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citizenship。 Hide yourself under a bushel quickly； for if your real
usefulness were known to the world you would soon be knocked down to
the highest bidder by the public auctioneer。 Why do men and women like
to advertise themselves so much？ Is it not but an instinct derived from the
days of slavery？
The virility of the idea lies not less in its power of breaking through
contemporary thought than in its capacity for dominating subsequent
movements。 Taoism was an active power during the Shin dynasty； that
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epoch of Chinese unification from which we derive the name China。 It
would be interesting had we time to note its influence on contemporary
thinkers； the mathemeticians； writers on law and war； the mystics and
alchemists and the later nature…poets of the Yangste…Kiang。 We should
not even ignore those speculators on Reality who doubted whether a white
horse was real because he was white； or because he was solid； nor the
Conversationalists of the Six dynasties who； like the Zen philosophers；
revelled in discussions concerning the Pure and the Abstract。 Above all
we should pay homage to Taoism for what it has done toward the
formation of the Celestial character； giving to it a certain capacity for
reserve and refinement as 〃warm as jade。〃 Chinese history is full of
instances in which the votaries of Taoism； princes and hermits alike；
followed with varied and interesting results the teachings of their creed。
The tale will not be without its quota of instruction and amusement。 It will
be rich in anecdotes； allegories； and aphorisms。 We would fain be on
speaking terms with the delightful emperor who never died because he had
never lived。 We may ride the wind with Liehtse and find it absolutely
quiet because we ourselves are the wind； or dwell in mid…air with the Aged
one of the Hoang…Ho； who lived betwixt Heaven and Earth because he
was subject to neither the one nor the other。 Even in that grotesque
apology for Taoism which we find in China at the present day； we can
revel in a wealth of imagery impossible to find in any other cult。
But the chief contribution of Taoism to Asiatic life has been in the
realm of aesthetics。 Chinese historians have always spoken of Taoism as
the 〃art of being in the world；〃 for it deals with the presentourselves。 It
is in us that God meets with Nature； and yesterday parts from to…morrow。
The Present is the moving Infinity； the legitimate sphere of the Relative。
Relativity seeks Adjustment； Adjustment is Art。 The art of life lies in a
constant readjustment to our surroundings。 Taoism accepts the mundane
as it is and； unlike the Confucians or the Buddhists； tries to find beauty in
our world of woe and worry。 The Sung allegory of the Three Vinegar
Tasters explains admirably the trend of the three doctrines。 Sakyamuni；
Confucius； and Laotse once stood before a jar of vinegarthe emblem of
lifeand each dipped in his finger to taste the brew。 The matter…of…fact
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Confucius found it sour； the Buddha called it bitter； and Laotse
pronounced it sweet。
The Taoists claimed that the comedy of life could be made more
interesting if everyone would preserve the unities。 To keep the
proportion of things and give place to others without losing one's own
position was the secret of success in the mundane drama。 We must know
the whole play in order to properly act our parts； the conception of
totality must never be lost in that of the individual。 This Laotse
illustrates by his favourite metaphor of the Vacuum。 He claimed that
only in vacuum lay the truly essential。 The reality of a room； for instance；
was to be found in the vacant space enclosed by the roof and the walls； not
in the roof and walls themselves。 The usefulness of a water pitcher dwelt
in the emptiness where water might be put； not in the form of the pitcher
or the material of which it was made。 Vacuum is all potent because all
containing。 In vacuum alone motion becomes possible。 One who could
make of himself a vacuum into which others might freely enter would
become master of all situations。 The whole can always dominate the
part。
These Taoists' ideas have greatly influenced all our theories of action；
even to those of fencing and wrestling。 Jiu…jitsu； the Japanese art of self…
defence； owes its name to a passage in the Tao…teking。 In jiu…jitsu one
seeks to draw out and exhaust the enemy's strength by non…resistance；
vacuum； while conserving one's own strength for victory in the final
struggle。 In art the importance of the same principle is illustrated by
the value of suggestion。 In leaving something unsaid the beholder is
given a chance to complete the idea and thus a great masterpiece
irresistably rivets your attention until you seem to become actually a part
of it。 A vacuum is there for you to enter and fill up the full measure of
your aesthetic emotion。
He whohad made himself master of the art of living was the Real man
of the Taoist。 At birth he enters the realm of dreams only to awaken to
reality at death。 He tempers his own brightness in order to merge
himself into the obscurity of others。 He is 〃reluctant； as one who crosses
a stream in winter； hesitating as one who fears the neighbourhood；
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respectful； like a guest； trembling； like ice that is about to melt；
unassuming； like a piece of wood not yet carved； vacant； like a valley；
formless； like troubled waters。〃 To him the three jewls of life were Pity；
Economy； and Modesty。
If now we turn our attention to Zennism we shall find that it
emphasises the teachings of Taoism。 Zen is a name derived from the
Sanscrit word Dhyana； which signifies meditation。 It claims that through
consecrated meditation may be attained supreme self…realisation。
Meditation is one of the six ways through which Buddhahood may be
reached； and the Zen sectarians affirm that Sakyamuni laid special stress
on this method in his later teachings； handing down the rules to his chief
disciple Kashiapa。 According to their tradition Kashiapa； the first Zen
patriarch； imparted the secret to Ananda； who in turn passed it on to
successive patriarchs until it reached Bodhi…Dharma； the twenty…eighth。
Bodhi…Dharma came to Northern China in the early half of the sixth
century and was the first patriarch of Chinese Zen。 There is much
uncertainty about the history of these patriarchs and their doctrines。 In
its philosophical aspect early Zennism seems to have affinity on one hand
to the Indian Negativism of Nagarjuna and on the other to the Gnan
philosophy formulated by Sancharacharya。 The first teaching of Zen as we
know it at the present day must be attributed to the sixth Chinese patriarch
Yeno（637…713）； founder of Southern Zen； so…called from the fact of its
predominance in Southern China。 He is closely followed by the great
Baso（died 788） who made of Zen a living influence in Celestial life。
Hiakujo（719…814） the pupil of Baso； first instituted the Zen monastery and
established a ritual and regulations fo