PURPOSE – GUIDING PRINCIPLE – MINH LY DAO IN RELATION TO CONFUCIANISM, BUDDHISM, TAOISM, AND PHILOSOPHY
CHAPTER ONE
I. PURPOSE
COSMOLOGY
All religions speak of the word “Dao” (the Way). One who studies the Way must first know what the Way is.
Broadly speaking, Dao carries three meanings, ranging from lower to higher:
- Dao is a road or path (literal meaning);
- Dao is a fixed principle (right reason), that is, the path that everyone must follow (extended meaning);
- Dao is the ultimate end, the final point of the path spoken of above. Thus the second meaning is that of method, and hence also carries the meaning of “religion” (as in “Buddhism,” “Confucianism,” etc.), in order to reach the final meaning: purpose (the primary meaning).
In order of rank, this primary meaning, being the highest, ought properly to come first. But following the method of proceeding from the simple to the profound, the easier meaning must be explained first, leaving the more difficult meaning for later.
In its final sense, Dao (written with a capital D to distinguish it) is the supreme, absolute right reason; it is the complete and peerless Truth. It is the first moving principle. Thus, Dao is the first moving principle, that is, the first cause of the universe.
Within the realm of Heaven and Earth, the Book of Changes (Kinh Dich) recognizes only yin energy (khi am) and yang energy (khi duong). These two energies stand opposed to one another and are called “relative” (tuong doi). Both share a single absolute substance as their foundation.
When this substance moves, it produces yang; having moved to its fullest, it becomes still. When it is still, it produces yin; having become still to its fullest, it moves again — and so it continues to circulate without end. Since this is the source from which yin and yang arise, it is called the Supreme Ultimate (Thai Cuc) — “Thai Cuc” meaning “the utmost great.”
The Book of Changes says: “Ngu Dao chi toan the vi chi Thai Cuc, ngu Thai Cuc chi luu hanh vi chi Dao,” meaning: When speaking of the totality of the Dao (that is, the source from which yin and yang arise), it is called the Supreme Ultimate. When speaking of the circulation of the Supreme Ultimate, it is called the Dao. Dao and the Supreme Ultimate are two aspects of one and the same thing.
Tracing back further, before the Supreme Ultimate, the Dao is without sound or scent (vo thinh xu), without trace or sign (vo tram trieu), and is called the Boundless Ultimate (Vo Cuc) — “Vo Cuc” meaning “the utmost void.” The Boundless Ultimate and the Supreme Ultimate are two stages of the Dao.
Master Chou Lien-hsi (Chau Liem Khe, of the Confucian tradition) called the Dao “Vo cuc nhi Thai cuc” (the Boundless Ultimate that is the Supreme Ultimate). His meaning is that the Dao is true emptiness yet marvelously existent (chon khong ma dieu huu) — that is, in the place where one hears no sound and sees no trace, there lies the seed from which the myriad things spring forth.
There is a poem by Master Dao Quang describing the substance of the Dao, as follows:
A thing existed before Heaven and Earth,
Formless, it was truly silent and still.
It holds the power to master the myriad things,
Unmoved through all the seasons’ turning.
Vietnamese rendering:
There was a thing before Heaven and Earth,
Formless, truly without trace or breath.
Holding the power to master and beget the myriad things,
Through the eight seasons, unmoving, unchanging.
And regarding the forward sequence of the Dao’s transformation, the Wu Chen Pian (Ngo Chon Thien) contains this verse:
The Dao, from the Void, gives birth to the One Energy,
From the One Energy, yin and yang are produced.
Yin and yang unite again to form a third substance,
That third substance gives birth again and again, and the myriad things unfold.
The Dao, within that Void (the Boundless Ultimate), gives rise to a single energy (the Supreme Ultimate). This one energy gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang unite with one another to form a third substance, which is likewise a single energy. This third substance then continues to give birth and unite in the same manner endlessly, transforming into the myriad things.
The Book of Changes says: “Am duong diec van gia, khi da. Ky ly tac so vi Dao,” meaning: The circulation of yin and yang with one another is called energy (khi). Its underlying principle (raison) or cause (cause) is called the Dao.
Thus, everything prior to the Supreme Ultimate is called principle (ly). And once the Supreme Ultimate begins to move and become still, giving birth to yin and yang thereafter, it is called energy (khi). Hence the ancients sometimes spoke of “the principle of the Supreme Ultimate” to refer to the earlier stage, and sometimes of “the energy of the Supreme Ultimate” to refer to the later stage.
Once energy has come into being, the principle of the Supreme Ultimate remains concealed within it without changing, so that principle and energy become fused together. For this reason, principle always resides within energy, and energy never departs from principle.
