Wednesday, April 13, 2011

无为:道家的审美秩序之路 Non-action: The Way to Daoist Aesthetic Order

西方的理性秩序是指有一个支配性的原理(不管它是指理性或上帝)在强制实行世界秩序。相对而言,华人的审美秩序的观念对这种原理或其目的论并不感兴趣。恰恰相反,审美秩序关心的是个体自我更新的观念,这就是‘混沌’的本意。
审美秩序就是‘道’的秩序,而道的观念是基于这样的一种理解:宇宙的唯一永恒就是改变,我们应该去理解和尝试去与这种改变取得和谐。这个观念在《易经》中就有提到:‘一阴一阳谓之道。’
道家担心人类的欲望会使宇宙的自然运作变成反常。老子在《道德经》里就说:‘取天下常以无事,及其有事,不足以取天下。’这就形成了‘无为’的思想,描述个人意志与环境的自然和谐与正道。
相同的,它表示这种行为会取得无限的正面成绩,因为它允许所有万物发展它们的全部的不受限制的潜力:

‘道常无为而无不为。候王若能守之,万物将自化。化而欲作,吾将镇之以无名之朴,镇之以无名之朴,夫将不欲。不欲以静,天下将自定。’
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The Western rational order refers to the idea that there is one overarching external principle, whether it be Reason or God, imposes the order on the world. In comparison, the Chinese sense of aesthetic order is not keen on this external principle or its twin of teleology. Rather, it is concerned with the idea of self-renewal of particulars, which is what ‘Hun Dun’ (Choas) means.
The aesthetic order is the order of the Dao, a concept that is based on the understanding that the only constant in the universe is change and that we must understand and attempt to harmonize ourselves with this change. This idea is suggested in Yijing which states that ‘the successive movement of the inactive Yin and active Yang operations constitutes what is called the Dao.’
The Daoists are concerned that the natural operations of the cosmos are perverted by the desires of human beings. Laozi says in Daode Jing that ‘the world is ruled by letting things takes their natural course. It cannot be ruled by going against nature or arrogance.’ This led to the formation of the doctrine of ‘non-action’ which describes the harmonization of one’s personal will with natural harmony and justice of Nature.
Likewise, it suggests that this mode of action yields ubiquitously positive results, as it allows everything to develop to its full, untrammelled potential:

Dao abides in non-action yet nothing is left undone. If kings and lords observed this, the ten thousand things would develop naturally. If they still desired to act they would return to the simplicity of formless substance. Without form there is no desire. Without desire there is tranquillity. And in this way all things would be at peace.