The similarities and differences between "the unity of man and nature" and "the oneness of man and nature"

Teacher Kong De: Hello! I am a 25-year-old young man and have been interested in martial arts and Qigong since childhood. Since the age of fourteen or fifteen, I have frequently purchased periodicals such as "Wudang" and "Shaolin and Taiji", gradually developing a strong interest in traditional Chinese Taoism. I find the doctrines of ancient sages and immortals like Laozi, Zhuangzi, Yin Zi and Zhang Sanfeng both mysterious and profound, shining with a spiritual brilliance that ordinary people cannot understand. I am extremely proud and honored that my Chinese nation has such wise ancestors! Now I'll share some of my humble thoughts. Please excuse me, teacher. Mr. Lu Xun once said, "The root of Chinese culture lies entirely in Taoism." The German classical philosopher Hegel once said: "Laozi is the representative of Eastern wisdom." The words of the two masters from the East and the West are truly wise. The five-thousand-year-old Chinese culture has a long history and contains the profound essence of Taoist thought. Taoist culture holds a pivotal position in Chinese civilization. For thousands of years, no matter what vicissitudes have occurred, and no matter whether the rulers have promoted Taoism or not, the thought of Taoism has always been passed down tenaciously to this day. This indicates that she has a tenacious vitality, and all scientific truths possess a tenacious vitality. I have no doubt about this. Taoism is a science that studies the origin of the universe and life. The practice of Taoism is aimed at truly understanding the essence of life phenomena and the true nature of the universe. To strengthen the body, prolong life, develop functions and even achieve immortality through cultivation is merely a stage or a stop in the cultivation journey, a "by-product" of cultivation, rather than the ultimate goal of cultivation. The cultivation of the Tao is like the coordinate graph of the tangent function in trigonometric functions in mathematics. The curve of the tangent function extends infinitely upwards and downwards and approaches its asymptote infinitely, but it can never reach the asymptote. The pursuit of the Tao is endless; there is no highest, only higher. The road ahead is long and arduous; I will search high and low. Looking at today's society, what are all the common people seeking? People have lost their spiritual beliefs and can only struggle in the midst of materialism and the stench of money. It seems that becoming an official and getting rich has become the lifelong pursuit of most people, drifting further and further away from the right path. This is putting the cart before the horse. Human beings are a combination of material and spiritual aspects. If there is only the satisfaction of material desires but no deep-seated spiritual home, what's the difference from being a walking corpse? Modern science and technology are highly developed, providing people with rich material living conditions, but they have also brought disasters to humanity and the Earth - industrial air pollution has led to the greenhouse effect, resulting in global warming and rising sea levels. Excessive exploitation of resources has led to environmental pollution and severe land desertification. Excessive discharge of domestic waste, human hunting of a large number of rare animals have led to the deterioration of the ecological environment, severe disruption of ecological balance, and the huge destructive power of atomic weapons such as atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs... Human beings are simply courting their own destruction. Why is it that despite the advancement of technology, it has not brought benefits to humanity but instead exacerbated suffering? Too much of a good thing can be bad! Too many desires and excessive taking without giving back, if this continues, the Earth will eventually collapse one day. After all, things will reverse when they reach an extreme. How pitiful and lamentable. Nowadays, when people hear the truth, they often get angry. If the Taoist ideas of upholding virtue and simplicity, as well as keeping the mind free from desires, could be widely accepted by the world and deeply rooted in people's hearts, then the world would present a completely different picture. I have never truly embarked on the path of spiritual cultivation. What I have said above is rather crude. I sincerely hope that the teacher will offer me more criticism and guidance. There are a few issues that are quite bothering me. Please enlighten me, teacher: First, when observing all the laws in the world, they all originate from the study of "the unity of heaven and man". I understand its meaning as the natural integration of human beings and the way of heaven. "The unity of heaven and man" is a fundamental principle guiding all schools of Taoist practitioners. But recently, I read an article that elaborated on the principle that "man and nature are one", and I think it makes quite a lot of sense. The following is an excerpt of its text: "..." Then one knows that within the human body there must exist both the real and the illusory, and that there are also the heavens and the earth. Otherwise, the light and clear cannot be regarded as the sky, and the heavy and turbid cannot be regarded as the earth. Since the teachings of the ancient immortals were established based on heaven and earth, there is no other doubt. It is to know that within the human body lies the universe... When a person dies, their body scatters and they are in the same place, while their essence and energy are exhausted and they are in the same sky. This is not the case. From a physical perspective, the substances within the body are virtual. Adhering to the principle that light and clear things float