Discovery & Knowledge in Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi

Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching and Zhuang Zhou’s Zhuangzi are both texts that teach the audience a great detail in the understandings of the complexities of life, with regards to interpreting simple phenomena as well as more intricate and complex accounts of life. In essence both texts deal with a variety of teachings under the umbrella of Taoism. Whereas Tao Te Ching focuses primarily on religious piety and universal teachings; Zhuangzi hones in more on universal teachings alone, with simple allegories that educate the reader on a broader underlying message such as the limitations of interpreting the outside world and its unknowns through your own bubble. However, one thing to take note of is the theme of Discovery & Knowledge, which is complicit with Taoism, in that both texts help the reader understand that the world we live in is a journey of discovery rather than the manifestation of creation. Much of what mankind has learned from the world has been largely due to the fact that many of these sources of ‘knowledge’ were already there and we are only discovering them.

“The Frog In The Well” is one of the allegories found in Zhuangzi. Its main characters are a frog and a large tortoise. One day the tortoise “passed by” the well (Zhou 65). It encountered the frog which went into great length about the comfort and pleasures of its amazing life. The frog explains the joys of his life; a life which is blessed with an abundance of space where the frog lives like a “king” as he tells the tortoise (Zhou 65). The frog goes on and on about what he does in the well and around it too. Slowly, you begin to realise though that the frog is only conscious of life in and around the well, and this becomes the basis of his knowledge and constructs about life. The reader begins to later see that the frog has developed a limited understanding of the size of the world.

Having invited the tortoise into his well, and the tortoises’ failed attempt to get in (due to being too big for the well) the frog is struck with disbelief when the tortoise explains that the well is nothing close to what he considers as “big” (Zhou 67). The tortoise explains that he has swam in big waters before, most notably the “Eastern Sea” which is immeasurable by depth and width (Zhou 67). Even in a “flood” that persisted for several years the Eastern Sea “did not get bigger” and neither did it shrink when a “drought” persisted for a few years either (Zhou 67). The frog listened in shock and puzzlement and was angry when the tortoise told him that his well “is nothing in comparison” (Zhou 67). The frog was furious and exclaimed that the tortoise was a “liar”, which transitioned the initial tone of the story from calm and composed, to angry (Zhou 67). However, the tortoise still remained calm and collected.

The tortoise’s anger was due to the fact that he did not want to accept or believe in the idea that his ‘world’ was small, as one can interpret his emotional outburst as a response of being challenged about the limits and bounds of life. The frog explained his life to the tortoise and did so in such a way that gives the impression that the frog viewed his surroundings, and thus life, as exceedingly large and when his ‘knowledge’ was challenged by the tortoise’s counter explanation of something greater (Eastern Sea) the tortoise refused the journey of discovery. It chose to remain entrapped in its bubble. This is where the theme of Discovery & Knowledge surfaces. Indeed, as pointed out by Zhuangzi, the frog “was limited by his will” and thus his discovery of knowledge was barricaded by his own doing.

Similarly, when Zhuangzi unpacks mankind’s constructs of knowledge a pattern of the same nature evolves through the theme of Discovery & Knowledge. In “Is Xi Shi Really Beautiful?” the reader is initially exposed to many human constructs of knowledge such as what exactly determines the notion that something is distinguished from being “right” or “wrong” and juxtaposing that with the constructs of knowledge which we have made, and the fickleness behind the idea of their very construction (Zhou 22). We could’ve called the sky, “horse”, and the ground, “point”, and still be able to make sense of it all. Hence, showing once again that knowledge is a discovery rather than something attained.

The tone of this allegory can best be described as a questioning tone as it moves to investigate what some humans may have conformed to calling knowledge. This allegory aims to show that actually we have merely named things according to our own wishes, and more importantly we have to understand that there is a distinction between a belief and knowledge. Hence, the idea that the “fish” may disagree with the notion that Xi Shi is “beautiful (Zhou 22). Zhou states, “In creating knowledge from a human standpoint, people trap themselves in their own limited world” and this becomes an evident truth as this allegory induces the theme of Discovery & Knowledge by showing how this error is easily made and why it should be corrected, lest people perish for lack of knowledge in the guise of their beliefs.

