''Pu'' is a
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
word meaning "unworked wood; inherent quality; simple" that was an early
Daoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
metaphor for the natural state of humanity, and relates with the Daoist keyword ''
ziran
Ziran or tzu-jan is a key concept in Daoism that literally means "of its own; by itself" and thus "naturally; natural; spontaneously; freely; in the course of events; of course; doubtlessly". This Chinese word is a two-character compound of ''z ...
'' (literally "self so") "natural; spontaneous". The scholar
Ge Hong
Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, Taoist practitioner, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characte ...
(283-343 CE) immortalized ''pu'' in his
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
''Baopuzi'' "Master who Embraces Simplicity" and
eponymous
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
book ''
Baopuzi
The ''Baopuzi'' () is a literary work written by Ge Hong (also transliterated as Ko Hung) (), 283–343, a scholar during the turbulent Jin dynasty. ''Baopuzi'' is divided into two main sections, the esoteric ''Neipian'' () "Inner Chapters" an ...
''.
Terminology
''Pu'' can be written with either of the
variant Chinese characters
Variant Chinese characters (; Kanji: ; Hepburn: ''itaiji''; ; Revised Romanization: ''icheja'') are Chinese characters that are homophones and synonyms. Most variants are allographs in most circumstances, such as casual handwriting. Some contexts ...
or , which are linguistically complex.
Characters
Both and are classified as
radical-phonetic characters, combining the semantically significant
"tree" radical (commonly used for writing names of trees and wooden objects) with the phonetic indicators ''pu'' or ''bu'' .
The
Chinese character
Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the Written Chinese, writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are k ...
''pu'' was first recorded on
Chinese bronze inscriptions
Chinese bronze inscriptions, also commonly referred to as bronze script or bronzeware script, are writing in a variety of Chinese scripts on ritual bronzes such as ''zhōng'' bells and '' dǐng'' tripodal cauldrons from the Shang dynasty (2nd mi ...
from the
Spring and Autumn period
The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
(771-476 BCE), and the character ''pu'' was first recorded in
Chinese classics
Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
from the
Warring States
The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...
period (475-221 BCE).
When the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
promulgated
simplified Chinese characters
Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters used in mainland China, Malaysia and Singapore, as prescribed by the ''Table of General Standard Chinese Characters''. Along with traditional Chinese characters, they are one o ...
in 1956, the established variant ''pu'' (with 6
strokes
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
) was chosen to replace the
traditional Chinese character
Traditional Chinese characters are one type of standard Chinese character sets of the contemporary written Chinese. The traditional characters had taken shapes since the clerical change and mostly remained in the same structure they took at ...
''pu'' (with 16
strokes
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
).
One of the two (c. 168 BCE)
Mawangdui silk manuscript versions of the ''Daodejing'', discovered in 1973 by archeologists excavating a tomb, uses a rare textual variant character for ''pu'' : ''wò'' "a house tent (esp. with a wooden roof)", written with the "tree radical" and ''wu'' "room; house" phonetic. The "B" text, like the received version, uses ''pu'' 8 times in 6 chapters; the "A" text uses ''wò'' 6 times in 4 chapters and has
lacunae in chapters 19 and 57. The (c. 121 CE) ''Shuowen jiezi'' defines ''wo'' as ''muzhang'' "wood canopy", and the (early 3rd century) ''
Guangya
The (c. 230) ''Guangya'' (; "Expanded '' ra''") was an early 3rd-century CE Chinese dictionary, edited by Zhang Yi (張揖) during the Three Kingdoms period. It was later called the ''Boya'' (博雅; ''Bóyǎ''; ''Po-ya''; "Broadened ra") owing t ...
'' defines it as ''choumu'' "curtain; cover". These variant words ''pú'' < *''phrôk'' "unworked wood" and ''wò'' < *''ʔôk'' "house tent" are semantically and phonologically dissimilar.
Pronunciations and meanings
The comprehensive Chinese character dictionary ''
Hanyu Da Zidian
The ''Hanyu dazidian'' () is a reference work on Chinese characters.
Overview
A group of more than 400 editors and lexicographers began compilation in 1974, and it was published in eight volumes from 1986 to 1989. A separate volume of essays do ...
'' (1987: 2:1291, 2:1154) lists 2 pronunciations and 8 meanings for the character , and 6 pronunciations and 11 meanings for ; which are summarized below.