upward, they must go to the sky. For solid things, the meaning of the heavy and turbid Dharma condenses downward and must return to the earth. It is known that the universe exists within the human body. If we follow the above theory, then heaven and earth are the inherent things within the human body, and the principle of the unity of man and heaven is complete. Knowing that man is no different from heaven and heaven is no different from man, one can understand the cultivation of the world. Abandoning the original one of man and heaven, one can instead divide the original one of man and heaven into two and seek another way to integrate them. Just like a bowl with an ancient glaze, if it is broken into two, even a master who imitates it cannot replicate the original appearance. Although there may be some strokes that are indistinguishable from the original, they can never be compared with the original. It is the difference between the unity of man and nature and the oneness of heaven and man, while the principles and laws of the world are detrimental. Just like the principle of "Who was I before the birth of heaven and earth?" that was manifested when the Buddha of Zen passed away? That is to say, if one wants to understand the principle that man and heaven are originally one, one must know that when the primordial chaos has not yet been judged and the primordial chaos has not yet been distinguished, it is originally a mixture of the same qi, existing in the original non-existence of the Great Xuan. At that time, who dares to say that man and heaven are two? When it comes to the theory of the fundamental and natural nature, it is said that "it is originally nature." Since human beings are nature and heaven is nature, that is, both are nature, then what is the existence of the two images? Then the unity of heaven and man is the greatest fallacy. May I ask if the teacher agrees with the above assertion? How do you understand "the unity of heaven and man" and "the fundamental unity of man and heaven"? Second, in the process of cultivating oneself, one must first practice self-cultivation. Wine, women, wealth and power are the four major tests. What exactly does this mean? To enter the path of enlightenment, one must break through the realm of birth and death, achieving "liberation from the cycle of birth and death" and "Only when there is no standing state can one be truly pure." May I ask the teacher, what exactly is the realm of "ending life and death"? Does it mean that one cannot enter the path without "transcending life and death"? Iii. What should be done at the beginning of spiritual practice? Which school of exercise is more suitable for people with weaker physical conditions to practice, dynamic exercises or static ones? Fourth, when practicing Taoism, one may encounter resistance from both family and society. My family always considers this "nonsense" and "useless stuff", and I am also very distressed. May I ask, how should I deal with these problems? I am very disturbed by disturbing the teacher's meditation. Please forgive the student's rashness and bear with any inappropriate words. I look forward to your reply. Wish you good health! Teacher Kong De replied: I am very willing to discuss some related issues with the younger generation of seekers like you who have the spirit of "I will search high and low". It is precisely for this reason that when I call someone "comrade", it is a restoration of the meaning of this term rather than a general term. The answers to the questions raised are as follows. I. Regarding the issue of how to understand the two statements of "the unity of heaven and man" and "the original unity of man and heaven". I have no idea which scripture your citation about "the unity of man and nature" comes from, who the author is, or whether your article's criticism of "the unity of man and nature" has a specific direction. But judging from the implications revealed in the article, it seems to come from a Buddhist who has a stubborn "self-attachment" and can only be regarded as "I say so", and is not a true disciple of the Buddha. Of course, I didn't see the entire citation, so I couldn't help but generalize and wrongly accuse the author - but none of this is important. What is important is that we need to clarify whether "the unity of heaven and man" and "the original unity of man and heaven" are different or similar, or whether they are both different and similar. Once this issue is clarified, it will be known which one is right and which one is wrong, or which one is entirely right and which one is not. When understanding "the unity of heaven and man" and "the unity of man and heaven", one should seek their similarities and differences from the two different aspects of "principle" and "law". Generally speaking, the idea of "the unity of heaven and man" that we know originated from Taoism. However, Taoism does not oppose the concept of "the unity of man and heaven", and on the contrary, it still advocates "the unity of man and heaven" in ontology. This is ubiquitous in Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" : "It should be known that when the primordial chaos has not yet been judged and the primordial chaos has not yet been distinguished, it is originally a single qi that has been mixed and destroyed, existing in the primordial mystery that is originally non-existent." At that time, who dares to say that man and heaven are two? From the perspective of Tai Xuan's original nature, it is said that "it is originally natural." Since human beings are nature and heaven is nature, that is, both are nature, then what is the existence of the two images? This was originally the language of Taoism. It seems that the author of "The oneness of man and Heaven" borrowed it as a Buddhist principle - "At the moment when the Zen Buddha passed away, before the birth of heaven