When a philosopher read as a near neophyte

Reading “Understanding the Tao” #1

Birth of Laozi

I would like to offer you a reading of a book on Taoism (or Daoism). I am far from being a specialist. I have a basic knowledge of Taoism, but nothing comparable to my knowledge of other parts of Asian philosophy.

I do not begin to read this book without an idea in mind. I am currently running a series of collaborative seminars with a specialist in French philosophy and a specialist in phenomenology with a comparative background. In May, the seminar will cover some parts of the Taoist scriptures. I will have to chair the session, introduce our general project, and moderate the discussion. Although my contribution will certainly be modest, as a philosopher I would like to say something that makes sense!

The book recommended by someone who knows Taoism much better than I do is a French book written by Isabelle Robinet. It is called Comprendre le Tao (Understanding the Tao) and was published in 1996 by Bayard Editions and republished in 2002 by Albin Michel Editions.

Isabelle Robinet was an internationally renowned French Sinologist. While some of her work has been translated into English, this book is not. However, you can take a look at her book, Taoism: Growth of a Religion, published by Stanford University Press in 1997.

Understanding the Tao is a 300-page long book. What will be presented here are some elements from it as well as some of my thoughts on this Chinese tradition of thought. Let’s start with the beginning.

What is Taoism?

According to Robinet, Taoism is the only significant endemic Chinese religion. It is part of the three teachings in China: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

While Confucianism is based on the teachings of Confucius and Buddhism on those of Buddha, Robinet says there is no founding figure in Taoism. Rather, it is a doctrine that has emerged over time, gradually integrating China’s older traditions of thought. She writes:

This [i.e. Taoism] has gradually been formed over a long gestation period, which has been a progressive integration of various currents drawn from the ancient depths of China. (p. 7)

It has evolved over the centuries, integrating other elements picked up elsewhere, but always remaining strongly tied to its own past. Robinet describes it as an ever-living tradition of thought.

She also believes that many analogies can be drawn between Taoism and pre-Socratic philosophy, or even Taoism and contemporary philosophy, which probably underscores the timeliness of the Chinese endemic tradition of thought. For example, she mentions the idea of plurality of worlds, chaos, and noise (bruit).

Taoist thought, in fact, coincides in certain points with the Greeks, especially the pre-Socratics, as well as with the great mystics, but also, and in a striking way, with modern philosophers, as we shall see, through its pluralism (several possible worlds at different times and in different places), its uni-dualism, which is both monism and dualism, through its circularity and its openness (…). (p. 8)

She points out that the word “Taoism” (道家) in China initially had only a classificatory purpose, referring to texts by Laozi (老子), Zhuangzi (莊子), and the mythical “Yellow Emperor” Huangdi (黃帝). It has been mixed with various endemic traditions related to exorcism, quasi-medicine, or even magical practices from the very same period of Chinese history. Cosmological speculations have also been added to contribute to the formation of the Taoist worldview.

Over time, a synthesis has been made that has never constituted a homogeneous doctrine similar to the Christian or Buddhist canon. Robinet describes Taoism as a plethora of practices, albeit underpinned by a particular spirit (p. 9).

Taoism includes rituals that are essentially aimed at establishing communication with divine forces. She notes that meditative practices are an important part of the rituals, but indicates that she will focus her explanation on those that have philosophical and mystical dimensions (p. 10).

The first part of the book is devoted to the historical sources of Taoism, starting with Laozi.

Laozi (老子)

Laozi is a mythical figure, presented by one source as an archivist, making him someone who would have had both political and religious knowledge. This is in contrast to Confucius, who is presented as being of petty nobility and contributing to the laicization of knowledge. We then presented with two different perspectives: a political and religious knowledge thinker (Laozi) and a political and laic thinker (Confucius). (pp. 13–14)

Laozi’s birth is described in much the same way as the birth of the Buddha or mythical Chinese emperors. He knew how to walk and speak from birth, and had some signs resembling signs of Buddhahood such as the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama had at his birth.

His body, like that of the Buddha, was marked with 72 or 81 marvelous features, including, for example, a square mouth, a solar protuberance and a lunar crescent on his forehead, three openings in his ears, and two bones in his forehead. (p. 15)

The legend says that Laozi was deceived by Zhou decadence and decided to run away. However, He was stopped by a guard that ask for his teaching, leading to what we know of as the Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing (道德經), the Book of the Way and Virtue.

Laozi is considered one of the most important sages of China, deified and revered since the second century. He received many titles, making him a highly important, sometimes the most important figure in all of Taoism.

He is considered a wise political advisor and a master in immortality, which is also a dimension of the Tao Te Ching. He is said to have mastered the physiological practices that allow him to free himself from the world and reach the Tao (道, a mysterious concept for sure).

The legends claim that he advised many emperors from different eras, making reincarnation a peculiar feature of this advisor who is also the master of powerful leaders. Some even claim that all the ancient masters of historical or mythical emperors are manifestations of Laozi (p. 17).

Some descriptions of Laozi tend to equate him with the Tao. He not only reached the Tao, but became one with it, like other Taoist sages.

Robinet also explained that from the 6th century a cosmogonical myth make Laozi as a “Makanthropos,” a comic man who is the universe and the universe when made of his dismemberment as Osiris (p. 19) — a myth similar to that of Pangu originated in southern China and that is known from the 3rd century (p. 19).

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I will stop this reading here and continue in another post with a reading of Robinet’s presentation of the Tao Te Ching and its philosophy.