Yin and yang are further divided into two levels: the Prior-Heaven (Tien Thien) and the Posterior-Heaven (Hau Thien). According to the Prior-Heaven Eight Trigrams, yin and yang are also called Chien and Kun (Heaven and Earth), belonging to the realm of energy and governing generation (sanh). According to the Posterior-Heaven Eight Trigrams, yin and yang are also called Kan and Li, possessing form and substance, and governing completion (thanh) — that is, nurturing something until its form is fully realized. Hence the scripture says: “Luong trung thien dia, tu ca am duong,” meaning: Two levels of Heaven and Earth, four kinds of yin and yang.
Before the transformation into the universe and into people and things, energy was originally pure. At that time, energy followed the mandate of principle, so that nothing was other than perfectly right and complete; hence it is called Prior-Heaven energy. The Book of Changes says: “Tien thien nhi thien phat vi,” meaning: Energy that precedes Heaven is not opposed by Heaven (that is, it is unconstrained). The yin and yang of the Prior-Heaven still reside within the energy of the Supreme Ultimate — meaning that although yin and yang differ, they remain but a single energy, now moving, now still.
By the time of the transformation into the universe and into people and things, energy had already turned into form and substance, gradually becoming coarse and turbid; hence it is called Posterior-Heaven energy. The Book of Changes says: “Hau thien nhi phung thien thoi,” meaning: Energy that follows Heaven must submit to Heaven’s seasons (that is, it is constrained). The yin and yang of the Posterior-Heaven have already emerged outside the energy of the Supreme Ultimate — meaning that the two substances have become entirely separated and reside in different places.
When yin and yang unite, generation and completion occur; when yin and yang disperse, destruction and extinction occur. Thus, the birth and death of the myriad things are governed by energy.
ANTHROPOLOGY (VIEW OF HUMAN LIFE)
Just as Heaven and Earth possess principle and energy, so too do people and things; hence the sages of old called the human being a “microcosm” (tieu thien dia, a small Heaven-and-Earth). The principle and energy within the human body are called: Nature and Destiny (Tanh and Mang), Spirit and Breath (Than and Khi), the One and the Primal (Nhut and Nguon). Popularly, these are called the “soul” and the “animal spirit” (hon phach), though hon phach strictly refers only to the Posterior-Heaven aspect.
Throughout the entire universe, energy is everywhere present — so where could principle possibly be absent? Just as a human being takes form through energy, so too does principle constitute human nature. The responsiveness (cam ung) of the human heart-mind is the circulation of energy. That which is never confused or deluded is the sovereign master within. Responsiveness, like the circulation of energy, cannot avoid occasional errors (when yin and yang are not in harmony) — yet in the end, one can still come to understand where the error lies, precisely because the sovereign master within is never truly deluded.
The Book of Odes (Kinh Thi) says: “Thien sanh chung dan, huu vat huu tac. Dan chi binh di, hao thi y duc,” meaning: Heaven, in giving birth to the various peoples, ensured that wherever there is a thing, there is also a rule governing it. The natural rule that Heaven bestows upon the people to uphold is the love of virtue and goodness.
The meaning of this verse is: Heaven, in giving birth to humankind within the universe, ensured that wherever there is form (born of energy), there is also a rule (that is, principle). This rule resides within the innate heart-mind of every person, serving as the model for all virtues, so that everyone is capable of recognizing and cherishing virtue and goodness.
Confucius praised the author of this poem, saying: “Ky tri Dao ho?” meaning: “Did this person truly know the Dao?”
The Book of Rites (Kinh Le) says: “Dai Dao chi hanh, thien ha vi cong,” meaning: When the Great Way is truly practiced everywhere, all under Heaven follow the principle of the common good.
Therefore, the Dao is the law of fairness, a universal standard common to all humankind, and not the private possession of any particular founder of religion. The great founders of religion are simply those of prior awakening, who illuminate the principle of the Dao so that others may come to know it.
It becomes clear, then, that the Dao is one and the same for all humankind. If everyone were to revere this single principle of the Dao, then all could coexist without harming one another, and act without contradicting one another. Only then might humankind hope to truly realize a state of great harmony in this world. Thus, the Dao’s chief concern is peace.
Because the Dao resides within the heart-mind of every person, Confucius further said: “Dao gia da bat kha tu du ly da. Kha ly, phi Dao da,” meaning: The Dao cannot be separated from oneself for even a single moment. If it could be separated, it would not be the Dao. For this reason, the Dao is also called “its own end in itself” — meaning that its purpose resides within one’s own person.
The Western philosopher Immanuel Kant, who revered only two things, said: one is the starry firmament above him, and the other is the moral law within him. Though the words differ, upon careful reflection, do they not point directly to the very same Dao spoken of by us in the East?
