Peeking The Tao From Valley——study On Tao Te Ching Again

This thesis uses "Valley" as a pointcut to understand "Tao" in "Tao Te Ching". Valley is a Xiang of Tao, from which we can learn that Tao presents the pursuit of value. Xiang-in-itself has the characters of changing, flowability, creativity and endlessness, which also are included in the Xiang of Valley.From the perspective of Valley, it is clear that there are many similarities between Valley and Tao. Those similarities are mainly in following aspects:firstly, Valley expresses the ideas of keeping low and being humble, which is similar to the ideas of keeping in gentleness and flexibleness expressed by Tao; secondly, Valley has the function to endure and contain water, while Tao hold the spirit to endure and contain everything; thirdly, Valley’s effects of transporting water, but without occupying it, and being the home of water, are like Tao’s role of keeping everything, but without conceitedness, breeding everything, while without holding the power of governance, and being the original of everything; fourthly, Valley has the meanings of growth and breeding, which is same to one of Tao’s meaning, the Moral of unceasing; fifthly, Valley means circulating and transporting, while Tao also has the ability to connect everything; sixthly, Valley has the sense of hollowness, comparing with Tao’s sense of Empty and Nothingness; seventhly, Valley is deep and serene, while Tao is mysterious to everything. In my opinion, those similarities suggest that we should focus on the role of Valley in "Tao De Ching". And they make my idea (understanding Tao through the Xiang of Valley) possible.My thesis uses Valley as the clue, while Valley has a close relationship with the Xiang and the Yu-Xiang, therefore, I will analyze the relation between Xiang and Yu-Xiang, Valley and Xiang, Valley and Yu-Xiang in the first part. Besides, the first part will also contain the study of Valley. Moreover, the relation between words and meanings is worth thoroughly pondering, which is without expectation in "Tao De Ching". Actually, Lao Tzu always uses Yu-Xiang to clarify the inconceivable Great Tao. Those Yu-Xiangs are very important in "Tao De Ching". From a deeper perspective, it implicates a unique way of thinking, which is the Xiang way of thinking. The Xiang way of thinking has a significant influence on our Chinese culture. When Lao Tzu explains Tao, those Yu-Xiangs he selects are not casual. On the contrary, they have deep meanings. Then, I discuss the question that why those Xiangs are necessary in "Tao De Ching" in chapter three. Xiang is an important way for Lao Tzu to illustrate his ideas by words. Valley is not limited to a Yu-Xiang; it also has a close relationship with Xiang. Eventually, we can say that Valley is a Xiang, a special Xiang. Thus, in chapter four, I discuss Valley from different respects, such as time, space, virtual and essence, dynamic and static. Xiang has the characters of flowability and creativity. Thus, as a Xiang, Valley naturally has those characters. Then, to some extent, Valley is conformed to Tao. The fifth part is after the previous content. From the analysis of the relation between Valley and Tao, we understand the important role of Xiang. So the relation between Xiang and Tao become a thought-provoking question. This paper finally turns the question of how to understand Tao through Valley into the question of how to reach Tao by Xiang. This method is exactly the gradually deepening process of Taking Xiang, Holding Xiang and Forgetting Xiang.