• English
  • 中文
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Gplus
  • Linkedin
  • Mail
  • Rss

Lisiming.net

  • Chinese
    Philosophy
    • Confucius
    • Daoism
      • Daoist Basics
        • Yin-Yang Bagua System
        • Five Element System
        • Essence-Energy-Spirit System
        • Energy System in Body
        • Daoist Regimen
      • Daoist Philosophy
        • Dao De Jing core 33 Chapters
        • Why select 33 Chapters from Laozi
        • Summary of Laozi core 33 Chapters
        • Qing Jing Jing
      • Daoist Cultivation
        • 4 types of human
        • 5 types of immortals
        • Internal Alchemy: An Overview
        • ZhangSanFeng Teachings
    • Buddhist
      • Buddhist Basics
      • Buddhist Cultivation
        • 6 Paramitas
      • Buddhist Teachings
        • The Heart Sutra
        • The Diamond Sutra
        • The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma
          • Outline of Practice
          • Wake-up Sermon
  • Spiritual
    Cultivation
    • 4-Stage Development
    • 3 Pathways
    • Meditation
    • Related Topics
    • Modern Research
      • Messages from Water
      • The Master Key System
      • Map of Consciousness
  • Study with
    Derek
    • Derek’s Approach
    • Individual/group class
    • US tour May 2013
    • US Tour April 2014
    • 12 Day Heart of China Cultural Spiritual Tour
    • 100-Hour Chinese Spirituality Foundation Program
    • Testimonials
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Contact
  • Blog /
    Online Class
    • Blog
    • News
    • Online Class
    • Archives

Blog

  • Dao De Jing 71 – Knowing one knows nothing

Dao De Jing 71 – Knowing one knows nothing

07/10/2012
07/10/2012

Knowing one knows nothing, is sane; not knowing but claim one knows, is sickness.

-> The limited self, with its limited perception and bias, is not capable to see the whole picture in this unlimited universe.  Having some understanding and opinions and proceed to claim that one knows, is arrogance out of ignorance.

When one knows sickness is sickness, one will not be sick.

-> On the other hand, when one become honest and admit one’s limitation and bias, i.e. the self is limited and cannot know the universal wisdom, one is integrous and return to sanity.  I.e. a limited but sane person.

Saints are not sick, as they see sickness as sickness, and therefore not sick.

-> By admitting our limitations, we become true to what we are, and therefore do not fall into the temptation of self inflation and ignorance.  Saints are no difference, they do not claim their “self”s to be perfect and all knowing, but attribute that divine perfection to the universe and the Dao.

* * *

Chapter 71 Discussion:

If claiming to know is sick, then are we all sick?  Yes, if we are unaware; and we become sane again when we become aware of it.

If our knowing is temporary and limited, how then should we view the knowing of the self then?  Should we stop trying to understand and know all together and claim that all knowledge and knowing are limited?  No, because if we do that we fall into another extreme of concluding all understanding as temporary.  Laozi said that, knowing the limitation of the self is adequate.  With this intuitive understanding, one can continue life with the self, in the natural rhythm of the universe, yet not fall into the sickness of self-inflation and ignorance.  Sanity returns.

Bilingual version of Ch71: https://www.lisiming.net/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj55-79/

Tags: insane, knowing, sane
5 Comments/in Chinese Philosophy, Daoism, Online Class /by Derek
Related Entries
修治齐平

Confucius Analects – 4 Stages of V...

Confucius Analects – seek to understand

Confucius Analects – seek to understan...

5 replies
  1. sight says:
    07/13/2012 at 02:12

    My father used to always ask me ‘what do you know that is not brainwashed or conditioned’ ?
    This used to annoy me. but years after his passing I understand what he was proposing. I feel it is best to be mindful about what we speak about as if we know to be truth. It can be seen readily in the dogma of religion, even those of the east. Things even like reincarnation and states of awareness, death, etc. While the elders have left us information about these things, we walk around repeating them as we know it ourselves. The truth is that we don’t. Unless one has died then how can reincarnation be known. Maybe I am mistaken but I feel that only firsthand experience can show the truth, otherwise it is just knowledge. Knowledge can be learned form a book, or heard from a teacher, friend, or other source. Even states of awareness can be generated, if indeed life manifests from a thought, or idea, or vibration, which in turn again are all just concepts I have heard. This is such a great post that really get’s to the heart of a major obstruction in human consciousness. I am interested to know how you treat concepts and ideas (even and perhaps most importantly spiritual one’s) you read about or have heard along the path ?

