Knowledge

Read Bill Hulet’s excellent writting “Daoism and Science“. I want continue his considerations on science and knowledge by some short words on Daoism and place of the Guanzi for further details which contain in the next posts.

The facts of which we will discuss, of course, are not as simple as the discussion, for ancient China is far away really. Anyway, at one time, there was undoubtedly two different and seemingly two opposite thoughts relative to Laozi and Confucius. But if those have been seen from a deeper point of view, we finds them complementaries of the Chenese tradition: Laozi’s thought (Daoism) as for esoteric souls (who witness the Dao before, within, and after all things), and on the other hand, Confucianism as for exoteric ones. Both thoughts originate from the same more ancient religion in which seem it, in itself, had these two streams.

It is not important that the Guanzi belongs to the era before Daoism or not, but the very important issue is that the Daoist chapters of the Guanzi belong to ancient chinese religion before Laozi and Confucius.

Both Laozi and Guanzi’s perspectives are esoteric, but Laozi’s point of view has somethings that there are not in the Guanzi, including the efforts for establish a way against the Confucian one.

When the Dao falls into disuse
There are benevolence and rectitude;
When cleverness emerges
There is great hypocrisy;
When the six relations are at variance
There are filial children;
When the state is benighted
There are loyal ministers.
Laozi, Ch. 18.

These words are in conflict with Confucian morality and politics which is in fact external imposition. Benevolence (ren仁) and rectitude (yi義) are two honorable concepts for Confucians, for the very reason Laozi has not peaceful relation with them. So mind/heart (xin心) with its limits is dear for exoteric part of people, and therefore, on the contrary, Laozi says, “in governing the people, the sage empties their minds (xin) but fills their bellies” (Ch, 3). We don’t find such these statements in the Guanzi, neither on benevolence and rectitude nor on mind. Guanzi is against mind and at the same time glorify it. He is against mind as store of datas and glorify it for the sake of its another mind which has within itself.

When our minds are well regulated,
Our sense organs are also well regulated.
When our minds are at ease,
Our sense organs are also at ease.
What regulates them is the mind;
What sets them at ease is the mind.
The mind therefore contains an inner mind.
That is to say within the mind there is another mind.
(Guanzi, Nei Ye, VIII)[1]

The another mind within the mind can be translate into Sufism (as a language) as “aql-i aql” (just like “xin zhi xin” 心之心) that Rumi says,

Philosophers stick at the limits of reasons,
Sufis drive the mind of mind.

And also says,

Reasons are two:
The first is obtainable reason,
Which you can gain it if you study in school!
But God (yazdan)[2] grant the another intellect,
Its originates from the center of spirit.

———-
[1] Trans. W. Allyn Rickett, Guanzi, Volume II, p 47.
[2] Yazdan, Persian word, literally means gods in Iran before Islam, but after Islam Sufis use it for refer to the one ultimate Truth as personal God and as the object of prayers.

Tags: china, guanzi, knowledge, laozi, ren and yi, rumi, xin