Exploring the Origin of Everything: A Comparative Look at Mythology and Daoism
Across cultures, humans have sought to understand the origin of everything. Ancient myths often present a narrative structure involving a source with human-like attributes and personality. These sources, often gods, are depicted as creators with subjective opinions and a hierarchical relationship with the world and its inhabitants. This article will compare these mythological narratives with Lao Tzu's Daoist philosophy, exploring the contrasting perspectives on the nature of the universe's origin.
Common Themes in Creation Myths
Many cultures share a common thread in their creation myths. Examples include:
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Pangu (Chinese): Opened the sky and earth.
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Goddess (Chinese): Created people.
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Prusa (Hindu): The abode of Prusa is the origin of everything.
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Sun/Water God of Chaos (Egyptian): Created versions of the world.
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Marduk (Mesopotamian): Killed the water goddess and created the world from her remains and people from blood and clay.
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God of Pigs (Norse): Killed Ymir and created everything from his body.
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Judah God: Directly created light, darkness, and Adam.
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Maya Gods: Jointly created the world and humans from corn.
These narratives typically attribute human characteristics to the source of creation, presenting it as a being with will, purpose, and a desire for worship.
Lao Tzu's Dao: A Different Perspective
In contrast to these anthropomorphic creator deities, Lao Tzu, during the Spring and Autumn period, proposed a radically different concept: Dao. He described the source of everything not as a person, but as an impersonal, all-encompassing principle. This principle, Dao, is characterized by "born without, is not, grows and does not die."
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Dao is the origin: The Dao gives birth to everything, from one to two to three, but does not reside within them.
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Dao allows things to be without controlling them: The Dao enables everything to function, grow, and develop without direct control.
This stands in stark contrast to the human desire for control and self-reliance.
Contrasting Narratives: Will vs. Impersonality
The traditional view, exemplified by Judaism and Islam, depicts the creator as a being with a will, to whom everything belongs. The Bible's narrative showcases God's direct intervention and expectation of gratitude and worship.
- Biblical narrative: God is the clear subject, the ruler, and humans are likened to insects in the face of overwhelming natural forces.
In stark contrast, Lao Tzu's Dao does not exhibit such benevolent performances. He proposed that the original is neither good nor bad.
The Struggle to Define the Origin: A Western Perspective
The question of the origin of everything has been a source of conflict in Western history. Early interpretations included the story of Jesus, sent to save mankind, leading to the formation of Christianity. These narratives, while originating from a common source, have led to significant differences in interpretation and even violent conflict.
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Medieval Europe: Wars erupted over the "correct" interpretation of the creator's will.
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17th Century War: The clash between Catholic and Protestant nations resulted in massive casualties and the reshaping of European society.
Shifting Focus: From the Divine to the Human
The devastating conflicts fueled by religious dogma led to a shift in focus during the modern era. Philosophers began to question the authority of religious institutions and the validity of their interpretations of the divine.
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Weakening the influence of the "other side": European philosophers sought to draw attention back to the present world.
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Emphasis on human rights: The focus shifted from divine dictates to the rights and experiences of individuals.
Immanuel Kant summarized that we need to accept that human beings have a limit to cognition. Humans can only know what we can know and accept humbly that somethings are unrecognizable.
Wittgenstein's Silence: Respecting the Limits of Language
Ludwig Wittgenstein offered a linguistic perspective on the limits of human understanding. He argued that "everything that can be said can be said clearly, and everything that cannot be said must remain silent." He believed that language has inherent limitations and cannot fully capture certain experiences, such as art, beauty, or the essence of the universe's origin.
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Language's limitations: Language can only express information within a specific range.
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Beyond words: Some experiences and concepts transcend the ability of language to convey them accurately and completely.
Wittgenstein's point is that expressing the essence of the problem of the nature of all things cannot be expressed clearly with language.
Daoism's Embrace of the Unknowable
Lao Tzu, like Wittgenstein, acknowledged the limitations of human language and cognition. In the Tao Te Ching, he states, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name."
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Acknowledging limitations: Lao Tzu emphasized the inadequacy of language to fully describe the Dao.
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Respecting the origin: Lao Tzu teaches us to respect the origin of everything through the acknowledgement of human limitations.
Therefore, Lao Tzu did not make too many descriptions for the source itself, because it is Xuan.
Learning from Water: Emulating the Dao's Qualities
While the Dao itself remains elusive, Lao Tzu suggests that we can gain insight by observing its manifestations in the world. He identifies water as the closest thing to the Dao, due to its characteristics:
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Nourishing without competing: Water benefits all things without striving for recognition or dominance.
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Flowing to the lowest places: Water goes where others do not want to go.
Therefore, we need to abide by the rules of nature and the harmony of all things born from the Tao.