According to Lao-zi, despite the fact that Dao or the Way of Nature is mysterious, its operation could yet

be characterized in two ways. In this document, I shall seek to explain what these two ways are, and to show what had led him to the conclusion that the usual way of man as actually contrary to the Dao of Nature.
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Lao-zi on The Operation of Dao

An excerpt from The Six Patriarchs of Chinese Humanism Author: Peter M.K. Chan All rights reserved ====================================================

For what Lao-zi had come to see, even though the operation of Dao is invisible, elusive, and vague (without shape or form), careful observation will show that it is actually working in two ways. One is that it is reversing or returning ( fu or fu kwei). Another is that it is contrary ( fuan). Of reversing and returning, this is what the Dao Der Jing has to say.
Continuous and unending beyond possible description, It returns ( ) to things.
(Ibid. Section 14)

All things operate together, and I see them reversing ( ). All things flourish, but will return ( ) to their roots. Returning to their roots is called tranquil. To be tranquil is to return to their destiny ( ). Returning to destiny is called normal ( ). To know this normality is called enlightenment.

 (Ibid. Section 16)

Blessing is where calamities rest. Calamity is where blessings hide. It is difficult to ascertain which is more fundamental. What is correct will revert ( ) to what is perverse, What is good will revert ( ) to what is evil. Such have been the perplexities of man for a long time.
(Ibid. Section 58)

Upon the first two strings of assertions, it is not difficult to see that by reversing or returning (foo or foo kwei ), Lao-zi was referring to the regular cycles of nature, such as the cycle of life and death, day and night, repetitive changing of seasons, and so on. Such returning to destiny as he called is also being thought of as constant and normal ( ). Upon the third string, however, it is also obvious that the term foo ( ) is being used to convey another idea. It is that human affairs are likely to revert from one extreme to another: such as blessing may beget calamity, good may become evil, and vise versa. Implicit is the idea that the operation of Dao is contrary to the usual understanding and expectation of man. As to the meaning of fuan ( ), lets again extract from the Dao Der Jing where the term occurs:
To be great is to transpire. To transpire is to be far reaching, And to be far reaching is to become contrary ( ).
(Ibid. Section 25)

Contrary ( ) is the operation of Dao; Weakness is its function. All things in the world come from Being ( ),

And Being is generated by Non-being ( ).

(Ibid, Section 40)

The profound accomplishment of Dao is deep and far reaching. It is contrary ( ) to the virtue of things. This is why its operations are extremely smooth.
(Ibid. Section 65)

It is not difficult to see that what is being conveyed by the word fuen ( ) is the idea that the operation of Dao is contrary to the accepted understanding and expectation of man. Firstly, it is certainly more sensible for us to think that to be great is to persist (rather than transpire), and that to transpire is to loose potency (rather than far reaching). Secondly, as the wherewithal of all things, Dao is said to be weak rather than strong (as one would tend to surmise). Thirdly, the idea that Being has actually come from Non-being is also contrary to the commonsensible view that something must have come from something, and that it is not possible for anything to come from nothing. Fourthly, it is clearly stated that the profound accomplishment or Virtue of Dao is indeed contrary to the virtue of things. That this is indeed so is further illustrated in the Dao Der Jing as follows:
Heaven and Earth are not humane, They regard all things as straw dogs.
(Ibid. Section 5)

Comment: What Lao-zi might have meant, I believe, is that in the case of floods and droughts, or typhoons and earthquakes, animate beings in particular are indeed very much like straw dogs. A more philosophical way of understanding this statement is that Heaven and Earth (or Nature) is not to be construed as having likes and dislikes, or emotional sentiments of any kind, as humans do. Such a naturalistic understanding of Heaven was clearly contrary to the view of Moh-zi and the anthropomorphic concept of Heaven prevalent at the time. Heaven is enduring and so is Earth.

They are so because they did not come in and of themselves. This is why they can last for a long time.
(Ibid. Section 7)

Comment: That the reason why Heaven and Earth is able to endure is the fact that they did not come in and of themselves is again contrary to the usual understanding of Man. It is more reasonable to think that what is able to endure for a long time has got to be something that is selfsufficient, as well as having the wherewithal to exist on its own. Dao does nothing, and nothing is left undone.
(Ibid, Section 37)

Comment: By doing nothing, what Lao-zi meant is the idea that the operation of Dao is completely spontaneous. It does not have to exert in order to get things done. This is another way of saying that the operation of Dao is indeed contrary to the way of Man. (Dao) produces but does not possess, It works but does not hold, and feeds but does not slaughter. This is called mysterious and profound Virtue.
(Ibid, Section 51)

