The Hidden Codes of the Daodejing

The fourth volume in this series, Many Paths, One Center: The Dàodéjīng and the Worldview of Ancient China, provides a detailed presentation of the Thematic Context, which organizes the many important themes used in the Dàodéjīng so that its underlying Principles can be better understood and coordinated with practical application to daily Life. Here in the present volume, we shall also include the theme of the evolution of the Ruler to the Heart of every person including the role of the Sage who connects the two. This important role of the Ruler can be understood on four different levels in the text: (1) the archaeological versions where different references to the Ruler were used, (2) the Thematic Context where the Ruler is associated with Political or Governmental Force, (3) a numerological interpretation of the eighty-one chapters where the different roles of the Ruler are symbolized, and (4) the Three Levels of Healing established by Táo Hóngjǐng 陶弘景 in the fourth century CE where the role of the Ruler/Heart/Mind reaches the most comprehensive level of application.

The archaeological versions, Guōdiàn 郭店 of 300 BCE and Mǎwángduī 馬王堆 of 168 BCE, and discovered in 1993 and 1973, are the earliest Known versions of the text that we have today. The Guōdiàn version was written during the Warring States Period on bamboo strips while the Mǎwángduī version was written during the Former Hàn Dynasty on silk banners so that slight character variations are found that are not present in the Received Text of Wángbì. While most of these variations are minimal, most of which indicate that these earlier texts were written for the Ruler, the Received Text included in its audience the educated literati and, by implication, the common ordinary person. These differences are accounted for as much by the political and educational changes made in the Hàn Dynasty as they were by the writing Materials available at the time. From the Warring States Period through the Former Hàn, texts were written on silken cloth or rolled bamboo slips, a technique that limited their availability. However, by the Later Hàn, when the Received Text of Wángbì was written, paper was invented so that the same texts were now available to a wider audience, especially the larger and emerging class of bureaucrats. Furthermore, by the Táng Dynasty (618-905 CE), when Lǎozi was deified by the first Táng Emperor, woodblock printing was invented, which made these texts, and others, much more available as more and more people began to read. At the same time, the earlier Zhōu Dynasty concept of the Mandate of Heaven (tiānmìng 天命) evolved with the cooperation of Chinese Medicine to the extent where the Outer Ruler of the Kingdom also became a pertinent symbol for the Shén/Spirit of the Heart, which functioned in every person as the Ruler of the Body/Mind/Spirit within. The ideas in the Dàodéjīng, then, came to be understood as advice given, not only to the Outer Ruler of the Kingdom, but also to the Inner Ruler of the Heart for Humanity as a Whole.

The Thematic Context is an organization of over two hundred fifty-three different terms used in the Dàodéjīng into an overall Pattern from which the main Principles of the text can be understood on a more linear and comprehensive level. I discovered this system when I first translated the text from the original Chinese, which enabled me to see how different words were repeated throughout the text as well as throughout other related texts of Ancient China such as the Yìjīng, the Chinese Medical texts, the Confucian texts, and other Daoist texts that used the same words to consistently convey ideas that were not perceptible by reading other western translations. I, then, organized these terms into five basic categories, which in themselves summarize the fundamental meaning of the text and the highly significant worldview that emerges from it. These are:

1. A Definition of Dào as both Source and Path

2. The Manifestation of Dào into the World

3. Human Nature, Virtue/Empowerment, and the Psycho-Spiritual Dimension of Humanity

4. The Fragmentation and Loss of Dào

5. The Embracing of Dào for the Restoration of Humanity

Please notice that, for the sake of clarity and to facilitate the learning process, all of these terms appear in Small Caps wherever they are used in the text.

Included in these terms are the Ruler, the Sage, the role of Numbers as an aspect of the Pattern/Template system of archetypes, and the Mandate of Heaven, which connects the evolution of the Ruler to the Heart of every person and makes the text not only more available, but also a requirement for everyone who wants to attain the goal of One Peaceful World. In addition, the Mandate of Heaven is also related to the Three levels of Healing, an idea introduced by the Máoshān Daoist and Chinese Medical practitioner, Táo Hóngjǐng 陶弘景 (452-536 CE). These levels include the Symptomatic Level as the Lowest, the Preventive Level at the Middle, and the Fulfilling of Inner Potential at the Highest, which is directly related to the Mandate of Heaven as we shall see later in the section on the Thematic Context.