and earth, who was my principle?" However, in the popularization and education of the theory of the Great Way in Taoism, the phrase "man and heaven are originally one" was not used. The meaning contained in the Taoist theory of "the unity of heaven and man" is that all things are belonging to the universe and nature, because all things are born from the universe and nature "from nothing to something". Although all things are diverse, they all contain the same nature of the universe and nature and are all governed by the universe and nature. The universe is a large universe, and everything is a small universe. Everything in the large universe will be manifested in the small universe. The great universe is an overall universe, an ontological universe, without the concepts of time and space, matter, form, or concept. The microuniverse refers to the partial universe or the final universe, which includes concepts such as time and space, matter, image, spirit, and concept. The vast universe can be called the innate universe, and the microuniverse can be called the acquired universe. However, the "heaven" referred to in Taoism, although it means the universe and nature, actually encompasses a variety of different meanings. For instance, it can refer to the natural essence of the universe, or to the natural laws of the Earth and the seasonal changes of climate, or to all things in nature. Therefore, the Taoist concept of "the unity of heaven and man" primarily aims to clarify the relationship between the universe, nature, all things, and human beings. Then it lies in explaining that a person's innate nature is in harmony with "heaven", that is, "man and heaven are originally one". However, in their later survival, people often go against their innate nature and fail to maintain the "oneness of man and nature". The harmony of "oneness of man and nature" turns into mutual disobedience. Therefore, people suffer from mental distress and physical illness and injury, and thus experience pain and premature death (anyone who fails to pass away or does not enjoy their prime years can be regarded as having died prematurely). If people wish to enjoy their natural years to the fullest or to make their lives eternal, they must change the situation where "heaven and man" are not "united" into "unity of heaven and man". Holding the belief that "man and nature are originally one" while refuting "the unity of heaven and man" seems to confuse a concept, that is, to conflate the two situations of innate nature and acquired nature that are both manifested in the universe's nature and the human body's nature, which is extremely likely to mislead those who are just entering the path of cultivation. It should be particularly pointed out here that the "heaven" of the universe and nature was the "pre-heaven" before all things were born. After all things (such as various celestial bodies) were born, the manifestation of the universe and nature by all things became the "post-heaven". The "acquired" and "innate" aspects of all things in the universe and nature are both "innate" for the birth of human life. When a person is conceived in the mother's womb but not yet born, this microcosm is purely in a congenital state. After a person leaves the mother's womb to survive independently, only the life functions of the person remain innate, while the desires, thoughts, and life behaviors (which in turn drive the limbs and bones) mostly go against the innate and intensify to the extreme in the postnatal stage. In terms of the "Tao", it has a source and a branch, repeats itself in a cycle without end. The microcosm of a person conforms to the primordial dao, and the primordial Dao also acquires it. If it conforms to the last path of the later life, the last path of the later life will also be achieved. From this phenomenon, it can be seen that human beings have never been able to leave the Dao or the "Heaven", and have always maintained the principle that "man and heaven are inherently one". But in fact, monks do not seek this fated "oneness of man and heaven", but rather the revolutionary "unity of heaven and man". Here, there is a significant difference between the "original" and the "combined". "Ben" is a adverbial word, an objective description of a relationship between "heaven and man". "Together" is a verb, representing a subjective and positive behavior towards the relationship between "heaven and man". Indeed, the proponents of the "oneness of Man and Heaven" theory hold that the human body has its own universe, and "man is no different from heaven." As long as the "universe" of the human body is refined and reaches the state of "oneness," it does not matter whether it is "unified" or not with the external universe. Here, the proponents of the "Human and Celestial beings are originally one" theory hold that "one should understand the cultivation of the world, abandon the original human and celestial beings, and instead divide the original human and celestial beings into two, seeking another way to achieve unity." Just like a bowl with an ancient glaze, if it is broken into two, even a master who imitates it cannot replicate the original appearance. Although there may be some strokes that are indistinguishable from the original, they can never be compared with the original. It is the difference between "the oneness of man and nature" and "the unity of heaven and man", and the principles and laws of the world are detrimental. Now I have no idea what the "principles and laws of the world" he referred to are? If we say that "the principles and laws of the world" refer to those who absorb the essence of heaven, earth, the sun and the moon, and are the "oneness of heaven and man" achieved by sitting and imagining oneself and the universe to blend seamlessly, then this kind of refutation has some merit. Because, "the unity of