Words of Laozi（founder 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