The glyph can be read:
*''pǔ''
#"unworked wood",
#"cut down; fell trees"
#"nature; essence; intrinsic quality" (compare English ''in the rough'')
#"simple; plain; unadorned; unaffected"
#"(economics) net cost"
*''pú''
#"grow thickly (of plants); shrub"
#"an oak tree"
#"attached; affixed"
The glyph can be read to mean:
*''pǔ''
#"unworked wood; natural; plain; etc." (= ''pǔ'' )
#"large"
#"
uncured meat"
*''pū''
# "root; basis; origin"
#"beat; hit; an instrument of torture" (= ''pū'' )
*''pò''
#"tree bark; (esp.) magnolia bark" in ''houpo'' "''
Magnolia officinalis
''Magnolia officinalis'' (commonly called houpu magnolia or magnolia-bark) is a species of ''Magnolia'' native to the mountains and valleys of China at altitudes of 300–1500 m.
Identification
It is a deciduous tree growing to 20 m in height ...
'' bark (used in
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...
)"
#in ''pòshù'' "''
Celtis sinensis
''Celtis sinensis'' (English: Chinese hackberry; Chinese: ; Japanese: ) is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family, Cannabaceae, that is native to slopes in East Asia.
Description
It is a tree that grows to 20 m tall, with deciduous ...
'', Chinese hackberry"
*''pō''
#in ''
pōdāo'' "a kind of two-handed sword"
*''Pú''
#"a surname", namely
Park (Korean surname)
Park or Bak (, ), is the third-most-common surname in Korea, traditionally traced back to 1st century King Hyeokgeose Park () and theoretically inclusive of all of his descendants. ''Park'' or '' Bak'' is usually assumed to come from the Kor ...
*''Piáo''
# "a surname"
The ''
Erya
The ''Erya'' or ''Erh-ya'' is the first surviving Chinese dictionary. Bernhard Karlgren (1931:49) concluded that "the major part of its glosses must reasonably date from the 3rd century BC."
Title
Chinese scholars interpret the first title chara ...
'', which is the oldest Chinese dictionary, defined ''pu'' and ''supu'' as "oak" names (in "Explaining Trees" chapter 14). First, ''pu'' is defined as ''bao'' (14:45).
Guo Pu
Guo Pu (; AD 276–324), courtesy name Jingchun () was a Chinese historian, poet, and writer during the Eastern Jin period, and is best known as one of China's foremost commentators on ancient texts. Guo was a Taoist mystic, geomancer, collector ...
's ''Erya'' commentary identified this ''pu'' tree as ''yupu'' "''
Quercus acutissima
''Quercus acutissima'', the sawtooth oak, is an Asian species of oak native to China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Indochina (Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia) and the Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan, northeastern India). It is widely planted in many lands ...
'', saw-tooth oak" (which occurs in the ''Shijing'' below). ''Bao'' is usually read ''fu'' "drumstick", and Guo noted this name ''bao'' denoted "a kind of oak [] that grew in clumps", and quotes the ''Shijing'' usage as ''baoli'' instead of ''baoli'' "bushy oak" (see below). The ''
Bencao Gangmu
The ''Bencao gangmu'', known in English as the ''Compendium of Materia Medica'' or ''Great Pharmacopoeia'', is an encyclopedic gathering of medicine, natural history, and Chinese herbology compiled and edited by Li Shizhen and published in the ...
'' says there are two varieties of ''hu'' "''
Quercus mongolica
''Quercus mongolica'', commonly known as Mongolian oak, is a species of oak native to Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, and Siberia. The species can grow to be tall.
The flavono-ellagitannin The Flavono-ellagitannins or complex tannins are a cla ...
'', Mongolian oak", the ''bao'' is small and grows in clumps while the ''li'' is tall and has large leaves. Second, ''supu'' is defined as ''xin'' "heart; mind" (14:64). Guo identifies ''supu'' (cf. reverse ''pusu'' in the ''Shijing'' below) as ''husu'' (with ''hu'' "Mongolian oak"), the "''
Quercus dentata
''Quercus dentata'', also called Japanese emperor oak or daimyo oak ( ja, 柏, ''kashiwa''; ; ko, 떡갈나무, ''tteokgalnamu'') is a species of oak native to East Asia (Japan, Korea and China). The name of the tree is often translated as "swee ...
'', daimyo oak". While ''xin'' "heart; mind" is a common Chinese word, this ''Erya'' definition is the only known context in which it names a tree. The ''Yijing'' uses ''xin'' to mean "thorn; prick",: "Among varieties of wood it means those which are firm and have much pith".
