The Dao De Jing

A Qigong Interpretation

Lao Tzu, Jwing-Ming Yang

• Publisher: YMAA Publication Center
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781594396519
• eBook ISBN: 9781594396205
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

This book examines one of the world's most enduring and influential literary works through the timeless art of qigong. In his words, Lao Tzu (or Laozi), author of the Dao De Jing, embodies qigong principles, advocating the cultivation of mind and body. Only when we know qigong can we know Lao Tzu—and only when we know Lao Tzu can we know the Dao De Jing.

Lao Tzu's writing has been read, translated, and discussed around the globe. It deals with principles that transcend time and culture. That is why this ancient text has been reimagined countless times in books on business, relationships, and parenting—but never with a focus on the art of qigong. This makes the Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation unique and indispensible.

Many chapters in the Dao De Jing purely talk about qigong, especially the practices of regulating the body, breathing, mind, qi, and spirit.

Dr. Yang, a renowned author, scholar, and martial artist, devoted decades to researching and writing this book. He interprets and analyzes the 81 chapters of the Dao De Jing. His commentary will bring new insight, inspiration, and depth to your understanding of Lao Tzu's words—and to your qigong practice.

This book includes

• The complete Dao De Jing in English and its original Chinese text
• Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's commentary and analysis of each chapter
• Numerous illustrations and diagrams

The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation is not a book of instruction. It is about the Way—the path before us, in qigong and in life, where what you achieve comes through your own understanding.

Dao Jing (Dao Classic)—Chapters 1 to 37

Note:

The first subtitles of most of the chapters were given by a Tiantai Mountain (天台山) Daoist hermit, He Shang Gong (河上公). Little is known about his personal background such as his place of origin and exactly when he was born. However, his interpretation of the Dao De Jing, known as “He Shang Gong’s Chapters of Lao Zi (老子) (Dao De Jing)” (《老子河上公章句》) written during the Western Han Dynasty (西漢) (228 BCE–8 CE), has significantly influenced Chinese scholars’ studies about the Dao De Jing. The second set of subtitles for all of the chapters were given by the author of this book, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming (楊俊敏) based on his understanding from a qigong point of view.

CHAPTER 1

Comprehending the Embodiment of the Dao—The Entrance of Dao

第一章

體道—道門

「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，眾妙之門。

The Dao that can be described is not the eternal Dao.

The Name that can be named is not the eternal name.

Nothingness can be named as the initiator of heaven and earth (i.e., Nature);

having can be named as the mother of myriad objects.

Therefore,

Always (maintain) nothingness, wish to observe its marvelousness.

Always (maintain) having, wish to observe its returning (i.e., recycling).

These two,

are commenced from the same origin but named differently, both are marvelous and profound.

Profundity within profundities, it is the gate of all marvelousness (i.e., variations).

General Interpretation

This first chapter is the root or foundation of the entire Dao De Jing. It is from this root that all the discussions in the following chapters are derived. Therefore, it is the most important chapter if one wants to accurately extract and apply concepts from this book. Fan, Ying-Yuan (范應元) said: “(This chapter) is the door of entering the ‘Dao’ and the foundation of establishing ‘De’ (i.e., Dao’s manifestation). It is the total conclusion of this classic (i.e., Dao De Jing).”¹

Dao (道) is the way of nature that cannot be described or interpreted by words. The work Guan Zi (《管子．內業》) says: “What is the Dao? The mouth cannot describe it, the eyes cannot see it, and the ears cannot listen to it.”² The Daoist book, Can Tong Qi (《參同契》) says: “The Great Dao does not have sound and is without odor and has no color and no emptiness. (Then), what can we say about it? It is because there is yin and yang hidden within this no sound and no odor. And there is a creation and derivations contained in this no color and no emptiness.”³

From these two sayings, we can see the Dao itself does not have any colors, physical forms, sounds, odors, or anything humans can describe. Though it cannot be sensed or seen, it is there and existing. Its power is great and it gives birth to all lives and objects.

The Daoist script, Qing Jing Jing (《清靜經》) say: “The Great Dao does not have shape (i.e., is not visible), but it gives birth to heaven and earth (i.e., the universe). The Great Dao does not have compassion, but it moves the sun and moon. The Great Dao has no name, but it grows and nourishes myriad objects. I don’t know what its name is, but if forced to name it, call it ‘Dao.’ ”⁴ Fan, Ying-Yuan (范應元) concluded: “The long-lasting and natural Dao exists, but without shape; though shapeless, there is an essence (i.e., content). It is so big that there is no external boundary; thus, there is nothing not included within. It is so tiny without an internal boundary; thus, there is no tiny place that cannot be entered. Therefore, there is nowhere it cannot permeate (i.e., reach).”⁵

This means the Dao is everywhere and there is no boundary, no limitation of time or space. It is something that, though it reaches everywhere, cannot be described. The reason for this is simply because the Dao is so profound and marvelous that it cannot be described by the limited human knowledge and concepts we have discovered or defined. If we use this limited knowledge to explain the Dao, the Dao will have been distorted and will not be the original natural Dao anymore. For example, the Dao is truthful and does not lie. However, we all lie and play tricks on each other. Consequently, we all have a mask on our faces. The Dao does not have emotions, colors, good or bad, glory, dignity, honor, pride, or any other desires created by humans. We humans are truly in a deep bondage to the matrix of all of these human emotions. Therefore, if we use our emotional and untruthful mind to judge the truth of the Great Nature, then the interpretation of the Dao will not be truthful.

The Great Nature does not have a name or give a name to anything. Therefore, all of the myriad objects do not have names. It was we humans who gave names. Once these names are given and defined, the natural truth is again distorted and becomes misleading. Therefore, once we have given the names to those objects or feelings around us, we have created a matrix (masked society) that is not the natural Dao but a human Dao. That means, again, we have defined Nature or the Dao through our limited mind.

Relatively speaking, nothingness can be considered as yin (陰) that initiates the millions of things (having). Having is the manifestation of nothingness (yin) and is considered as yang (陽). Nothingness is called the wuji state (無極) (no extremity, no polarities). From this wuji state, through taiji (太極) or Dao (道), the “having” is initiated. “Nothingness” and “having” are two aspects of the same “Dao”; even though there a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Foreword—Dr. Thomas Gutheil
• Foreword—Mr. Charles Green
• Foreword—Dr. Robert J. Woodbine
• Preface—Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
• Introduction/Foundation
• Dao Jing (Dao Classic)—Chapters 1 to 37
• De Jing (Virtue Classic)—Chapters 38 to 81
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Appendix: Translation and Glossary of Chinese Terms
• About Lao Zi
• About the Author—Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming