Chapter 25.1: The Way Expands, Inundates, & Brings Us Back

 

There is a phenomenon formed from the co-mingling of matter, 

it preceded the birth of heaven and earth.

Solitary and still, like an empty house, 

it stands independent and it changes not 

 – it does not need to work on itself. 

It is constantly in motion 

 –it’s intersections are an all-encompassing fertile field

 and yet it is never in danger of breaking down,

It can be regarded as the mother of heaven and earth.

I don’t know its name but if forced to give it one, I call it: the Way. 

If forced to label it, I’d call it: great and enlarging.

Enlarging, it is called: precious floodwaters. 

As precious floodwaters, it is called: far-reaching. 

Far-reaching, it is called: returning.

This chapter opens with a description of the Way as a phenomenon formed from the combination of matter that preceded the earth and the cosmos.  As such, it exists apart from and independent of the Newtonian world we live in, which is constantly changing and subject to all sorts of relativity, subjectivity, and deterioration.  This is what Christianity might call the "fallen" world and what is known in science as the Second Law of Thermodynamics, or the Law of Entropy.

In the words of science fiction author Isaac Asimov (1920-1992): 'The universe is constantly getting more disorderly!'... all we have to do is nothing, and everything deteriorates, collapses, breaks down, wears out, all by itself." It is the nature of all complex systems (with perhaps the sole exception being evolution of species?), to break down over time and move from order to chaos.  The assertion of the Dao De Jing is that the Way is not subject to the Law of Entropy or external factors and forces but rather that it exists as the omnipresent substrate of the universe.  It doesn't break down or fall apart like everything in the world does.  As such, it is reliable.  Like a mother, it gives birth to, nourishes, and nurtures all things in the heavens and on earth.  

Thus, the Way serves as a sanctuary, like a solitary house, that one place in the universe that we can always return home to; like an empty hostel with doors wide open, it will never be too full to accommodate us and provide rest and refuge on our journeys through life.  The Way is always there, when everything else in our lives has changed or passed away.  It does not change the rules on us, there are no exceptions to the rules, and it does not break its own rules.  It is an infinite intersection of openings and opportunities, a never-ending network of nurture and nourishment, a constant crossroads of potential and possibilities that is available to each and every one of us, not just an elite few.  Like an all-encompassing valley, the Way is a fertile field of growth and abundance that every one of us can sow into and harvest from.

Without knowing whether or not this phenomenon has a name or character of its own, the "Old Master" calls it the Way – referring to the truth that as we stand at the crossroads, every moment and every minute of our lives, we have the chance and choice to look at the options and opportunities and decide how we will view it, how we will act on it, and which direction we will move.  We don’t always get to choose the circumstances of our lives but we always get to choose how we will see them, what we will think about them, what we will do about them, and how we will move through them.  This is the Way of leadership and there is ALWAYS a Way – a Way up, a Way out, a Way forward, a Way around, or a Way through.  There is ALWAYS a Way to get from whatever crossroads we finds ourselves at in this very instant to where we want to be in our lives and what we want to create for our lives and in the lives of all those around us. 

Knowing that it is impossible to find a name that could ever encompass all that the Way is, all that it promises, and all that it offers – not wanting to limit our understanding of the Way – the only label that can begin to describe the Way is 'great and enlarging.'  Walking the Way makes us greater than we currently are.  It enlarges us, empowers us, and expands us to grow and become more than we are – to move toward the best version of ourselves and tap into our infinite worth and unlimited potential.  

 

The Way is like life-giving, precious floodwaters for our souls.  In ancient China, the floodwaters brought a double dose of seasonal silts, rich resources, and nourishing nutrients to the starved soils and famished farmlands.  The impact of these floodwaters was far-reaching both in time and space.  This infusion of inundating and irrigating nutrients drove the growth and abundance of China’s agricultural zone between the Yellow River in the north and the Yangze River in the south for centuries.  So it is with us, like water for our weary and wounded souls, the Way washes over us, bringing new thoughts and expanded beliefs about what is possible for each of us and leads us forward to greater abundance in whatever area of our lives we are willing to plant the seeds of change in, sink the deep taproot of our souls into, or expand our supporting root systems with.  No matter how far we may have strayed from our true selves, no matter how long we may have wandered or been lost.  Now matter how deeply we may feel stuck.  There is always a Way back.  We are never too far gone.  As long as we still draw breath, we can turn things around.  We can return home to ourselves, our fractured souls can be reunified, our lives can become whole again.  We can return to our roots, reconnect with our core being, and go back to the wellspring of our souls.  We can embrace our place in the universe and rediscover our destinies!  It's never too late to turn back.  There is no area of our lives that cannot be improved or turned around and returned to a state of health, peace, growth, and prosperity. ~ DCB

Etymology & Translation Notes:

I have translated the characters 寂 (jì) and 寥 (liáo) as "solitary and still."  These two are often paired together to describe feelings of loneliness but that does not seem to be the intent here.  Rather the intent is to describe the independence and thus our ability to rely upon and count on the Way.  Both contain the roof radical 宀 on top.  The root meaning of  寂 is solitary, quiet, or still and is comprised of the roof over 叔, which originally meant to 'pick up' and can be further broken down into a 'bean plant' 尗beside a 'right hand' 又 reaching up.  The association of these elements and the range of meanings of 寂 remains unclear and any explanation of the etymology would be tenuous at best.  However, the root meaning of 寥 refers to an empty house but there is more to it than that.  Underneath the roof radical is 翏 (liù), which provides the sound (albeit no longer perfectly in modern Mandarin) and which according to the Shuowen jiezi means 'to soar' or 'to fly high' (高飛也).  The combination of these two elements and the range of meaning brings to my mind the Western idea of "the empty nest" when all the children have grown, spread their wings, and flown off soaring to new heights in their lives.  With three adult children who have 'flown the coop,' I can attest that there is a palpable silence, emptiness, and even loneliness in such a house and in the heart of this parent and yet both are always eagerly awaiting and even anticipating the return and reunion of our big kids (which happens about once a week :p).  So it is with the Way – it is always there waiting and available to accommodate and provide whatever is needed – from a place to wash the dirty laundry of our lives to the nourishment of a good home-cooked meal.

The character 改 (gǎi) meaning 'to change' depicts the idea of 'working on oneself' and is comprised of a 'self' 己 (jǐ) next to a hand working with a hooked tool 攵 (pū), perhaps in this case some form of forked crochet hook.  The idea of a 'self' is represented by the weft or horizontal threads interwoven back and forth in between and through the vertical warp threads on a loom.  Thus, the etymology of change literally represents working to change the threads we interweave into the tapestry of our lives.

The phrase 周行 (zhōuxíng) is usually translated as describing the omnipresent operations and manifold motions and movements of the Way.  I have departed from this reading slightly and double translated it based on etymology.  The character 周 (zhōu) is a depiction of the intersecting footpaths criss-crossing four fertile fields.  As a verb it can be to circum-ambulate (to walk around the entirety of) and as an adjective it describes things that are all-encompassing, all-inclusive, thorough, comprehensive, or complete.  When combined with 行 (xíng), meaning to move, implement, or set in motion and which is a depiction of a crossroads, the phrase 周行 is a depiction of the intersecting footpaths criss-crossing our lives.  This actually highlights the core tenant of the Way, which is that there is ALWAYS a Way to get from wherever we are to wherever we want to be in our lives.  The Way is a comprehensive course of action, a never-ending network of potential and possibilities, of infinite intersections, openings, and opportunities.

Lastly, I have followed the Guodian manuscript reading, which replaces 逝 'to pass away' with 潰 (kuì) meaning 'floodwaters' 氵(shuǐ) and which takes 'precious' 貴 (guì) as its phonetic.  Hence, my double rendering as 'precious floodwaters,' as the Way, like water, brings life-giving nourishment that enlarges us, takes us farther than we ever imagined being able to go in our lives, and brings us back to ourselves.