If one wishes to open the path to blessing and goodness, to close the door to sin and wrongdoing, to elevate human character, and to bind communities together, then apart from this purpose residing within one’s own person, there is truly no better method to be found. All other purposes located outside the self are false and impermanent, sowing only division and disorder among humankind.
Would Minh Ly Dao then choose any purpose other than this?
II. GUIDING PRINCIPLE
DEFINING THE WORDS “MINH LY”
The guiding principle (tong chi) is the intent and direction of each religious tradition. The guiding principle of Minh Ly Dao lies within the two words of its religious name, Minh Ly. The word Minh functions first as a verb; the word Ly that follows functions as a noun.
What does Minh mean? In its ordinary sense, Minh means to understand thoroughly, to recognize clearly. In moral terms, Minh means: “Tu giac nhi gioi tu khi” — Tu giac means to awaken oneself, to examine and know one’s own heart-mind by oneself. Gioi tu khi means to guard against self-deception. In other words: once you already know what is right, do not pretend not to know it and continue heedlessly following your own selfish desires. If one merely knows but refuses to believe and act accordingly, this cannot yet be called Minh.
What does Ly mean? This word Ly does not refer to knowledge derived from the five senses’ perception of the external world, from which one then draws inferences — for that would be a narrow and fragmented kind of reasoning, varying from person to person according to their learning, habits, and desires. On the contrary, the Ly spoken of here is the absolute right reason, belonging to the Prior-Heaven — that is, it exists naturally within the heart-mind of every person, serving as the standard for all forms of conduct. All external matters must be measured against this inner principle in order to determine right from wrong, good from evil. Before an act, it renders judgment; after an act, it renders critique.
Although this Ly is fixed and identical for everyone, it is not rigidly confined to one place. The Confucian texts call this “Dinh trung nhi vo dinh” (fixed within, yet without fixed location) — for it applies itself according to each particular circumstance, being extremely lively and all-encompassing. When released, it fills all six directions; when withdrawn, it retreats into hidden stillness. It is like fire within a stone: strike the stone anywhere, and sparks fly forth; yet once the striking ceases, no one knows where the fire has gone.
In the Bo Cao scripture of Minh Ly Dao, the Buddhas and Immortals explained the meaning of the two words “Minh Ly” in the following verse:
Dao is the root that must be sought,
Minh — illuminated conscience examines all things thoroughly.
Ly is the true nature, without duality,
It resolves fortune and misfortune without partiality.
The phrase vo nhi thi means: there is only one right reason, not two — that is, it is absolute. The Ly spoken of here is the absolute true nature. Thus, Ly is identical with true nature (chon tanh); true nature is Ly. Hence the compound terms “rational nature” (ly tanh) or “natural reason” (tanh ly) are also used.
MINH LY IS GROUNDED WITHIN
Lao Tzu said: “Tri nhon gia tri, tu tri gia minh,” meaning: To know others is wisdom (tri); to know oneself is illumination (minh). Thus the word Minh primarily concerns what lies within.
The guiding principle of Minh Ly Dao is to enable every person to thoroughly understand and perceive their own original nature. Yet all beings throughout the universe share one and the same original substance, which is the Dao. If one comes to know oneself, then by inference one may also easily come to know others and other beings; and having come to know others and other beings, one may then be of help to them.
The Doctrine of the Mean (Trung Dung) expresses this very same idea, saying: Among all under Heaven, only the person of utmost sincerity is capable of fully perceiving their own nature; having fully perceived their own nature, they can fully perceive the nature of others; having fully perceived the nature of others, they can fully perceive the nature of all things; and having fully perceived the nature of all things, they can then assist in the transforming and nurturing work of Heaven and Earth.
Duc Thai Thuong, descending through automatic writing (giang but), explained the two words “Minh Ly” for Minh Ly Dao in relation to the hexagram Trach Loi Tuy (Lake over Thunder, “Following”). In essence, he taught: In this hexagram, the upper trigram is Doai, belonging to the West, representing feeling/emotion (tinh) — that is, “the other,” belonging to the external. The lower trigram is Chan, belonging to the East, representing nature (tanh) — that is, “the self,” belonging to the internal. Doai means to delight in beauty. Chan means to stir into motion. The self stirs from below, from within, seeking to please the other who is without, above, and who delights in beauty. This is the mutual correspondence between “the other” and “the self,” hence it is called “Following” (Tuy). Minh Ly means to use one’s nature to seek out feeling, returning it to its root.
To return to the root means to guide feeling by nature. In other words: to use one’s own enlightened nature, already self-realized, to accommodate others so as to bring them joy, thereby leading them back to their root, the Dao. If one is concerned only with one’s own enlightenment while forgetting others, or conforms to others while forgetting the path of central rectitude and losing one’s own root, this cannot yet be considered true Minh Ly.