The ''
Shuowen Jiezi
''Shuowen Jiezi'' () is an ancient Chinese dictionary from the Han dynasty. Although not the first comprehensive Chinese character dictionary (the '' Erya'' predates it), it was the first to analyze the structure of the characters and to give ...
'', the first Chinese dictionary of characters, simply defines ''pu'' as ''mupi'' "tree bark; wood with bark", and ''pu'' as ''musu'' "plain wood; unworked lumber" (later meaning "
lignin
Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity ...
" in scientific terminology).
Returning to the central Daoist meaning of ''pu'',
Pas and Leung challenge the stereotyped "uncarved block" translation of ''pu'': "The idea implied in it comes closer to "wholeness," which is also contained in "uncarved block," except that "uncarved block" has been reified. As a result, what was an excellent analogy of the Tao has become sterile and counterproductive."
Citing the ''pu'' translations of
Séraphin Couvreur
Séraphin Couvreur (; EFEO Chinese transcription: kóu sái fēn; 14 January 1835 – 19 November 1919) was a French Jesuit missionary to China, sinologist, and creator of the EFEO Chinese transcription. The system devised by Couvreur of the ...
"wood that has not been worked on; simple, without ornament, without disguise" and
Bernhard Karlgren
Klas Bernhard Johannes Karlgren (; 15 October 1889 – 20 October 1978) was a Swedish sinologist and linguist who pioneered the study of Chinese historical phonology using modern comparative methods. In the early 20th century, Karlgren conducte ...
"wood in its natural state, not worked: rough, plain, natural, simple"; Pas and Leung conclude, "it is obvious where the expression "uncarved block" came from, but the addition of "block" is an interpretation. The term means "plain wood," "uncarved wood.""
Etymology
Reconstructions of Old Chinese Although Old Chinese is known from written records beginning around 1200 BC, the logographic script provides much more indirect and partial information about the pronunciation of the language than alphabetic systems used elsewhere.
Several authors h ...
pronunciations have transformed Chinese
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
.
Old Chinese
Old Chinese, also called Archaic Chinese in older works, is the oldest attested stage of Chinese language, Chinese, and the ancestor of all modern varieties of Chinese. The earliest examples of Chinese are divinatory inscriptions on oracle bones ...
reconstructions of ''pu'' or ''bu'' include:
*''bú'' < *''pûk'' or *''b'ûk''
*''bú'' < *''puk'' or *''b'uk'' "shrubby trees", ''pŭ'' < *''p'uk'' "rough; unadorned", and ''pò'' < *''p'ǔk'' "trim unworked wood; robust, solid"
*''pú'' < *''phruk''
*''bú'' < *''puk'' or *''buk''
*''pú'' < *''phrôk'' "to trim wood", "in a natural state, unworked"
* ''pŭ'' < *''pʰˤrok'' "unworked wood"
Victor Mair
Victor Henry Mair (; born March 25, 1943) is an American sinologist. He is a professor of Chinese at the University of Pennsylvania. Among other accomplishments, Mair has edited the standard ''Columbia History of Chinese Literature'' and the ''Co ...
suggests that ''pu'' < *''phluk'' "unhewn log" is "almost certainly related to the English word "block," which probably derives from the Indo-European root ''bhelk'' (beam)".
Axel Schuessler says the etymology of ''pú'' < *''phrôk'' "to trim wood" could either be an "aspirated iterative derivation" from ''bāo'' < *''prôk'' "cut up, peel, pluck", or "belong to the homophonous etymon with the basic meaning 'in a natural state, unworked', as in ''pú'' 'in a natural state', 'unworked precious stone'."
Early textual references
''Pu'' occurs in some of the earliest
Chinese classics
Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
, frequently in Daoist ones.
Shijing
Two odes in the ''
Shijing
The ''Classic of Poetry'', also ''Shijing'' or ''Shih-ching'', translated variously as the ''Book of Songs'', ''Book of Odes'', or simply known as the ''Odes'' or ''Poetry'' (; ''Shī''), is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, co ...
'' "Classic of Poetry" use ''pu''
compounds to mean "an oak".
''Pusu'' occurs in Ode 23: "scrubby oaks", "a clump of oaks", "low shrubby trees". The Mao commentary describes the ''pusu'' as a 小木 "small tree". The ''Erya'' (above) writes this reversible compound as ''supu'' .