Reviews

A plethora of books exists on the Daodejing. Why do we need another one? Or, perhaps more to the point, why do we need a new five-volume work on the Daodejing? What more can be said that has not already been said?

These are reasonable questions to ask when confronted with Dennis Willmont's new five-volume opus on the Daodejing. How can there possibly be something new to say?

The fact of the matter is that there is something new to say. Willmont has studied the Daodejing for 50 years, learning Chinese and doing his own translations of the ancient text. In the process, he realized that extant English translations of the Daodejing have been made through the filter of the modern Western worldview. There is never a one-to-one corre­spondence between words in different languages. A translator always is called upon to make judgments when deciding how to translate various words, which is why computer translations of foreign text can be quite amusing or even mean­ingless. Decisions about how to translate the Daodejing have been made according to our own suppositions about what the text is saying rather than from the perspective of the people who were alive when the text was written.

How can a translator know the worldview of a text written down some 2000 years earlier and use it to inform the translation? Being a scholar as well as a translator, and being both literate in the language of ancient China and well-read in its texts, Willmont solved this problem by analyzing the text itself to uncover the worldview of the writer or writers of the text and of the people who lived according to its teachings. As an acupuncturist, Willmont also reveals to us aspects of our medicine that we could never learn elsewhere. By understanding the worldview out of which our medicine developed and was practiced, we expand our depth and breadth as practitioners of Oriental Medicine and recapture an element of our medicine that was lost long before we ever studied it.

In Volume 4, Many Paths, One Center: The Daodejing and the Worldview of Ancient China, Willmont analyzes the themes that appear in the Daodejing and reveals for us the worldview out of which the text emerged. This worldview is quite different from our own, which means that his translation of the Daodejing, based on the worldview of ancient China rather than our own dualistic and reductionistic worldview, is different from earlier English translations.

Willmont takes us step by step through the themes that appear in the Daodejing, deciphering the characters that make up the concepts used in the text and explaining their meanings. Given that there are hundreds of concepts in the text, this is no mean feat. To make it easier for us to understand the worldview revealed in the Daodejing, Willmont gathers the concepts together in categories and shows us the logical consistency within the text. He identifies five broad categories within the Thematic Context of the Daodejing:

1. Dao as Both Source and Path

2. The Manifestation of Dao into the World

3. Human Nature and the Psycho-Spiritual Dimension of Humanity

4. The Fragmentation of Dao and the Origin of Suffering

5. Embracing Dao for the Restoration of Humanity

Taken together, these five categories tell a story. We learn the meaning of Dao as the Source from which all things come as well as its function as a Path by which we can find our way through this life. We see how Dao manifests in the world and how it becomes the Pattern/Template for what we know as the world. We discover the psycho-spiritual nature of humanity, what makes us tick spiritually and how virtue manifests through us. We also learn how evil, misfortune, and suffering manifest in the world as Dao becomes fragmented. But, most importantly, we learn how to embrace Dao and restore ourselves and our world to wholeness.

The Daodejing is not a book of platitudes. It is an explanation for how we got into the mess in which we find ourselves - such as melting polar icecaps, millions of gallons of oil spilled in our oceans, plastic molecules in the food chain, discarded medications showing up in our water supply, mad cow disease, a medical system based on profit rather than health, agriculture that rewards quantity over quality - and it is a prescription for repairing ourselves and our world. It is a story of hope, and it comes with an instruction manual!

Willmont reveals all this for us and pulls it together so that the Daodejing informs our modern worldview and becomes a formula for how we can approach the troubles of our own time, as it became a formula for right-living for people facing the troubles of a world half way around the globe from us and in a totally different historical time. The message of the Daodejing is timeless. It addresses our needs today as well as it addressed the needs of the ancient Chinese. We have Willmont to thank for making its message accessible to us. Now it is our responsibility to apply its lessons in our daily lives - in our health care practices, for our personal growth, and for the restoration of our world.—Mary J. Rogel, PhD, LAc, Editor of Oriental Medicine Journal

