"I" Water Image Research

"Tao" was the highest philosophical term of Lao Tzu to explore the origin of the universe, which was ascended from "Te". It made Lao Tzu fall into the dilemma that "Tao cannot be expressed in words" when he illuminated "Tao" based on "Te". In the process of explaining "Tao", Lao Tzu adopted the method of "image". Among those images, "water" become the important point of entry to explore "Tao" because it seemed like "Tao". During the discussion, Lao Tzu used water to elaborate, compare to and elucidate "Tao", highlighting the characteristics and quality of "Tao" by illustrating the relationship between the both, and emphasizing Tao's creativity, moveability and naturality, which respectively corresponded water's some characters: raising everything, flowing, non-contention and so on. It is the mutual relation between "Tao" and "water" that makes metaphysical "Tao" have the possibility of being perceived. At the same time, it's not hard to find that there is a prominent feature, which is Da(big), running through foregoing characteristics. On the other hand, from the perspective of value, Lao Tzu said "sanstyle"(Shangshan is as good as water). "Shan" belongs to "Te"; and "Te" is the expression of Lao Tzu's "Tao" in the ethical aspects of human society; meanwhile "water" is the popular thing in nature. Therefore, using water to compare "Te" communicates the relationship between human and nature. In addition, "Shangshan" in "Tao Te Ching" referred to Lao Tzu's "Te", and the so-called "sanstyle" mainly corresponded water's certain characters like non-contention and soft, to specify it was super-utilitarian and natural, whose features just suit "Damei"(great beauty) praised by Lao Tzu. Thus, taking the "natural inaction" as the kernel, "Damei" of "Tao" and "Shangshan" of "Te" are unified in Lao Tzu's Taoism.