Chapter 42 starts out
with some cosmic mumbo-jumbo
about Tao making one,
one making two,
two making three,
and three making everything else.
I don't know what it means,
and, frankly,
I wouldn't worry about it too much. Chapter 42 starts out
with some cosmic mumbo-jumbo
about Tao making one,
one making two,
two making three,
and three making everything else.
I don't know what it means,
and, frankly,
I wouldn't worry about it too much.For someone looking to connect to Western metaphysical traditions I'd recommend rather the Ames & Hall translation; of chapter 42 it says:
Way-making (dao) gives rise to continuity,
Continuity gives rise to difference,
Difference gives rise to plurality,
And plurality gives rise to the manifold everything that is happeningThe pattern of 3 comes up often. For example, a "classical" approach to something puts the flag in the ground. A reactionary "modern" approach takes a radical differentiating tack to the classical way. And a "postmodern" tries to reconcile what each camp got right broadly, while acknowledging that no one-size-fits-all objective approach exists.
Though the only thing that proves is that mystics all over the world could count to three.
And that they thought about transformation and did not believe that anything is fixed and unchangable (like for example atoms were supposed to be.)
Coincidence? I think not!