mere descriptive accounts.
The true principles of the Way and its nature cannot be fully expressed through conceptual content. However, without relying on concepts, there can be no discourse on the Way and its nature. Thus, the development of the Way ultimately relies on the elucidation provided by concepts and language. Nevertheless, we must understand that "The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way. The name that can be named is not the eternal name."
When truth is explained based on concepts, it also becomes a form of concealment and obliteration of the essence of the Way.
Therefore, any discourse system concerning the philosophy of life serves only as a means to guide certain practices or states of being. Conversely, if our minds are bound by concepts used for explanation, the spirit of the Way will be extinguished. In the face of this dilemma of dependence on guidance yet fearing obstruction, Daoism employs the linguistic approach described earlier as the paradoxical style of "revealing one thing while concealing another."
By dissolving attachments to the conceptual fixation on appearances, it aims to approach the manifestation and realization of metaphysical truths—what Laozi refers to as "words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical" and Zhuangzi as "paradox."
Thus, Daoism, on the one hand, engages in descriptions of the Way through linguistic systems, while on the other hand, it proposes guidance through "grasping the essence, forgetting the words" and "catching the fish, forgetting the trap," aiming to transcend the limitations of language and concepts, as famously stated in "The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way. The name that can be named is not the eternal name." The language of Daoism, when it comes to direct narrative of the world of appearances, is often not where the essence lies; its essence resides in the metaphysical realm. Hence, when "The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way" is attributed to a "Way" that can be defined or constrained by language and concepts, it is far from the truth.
Moreover, consider this analogy: "Those who possess the highest virtues of the Way do not seek to display them and thus possess them in their fullest measure. Those who possess lesser virtues seek not to lose them, and therefore they do not possess them to their fullest extent." The person of highest virtue is able to embody virtue precisely because they have no conceptual limitations on its content. Through natural spontaneity, they effortlessly manifest virtue. On the other hand, the person of lesser virtue is always anxious about losing it, and their attachment and rigid adherence ultimately lead to limitations.
Regarding the Way, all language used in explanations is a form of constraint. Therefore, in the process of unfolding the Way, it is essential to simultaneously break free from all concepts that obscure and obliterate the Way. This entails letting go of attachments. Concepts, language, and the illusory values they create must be discarded. If one understands that all values constrained by concepts are illusory, they can also comprehend the futility of humanity's blind pursuit of these values. Such pursuits ultimately prove futile, draining one's energy and harming the self. Hence, Daoism emphasizes "non-dependence" and "non-action".
Therefore, "non-action" is a state of acting in accordance with nature, where one acts without striving. It is not the passive idleness or aimlessness associated with the common perception of "idle," which originates from Confucian thinking. The Daoism approaches everything with a non-forcing attitude, embracing the natural flow of each moment. Even in the face of opposition, it adopts a receptive attitude of "going along with" the natural course. Thus, Daoism emphasizes the principle of "The Way follows the natural course." After all, isn't everything in the natural world following this pattern?
"Non-action" allows the preservation of the innate essence of all things, enabling the manifestation of an effortless and unrestricted state of being. This is the revelation of "existence." Therefore, Daoism emphasizes the cultivation of a "tranquil and empty mind," which differs from Confucianism's emphasis on the heart and moral character. The Daoism says, "Heaven and Earth are not partial; they regard all things as straw dogs." "Not being partial" represents an impartial and equal treatment, without favoritism. It is a state of "being without intention or action" in Heaven and Earth, where existence is allowed to arise and grow without being dominated. It is an absence of unwarranted interference and forced dominance. Thus, all things can naturally develop and preserve their true essence.
When we are able to let go and release with a tranquil and empty mind, our spirits obtain freedom—unrestrained represents the liberation of the spirit and the great freedom of the soul.
Written by Lily Chang
Sponsored by Mei-Hua Hall