Features

Table of Contents

Part I: Hidden Codes 16

Introduction 16

The Author of the Text 17

The Received Text of Wángbì 17

The Archaeological Versions 19

Original Form 19

Style 20

Mǎwángduī 20

Guōdiàn 20

Dating of the Text 21

Variations in the Mǎwángduī and Guōdiàn Versions 23

A Thematic Context 27

Defining Dào 30

Dào as Source 30

Dào as PATH 31

Manifestation of Dào into the World 31

A Comprehensive Cosmology 35

The Shamanistic Tradition 35

Cosmological Development 37

The Manifestation Sequence 38

Defining VIRTUE (Dé 德) 44

The Psycho-Emotional Foundation of Virtue 44

True Nature 45

The Higher Virtues 46

The Lower Virtues 46

The Five Psycho-Emotional Reactions 46

The Five Spirits 47

Fragmentation from Dào 52

Overview 52

Chapter 38 and the Code of the Five Constant Virtues 53

The Highest Level of Healing 54

Psycho-Spiritual Integration 54

The Three Levels of Healing 55

Prenatal and Postnatal Aspects of HUMAN NATURE 56

Continued Development from Life to Death 59

Embracing Dào 61

The Yin Principles of Return 61

Seven Types of Knowledge 63

Destiny 64

Restoration and Healing 67

Yin-Yang Balance 67

Meditation 68

Transformation, Enlightenment, and Longevity 69

Thematic Context Outline 71

A Numerological Interpretation 75

Numerology in the Dàodéjīng 75

Numerological Significance of the Nine Numbers 80

Divination and Chapter Interpretation 80

Numbers 80

Abstract Patterns Related to the Number Nine 80

Patterns in the Dàodéjīng Related to the Number Nine 83

The Evolution of the Ruler to the Heart of Every Person 85

Influence of the King 85

Source of Authority 85

Ruler of the Heart 86

Lǎozi as a Profound Symbol of Chinese Culture 87

An Historical Perspective of Lǎozi 87

The Yellow EMPEROR (Huángdì 黃帝) 87

Fúxī 伏羲 87

Record Keepers and Astrologers 87

IMMORTALITY Practices 88

The Buddha 89

The Hángǔ Pass 89

The Meaning of Lǎozi Riding the Ox through the Hángǔ Pass 89

The Conversion of the Barbarians 89

The Ox in the Cycles of the Five Phases 90

The Ox in the Chinese Zodiac 91

The Weaving Maiden and Cowherd Boy 92

The Birthing of the IMMORTAL Fetus in Inner Alchemy 92

The Meaning of These Legends in Terms of Lǎozi as the “Old Child” 92

Part II: The Text and Commentaries 96

Book One: “The Book of Dào” 96

Chapter 1 (1:1)―The Dào that Has No Name 96

Chapter 2 (1:2)―The Hidden Perfection of Yin and Yang 98

Chapter 3 (1:3)―Acting with Non-Action 100

Chapter 4 (1:4)―The Pattern/Template of the Lord 102

Chapter 5 (1:5)―Straw Dogs 104

Chapter 6 (1:6)―The Spirit of the Valley 106

Chapter 7 (1:7)―Leaving Yourself Behind 108

Chapter 8 (1:8)―The Highest Good is like Water 110

Chapter 9 (1:9)―Filling a Hall with Gold and Jade 112

Chapter 10 (2:1)―Mysterious Virtue 114

Chapter 11 (2:2)―The Thirty Spokes of a Single Wheel 116

Chapter 12 (2:3)―The Belly of the Sage 118

Chapter 13 (2:4)―Valuing Great Suffering 120

Chapter 14 (2:5)―Knowing the Ancient Beginning 122

Chapter 15 (2:6)―The Simplicity of a Woodcutter 124

Chapter 16 (2:7)―Returning to Destiny 128

Chapter 17 (2:8)―Accountability 130

Chapter 18 (2:9)―Confusion and Disorder in the Kingdom 134

Chapter 19 (3:1)―Limiting Desire 136

Chapter 20 (3:2)―The Infant Child who has not yet Laughed 138