''Yupu'' is the name of Ode 238, which records using this tree for firewood: "the ''yih'' and the ''p'oh''", "the oak clumps". Commentaries describe the ''yupu'' as a "dense and shrubby tree".
In addition, Ode 132 has ''baoli'' : "the bushy oaks", "a clump of oaks", "luxuriant oaks". The ''Erya'' has ''baoli'' , writing ''bao'' as "an oak" instead of "bushy; luxuriant".
Shujing
The ''
Shujing
The ''Book of Documents'' (''Shūjīng'', earlier ''Shu King'') or ''Classic of History'', also known as the ''Shangshu'' (“Venerated Documents”), is one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. It is a collection of rhetorica ...
'' "Classic of History" (''Zhoushu'' , ''Zicai'' "
Chinese catalpa lumber" section) uses ''pu'' once in the compound ''pozhou'' (''po'' "trim unworked wood" and ''zhuo'' "hack; chop off"): "as in working with the wood of the rottlera, when the toil of the coarser and finer operations has been completed, they have to apply the paint of red and other colours", "It is as when one works on catalpa wood; when he has toiled in trimming and carving it, he should take measures for making it red or green". Legge notes that ''pu'' means "the rough fashioning of the work" and ''zhou'' means "the fine finish given to it". Karlgren quotes the Han commentator
Ma Rong
Ma Rong (; 79–166), courtesy name Jichang (), was a Chinese poet and politician of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was born in Youfufeng () in the former Han capital region, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. His father Ma Yan (马严) was a s ...
that ''po'' denotes "wood that has not yet been worked into a utensil; unworked wood", and concludes ''po'' means "to treat the unworked wood (in the first rough cutting); to trim" is a variation of the same stem as ''pu'' "in a natural state; simple".
Daodejing
Six ''
Daodejing
The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion d ...
'' chapters use ''pu'' , two of them twice, for a total of 8 occurrences.
Chapter 19 parallels the near-synonyms ''su'' "raw silk; white; plain; simple; quiet" and ''pu'' "unworked wood; plain; simple", and was the source for Ge Hong's pen-name Baopuzi "Master who Embraces Simplicity".
*Evince the plainness of undyed silk, Embrace the simplicity of the unhewn log; Lessen selfishness, Diminish desires; Abolish learning and you will be without worries. (19).
Holmes Welch describes ''pu'' "the Uncarved Block" and ''su'' "Raw Silk" as symbols that Laozi used to expound his basic doctrine of "the return to our original nature". In modern usage, ''pu'' and ''su'' mean "plain," but originally ''pu'' "was wood as it came from the tree before man had dressed it", while ''su'' "was silk that man had never dyed or painted."
Chapters 28 and 57 mention simple ''pu'' in reference to ''shengren'' "sages", Chapter 15 similarly refers to ancient Daoist adepts and describes ''pu'' as ''dun'' "sincere; honest; plain".
*If eternal integrity suffices, You will return to the simplicity of the unhewn log. ... When the unhewn log is sawn apart, it is made into tools; When the sage is put to use, he becomes the chief of officials. For Great carving does no cutting. (28)
*The sage has a saying: "I take no action, yet the people transform themselves; I do not interfere in affairs, yet the people enrich themselves; I desire not to desire, yet the people of themselves become simple as unhewn logs." (57)
*Those of old who were adept in the Way were ... hesitant, as though crossing a stream in winter; cautious, as though fearful of their neighbors all around; solemn, as though guests in someone else's house; shrinking, as ice when it melts; plain, as an unhewn log; muddled, as turbid waters; expansive, as a broad valley. (15)
Among all the ''Daodejing'' occurrences of ''pu'', chapter 28 is the only case in which the transmitted and excavated versions are significantly different – the transmitted text has an extra grammatical
particle
In the Outline of physical science, physical sciences, a particle (or corpuscule in older texts) is a small wikt:local, localized physical body, object which can be described by several physical property, physical or chemical property, chemical ...
''zhi'' "a
possessive
A possessive or ktetic form (abbreviated or ; from la, possessivus; grc, κτητικός, translit=ktētikós) is a word or grammatical construction used to indicate a relationship of possession in a broad sense. This can include strict owne ...
marker; a 3rd person pronoun" after ''yong'' "use; employ". Robert G. Henricks explains this small grammatical change between the standard text saying the sage ''yong zhi'' "uses it" and the excavated silk text saying ''yong'' "is used". The transmitted version "When the uncarved wood is broken up, it is turned into concrete things. But when the sage uses it, he becomes the leading official." should be read "When uncarved wood is cut up, it's turned into vessels. When the Sage is used, he becomes the Head of Officials."
