8/9/2019 Huang Lao Essay

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Oscar Tadlock 

100926024

Chinese Philosophy and Religion

May 14, 2013

 

The Hang!"ao school is a syncre#ic school #ha# co$%ines ele$en#s &ro$ o#her

schools sch as 'aois$, Con&cianis$, and Mohis$( )# is cen#er is %ased on #he 'ao and

especially regarding #he #eachings o& #he *ello+ $peror( )n 19-3 silk #e.#s +ere &ond in

Ma+angdi #ha# ga/e insigh# in#o #he Hang!"ao school( The &or #rea#ises are #he ing a

經法, hi 'a ing 十大經, Cheng 稱, and 'ao *an 道原( These #e.#s are good

e.a$ples o& #he #heory o& non!ac#ion #ha# is %ased on non%eing and e$ploys #he rles o&

&ollo+ing and dependence(

The idea o& e$p#iness is gi/en in #he 'ao *an( )n #his #e.#, a descrip#ion o& #he

 %eginning o& #hings is gi/en( The descrip#ion e.plains ho+ e/ery#hing ca$e o# o& #he /oid(

This /oid +as #he One( This One e.is#ed a# #he %eginning o& #i$e in #he chaos, %e&ore #here

+as ei#her ligh# o& dark( The spiri# co$es &ro$ #his /oid( )# is s#ill and no# %righ#( The spiri# is

descri%ed as so$e#hing #ha# #he $yriad #hings canno# $ake se o&( )# is &or$less and can

 pene#ra#e #he na$eless( 5Hea/en canno# co/er i#, nor can #he ear#h %ear i#( )# is %ecase o&

#his #ha# %irds can &ly and &ish s+i$( /eryone ses i# %# no one can see i#(

)& +e canno# see i# ho+ can +e ge# i#7 Can +e o%#ain i# or is i# so$e#hing #ha# one

 %eco$es a+are o&7 The #e.# goes on #o say #ha# non!ac#ion is i#s &onda#ion( Here +e see #ha#

non!ac#ion is i$por#an#( )# is #he &onda#ion so +e canno# se ac#ion #o o%#ain i#( 8lso,

 %ecase i# is &a#ho$less +e canno# co$prehend i#( )& +e canno# co$prehend i# ho+ can +e

in/es#iga#e i# +i#h or $inds7 )ndeed, #he #e.# #ells s #ha# #he spre$e 'ao is %eyond

in/es#iga#ion( There is #he i$plica#ion #ha# i& yo are sing yor $ind #o s#dy, or in/es#iga#e,

#he 'ao, #hen i# is no# #he spre$e 'ao( The reason #he 'ao canno# %e kno+n #hrogh

e.a$ina#ion is %ecase i# is #oo %ig( )# enco$passes e/ery#hing and i# is %igger #han #he$( 8ll

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#hings se #he 'ao #o co$e in#o e.is#ence and re#rn #o #he 'ao +hen #hey die( The 'ao,

ho+e/er, does no# decrease or increase %y #hings as #hey $o/e in and o# o& e.is#ence( )# is

 %eyond $easre$en# and e.a$ina#ion( ei#her is s&&icien# #o pene#ra#e #he 'ao(

)n #he #e.# 5)n/es#iga#ion, #he *ello+ $peror also gi/es rles &or personal condc#(

He ses #he 'ao and #he #heories o& yin and yang #o de#er$ine #he cri#erion &or proper

condc#( The *ello+ $peror e.plains #ha# in pri$e/al chaos #here +as no di&&eren#ia#ion

 %e#+een yin and yang( :i#h &e$ale and $ale %eing represen#a#i/e o& #he ideas o& yin and

yang, he gi/es #he re;ire$en#s &or proper condc# in #er$s o& hard and so, $ale and

&e$ale( s# descri%ing $en and +o$en, %#

;ali#ies #ha# %o#h ha/e inside( One o& #he #heories o& yin and yang is #ha# %o#h con#ain each

o#her( There is yin in yang and yang in yin( The sa$e is #re here( Men also con#ain &e$ale

;ali#ies and +o$en ha/e $ale ;ali#ies( The *ello+ $peror al+ays places $ore e$phasis

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on #he &e$ale ;ali#ies and %elie/es #ha# #o ha/e grea#er &or#ne and longe/i#y i# is $ore

i$por#an# #o s#ick #o #hese &e$ale ;ali#ies( 8cc$la#ion o& /ir#e #he &e$ale is &a/ora%le

#o acc$la#ion o& disas#er #he $ale(

)n #he sec#ion 5a$es and Principles, The *ello+ $peror gi/es ad/ice #o #he rlers

o& kingdo$s( The ad/ice also &ollo+s #he sa$e rles as #he ones &or personal condc#= #he

rler shold s#ick #o yin( 8 rler $ay ac# %# #his ac#ion $s# %e %ased in #he yin energy( 5He

+ho is nyielding and ye# ac#s in a spple +ay +ill sr/i/e( He +ho is spple and ye# ac#s in

an nyielding +ay +ill %e c# do+n( This s#a#e$en# sho+s #ha# yang energy $s# also %e

inclded, %# #he yang is con#ained in #he yin( )& #he yin is con#ained in #he yang #hen disas#er

+ill resl#( This $eans #ha# yin shold %e #he &ocs no# yang(

The &or *ello+ $peror #e.#s &ond in #he Ma+angdi #o$% help gi/e s $ore

insigh# in#o #he Hang!"ao school( The help sho+ #ha# school +as roo#ed in sing ideas o& #he

'ao as #he %asis &or personal condc# and nders#anding #he la+s o& #he ni/erse(

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