Lao Tzu shares a similar tenet in describing the complexities that follow the “tao”. Consider the following words by Tzu.

The unnameable is the eternally real
Naming is the origin
of all particular things. (Tzu 1)

What one can gather from this quote is that Tzu is helping his readers understand that what we have not named or described does not mean it does not exist. There merely lacks a record of its existence. What we know or believe to know comes into knowing through the fact that we have labelled these various items or entities. Having done so, mankind has simply created an identity for these things. This can be akin to the idea of your parents naming you when you’re recently born. That name calling establishes an identity which follows the personality which you will later morph into.

However, what one must take away from this is that the distinction made here between the “unnameable” and that which is named, is that which causes the theme of Discovery & Knowledge to re-emerge. The reader learns that constructs of knowledge have been developed by mankind but this does not mean that knowledge was created by mankind. Mankind has merely been complicit in the discovery of knowledge which he has disseminated to his fellow man over time. Therefore, through his calm tone, Tzu is indicating that the unnameable may be unfathomable but that does not mean it does not exist. It may simply mean that we are yet to discover this unknown knowledge. Thus, our beliefs should not restrict us from being aware of this “mystery” (Tzu 1).

In showing the limitations of mankind’s beliefs, Tzu unpacks a hierarchy of procession in the discovery of knowledge or “great powers” that are rather instrumental in its comprehension (Tzu 25).

The Tao is great.
The universe is great.
Earth is great.
Man is great.
These are the four great powers.

Herein, the reader learns that Tzu has made a revelation to mankind that they are quite small in the world that they inhabit. Above man is earth, and above earth is the universe which is below the Tao. The significance of which lies in the idea that Tao predates the universe but is neither the end nor beginning, as what cannot be accurately cannot be explained. The quest for knowledge and its discovery remains apparent and necessary. Thus, mankind’s inability to make sense out of the Tao should not limit the Tao but mankind alone because “Man follows Earth” but the “Tao follows only itself” (Tzu 25). The tone is rather authoritative as these short statements emphasize the finality of the point they wish to get across.

When one looks back to Zhuangzi there will be a story called “Passing On the Flame” which it face value explains the Law of Conservations of Energy — energy cannot be destroyed; it can only be transformed and transferred.

When oil is used
To sustain a
Flame, Even
Though the oil
May be consumed
The flame can
Be transferred
To another
Fuel and
Theoretically burn forever. (Zhou 31)

This quote means to explain that the flame is symbolic to knowledge which we will never stop trying as humans to drift away from its quest of the discovery of knowledge. The oil is symbolic to the surroundings that are visible to the human eye which we see being consumed and reaching their end. However, indeed, the flame burns forever, and even if you choose to distinguish the flame it still remains burning, just like how your spirit and soul are socially constructed to be everlasting, the flame remains eternal via its potentiality.

The same emergence of the theme of Discovery & Knowledge follow Zhou’s allegory titled, “Zhuangzi Dreams of A Skeleton” (Zhou 72). Zhuangzi speaks to a skull and his speech with it is quite suggestive of him wishing to make a point that the skull’s life is definitely unattractive and unpleasant. He asks the skull questions like, “Did you starve to death?” and the skull points out that these series of questions are only relative to a living human (Zhou 73). Having failed at trying to convince the skull that its life is miserable and undesirable; the skull shows Zhuangzi the error of misinterpretation. He shows that the non-existent worry of issues such leadership under a “king” or “old age”, are something that he need not worry about when one is dead (Zhou 73). Herein, the reader begins to understand that Zhuangzi’s approach induced a commentary derived from the limitations of his knowledge and his difficulty to comprehend its conceptualization.