D. C. Lau
D. C. Lau (; 6 March 192126 April 2010) was a Chinese sinology, sinologist and author of the widely read translations of Daodejing, Tao Te Ching, Mencius and The Analects and contributed to the Proper Cantonese pronunciation movement.
D. C. Lau ...
says the traditional passage "seems to say that when the uncarved block shatters it becomes vessels. A vessel is a specialist who is only fitted to be an official. Hence the sage when he makes use of these vessels becomes the lord over the officials.", but in Mawangdui passage, "The meaning is very different. The uncarved block is a symbol for the sage. Just as the uncarved block becomes vessels when it shatters so does the sage become the chief of the officials when he allows himself to be employed, and just as the uncarved block is ruined when it becomes useful, so does a sage become ruined when he becomes useful." The word ''qi'' "vessel; utensil" is translated here as "tools", "concrete things", "vessels", "specialists", and "officials".
Chapters 32 and 37 both address ''houwang'' "feudal lords and kings" and describe the ''Dao'' as ''wuming'' "nameless", while 37 also calls ''pu'' "nameless".
*The Way is eternally nameless. Though the unhewn log is small, No one in the world dares subjugate it. If feudal lords and kings could maintain it, The myriad creatures would submit of themselves. (32)
*The Way is eternally nameless. If feudal lords and kings preserve it, The myriad creatures will be transformed by themselves. After transformation, if they wish to rise up, I shall restrain them with the nameless unhewn log. By restraining them with the nameless unhewn log, They will not feel disgraced; Not feeling disgraced, They will be still, Whereupon heaven and earth will be made right by themselves. (37)
Chapter 37 has a minor textual difference between ''buyu'' "not desire" in the standard version and ''buru'' "not disgrace" in the Mawangdui version.
Lau explains ''pu'' in the ''Daodejing'' primarily means "the uncarved block is in a state as yet untouched by the artificial interference of human ingenuity and so is a symbol for the original state of man before desire is produced in him by artificial means".
The (c. 3rd century CE) ''
Heshang Gong
Heshang Gong (also Ho-Shang Kung) is the reputed author of one of the earliest commentaries on the ''Tao Te Ching'' of Laozi to survive to modern times, which is dated to the latter part of the Han dynasty.Alan K. L. Chan, "Two Visions of the Way ...
'' commentary version of this Daoist text interchangeably writes ''pu'' as both and . Three chapters (28, 32, 37) use in both text and commentary, and one (15) uses in both. One (19) uses in text and in commentary, and another (57) uses in text and in commentary.
*"If they change and want to rise, the ego will suppress them by means of the [] simplicity of the nameless."; "The ego is the personality. The [] simplicity of the nameless is Tao. If all beings change into their selves, but afterwards revert to desire and exhibit shrewdness and hypocrisy, the princes and the king are obliged to suppress personality by means of Tao and Te." (37)
*"Simple like [] unworked wood."; "What is simple is material and firm. The form of unworked wood is not yet carved. Within one ought to take care of the spirits, outwards one ought not to be pretentious." (15)
*"Look at simplicity and hold fast to [] naturalness."; "To look at simplicity corresponds to holding fast to simplicity and keeping to truth as well as to not looking at externals. To hold fast to [] naturalness corresponds to looking at real naturalness in order to show it to the subjects. Thereby one may become a model." (19)
*"I am without desires, and the people are [] simple of themselves."; "If I am always without desires, if I do away with externals, then the people will follow me and remain [] simple and natural." (57)
Of nine ''Daodejing'' chapters without or in the text, three (3, 38, 41) use in commentary, and six (17, 64, 68, 71, 80, 81) use . For examples,
*"He
he saint
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
always induces the people not to know and not to desire."; "Return to [] simplicity and retain purity." (3)
*"Sincere words are not beautiful."; "Sincere words are true words. What is not beautiful is [] simple and real." (81)
Welch paraphrases the ''Daodejing'' relationship among ''pu'', ''
de'' "inherent character; inner power", and ''
wuwei'' "non-action; non-doing". Outwardly, one cannot achieve ''de'' "until you have erased the aggressive patterns etched by society into your nature. You must return to your natural self, to
'pu'' You must discard morality and ambition, for if you keep these you will never be capable of compassion, moderation, and humility. When you discard some of your wishes, you will have them all." Inwardly, one performs several cultivations. "For, to achieve the outward
'pu''you will have to cultivate a
'wuwei''of the mind. And when the mind is quiet,
'pu''will deepen. It will become a faculty for intuitively sensing the order of the universe—the
aothat can be named."
