Mair 3:1 - Essentials for Nurturing Life

[Marblehead]

Our lives are limited,
But knowledge is limitless.
To pursue the limitless
With the limited
Is dangerous.

 

Such being the case, if one still goes after knowledge,

 

One's life will definitely be in danger.
In doing good, approach not fame;
In doing bad, approach not punishment.
Follow the central artery as conduit,

 

{{Technical terms from traditional Chinese medicine.  They are channels through which one's vital force (ch'i) flows, but in the Chuang Tzu they are used in a partially metaphorical sense.}}

 

And you can preserve your body,
Maintain your life,
Nourish your inmost viscera,
And complete your allotted years.

[Taoist Texts]

 

Our lives are limited, But knowledge is limitless. To pursue the limitless With the limited Is dangerous.

 

 

Why is that?

[Marblehead]

Why is that?

 

Hehehe.   We will one day die.  Knowledge that is recorded (by whatever means) will never die.  We will die but knowledge never will die.  We are temporal; knowledge is eternal.

 

So therefore, for the temporal to chase after the eternal the temporal will never rest.  And never find all that it seeks.

[Taoist Texts]

Umm right but where is a particular danger in that?

[Marblehead]

I am going to respond to this question but please, don't ever think that I feel I am qualified to explain everything

Chuang Tzu said or that I have a full understanding of the Chuang Tzu. 

Umm right but where is a particular danger in that?

Doing so (ever seeking new knowledge) will drain a person of their energy, will cause great stress, and will lead to an untimely death.  Stress burns much energy.  It leaves us with no energy to enjoy life.

[Taoist Texts]

I am going to respond to this question but please, don't ever think that I feel I am qualified to explain everything

Chuang Tzu said or that I have a full understanding of the Chuang Tzu. 

 

You are doing great. Besides as this para. says full understanding is fraught with danger.

 

Doing so (ever seeking new knowledge) will drain a person of their energy, will cause great stress, and will lead to an untimely death.  Stress burns much energy.  It leaves us with no energy to enjoy life

 

Yes, this is quite close to what ZZ is saying.

 

Here 'the knowledge' is making administrative decisions by an imperial official relying on own intellect. Such knowledge is limitless in the sense that it tends to overreach disregarding the dangers to own life which is limited by the punishment.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Punishments#The_Five_Punishments_in_Ancient_China

 

 

His life could be cut short (put in danger) either by getting too much rewards (fame) and thus attracting jealousy of rivals or suspicion of the emperor; or by making a mistake due to overconfidence.

 

Rewards were part of the same spectrum with punishments in those times:

 

https://books.google.ru/books?id=rZT87hTwZRwC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=punishment+in+archaic+china&source=bl&ots=OkplVGk0GU&sig=gBUadQ9OL2Fbds6CXXPQ2noba8c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwxbGs18_PAhVGlCwKHU--BQQQ6AEIJTAC#v=onepage&q=punishment%20in%20archaic%20china&f=false

[Marblehead]

Very good response Taoist Texts.  Chuang Tzu does speak to rewards and punishments numerous times.

 

And somewhere he speaks to the concept that if we break something down (take something apart) to learn what it is made of we will never find the truth because as soon as we started taking it apart we lose it's "completeness".  (The story of the mother pig that had died and her piglets deserted her knowing that she was no longer complete.) 

Edited October 11, 2016 by Marblehead