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An interpretation on the Lao-zi's 'Xuan-zhi-You-Xuan(玄之又玄), Zhong-Miao-Zhi-Men(衆妙之門)': concerning fundamental structure of Desire Doctrine

  • PHILOSOPHY·THOUGHT·CULTURE
  • 2006, (3), pp.59~110
  • Publisher : Research Institute for East-West Thought
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities

유병래 1

1경희대학교

ABSTRACT

This interpretation devotes to establish the logical structure of the doctrine of the concept Wei-dao-zhe[爲道者] on the basis of philosophical examinations and analyses of the first chapter of The Tao-Te-Ching.The Chinese term 'Wei-dao-zhe' in Tao-Te-Ching is translatable as ‘a man who is engaged in pursuit of realizing the real truth’. This technical term in The Tao-Te-Ching, however, can be analysed as containing two slightly different meanings, i. e. trying to realize the real truth and doing actions in conformity with the realized truth. Thus, by means of focusing on and analysing throughly the concept ‘Wei-dao-zhe’ in several dimensions, the thesis provides expositions of the ideal person or sage reflected by Lao-zi's doctrine.The first chapter of The Tao-Te-Ching shows the significant implication of Lao-zi's doctrine. In this chapter, the last paragraph “Therefore by constantly having no desire observe the purest phenomenon in it. By constantly having desire observe the distorted phenomenon. These two are unified the one, but the name is differentiated by means of two modes. The mode are both called Brightness-Darkness[玄]. The brightened Brightness-Darkness penetrate into other Brightness-Darkness[玄之又玄]. This is the gate of the pure phenomenon in everything[衆妙之門].” reveals, in particular, the quintessence of his doctrine in connection with the concept 'Wei-dao-zhe'. The ideal person or sage in this context is accomplished by means of completely eliminating his desire step by step.The point of this paper is that the fundamental structure of Lao-zi's doctrine of desire is revealed in the passage of “…by constantly having no desire observe the purest phenomenon in it. By constantly having desire observe the distorted phenomenon.”

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