Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching: Tao gives birth to one, life to two, two to three, three to all things, impulsive thought of harmony. The evil of people is only lonely, widowed, and unruly, and the prince thinks it is called. Therefore, the thing may be lost and gained, or the benefit and loss. What people teach, I also teach, those who are strong will not die, I will be the godfather.Tao gives birth to one, life to two, two to three, three to all things, this sentence can be said to be a household name, so what is the specific meaning of the numbers in this sentence?To understand the meaning of these numbers, we need to start with the word "sheng".
The word "sheng" in general** is not exactly the same as the meaning of the word "sheng" in our existing concept, and the so-called "sheng" is not "other" sheng. For example, if a couple gives birth to a child, this "birth" has an ethical generational relationship, and the "birth" in ** is intended to illustrate the succession relationship, "one" gives birth to "two", and the same "two" can also give birth to "one". For example, if a baby is born naked**, his sister will give him a bath first, and then put on a new dress. According to our understanding, the baby has not changed in essence, but is wearing a new dress. However, if according to the logic in **, it is "a naked baby gives birth to a clothed baby".
With this in mind, let's move on to two words, communion and coexistence. For example, if there are two substances, A and B, and A and B are placed in the same container, A and B are completely fused, and it is impossible to distinguish which is A and which is B, such as sugar being integrated into water, this situation is called "communion". If A and B are placed in the same container, A is still A, and B is still B, such as water and oil are mixed, this situation is "coexistence". Based on this, we can understand "one" as a state of yin and yang communion, and "two" as a state of "coexistence" of yin and yang. It should be noted here that it is not called "two" when "one" is divided into two halves, but the state of coexistence of yin and yang is called "two", that is to say, "one" and "two" are two different states of "one thing".
The origin is nothing, like "one", and there is no "one" in "one", there is no "difference", there is only one attribute, so it is called "one". The reason why there is a lifetime two is because there is a substance that enters the "one" and divides the "one" into two halves, and the state in which the "one" is lattice into two halves is called "two".
At this point, the problem arises!One yin and one yang is the Tao, so why can't the yin and yang in the "two" be combined into one?This is because "two" contains a third "substance" other than yin and yang, and the reason why this substance appears is because yin and yang in "two" are not equal. It can also be understood that "two" is imperfect. If yin and yang are damaged, the Heavenly Dao will automatically complete it, which is the natural operation law of the Heavenly Dao. The way of heaven is to make up for what is lacking, and the meaning of this sentence can be realized here.
So, what is the substance used by the Heavenly Dao to make up for the "loss"?This substance is represented by a word in the Tao Te Ching, and it is also a very important word in the Tao Te Ching, if you can realize it, the realm of cultivation will be raised to several levels, so we will point to it today and leave it to our friends to think about it and understand more. Under a small reminder, "The way of heaven is to make up for the deficiency when there is more loss", just understand this sentence.
In the next lecture, we will unveil the mystery of this word.