Chapter 21 (3:3)―The Accountability of the Vague and Elusive 142

Chapter 22 (3:4)―Becoming the Model for Everyone 144

Chapter 23 (3:5)―The Whirlwind and the Thunderstorm 146

Chapter 24 (3:6)―Excess Nourishment and Useless Activities 148

Chapter 25 (3:7)―The Mother of the World 150

Chapter 26 (3:8)―Showing Your Lightness to the World 152

Chapter 27 (3:9)―Depending on the Good 154

Chapter 28 (4:1)―The Greatest Tailor Never Cuts 158

Chapter 29 (4:2)―The Spirit Vessel of the World 160

Chapter 30 (4:3)―Using Strength through Weapons 162

Chapter 31 (4:4)―Abiding with the Funeral Rites 164

Chapter 32 (4:5)―The Dào that has No Name 168

Chapter 33 (4:6)―He Who Dies But Doesn’t Perish 170

Chapter 34 (4:7)―Without Acting as their Ruler 172

Chapter 35 (4:8)―The Pattern/Template of the World 174

Chapter 36 (4:9)―The Fish Cannot Escape from the Depths 176

Chapter 37 (5:1)―Quietude 178

Book Two: “The Book of Dé” 180

Chapter 38 (5:2)―High and Low Virtue 180

Chapter 39 (5:3)―Attaining Oneness 182

Chapter 40 (5:4)―The Movement of Dào is in its Returning 184

Chapter 41 (5:5)―When the Scholar/Warrior Hears of the Dào 186

Chapter 42 (5:6)―The Manifestation Sequence 190

Chapter 43 (5:7)―The Benefits of Non-Action 192

Chapter 44 (5:8)―Knowing when You have had Enough 194

Chapter 45 (5:9)―Stillness Rectifies the World 196

Chapter 46 (6:1)―War Horses Breeding on the Frontier 198

Chapter 47 (6:2)―Knowing the World without Leaving the Door 200

Chapter 48 (6:3)―Through Non-Action, Nothing is Left Undone 202

Chapter 49 (6:4)―Being Good to Those Who are Not Good 204

Chapter 50 (6:5)―The Tiger Finds No Place to Claw 206

Chapter 51 (6:6)―Nursing the Ten Thousand Things 210

Chapter 52 (6:7)―The Mother of the World 212

Chapter 53 (6:8)―Braggers and Thieves 214

Chapter 54 (6:9)―Cultivating Virtue 216

Chapter 55 (7:1)―Poisonous Insects and Snakes 218

Chapter 56 (7:2)―The Mysterious Union 222

Chapter 57 (7:3)―Self-Rectification 224

Chapter 58 (7:4)―Making Things Square Without Cutting 228

Chapter 59 (7:5)―Preventive Medicine 232

Chapter 60 (7:6)―Cooking a Small Fish 234

Chapter 61 (7:7)―Seeking the Lowest Level 236

Chapter 62 (7:8)―Making Obeisance with the Jade Disc 240

Chapter 63 (7:9)―Taking Care of Things While They are Still Small 242

Chapter 64 (8:1)―The Journey of a Thousand Miles 246

Chapter 65 (8:2)―Returning to the Great Beginning 250

Chapter 66 (8:3)―Putting Yourself Last 254

Chapter 67 (8:4)―The Three Treasures 256

Chapter 68 (8:5)―Using the Force of Others 260

Chapter 69 (8:6)―Baring Arms without Rolling up the Sleeves 262

Chapter 70 (8:7)―Keeping Jade in the Bosom 264

Chapter 71 (8:8)―Being Sick of Being Sick 266

Chapter 72 (8:9)―Then a Greater Majesty Will Arrive 268

Chapter 73 (9:1)―The Spreading of Heaven’s Net 270

Chapter 74 (9:2)―The Official Executioner 272

Chapter 75 (9:3)―Acting with No Regard for Life 274

Chapter 76 (9:4)―Disciples of the Living and the Dead 276

Chapter 77 (9:5)―Handling a Stretched BOW 278

Chapter 78 (9:6)―Ruler over the Gods 280

Chapter 79 (9:7)―Holding the Left Tally 282

Chapter 80 (9:8)―O for a Small Kingdom 284 Translation 284

Chapter 81 (9:9)―Being without Contention or Suffering 286

Appendix 288

Basic Pronunciation 288

Bibliography 290

Index 291

Endnotes 293