Comment: Lao-zis message is clear. The mysterious and profound Virtue ( ) of Dao is indeed contrary to the accepted practice or virtue of man such as wanting to possess what is being produced, to hold onto the fruits of ones labor, and to slaughter animal for food. The Dao of Heaven overcomes without having to compete. It responds to things without having to speak, And comes of itself without being summoned. .... The net of Heaven is vast, wide in mesh, but lets go of nothing.
..... (Ibid. Section 73)

Comment: Again, the idea that the operation of Dao is unlike the contentious and noisy way of man is being conveyed. Further, that Heavens vast net is able to catch everything with its wide mesh is also contrary to the wisdom of man (those who had to fish for a living in particular). For those who are not familiar with Chinese culture, let me

also point out that this metaphor of Lao-zi has also become an idiomatic warning to those who might have done or plan to do anything evil. The Dao of Heaven is good at winning without having to contend. It is good at responding without having to speak. And comes of itself without being summoned. It is also good at planning without feeling anguish.
(Ibid. Section 73)

Comment: That the Way of Nature (Heaven) is not just different, but contrary to the way of man, is again being clearly conveyed. It overcomes without having to contend, responds without having to speak, comes without being summoned, and so on. The Dao of Heaven supplements what is inadequate by depleting excesses. The way of man is different. It takes from the inadequate so as to augment excesses.
(Ibid. Section 77)

Comment: That the Way of Nature (Heaven) is contrary to the way of man is again being conveyed. The usual way of man, as we all know, is more inclined to make the poor poorer so as to make the rich richer.

As readers can see, what Lao-zi saw to be the operational constant of Dao is indeed contrary to the usual way of Man. Whereas Dao is without moral sentiments (inhumane as he called), spontaneous (not exerting itself), not possessive, and does not compete; human beings are moralistic, assertive, possessive, and contentious. They would rather be frugal with others and generous with themselves as well as bearing gifts to the rich rather than sharing with the poor, and so on. As we shall see, it is upon this concept of fuen ( ) or contrary to the accepted practice and usual thinking of man that Lao-zi was to erect his contrarian philosophy of life. It is also upon this same ground that he would further seek to show that what is wrong with man and society is all due to the fact that people are both ignorant of, and are not following the operation of Dao or Way

of Nature. As to why man should follow Dao, Lao-zis reasoning is this. In view of the fact that Heaven above and Earth below (with man and his society that dwells in between) are but the products of Nature, it would be foolish of anyone to think that human society is able to persist and prosper by going against the operation of Dao. From this, it further follows that the only way for man and society to live and operate is to emulate the Way of Nature. As he put it: Man emulates Earth, and Earth emulates Heaven. Heaven emulates Dao, and Dao emulates Nature. (
Ibid, Section 25)

Lao-zi overall message is therefore this. It is better to follow the Way of Nature than the way of Man. To act without knowing that which is unchanging could only lead to disaster (Ibid, Section 16) However, as he was also eager to point out, there is help for anyone who seeks to emulate Dao. Dao is the sanctuary of all things. It is treasured by good men, and offers refuge for those who are evil. ( Ibid. Section 62) Further, as Dao is long lasting and is able to perpetuate without a body, ( Ibid, Section 16) whoever holds onto Mother would also survive (or not die) without a body. ( Ibid.
Section 52)

Comment: What is being conveyed is that it is wiser for all to emulate the Dao of Nature (or the Mother of all things) and live in the correct way. It was also Lao-zis view that those who are compliant will be able to persist even after their bodily demise. What this means, or could be taken to mean, is that Lao-zis view of Man is dualistic (constituted of body and soul). As a matter of fact, in a few other places in the Dao Der Jing, the existence of ghosts is referred to once and again. For instance, it is said that if Dao is used to preside over the world, ghosts will lose their spiritual power. Its not that ghost are not spiritual beings, its that they will no longer hurt anyone. ( Ibid. Section 60) It is remarks such as this, I believe, that had eventually given rise to what has come to be known as religious Daoism.

==================================================== Peter M.K. Chan is the author of The Mystery of Mind (published 2003), and Soul, God, and Morality (published 2004). Recently, he has also competed another work titled The Six Patriarchs of Chinese Humanism (available in ebooks, but not yet in print). For more information regarding the above, please visit http://sites.google.com/site/pmkchan/home http://sites.google.com/site/patriarchsofchinesephilosophy/home http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/petermkchan