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Daily reading: 13.1.3.5 (Thus being and non-being produce each other)

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  • Daily reading: 13.1.3.5 (Thus being and non-being produce each other)

    Chapter 2: http://www.taoism.net/ttc/complete.htm

    The Yi Jing commented:

    Thus being and non-being produce each other -> 13.1.3.5 > 35

    The formation
    13 - Company
    Making oneself available. Not taking one's own opinions into account. General agreement is impossible.


    1 - We were lost, but we will meet later.
    3 - Dressing one's hesitations.
    5 - Acting together, then feeling lost. Both are worried and saddened but the feelings are shared. After great difficulties, the meeting will be joyful.

    In the making
    35 - Discovery
    Answers come naturally.

    My interpretation:

    Laozi now generalizes the principle shown in the two first sentences by using pairs of antonyms. A similar idea is expressed in Plato's books. The transformation into non-being is represented by the line 1, and the transformation into being is represented by the line 5. But we don't know what line3 is about, so we are going to ask about it:

    Who or what is hesitating? (13.3)

    Who or what is hesitating? -> 38.4 > 41

    The formation
    38 - Misunderstanding
    One must revisit a misunderstanding if they want to dispel it. If needed, one can seek advice. One may abandon the small differences.


    4 - One asks for help with leaving their neighborhood in order to overcome the difficulties.

    Someone who is leaving.

    In the making
    41 - Remove
    One loses their support and abandons. Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy.


    What are the hesitations? (13.3)

    What are the hesitations? -> 57.2.3.5.6 > 2

    The formation
    57 - Answer
    One goes after being approached.


    2 - When the feeding stops, all get organized to exit.
    3 - One does not show to others to not disturb them.
    5 - One must warn others because an unexpected event has occurred and one needs to respond to the demands on time.
    6 - Leaving to not succumb.

    The hesitations are about death, non-being.

    In the making
    2 - Obedience
    Being able to provide assistance, without taking decisions.


    Conclusion:

    This sentence is a generalization from the two previous examples, and is about a pair of antonyms, a la Plato. The Yi Jing has described the non-being with 13.1: We were lost, but we will meet later., the being with 13.5: Acting together, then feeling lost. Both are worried and saddened but the feelings are shared. After great difficulties, the meeting will be joyful., and the line 13.3 is about the uncertainties caused by death: Dressing one's hesitations.



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