heaven and man" cannot be separated from the cultivation of one's own body and mind. It should only be understood and cultivated in a simplistic and formalized way from the external nature and one's own appearance. Instead, one should truly cultivate and practice in the "heaven and earth" of one's own body and mind and the "heaven and earth" of the physiological internal environment, so as to achieve real results. Conversely, if even the latter mentioned above is dismissed as the "principle and law of the world", then one would not know what this "principle and law of heaven" is? Moreover, for the human body to be "originally one" with heaven and earth, it must be in harmony with the external universe and nature. This is also a kind of natural "oneness of man and heaven". This is not only natural but also an inevitable part of the purpose of cultivation. There is absolutely no such thing as one's own "oneness of man and nature" without achieving "oneness of heaven and man" with the external universe and nature! From the perspective of the highest goal of immortals, it is to restore a life's "ancient glazed bowl that was broken in two" to its original state. If no matter how much one practices, "it can never be compared with the original product", then what's the point of engaging in immortal cultivation? Of course, this restoration to its original state does not refer to the situation where the baby was originally restored and then turned back into a horse baby. It is the original nature of life, not the original form. This must be clarified. Ii. Regarding "Wine, women, Wealth and Power". The ancients believed that these four things were all harmful to people and their lives: alcohol was a poison that disordered one's nature, sex was a steel knife that scraped the bones, wealth was a threat to one's life, and anger was the root cause of trouble. But in this world, these four things cannot be avoided: without wine, there can be no propriety and righteousness; without color, roads are cut off and people are few; without wealth, there can be no world; without spirit, one is often bullied. The key is to correctly deal with and handle these four aspects: not getting drunk is the highest, not being greedy for beauty and calling oneself a hero, not taking unrighteous wealth, and being patient and forgiving will naturally eliminate disaster. When a monk has not yet fulfilled his social and family responsibilities, he cannot transcend these four aspects and can only treat them correctly with a non-action mindset. Only when one reaches a special stage of cultivation later on is it possible to achieve complete transcendence. To cultivate the Tao, one must break through the realm of life and death and achieve "liberation from life and death". "Only when there is no standing state can one be pure" mainly refers to a transcendence of the values of life and death after understanding the mysteries of the evolution of the universe and nature, neither rejoicing in life nor worrying about death. But its ultimate goal lies in "being external to the body, yet the body exists." "After the body itself, the body takes the lead." That is to transcend life and death, yet to obtain eternal life. This is completely different from the fact that ordinary people do not cherish life, and from the distorted Zen Buddhism that regards the physical body as a stinking shell and despises it, only valuing spiritual cultivation. However, those who enter the path of spiritual cultivation must first value life and death and have a strong sense of valuing life. Only when wisdom is constantly enlightened and life cultivation reaches a certain level will the concept of "life and death" be gradually resolved naturally. Third, in spiritual practice, one should follow the procedure of "exhausting one's principles and nature to fulfill one's destiny." That is, first understand the theory of cultivation, then the mind will be enlightened and the morality will be elevated. In this way, the cultivation of life skills can be directly advanced. However, this is a general principle. Most people can only take the path of gradual cultivation, that is, to explore the truth on one hand, to fulfill one's nature on the other, and to be fatal on the other, advancing step by step. As for how to choose the right practice at the beginning, it depends on each person's different situation. There are those who start with the progressive practice and those who start with the predestined practice. There are those who practice action first and those who practice stillness first. There are those that combine both movement and stillness, those that have more movement than stillness, and those that have more stillness than movement. Some start by addressing the symptoms, while others take a comprehensive approach... And so on. If one can understand the truth, any school of martial arts can be put to use. Without understanding the principles, no school of cultivation can be applied. Therefore, the ancients said: "When evil people use the right Dharma, the right Dharma will also turn evil." When a righteous person uses evil methods, all evil methods will return to righteousness. Fourth, the ancients said that those who practice Taoism can stumble on the tip of a needle. It means that monks are unlikely to encounter any resistance. Because the Dao is universal, it is manifested not only in the universe and nature but also in human life and society. It is just that "the people use it daily without realizing it." Since the Tao is everywhere, one should not separate the practice of the Tao from family and society. It is precisely because you are disconnected that you are regarded as "nonsense" and "useless". There are some issues that I don't want to delve into further. It might be more beneficial for you to think about them yourself. May your studies improve day by day!