The skull actually lived a stress-free life and therefore this helps break the unsound conception that death is a scary matter. In fact it brings a complete and sound argument which challenges the unmerited argument it attempts to present. He has been deprived of the knowledge to give an opinion on the matter because he has not lived the life of a dead person yet, assuming they actually do “live” in every human conception of what that means in its relation to the preservation/sustenance of life. Therefore, signifying that the discovery of knowledge is endless. Discovery & Knowledge thus emerge again in the capacity and understanding that it aims to show how the human grasp of knowledge is quite primitive. With a lack of knowledge it is a clear mistake to “over value life over death” (Zhou 73).

Lao Tzu also presents some words in agreement with the theme celebrated by the relationship of Discovery & Knowledge in Tao Te Ching. Zhou’s outline of Tao is like mankind’s discovery of knowledge in all the known academic disciplines he has produced constructs of (Zhou 42). Mankind is still walking down the road of discovery in the quest for knowledge. It seems like the road never ends, and with limited history on pre-historic civilizations we will never truly know exactly where this road even begins. As this discovery, implicates understanding the unknown by virtue of something being unexplainable, in a very philosophical tone (Helm et al 1).

Basically what this means is that what we have labelled as knowledge must have been there before us and evidence such as the modifications of past works and additional discovery of new theories suggests that indeed, like Tao, knowledge is infinite but at the same time complex in that it cannot be bottled down to a definition if it “cannot be perceived” (Tzu 32). This inability to contain knowledge and therefore giving room to bound it to more definitive terms is unlikely, due to the idea that knowledge remains and endless journey. The quest started before, and thus predates, mankind (Helm et al 4).

It is large beyond comprehension and small beyond sight — these are confines of measurement and by virtue of measurement they expand the depth of their explanation on known (or familiar) limits. Hence, the paradox that states Tao is “smaller than an electron” yet at the same time can be said to “contain galaxies” (Tzu 32). However, what cannot be perceived cannot be explained

All things end in the Tao
as rivers flow into the sea. (Tzu 32)

What one reads from this quote is that the Tao is symbolical to the flame allegory in Zhou’s Zhuangzi. Tao is boundless like water, which is consistent with the infinite characteristic of knowledge (Helm et al 9). It equally has no limits and remains on the path of discovery. The theme of Discovery & Knowledge therefore establishes a shared conception between the undying natures of knowledge. Its quest remains perpetually everlasting.

To some the road to discovery may look uncanny but it is indeed inevitable as it is complicit with the evolution/development of civilization. Therefore, instead of aiming to figure out the limits and bounds of knowledge it is better to look inward and attempt at “mastering yourself” which is believed to grant greater access to the vastness of knowledge (Tzu 32). Understanding that the quest of knowledge, or its discovery, is eternal allows the reader to grasp that mankind survives on a very limited shelter of knowledge.

According to the Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego and Taoist Institute of Los Angeles Tao much of the modern lifestyle we live today has a focus on “self-awareness” which puts this “promotion of the self” as a “discovery” which aims to open up the mind of the individual (Helm et al 8). Rev. Bill Helm, Dr. Carl Totton and Rev. Ted Kardash are in joint agreement that the inward look into the self allows a deeper understanding of the quest for knowledge as this embrace of self-awareness is an essential aspect needed to “solve the political and environmental problems” around us and therefore shows that the theme of Discovery & Knowledge remains persistent (Helm et al 8).

In essence what is constant between the two texts is that they do reveal a relationship between Discovery & Knowledge which shows that mankind has been discovering what has already been there, and merely labelled these discoveries. However, the discovery still remains a quest because knowledge is everlasting. Whereas Zhou is more practical in his teachings of the underlying message being presented, through his illustrations; Tzu grounds his conveyance of the central message with words that present a calm, philosophical tone. On the same end of the spectrum Helm, Kardash and Totton help the reader see the cultivation of the theme of Disocovery & Knowledge by suggesting that mankind exhibit some sense of self-awareness to remain on knowledge’s unending quest . This helps to make sense out of the comprehension that mankind has sustained or birthed its knowledge from the sightings and calling of things which predate civilization. Its quest remains an undying journey.

Works Cited

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