Zhuangzi
''Pu'' occurs 20 times in the (ca. 3rd century BCE) Daoist classic ''
Zhuangzi Zhuangzi may refer to:
* ''Zhuangzi'' (book) (莊子), an ancient Chinese collection of anecdotes and fables, one of the foundational texts of Daoism
**Zhuang Zhou
Zhuang Zhou (), commonly known as Zhuangzi (; ; literally "Master Zhuang"; als ...
''. The standard ''Zhuangzi'' text writes ''pu'' both with the 16–stroke character six times in three chapters (9, 13, and 31) and with the 6–stroke variant character fourteen times in six chapters (7, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 20), which evidences the heterogeneous textual origins. For instance, the word ''pubi'' (with ''bi'' "low; mean; vulgar; unsophisticated") is written both "crude, mean
eart (chapter 31) and "simple and unsophisticated
eople (10).
A frequently occurring ''Zhuangzi'' metaphor contrasts returning to ''pu'' "unhewn log" with carving ''qi'' "vessels" (which means "specialist; official" in ''Daodejing'' 28).
*In a world of ultimate integrity, men would dwell together with the birds and the beasts. ... Equally without desire, this is called [] "the simplicity of the unhewn log". With [] the simplicity of the unhewn log, the people would attain their nature. ... Therefore, if [] the simple, unhewn log remained intact, who would carve a sacrificial vessel from it? ... The [] carving of the unhewn log into [] instruments is the fault of the craftsman; the impairment of the Way and integrity with humaneness and righteousness is the error of the sage. (9)
*Lie Yukou, Liezi "came to believe that he had barely begun to learn. ... He took no sides in affairs and [] whittled himself back to the simplicity of the unhewn log. Clodlike, he stood alone in his physical form. Sealed off against perplexity, in this manner he remained whole to the end." (7)
*"I have heard it said, 'After all the carving and chiseling, [] Return to the simplicity of the unhewn log'." (20)
Another ''Zhuangzi'' chapter uses this term ''fupu'' "return to simplicity".
*If you were to meet someone who understands great plainness, who subscribes to nonaction and [] returns to the simplicity of the unhewn log, who embodies his nature and embraces his spirit, so as to wander through the common world, you would really be surprised! (12)
See also
*
Buddhist ethics
Buddhist ethics are traditionally based on what Buddhists view as the Enlightenment in Buddhism, enlightened perspective of the Buddha. The term for ethics or morality used in Buddhism is ''Śīla'' or ''sīla'' (Pāli). ''Śīla'' in Buddhism i ...
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Tabula rasa
''Tabula rasa'' (; "blank slate") is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content, and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. Epistemological proponents of ''tabula rasa'' disagree with the doctri ...
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Ziran
Ziran or tzu-jan is a key concept in Daoism that literally means "of its own; by itself" and thus "naturally; natural; spontaneously; freely; in the course of events; of course; doubtlessly". This Chinese word is a two-character compound of ''z ...
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Footnotes
Further reading
* Baxter, William H. (1992), ''A Handbook of Old Chinese Phonology'', Mouton de Gruyter.
* Girardot, Norman J. (1988), ''Myth and Meaning in Early Taoism: The Themes of Chaos (Hun-Tun)''], University of California Press. pp
7056117
* Karlgren, Bernhard (1950), "The Book of Documents", ''Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities'' 22:1–81.
* Kraemer, Kenneth (1986), ''World Scriptures: An Introduction to Comparative Religions'', Paulist Press.
* Legge, James (1871), ''The She King or Book of Poetry'', in ''The Chinese Classics'', vol. 4, Oxford University Press.
* Legge, James, tr. (1865), ''The Shoo King'', in ''The Chinese Classics, vol. 3, Oxford University Press.
External links
pu (Daoism) Britannica Online Encyclopedia
''Houpo'' 厚朴 Hong Kong Baptist University School of Chinese Medicine.
{{Taoism footer
Chinese words and phrases
Taoist philosophy