III. MINH LY DAO IN RELATION TO CONFUCIANISM, BUDDHISM, TAOISM, AND PHILOSOPHY
RATIONAL NATURE IS ORIGINALLY ONE THING
In relation to the Three Teachings, Minh Ly, though differing in detail owing to circumstance, shares fundamentally the same guiding principle: to enable every person to clearly perceive the Dao within the human person, that is, rational nature (ly tanh). Rational nature is originally one.
Confucius called out to his disciple Tseng (Tang Tu), saying: “Ngo Dao nhut di quan chi,” meaning: My Dao is unified by a single principle that penetrates and comprehends all things and affairs. Tseng immediately replied, “Yes.” After the Master had departed, the other disciples asked Tseng what the Master had meant. Finding it difficult to speak of the very substance of the Dao, Tseng explained instead: “Phu Tu chi dao, trung thu nhi di hi,” meaning: The Master’s Dao is simply to give one’s utmost sincerity and to extend consideration from oneself to others. In truth, this statement speaks only of the function of the Dao, not its essence.
Master Chu Hsi (Chau Tu) gave a most precise explanation, saying: “Phu Tu chi nhut ly hon nhien, nhi phiem ung khuc dang, thi tac thien dia chi chi thanh vo tuc, nhi van vat cac dac ky so da,” meaning: The Master’s single principle is all-encompassing and responds universally to every particular matter, each according to what is fitting — just as Heaven and Earth’s utmost sincerity never ceases, so that the myriad things each attain their proper place.
YET IT BEARS MANY DIFFERENT NAMES
Yet rational nature manifests its marvelous function without limit. Because rational nature comprises all the principles needed to respond to the myriad affairs, people, according to each particular circumstance, have given it this name or that — and no small number of them.
Confucianism calls this One: the Supreme Ultimate (Thai Cuc) in the Book of Changes; the Heart of the Way (Dao Tam) in the Book of Documents (Kinh Tho); Illustrious Virtue (Minh Duc) in the Great Learning (Dai Hoc); the Nature Mandated by Heaven (Thien Mang Chi Tanh) in the Doctrine of the Mean; Innate Knowledge, Innate Ability, or Conscience (Luong Tri, Luong Nang, or Luong Tam) in the Mencius; Benevolence (Nhan) in the Analects (Luan Ngu); and Heavenly Principle (Thien Ly) in the Neo-Confucian texts on Nature and Principle (Tanh Ly).
Taoism calls this One: the Valley Spirit (Coc Than), the Eternal True (Chon Thuong), Heavenly Conscience (Thien Luong), True Nature (Chon Tanh), the Golden Elixir (Kim Don), and so on — and further says: “Thien dac nhut di thanh, dia dac nhut di ninh, than dac nhut di linh,” meaning: Heaven, having attained the One, becomes pure and clear; Earth, having attained the One, becomes peaceful and secure; the spirits, having attained the One, become numinous.
Buddhism calls this One: True Suchness (Chon Nhu), Buddha-nature (Phat Tanh), the Wondrous Mind of Primal Illumination (Nguon Minh Dieu Tam), the Womb of Tathagata (Nhu Lai Tang), Pure Consciousness (Bach Tinh Thuc), Dharma-body (Phap Than), True Self (Chon Nga), Relics (Xa Loi), the Vajra (Kim Cang), and so on. A Buddhist scripture says: “Tam, Phat cap chung sanh, thi tam vo sai biet,” meaning: The mind, the Buddhas, and all sentient beings — these three are without any difference. It is precisely True Suchness, the Buddha-nature, manifesting itself there — nothing other.
ONE MUST FIX ONE’S CONTEMPLATION UPON THIS ONE PRINCIPLE ALONE
Ordinarily, when people read scriptures and encounter many different names, they imagine there must be many different things, and so become confused and scattered in their minds. If one is confused and scattered, one lacks a single guiding focus — and thus one has already strayed far from the Dao.
The word One (nhut) refers precisely to fixed contemplation. Whenever one fixes one’s contemplation upon a single principle for a long time, that principle grows ever stronger. Once it has gained sufficient strength, it manifests spontaneously through one’s hands and feet, becoming action — sometimes without one’s even being aware of it. It is through this very process that the practice of the Dao becomes easy to accomplish.
It should also be noted: according to Eastern thought, this One spoken of above is Rational Nature, Innate Knowledge (Ly Tanh, Luong Tri). According to Western thought, this One is the noumenon (the thing-in-itself). Western philosophers and the teachers of the Three Religions all discourse upon this very same One, which is the Dao. Minh Ly discourses upon nothing beyond this One — so how could it be considered something foreign or strange? If there is any difference at all, it lies only in the depth or shallowness of understanding, and the depth or shallowness of practice.