    Reply
    • derek says:
      07/13/2012 at 15:09

      I treat them as temporary, relevant and potentially useful for the time being. In my experience, information came and served their purpose for awhile, then when awareness progress, same information may become obsolete and then i would have to let them go. There are different levels of truth and different information/concept/idea which come to serve different purposes in life. I would welcome them but not attached to them, just as the Diamond Sutra stated “All self-based phenomena is temporary, like dreams and bubbles, like dews and lightnings, should perceived as such”.

      Reply
  2. Corinne says:
    07/15/2012 at 09:55

    Becoming aware of our “not knowing”, don’t we become insecure? If it relates to not knowing the ultimate truth, we accept and feel sane. But in our everyday temporary lives, not knowing, makes us live in self-doubt? and it does not feel “sane”. So, it must depend on what it is that we do not know…

    Reply
    • derek says:
      07/15/2012 at 12:19

      Not knowing does not means oblivion. It means knowing while intuitively understand one’s knowing is limited as subjected to one’s limited perception.

      You can temporary look at our mind as working in 2 ways: knowing by the self, versus, knowing without the self. Knowing by the self is limited, while knowing without the self is original, humble, impartial, and holistic.

      Therefore, what seem insecure to the self open the doors to higher wisdom and truth. Try letting go of the habit of claiming one knows, humble the self, and notice how our life is always arranged perfectly by the universe in accordance to our choice and development.

      Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. What do we know? says:
    02/19/2013 at 12:27

    […] out that no “one” actually know any “thing” (see earlier blog discussion on Daodejing Chapter 71).  At the more ordinary and worldly level, Confucius said knowledge is:  when you know something, […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact

To conact Derek you can use the contact Form on the Contact Page.

Phone - (+86) 133 8714 8778

Links

  • Wudang Dao Institute

Recent Comments

  • Ricardo on Confucius Analects – Balance Work and Study
  • Derek on Dao De Jing core 33 chapters – completed!
  • Georgi Marinov on Dao De Jing core 33 chapters – completed!
  • Derek on Dao De Jing 2 – Dualistic nature of worldly standards, vs. non-dual lifestyle of sages
← Dao De Jing 70 – Easy to know and do (previous entry)
(next entry) Dao De Jing 73 – Nature of heaven, like a giant net →

Recent Comments

  • Ricardo on Confucius Analects – Balance Work and Study
  • Derek on Dao De Jing core 33 chapters – completed!
  • Georgi Marinov on Dao De Jing core 33 chapters – completed!
  • Derek on Dao De Jing 2 – Dualistic nature of worldly standards, vs. non-dual lifestyle of sages
  • SKent on Diamond Sutra – the mystical presence of this Sutra
  • Sosiale medier – hvorfor markedsføre her? | tdidr on Autobiography of Confucius – Confucius Analects
  • tworzenie stron www kursy kraków on Happy Chinese New Year of the Horse!

Latest News

  • Health Tips during Virus Outbreak03/13/2020 - 11:25
  • lisiming.net01/12/2019 - 11:00
  • New Year01/01/2019 - 11:00
  • ZenZen Reality and Practice12/26/2017 - 19:36
  • Reference from Academia04/19/2015 - 15:35
  • US Tour 2014 – photo04/27/2014 - 12:51
  • practiceOnline Class – foundation course completed03/09/2014 - 10:56

Categories

  • Buddhist
  • Chinese Philosophy
  • Confucianism
  • Daoism
  • Health
  • News
  • Online Class
  • Spiritual Cultivation
  • Uncategorized
  • Wudang

Contact

To contact Derek you can use the Contact Form on the Contact Page.

© Copyright - Lisiming.net - Shimsy Website design